inside an eTap blip

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sugarkane
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by sugarkane

as long as you had internal routed bars to keep it tidy it would be pretty easy

by Weenie


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sungod
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by sungod

Damian75 wrote:Do any of you who are making these know if it is possible to wire two together to make a single button to do a front shift or splice a third button into two of the regular ones. I have a friend running etap who only has the use of one hand and something like this would make his life so much easier. Thanks for any input you can give.


if you can get a small momentary double-pole double-throw switch (dpdt) then you could wire that in parallel with the single left/right switches

alternatively, a single pole switch plus a couple of diodes may work, wired as below, with the middle switch shifting the fd

the positive side of each shifter needs to connect to the wire leading to the diode - whether this works will depend on the signal level that is being switched, using schottky diodes which have a lower forward voltage drop might be best

Image

arnoldagdagan
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Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2017 3:23 pm

by arnoldagdagan

@sugarkane, building a tt bike 1x11 etap, very interested on your custom blips, appreciate for some details how to get them.. many thanks!

woodnat1
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2018 4:00 am

by woodnat1

Curious if anyone here has created an extension cable. It's probably easy stuff for a lot of people around here, but I'm completely lost on where to even begin. I have the bar end shifters and would like to route the cable through the frame to a blipbox beneath my seat. For traveling, I have to remove my fork, and it would be great if I could connect and disconnect this extension.

I'm thinking of something like a headphone extension cord.

I'd love to try a DIY. But, if I would risk ruining anything, I'd be happy to buy from anyone who would want to sell!

AlexMeeshell
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:37 pm

by AlexMeeshell

stevec1975 wrote:
Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:38 am
First attempt at install: (White circle is shifter)
Image

Going to redo it as not 100% happy with it, did not want it under the bar tape, but might move it there.
Pictures are not rendering for me.
Mind posting (linking?) to pictures of the installed remote shifters.
If you had pics of above and under the bar tape, that would be much appreciated.

Oberon
Posts: 67
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 4:27 am
Location: Tasmania, Australia

by Oberon

The blips are designed for a round bar and they have a reasonaly high cross section which creates a large protusion under a flat aero bar. Solution, sand as much of the base of the blip as possible to create a low profile switch. I have removed quite a bit of material and stopped when the clear plastic appeared in the middle, although I reckon it could go lower. Anyway I achieved a lower profile and they are not that noticeable under the bar tape.

ImageImage

stevec1975
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Location: London

by stevec1975

AlexMeeshell wrote:
Wed Apr 11, 2018 11:17 am
stevec1975 wrote:
Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:38 am
First attempt at install: (White circle is shifter)
Image

Going to redo it as not 100% happy with it, did not want it under the bar tape, but might move it there.
Pictures are not rendering for me.
Mind posting (linking?) to pictures of the installed remote shifters.
If you had pics of above and under the bar tape, that would be much appreciated.
Photos reposted, Second pic is original attempt, second time I did it better (you can just see it under the final bit of electricians tape)
Attachments
1111.jpg
22222.jpg

AlexMeeshell
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:37 pm

by AlexMeeshell

stevec1975 wrote:
Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:12 am
AlexMeeshell wrote:
Wed Apr 11, 2018 11:17 am
stevec1975 wrote:
Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:38 am
First attempt at install: (White circle is shifter)
Image

Going to redo it as not 100% happy with it, did not want it under the bar tape, but might move it there.
Pictures are not rendering for me.
Mind posting (linking?) to pictures of the installed remote shifters.
If you had pics of above and under the bar tape, that would be much appreciated.
Photos reposted, Second pic is original attempt, second time I did it better (you can just see it under the final bit of electricians tape)
Thanks Steve!
That's super trick.
Someone should forward this to SRAM.
Not sure what they were thinking when they designed their BLIPs.

movemint
Posts: 59
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:53 pm

by movemint

BmanX wrote:
Tue Apr 04, 2017 1:56 pm
Can some of you post pictures of these switches installed.
Just made some of my own homemade blips for my new eTap setup. I'm calling them Bloops, so Sram does't get mad.

I punched a small hole in my tape so the button on my switch the handlebar tape isn't holding down the switch. I placed the Bloops under the bar, just next to the tip of my index finger. I found with Di2 that pressing the climbing button on the top of the bar was too much movement when climbing. This way I can just slightly move my finger away from my natural climbing postition and hit the Bloop when I need to.

The button action is stiff enough to keep accidental presses from happening.

Bloop
Bloop
I love the creativity of these forums. Years ago, with original Dura Ace Di2, I made a climbing switch out of an old XTR FlighDeck remote button. Inspiration on this sight is wonderful.

shagg0424
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2018 7:01 pm

by shagg0424

Hey Stuart could you tell me more about the o-ring for the etap connectors? You mentioned they are 5.5mm by 1mm... Is that OD 5.5? I found some on amazon that are 5.5mm OD x 3.5mm ID x 1mm and I am wondering if these will do the trick? Those darn little red o-rings are so small I lost all but one and I been having issues with water ever since.

