Stages Power Meter - draining battery overnight

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ebsilon
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2005 12:36 pm
Location: Denmark

by ebsilon

Hallo All :D

I have just received a Stages Power Meter. The first two times I used the meter it was OK. Now I have to change the battery every time before a ride :?

Do you know what is wrong or what I can try to do.

Ciao

ebsilon
Speed of Lite

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FIJIGabe
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Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:07 pm
Location: The Lone Star State

by FIJIGabe

One of the guys I ride with was having similar issues. He contacted Stages and they replaced the crank arm (they didn't even ask for the old one back). It seems like the issue revolves around poor water sealing around the battery, which drains the batteries quickly. If you bought the unit from Stages or an authorized reseller, I would definitely contact them and ask for a replacement. If, however, you bought the unit used, you may wish to contact the purchaser, or at least pull the battery from the Stages every time you finish riding (a pain, I know), and install it before you go on a ride.

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Imaking20
Posts: 2260
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:19 am

by Imaking20

This happened to me twice after riding through hurricanes. I learned to remove my battery and leave the cover off after soaking wet rides.

FWIW, I've got friends on Quarqs that do the same thing.

ghisallo2003
Posts: 742
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 7:10 pm

by ghisallo2003

Yes. Team Sky videos show them covering the Stages units prior to the evening wash.

glepore
Posts: 1408
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

Same issue. They had me send a photo of the p/m with he cover off, which revealed a slightly damaged/broken area near one of the slots for the tabs. They seem to be aware of an issue with that area and the door installation. Mine stopped draining batteries after drying overnight indoors with the battery out, since then I've been checking with the stages app to make sure its shut down after 5 min or so of inactivity. To their credit, they sent me an overnight label and they'll have the unit "reworked" with a revised plastic cover.

Their customer service has been exemplary. Probably not quite as easy for you folks not in the USA, but I'd still get in touch
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

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showdown
Posts: 230
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2010 4:48 pm

by showdown

IIRC there was a firmware update that was supposed to address battery issues.

My first Stages had to go back due to the outer plastic cover developing a crack. They overnighted me a new crank arm and a return label for the old crank arm. All products have faults and sometimes we end up with those duds... (my first Quarq had to go back, my PowerTaps have had to go back...) the measure of the company is how they handle the problems and thus far I've heard nothing but the best about Stages- they really do take their customers seriously and that's a mark of quality.

-J

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ebsilon
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2005 12:36 pm
Location: Denmark

by ebsilon

Hi All :)

Thank you for all your replies.

The power meter has never seen a drop of water, so the draining of the battery can not be caused by rain, bike wash or a cracked cover.

I will try to contact Stages and see if I can do a update of the firmware. Unfortunately I do not have an IOS device with Bluetoth smart, so I can not connect/talk to the power meter. I do only have a Garmin 510 :cry:

Ciao

ebsilon
Speed of Lite

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ebsilon
Posts: 190
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2005 12:36 pm
Location: Denmark

by ebsilon

Hallo All :-)

I did contact Stages and they were very fast to answer my mail.
I have done a firmware update on the power meter.
The problem is still the same.
I will let you know what happens next.
Now I an going to Bike Four Peaks in Austria and to deal with the problem I will bring enough batteries ;-)

Ciao

ebsilon
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durianrider
Posts: 85
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2010 7:00 am

by durianrider

Ive got 5 Stages on my bikes and no issues yet. About 20 000km across em. I update the firmware via my ipod as I don't have a phone and update the firmware on my garmins.

I think its the best PM out there in 2014. Also happens to be the lightest, stiffest and cheapest. Good enough for Team Sky, good enough for me.
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rijndael
Posts: 402
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2011 12:54 pm
Location: Haines, AK - Temporarily

by rijndael

durianrider wrote:I think its the best PM out there in 2014. Also happens to be the lightest, stiffest and cheapest. Good enough for Team Sky, good enough for me.


What flavor was that Kool-Aid?

It's lighter because it's half of a normal power meter.

Butcher
Shop Owner
Posts: 1917
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:58 am

by Butcher

If Stages paid me to ride with one, I would too. First they would have to adapt it to a Campy crank.

mike
Resident Pro
Posts: 2983
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2003 9:42 pm

by mike

Did stages fix the battery drainage issue yet?

dmulligan
Posts: 314
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2014 6:16 pm

by dmulligan

mike wrote:Did stages fix the battery drainage issue yet?


My first Stages power meter was exchanged due to water ingress. Then I seemed to be having low battery issues, almost a year ago now, and an update around the end of the year seems to have helped. I installed a new battery in the spring and then got about 150-170 hours on the battery with before my power meter reported low battery. Driving with the bike on the rack keeps the power meter on wasting power and I am thinking that I must have lost 10-20 hours to that too.

I don't believe that there are any significant battery drain bugs remaining.

mulletmaster
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2014 1:10 pm

by mulletmaster

The best thing my stages ever did was break like this so I could get a rapid replacement and sell it on new.
Worst power Meyer I have owned out of 5 variants

mike
Resident Pro
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Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2003 9:42 pm

by mike

thanks so much. that made my decision much easier.

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