Gerbing Dual controller help - It's dead

nerSTeve

nerSTeve

Joined
Jan 15, 2014
Messages
459
Location
NH
Bike
2007 ST1300A
Sometime last year I picked up a known dead Gerbing Controller from Smash when he was giving away a bunch of stuff. I memory serves, it flashes both LEDS when each channel is turned on but no heat. Finally getting around to trying to fix it. I think ZIAMON mentioned there was a fuse soldered in place inside the cover so... Took it apart, don't recognize anything as a fuse. Anyone ever take one apart? Anything in these pics look like the culprit?

IMG_6523.jpg

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You guys who use coaxial plugs on heated gear: how tight are those connections. The SAE connectors are very tight. Not much of a problem on the Battery Tender alone.

Coaxial plugs on AC adapters aren't particularly tight and can easily be pulled out. Is this the case with heated gear? Is it likely that it can be accidentally unplugged? Obviously I'm unfamiliar with modern heated stuff. My only experience was with the old Eclipse heated vest (which I still have but may not fit :rofl1:) and it uses an SAE plug.
 
2.5mm coax on mine. Standard connector, nothing changed for using it on the gear.
Not real easy to pull, but will if you forget to unplug before getting off bike.

Only a few times did one accidentally get undone. Usually trapped between my knee and the tank and rubbed just right. Never had the socks or gloves unplug when not wanted.

If you want one more resistant, put on the 90? males. When tugged by the wire they will deflect and not pull so easy.
 
That controller does not have the same type thermal fuse mine had. Mine looked like a diode (search thermal fuse). I do see in the second picture the long "wire" across the 4 match parts might be what is labeled TF1. That might be the fuse. Check it for continuity other than that doesn't look to hopeful. The fun part with a thermal fuse is you can't get the working section hotter than the fuse rating to solder them in. 180' I think it was on mine.
 
paulcb said:
If you're going to upgrade, I highly recommend the remote unit. Works really, really well. I mount my remote on top of the clutch master cylinder.

http://www.warmnsafe.com/dual-remote-control-heat-troller/
Click to expand...

So the advantage of the remote system is you plug your heated gear into the power source but you don't have to plug your controller. Is that it? There's still plugging in involved, just one less plug to the controller.

I'm wondering how much of an advantage that truly is, particularly if you have to rely on batteries to operate the controller instead of just using 12v power from the bike.

Fill me in, please. TY
 
I was told by the local bike shop owner that it is getting harder to get the dual controller because they have stop making it. The remote controller is taking its place. I do not know if this is true but right now they are about $80 for the dual controller.
 
WarmNSafe still carries the dual 'wired' one - mine new one just came in yesterday. ;-) It works fine with Gerbing stuff as that is what my jackets are and two sets of gloves. I just bought a set of the WNS Ultimate Touring gloves to see how they heat up compared the Gerbing T5s and the Gerbing G3s that I have. I've had multiple problems with the T5s (sent back twice) and just had to put new connectors on them last week. Since it appears the Gerbing/Glyde warranty handling is not what it used to be, I wanted another set of gloves in case the T5s died and I can't fix them.
 
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I've had the remote dual for 5+ years and there are pros and cons. The wireless aspect is good, but I've had a few issues with the connectivity and battery life. Having the unit die and go to 30% default power with temps at 2 or 3 C is not a good thing.
 
Bones said:
So the advantage of the remote system is you plug your heated gear into the power source but you don't have to plug your controller. Is that it? There's still plugging in involved, just one less plug to the controller.

I'm wondering how much of an advantage that truly is, particularly if you have to rely on batteries to operate the controller instead of just using 12v power from the bike.

Fill me in, please. TY
Click to expand...