I had my bike shop guy reach out to SRAM to see if I can purchase some more and they told them they don't sell these as spare parts but I doubt they make them themselves! If you have any additional info on them or where I can find some I would very much appreciate it.

thank you,

Ricardo

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goixiz
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Location: Atlanta, Georgia
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by goixiz

I just got a set of Sram Etap
Is there a dimension (OD and ID and length) for the Blip connector ? Thanks for any information that can be shared
- Eat More Rice !

subten
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2018 11:50 am

by subten

Here's a better method using the original factory waterproof eTap Blip Box Dummy plugs for the connectors.

Step 1) Buy 2.35mm x 0.7mm DC Power Jack Adapter Male Connector (20 cents each). Grind off excess outer lip of connector plastic. The inner terminal tends to separate and slide out from inside the outer terminal when grinding, but that's fine. Just insert it back in at the correct angle which fits the pieces back together. They will melt back together when soldering. I also like to grind a small indentation into the end of the outer terminal for the wire to fit nice and tight. (Shown without grinding)...
20190727_124047.jpg
Step 2) Solder wires onto both terminals. The plastic will melt somewhat. Use a good high temp soder iron so that the bond sets quickly before overheating everything too much. Test with ohm meter to ensure no conductivity between wires. Then carefully insert into Blip Box and touch the wire ends together to ensure proper function. Then carefully remove from Blip Box. For wire, I used 30AWG solid strand wire, which is found AMAZingly for $9 for 1000 feet. 40ft of this gauge tests fine with the Blip Box, so a few feet of this gauge or even smaller gauge is definitely fine...
20190731_033913.jpg
Step 3) Drill out the original eTap Blip Box Dummy plugs. They come with the Blip Box or they can be ordered for around $10/pair. Start with 1/8" drill bit. Lock the plug into vice by the plug terminal. Crush the terminal in the vice, it will only be used to hold the housing for drilling and then will be discarded. Align the plug Z-axis centerline with the drill bit by sliding the vice to align the drill bit in view in front of the plug. View the alignment and adjust. Do the same at right-angle. Then center the drill bit over the plug and drill. Drill to a plunge depth just shy of the bottom of the plug housing. I used electrical tape on the drill bit to mark off the drill depth limit. Drill at incremental depths and blow off the drill bit between passes. Once the drill bit reaches the metal connector, small pieces black plastic and metal material with come loose. Clear it all out. Then the housing will separate from the connector. Then, while carefully holding the housing by hand, drill again with larger 9/64" bit. (1/8" bit shown). The connector will get stuck on the drill bit. Just back it off and keep going until full depth limit is reached.
20190727_123840.jpg
Drilled plug housing finished with 9/64" bit...
20190731_034049.jpg
Step 4) Apply epoxy to the area around the soldering (epoxy not shown)...
20190731_034530.jpg
Step 5) While the applied epoxy is still uncured, insert the connector into into the housing and use a toothpick to fill the housing with epoxy. Store vertically face down until cured (shown cured)...
20190731_035507.jpg
Shown with $4 waterproof SPST momentary pushbutton switch of OD matching bar end ID. This one is ZF brand model KFB2DNA1BBB...
20190731_035815.jpg
Total cost just a few bucks while also weighing less than factory. I will be using these for the bar ends and I also have micro tactile switches on order which I'll be using at the left and right brake levers on a TT configuration.

Enjoy :thumbup:
Last edited by subten on Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:43 am, edited 20 times in total.

subten
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Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2018 11:50 am

by subten

Oops (duplicate)

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MayhemSWE
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Location: Stockholm, Sweden

by MayhemSWE

subten wrote:
Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:04 am
Here's a better method using the original factory waterproof eTap Blip Box Dummy plugs for the connectors.
Very nice guide! Just ordered a bunch of what seem to be the same connectors on eBay. Have access to a decent 3D printer at work so might try to use that for the housings, they seem simple enough to model even for a total novice like myself.

SRAM's original Blips are just way too big and their shape pretty much only works for mounting on the round part next to the stem on a standard handlebar. On my Canyon integrated cockpit there was no way to mount them in comfortable reach, so will be returned in favor of a homebrew solution…

by Weenie


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Topman
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 7:52 pm

by Topman

goixiz wrote:I just got a set of Sram Etap
Is there a dimension (OD and ID and length) for the Blip connector ? Thanks for any information that can be shared
I would also like to know the dimensions of the SRAM Blips, would someone be so kind as to measure for me. Thanks in advance Image


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