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520 keeps dropping the Speed and Cadence sensors.

Hi all,

I've been using the 520 for a few weeks and for the life of me I can't figure out why it keeps dropping the signal to the speed and cadence sensors. I'm using the ones that came with the bundle so they're separate devices unlike the GSC-10 I used to have. I haven't tested/noticed it on outdoor rides but since most of my weekday training is on on an indoor trainer with pre planned workouts, this is a bit of a deal breaker for me if I can't get it solved.

Link of this mornings workout showing it cutting in and out during my intervals

https://www.strava.com/activities/416751717/overview

In previous workouts it would automatically auto-pause, I since then have turned that feature off.

(Saturday's trainer ride it was non-stop) https://www.strava.com/activities/414722987

Has anyone had this problem? Any help would be appreciated

Thanks!

0 tigermountrider over 9 years ago

So after my issues I ended up just wiping all the battery surfaces clean and it seems to have corrected the ANT+ issues.

Same thing happened to me and I though maybe it was the oil coating too. But now I don't think that was it. All the batteries have the coating. The contacts are in the cover and they may not have been seated well. Opening and closing the cover may have made them better seated.

0 DEEPAKVRAO over 9 years ago

Alan,

Strange. I mentioned this to my wife, and she said that at the same spot she has had an issue with her older 500 not recording HR on and off. She described the very same 800 meters or so where I have the issue. maybe some interference?

I need to try on a trainer, which leads me to another question. Can I set up my 520 so that it reads only GPS on outdoor rides, but still reads the speed sensor on indoor rides?

4th ride and the issue starts at absolutely the same spot, and lasts for the same 800 meters or so. Has to be external interference. Will confirm this when I finally build up the fortitude to sit on the trainer.

0 nord0296 over 9 years ago

I just decided to come here after seeing similar issues with my 520. I pre-ordered and have been using it primarily for indoor rides since I received it. Until now I have not noticed any issues with sensors, and little has changed in the last few weeks.

Setup: Bike w/ 520, GSC-10, PowerTap G3 riding on a KICKR SNAP.

The only changes in the last few weeks are --
-I got an iPhone 6s (upgrade from 5), about 2 weeks ago.
-I properly paired the text/call BLE interface from the 520, after switching to the new phone.
-I got a Kickr SNAP and have been using it with my iPhone and TrainerRoad. About a week before the new phone.

I have only noted it with all of the above changes in place, and not every ride (maybe 2/5 rides like this?)

The last 2 rides have been horrible for interference / sensor drops. I literally don't know if I have seen one drop in the initial several months of use, but these basically shutdown the ANT interface. Simultaneously I feel like the device was complaining about "Phone disconnected" or "Phone Connected" (or both).

Today when it was going crazy I went to the bluetooth screen and turned off the "Enable" for BT. As far as I could tell it instantly fixed it for the rest of the ride.

So... is the new iPhone somehow to blame? (doubtful). Or some weird BT issue with the KICKR being used at the same time? Just weird though...

Links:

Initial experience: https://www.strava.com/activities/445567293

Latest ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/448035932

I don't know what I did to get the first ride cleared up, but it too seemed to resolve somewhere in the ride.

0 karlw2000 over 9 years ago

I think it's the iPhone. I use to use my iPhone5s with my Kickr and it worked great. Then after one of the ios updates, it began to get flaky with the Kickr. One day I tried my iPad2 and it began to work like it used to. Every time I try my iPhone again, it just doesn't want to keep a good connection to my Kickr.

Just my guess based on an experiment of one.

0 MOJO1262 over 9 years ago

Solution for 520 Dropping of Sensors

I too had trouble with my brand new 520 where the HRM, Speed and Cadence would all drop and then come back - this would occur every 30 seconds or so.

The problem is with the bluetooth connection to the phone, and specifically the BLE connection (the one that allows you to receive text messages). After going into your blue tooth settings and removing the BLE connection you shouldn't have anymore disconnect issues.

