It looks like my H3 has finally succumbed to the issue of a faulty AC power supply connection, and wondering how to proceed.
I bought the trainer back in 2021 from Probikekit (UK), and it’s been great all this time to be fair. Until now, and the wibbly-wobbly (read: rubbish), connection between the AC power jack and the AC socket on the trainer has become looser than the preverbial (insert metaphor).
Not entrirely sure why, as the jack resides very safely in the socket, is rarely unplugged, and has never been knocked or abused. It just seems to have started losing connection and I get the red flickering light on the unit. I can (with perseverence and luck), get a connection, but it loses it once the unit starts moving slightly.
As PBK is no longer, I’m unsure if I have any support in this, and I’m not sure who the UK distributor for Saris is these days. I will of course try emailing them directly, but I don’t expect an answer anytime soon.
Anyone any tips on how to go about this otherwise? My only thought so far is to Sugru the plug in if I can get a connection stable enough, but that’s not ideal…
I know they’re selling-off H3 units pretty cheap here in the UK at the minute (£299), but given they supposedly have lifetime warranty, I’d rather at least try get it fixed.
I recently purchased a new power supply cord off amazon. It has solved the same issues that you are having. Since I’m in the US the one I purchased won’t work for you, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find something similar. Just make sure all the power specs are the same.
That is not entirely accurate. The “Lifetime” portion only applies to the physical frame (i.e. case, legs, axle, etc.) but NOT the electronics… that are set as 2 years. The socket and power connection would fall into that 2 year category.
WRT the socket connection issue, some users have had luck using a small screwdriver to carefully pry the “split tongue” prongs wider, inside the socket on trainer. This increase the contact force once installed. I did it with my H1 and it worked well.
Similar response as Harrisoncj13, I stepped on my Hammer H1 power supply cord snapping it, and found an affordable alternative on Amazon that worked great. I have added a H3 to the family, the H1 with its new power supply is still working great, if I had to get a new power supply I would pick one up on Amazon.
I got my Hammer ~8 years ago and so far, mine is still working OK, but the power connector was a concern from the beginning. It’s relatively exposed to getting kicked/hit. I restrain the cable near the connection to try to prevent stress on the connection if the cable gets pulled. Should it get damaged, however, it is repairable. If it’s the cable near the connector, it can be cut off and a new connector attached. If it’s the connector in the trainer, it can be unsoldered from the board and replaced. An alternative to that would be do get a cable with socket, and solder that to the board, appropriately strain relieving it where it exits the trainer.
I actually got a reply back from Saris pretty sharp. They weren’t a great deal of help tbh and suggested the AC adapter isn’t covered anyway.
However…i did find another adapter in the garage that fits, but that also doesn’t connect properly, so it would point to the split tongue being the issue, and not the power lead as @mcneese.chad alludes to.
The DC power plugs and jacks can be found at various electronics distributors, like Jameco Electronics or Mouser. They come in a number of sizes so the correct size is needed. The one on my 8 year old Hammer is 2.5mm/5.5 mm, which are the diameters of the pin and sleeve respectively. Also, a cable with a molded plug on the end could be cut and spliced into the power supply cable, observing the correct polarity of course.
FWIW. I’ve always gotten great customer service from Saris in the past, including free parts well past warranty, but IDK about now as things have changed there in the past couple of years due to post-Covid financial difficulties.
wow, i have an old Cycleops trainer (same trainer pre-saris) and always have an issue with the power cord staying plugged in. You’d think in the last decade, they woulda figured this out?!
I’ve had this issue twice now. The first time, the adapter managed to short out the trainer’s motherboard, so I would advise caution (Saris did replace the trainer on warranty).
The second time, I noticed the issue seems to be that the cord gets moved around and bumped even when I leave the trainer plugged in, and I think that cord movement loosens the connection over time. I duct-taped a toilet paper roll over the connection to protect it. That, plus a replacement power supply, seems to have worked.
If you buy an aftermarket power supply, be sure to confirm both the voltage and the power match the current supply.
Yeah. Agree it’s a weak design. As i mentioned, I attach the power cord to the trainer near where it plugs in to reduce stress and motion on the plug. On the H3, the cord can be looped through lifting handle or zip-tied to the vents near the plug. A sticky mount with a clamp would also work. Another possibility would be to mount the power supply to the trainer with double stick tape, coil up the DC cord, and keep the connector plugged in.
