Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post Reply
arfs
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2020 2:31 pm

Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by arfs »

What types of changes is the PowerPod capable of detecting and correcting for (wattage-wise) during the ride?

I know that the PowerPod can detect changes
- in device tilt during the ride (and compensate for within 2-3 mins)
- terrain conditions via DCRR (and correction for this happens within a few seconds right?)

But can it also detect significant changes in tire pressure between rides?

What about if you ride on the hoods for the first half of the ride, then switch to drops for the rest? Does it eventually correct the wattage to account for being in the drops and how long? And does it make changes to CdA in your profile and assume you're in the drops for the next ride?
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7888
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by Velocomp »

PP won't detect changes in tire pressure (how could it?). For consistent results ride-to-ride you should have the same tire pressure.

Similarly, PP won't "know" that you've changed ride positions (how could it know?). Most riders ride in the same position most of the time, so this isn't a big deal.
John Hamann
arfs
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2020 2:31 pm

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by arfs »

Velocomp wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 6:50 am PP won't detect changes in tire pressure (how could it?). For consistent results ride-to-ride you should have the same tire pressure.
I figured it couldn't but thought I'd ask anyway just in case. After all it seems to be able to detect changes in terrain via "DCRR". how does that work?

Velocomp wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 6:50 am Similarly, PP won't "know" that you've changed ride positions (how could it know?). Most riders ride in the same position most of the time, so this isn't a big deal.
Is the PP not capable of detecting changes in CdA and therefore able to make deductions that there were changes in ride position somehow?

Also I think most people don't change their positions if they specially knew about this limitation of the PP and are doing a power-based workout or were racing. But I would argue that people most people who casually ride a long-distance ride change their ride position often to alleviate pressure on the hands.
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7888
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by Velocomp »

1) PP detects changes in road roughness and modifies Crr accordingly.

2) AeroPod does, in fact, measure changes in CdA due to ride position. PowerPod, which does not use a DFPM sensor, does not.

3) While I agree that people do change their ride positions, most of the time they ride in their preferred position. So, the overall effect on watts is not significant. Also, unless the change in ride position is extreme (for example, going from a straight-up mountain bike position to an aero TT position) the watts difference is not huge.
John Hamann
mo_mo
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 10:16 pm

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by mo_mo »

Velocomp wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 6:50 am Similarly, PP won't "know" that you've changed ride positions (how could it know?). Most riders ride in the same position most of the time, so this isn't a big deal.
Could the PP "know" by signal strength to a chest strap heart rate monitor? Not sure if the PP has the ability to detect the signal strength adequately between Tops, Hoods, and Drops, but would be neat if it did. Might require multiple cal rides to tune properly.
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7888
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by Velocomp »

I think Wahoo's HR strap has a feature that detects ride position. We could conceivably use that.

Signal strength would be much harder to implement.
John Hamann
kdx200
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:09 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by kdx200 »

John,
today was a long ride.

At km25 or something like that, the PP showed weird figures.
I looked at the garmin iq screen and the wind was always tailwind. Very strange. I tried to move the pp while riding to be sure that was tight..and i think it was very tight but i moved slighty to force the pp to recalibrate on the fly.
No response... the power figures were very slow (as the pp detected always tailwind)
Turned off the PP and then started again..the same... take a look to both files please.

Whats the next step / steps?? should reset it? tell me please.

thanks!!
Attachments
iBike_03_06_2022_0626_33_km_HiDef.ibr
(678.58 KiB) Downloaded 180 times
iBike_03_06_2022_0732_58_km_HiDef.ibr
(1.04 MiB) Downloaded 166 times
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7888
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by Velocomp »

It looks like your wind sensor became clogged. Were you riding in rain or mist?
John Hamann
kdx200
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:09 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by kdx200 »

No rain...also a sunny day 21 22 celcius degrees.
Perhaps some spill from the bottle bta but once a time in a pothole (also hard to beleave that ).... and i think is "impossible" the clog situation to endure for the next 2 hours... isnt it.?

Thanks!
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7888
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by Velocomp »

kdx200 wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 2:37 pm No rain...also a sunny day 21 22 celcius degrees.
Perhaps some spill from the bottle bta but once a time in a pothole (also hard to beleave that ).... and i think is "impossible" the clog situation to endure for the next 2 hours... isnt it.?

Thanks!
Check your wind port to make sure nothing is clogging it.
John Hamann
kdx200
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:09 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by kdx200 »

John,
several days with very dry weather and also before start riding i blowed up the sensor.

Again the same...too low watts. Checked and be always tailwind in the garmin screen.
So, reseted the PP, did the cal ride on the fly. The same. Nothing good.
So, gave up (and also was very annoyed) and did my ride. Checked sometimes and in some litle sections the were headwind (like for 50 meter always in the same place.... the place is 5kilometer square-shaped park where always has 60-70% headwinds...at least in the last year with the PP).
When i was arrivng home, i did a new reset for a new cal ride and did it(attached).

Now aim checking the ride file at the isaac and seems to be a correct ride with " good" figures. Cant understand this... i did not see this watt figures when i was riding....for sure. Does the Isaac do the analsys using the last cal ride i did before i came home?

Thank you!
also iam still looking for someone whi travel to do the trade PPV4 to PPv5.
Attachments
iBike_03_12_2022_0721_53_km_HiDef.ibr
(996.23 KiB) Downloaded 191 times
iBike_03_12_2022_0903_2_km_HiDef.ibr
(33.7 KiB) Downloaded 172 times
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7888
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by Velocomp »

Your 53km ride looks perfect. It has a different profile from your similar ride of 3/6, so somewhere in between you must have done a cal ride.

Also, your 3/12 ride has a different HR strap ID from your 3/6 ride, so there definitely was a new cal ride prior to it (your HR in your 3/12 ride seems pretty high...)