Not a huge advantage, just less wires to route and mess with. Makes it real easy to get setup for winter... install batteries, velcro it to my clutch master cylinder and go. Just one plug into my jacket and everything is up and running, assuming my gloves are on and plugged in. My remote takes 2 AAAs and they last the season, at least for me here in North Texas commuting about a little over an hour a day on average. I like having it visible so I can easily adjust and see the knob positions. I've never had any wireless connection problems. At the end of the season, I just pull the remote off, remove the batteries and store it. I leave the main power harness on the bike all year long, just tucked under my seat when not in use. I've only had the remote so no experience with wired, but like many things, the advantages are not that obvious until you experience it.
 
ST Gui said:
You guys who use coaxial plugs on heated gear: how tight are those connections. The SAE connectors are very tight. Not much of a problem on the Battery Tender alone.

Coaxial plugs on AC adapters aren't particularly tight and can easily be pulled out. Is this the case with heated gear? Is it likely that it can be accidentally unplugged? Obviously I'm unfamiliar with modern heated stuff. My only experience was with the old Eclipse heated vest (which I still have but may not fit :rofl1:) and it uses an SAE plug.
Click to expand...

I bet that Eclipse vest shrunk, right?

I have not had accidental unplugging problems. However, the loose nut behind my handlebars HAS forgotten to unplug before dismounting. In every case, the plug came undone with no damage (well no visible damage). I'm trying to keep the number of this type of dismounts to the same as tip overs. :rofl1:.

My take on the remote Heat Troller - there is no really good reason for it. The heated gear still has to plug in, so what if that plug comes from the controller? I made a stainless steel plate that bolts to the handlebars at the brake master cylinder (much like the Oxford supplied bracket for their heated grip controller). That's where my controller lives (velcroed in place). W n S suggests putting the wireless controller in your jacket pocket. Now, how are you going to adjust it? Unzip with gloves on? No way. No doubt some people love the remote. I really dislike AAA batteries because they can be (not always) hard to find. YMMV
 
I just hang my controller on the outside left pocket of my riding jacket (I have pouches with the clip) so it can be in the breeze. Easy to reach, easy to see, short run from my jacket to the controller. I put my heated gear connection out of the left side of handlebar cover right next to my wired headset connection - easy to reach, easy to see, and only tethered at one common point! ;-)
 
Bones said:
So the advantage of the remote system is you plug your heated gear into the power source but you don't have to plug your controller. Is that it? There's still plugging in involved, just one less plug to the controller.

I'm wondering how much of an advantage that truly is, particularly if you have to rely on batteries to operate the controller instead of just using 12v power from the bike.

Fill me in, please. TY
Click to expand...

Bones, The remote unit is a matter of convenience. I like mine where I can see it, also I run 2 dual remotes so that in cold weather I can run each of 4 heated items with their own settings. FYI there is also a version of the remote that does not use a battery, it is plugged into the bike as well via its own plug that you run to where you are going to put the controller on the bike. In my case that's on the front brake res cover.
 
Uncle Phil said:
I just hang my controller on the outside left pocket of my riding jacket (I have pouches with the clip) so it can be in the breeze. Easy to reach, easy to see, short run from my jacket to the controller. I put my heated gear connection out of the left side of handlebar cover right next to my wired headset connection - easy to reach, easy to see, and only tethered at one common point! ;-)
Click to expand...
This is how I do it with my old Gerbing dual controller. The Stich has a handy place on the lower left chest to clip the controller onto and each of the jackets I have a sewed a piece of webbing on the lower left chest for the controller. I can easily reach the knobs with either gloved hand and also look down at it and see the LEDs.
 
Steve,

Nice that they labled all of the components. There's nothing on either side of the boards that looks like a fuse or PTC resistor. My Guess is the output transistors have protection built into them. If you can read the part numbers on Q1-Q2, Q101, Q102, you could Google the spec for the devices.
When I lost a channel on my dual controller, I built a load for the output, and checked both with a scope. You should see a series of pulses that change in duration with the position of the knob. I never pulled mine apart, though, and just moved my working channel to the jacket connector.
A couple of weeks ago, Cycle Gear had the dual controllers on sale...

Steve :04biker:
 
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