Garmin did indicate that they were working on a software fix to the problem. It looks to be case # 1178517

0 DJKPOW over 9 years ago

Garmin 520 sensor pairing update

I posted a long while ago that I too experienced pairing issues with my 520. Garmin support replaced my 520 since I was forced to re-pair a perfectly working cadence sensor daily (I knew the cadence sensor was good because I tested simultaneously with my old 500 which was mounted next to the 520 on my bike). I've been riding indoors and out with speed sensor and cadence sensor (and a quarq power meter on one bike) for about 2 months without any pairing problems. I assume by now Garmin support has a better idea about the pairing issues, the best solutions, and will happily do the right thing. They were great with me, and I'm very happy with my new 520...certainly the best Garmin device I've owned now that's it solid!

p.s. my only remaining pet peeves are the lack of transferable odometer readings (but Alan graciously fixed my settings/totals files so I could move my 500 miles to the new device)... and the elevation map auto zooming still seems quite limited on a big climb (but honestly I haven't done a really big climb since August, so perhaps this got fixed with a software rev and I'm unaware... testing that will likely wait until next Spring )

0 rutheey over 9 years ago

So it seems it is the BT on my iPhone 5s that is doing something funny to cause all the sensors to drop in and out and also get "phone disconnected", "phone connected" messages pop up on the 520 when I'm riding. I worked out that this has been occurring since the latest garmin connect app update. I sort of fixed it by doing this:

Before turning on 520 at start of ride make sure BT is switched OFF on iPhone.
Turn on 520 and wait for it to find all the sensors.
Turn BT back on on iPhone.
Open garmin connect app and sync 520 (should happen automatically)
Hit start and go for a ride!
All sensors stay connected to 520 but I am not receiving sms on the 520 anymore. I hope garmin can fix this issue...

0 DJKPOW over 9 years ago

Clarification

So it seems it is the BT on my iPhone 5s that is doing something funny to cause all the sensors to drop in and out and also get "phone disconnected", "phone connected" messages pop up on the 520 when I'm riding. I worked out that this has been occurring since the latest garmin connect app update. I sort of fixed it by doing this:

Before turning on 520 at start of ride make sure BT is switched OFF on iPhone.
Turn on 520 and wait for it to find all the sensors.
Turn BT back on on iPhone.
Open garmin connect app and sync 520 (should happen automatically)
Hit start and go for a ride!
All sensors stay connected to 520 but I am not receiving sms on the 520 anymore. I hope garmin can fix this issue...

Just to clarify. When i had 520 sensor issues i wasnt using any Bluetooth connection. The issue was strictly between the 520 and the sensors. All is good now!

0 antodian over 9 years ago

So it seems it is the BT on my iPhone 5s that is doing something funny to cause all the sensors to drop in and out and also get "phone disconnected", "phone connected" messages pop up on the 520 when I'm riding.

Same problem with my iPhone 5S following the latest Garmin Connect app update.

0 DarrellMc over 9 years ago

So it seems it is the BT on my iPhone 5s that is doing something funny to cause all the sensors to drop in and out and also get "phone disconnected", "phone connected" messages pop up on the 520 when I'm riding. I worked out that this has been occurring since the latest garmin connect app update. I sort of fixed it by doing this:

Before turning on 520 at start of ride make sure BT is switched OFF on iPhone.
Turn on 520 and wait for it to find all the sensors.
Turn BT back on on iPhone.
Open garmin connect app and sync 520 (should happen automatically)
Hit start and go for a ride!
All sensors stay connected to 520 but I am not receiving sms on the 520 anymore. I hope garmin can fix this issue...

Do have to stand on your left or right foot when you do this? Do you have to hop clockwise or countercheck-wise? I am about to return my 520 and go back to my Cateye computer and iPhone combo. That setup worked. The Garmin software both on the device and the web is horrendous. How do they get away selling this stuff at the high prices they charge, and have so many problems? At this price point, the 520 should work without all the monkeying around. WTH Garmin???