Your cal ride after your big ride produced very similar calibration factors. No, the results from your cal ride did not affect anything displayed in a prior ride.

You might want to remove and reinstall your ConnectIQ app, then re-pair to your PP. You should have been getting good data on your Garmin.
John Hamann
kdx200
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:09 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by kdx200 »

Yes... is i said i did a new cal ride today before the long ride. As the figures were too slow and also always tailwinds, i gave up and did my ride. Also another sometimes faulty HR strap (it depends on the day!!).

Besides the garmin IQ is potentally broken.... the POWER was slow, as with high effort i saw 200w (and in the isaac i can see that were 270w). Does the IQ ALSO affects the power screen ? i thought only the " IQ fields" were affected.

thanks
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7888
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by Velocomp »

kdx200 wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:15 am Yes... is i said i did a new cal ride today before the long ride. As the figures were too slow and also always tailwinds, i gave up and did my ride. Also another sometimes faulty HR strap (it depends on the day!!).

Besides the garmin IQ is potentally broken.... the POWER was slow, as with high effort i saw 200w (and in the isaac i can see that were 270w). Does the IQ ALSO affects the power screen ? i thought only the " IQ fields" were affected.

thanks
Everything in your ride file was normal: power, wind speed, slope, etc.

The Garmin should display EXACTLY what is in your ride file. So, something is not right, but I don't know what.

Are you riding a TT bike? Your CdA is pretty low (but your rider weight is low, too, so the CdA may be OK).
John Hamann
kdx200
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:09 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by kdx200 »

Yes, TT bike, My weight is 67kg, height 175cmts.

I will delete the IQ... the Garmin was NOT showing that information (the one iam looking in the isaac)...

thanks
kdx200
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:09 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by kdx200 »

HI John,

as i said...deleted the iq fields (slope and wind) and reintsaled it.
Today seems to be ok (IMHO low figures, but its ok)...
suddenly in the about km22 a big pothole and the bottle BTA spill a lot...... checked the garmin ....and the obvious.... the pp starts to send very low power.
Its hard to belaeve that a drop just got inside the pitot hole...so stopped and blowed and blowed..nothing came out. Also i detected that the water was in all the pp body and also in the little hole above. Like the water was draining to the PP's below point an theres that little hole. So i blowed and dry it with my shirt. The main hole pitot i think it was very DRY (cant be 100% sure as i cant see to the end),
Re started the ride and the pp continued sending low power for more than on hour (the water is still inside there an hour later despite my blowings??) and then i just turned it off.
Are my actions (stop, blow, dry, continue) ok?
Is there a protocol to solve that on the fly? I mean, it was only a spill not a constant rain.

thanks
Attachments
iBike_03_13_2022_0620_44_km_HiDef.ibr
(878.05 KiB) Downloaded 162 times
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7888
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by Velocomp »

kdx200 wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 9:40 am HI John,

as i said...deleted the iq fields (slope and wind) and reintsaled it.
Today seems to be ok (IMHO low figures, but its ok)...
suddenly in the about km22 a big pothole and the bottle BTA spill a lot...... checked the garmin ....and the obvious.... the pp starts to send very low power.
Its hard to belaeve that a drop just got inside the pitot hole...so stopped and blowed and blowed..nothing came out. Also i detected that the water was in all the pp body and also in the little hole above. Like the water was draining to the PP's below point an theres that little hole. So i blowed and dry it with my shirt. The main hole pitot i think it was very DRY (cant be 100% sure as i cant see to the end),
Re started the ride and the pp continued sending low power for more than on hour (the water is still inside there an hour later despite my blowings??) and then i just turned it off.
Are my actions (stop, blow, dry, continue) ok?
Is there a protocol to solve that on the fly? I mean, it was only a spill not a constant rain.

thanks
There are two ports on your device: the wind port with pitot tube, and the air pressure port, which is underneath the unit, near the USB port.

If either port is plugged, you can get incorrect wind readings.

Your elevation readings look OK so I suspect the problem is with the wind port/pitot tube.

If this happens again unscrew the pitot tube and make sure you blow-out the wind port within your unit.
John Hamann
kdx200
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:09 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by kdx200 »

I have no pitot... the hole itself and thats all. When i saw it it was dry or no any mini drop.

If its possible that something is inside it and when i hit the pothole moved and blocked inside?

By the way.... the first 22km... are ok?

Thanks!!!
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7888
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by Velocomp »

It's likely a drop got into your very small wind port hole.

You should get a pitot tube if spills happen frequently to you.

Yes, the first part of your ride is OK.
John Hamann
kdx200
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:09 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by kdx200 »

Ok, take it in mind. The ppv5 comes with that for default?

By the way...do you think that a drop can cause the fail....and lasts for hours?

Thanks
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7888
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by Velocomp »

kdx200 wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 8:43 pm Ok, take it in mind. The ppv5 comes with that for default?

By the way...do you think that a drop can cause the fail....and lasts for hours?

Thanks
The port that allows air to impinge on the air pressure sensor is quite small. If there is a drop that blocks it, until the drop evaporates...there will be trouble.

Yes, PP V5 comes with a pitot tube.
John Hamann
kdx200
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:09 am

Re: Capabilities of PowerPod's continuous calibration/correction?

Post by kdx200 »

Hi John.

the ride with very dry day and no BTA spills, not even sweat as was about 10C.
I think is a low power readings. Like 20-30 watts difference. (the BPM is broken, dont see that)
Was very difficult to get 200w and my legs knows about that as the perceive was at 230 - 240 for sure.

thanks!!!
Attachments
iBike_03_19_2022_0628_44_km_HiDef.ibr
(877.79 KiB) Downloaded 168 times
Post Reply