Found this online...
http://www.activheat.com/index_files/weightlessgloveliners.htm (http://www.activheat.com/index_files/weightlessgloveliners.htm)
Still debating if i want to buy the Firstgear carbon wired gloves or not.
With this, i can be free of wires! i can jsut hide them in my suit!
I would wire it into my jacket and continue to wear my current gloves. I would also make my own battery pack out out of Li-Ions....
I tried to find reviews for this online but wasn't able to find anything -- anybody know if these are any good? The product description sounds awfully appealing.
stopintime is going to pick em up... he'll be our test bunny. meanwhile im deciding on which gerbings i want to get.
They should be here in 10 days or so.
I'll post up then [thumbsup]
Quote from: He Man on October 12, 2009, 10:08:00 PM
stopintime is going to pick em up... he'll be our test bunny. meanwhile im deciding on which gerbings i want to get.
Yo, I have the whole gerbings/first gear set up, get it as tight as possible.
but you probably knew that.
Quote from: stopintime on October 13, 2009, 01:26:47 AM
They should be here in 10 days or so.
I'll post up then [thumbsup]
Great!!! Looking forward to it. [thumbsup]
Quote from: Airborne on October 13, 2009, 04:33:55 PM
Yo, I have the whole gerbings/first gear set up, get it as tight as possible.
but you probably knew that.
i bought it size small. i have no idea how they run though. someone said you should get them a bit bigger cuase youll get an insulating air pocket. But i think that only refers to non electric gloves.
stopintime did your gloves come in yet?
Quote from: He Man on October 21, 2009, 06:37:08 PM
...............
stopintime did your gloves come in yet?
No [bang] The USPS track & confirm is unstable these days, so they might be close though.
that blows man! well let us know when you get it. im waiting on my gerbings. expected the 27th
I got the liners and have been able to test them today.
120 miles, about 40-45 F, high speeds.
I put a Tour Master fleece liner on one hand and a heated liner on the other, to be able to feel the difference - finished off with wind proof and well isolated skiing gloves. (the other glove was hooked up as well, but I put that in a pocket)
I put fresh Energizer Alkalines in the battery box, hooked everything up and turned them on at "high" (the highest of three settings. Adjusting these during a ride will be a PITA because the control is supposed to be under my very carefully closed jacket. I have to wear the harness another way or storing everything in my mini tank bag, but then again I'm hooked up to the bike and that was one of the things I wanted to avoid with these liners vs a Gerbing solution.
So, off I went - cold sunny day.
Hmm.. this was strange - nothing! >:(
Stopped and checked the glove in my pocket. There was some heat in that one, but nothing noticeable on the one I was wearing on my hand. After a while I was able to feel a tiny tiny amount of heat on the worn glove as well, but it was very dissapointing. Actually, the hand with the Tour Master liner was a little warmer.
Came home, called Simon at ActivHeat and asked his opinion. He was very helpful and we discussed the case.
Normal Alkalines might drop their voltage from 1.5 down to ~1.0 very quickly - they just don't "like" the high power drainage, so they drop in voltage - might still operate for a "long" time though.
First I'm going to try Lithium AA batteries which will steadily provide closer to the 9V needed. If that works, I'm buying ActivHeat's car adapter which deliver steady 9V and can be used continously with the highest setting, if that's what I need to keep warm.
I'm dissapointed, but I'm not giving up [thumbsup] Must have warm hands!
Alkalines are oldschool technology.
NiMH and Lithium are the way to go!
Do you have pics of the setup?
Quote from: He Man on October 27, 2009, 01:00:32 PM
Alkalines are oldschool technology.
NiMH and Lithium are the way to go!
Do you have pics of the setup?
The pictures I tried to take didn't show much, other than a bundle of wires, a generic yet very small battery box and liners which looks like any other liners. Better to see their web site.
I'm old enough to remember when Alkaline was extremely innovative [roll]
The Lithiums will be tested soon - I'll report back afterwards. It's almost fun to have to struggle a little, makes it that much sweeter to succeed, which I will.
maybe you can solder your own battery pack?
Quote from: He Man on October 27, 2009, 04:12:24 PM
maybe you can solder your own battery pack?
Not even close to the skills required :(
nows a good as time as any to learn!
Fresh Lithiums tested on full power today, not on a ride though, just by sitting outside. The liners were producing noticeable heat, but not even close to what I want. I will test on a ride as well, but I will be VERY surprised if they make my hands warm.
The manufacturer isn't sure how the liners and control box will stand up to 12 volts, but I'm going to try.
If something fries - Gerbing are next. (the reason why I chose ActivHeat was to avoid being connected to the bike, but I can live with that if Gerbings will keep my hands warm)
Thanks for the report. If they can't keep your hands warm mine wouldn't have a chance.
Party time 8)
12 volts did it [thumbsup]
Nothing exploded, the control box stayed cool and the liners were hot on the full setting. Lowering the heat might be necessary, so I'm keeping the harness with the control box. Next is figuring out a nice, fused and hidden connection.
I'm trying to establish if the Gerbing's standard battery harness has the correct socket for my plug.
Simon at ActivHeat isn't sure how they will like the 12 volts in the long run, but I can't return them, so I have little to loose by trying.
I think they should be fine. good job!
So did you get the 12v off the bike?
Im just getting into electrics and so far. . .. [thumbsup]
Yes, I did. Finished my harness yesterday - directly to the battery with a fuse in between.
I thought I'd be fine with a Gerbing's battery harness, but the socket has a different size center pin. So, I used the socket from the ActivHeat harness.
So, do you think they're worth $70 + the effort and materials to build you're own harness to run them off the bike?
Quote from: Monsterlover on November 23, 2009, 03:14:16 PM
So, do you think they're worth $70 + the effort and materials to build you're own harness to run them off the bike?
[laugh] Of course they're not worth anything - they don't produce any noticeable heat with their (almost) 9 volts battery box. Given the chance to do it again, I would have saved up and bought the Gerbing's later.
My situation was that I couldn't return mine, so I decided to make them work somehow. I can't tell if they will take the added voltage over time and there is the issue of bulk which means I have to wear them with an oversized pair of skiing gloves (leather, but not the best protection).
All in all I'm happy having heat, still at a low cost. I'm not doing many long rides, so if they continue working it's not the worst end result.
for $100 i dont know how not to recommend the gerbing microwire liners.
they heat up to max temp in 1-2 mins and you can wear whatever you want on top.
How about held phantoms? They have vent holes on the sides of the fingers. . .
Quote from: Monsterlover on November 24, 2009, 12:22:50 PM
How about held phantoms? They have vent holes on the sides of the fingers. . .
you dont want anything vented in really cold weather, but you can get away with it in the mid/high 40s. anything below that, is too cold.. wind is your enemy. Also, the liners only heat up from the top and the heat will bleed over onto the side. it has no elements at all on the palm. so i guess not ANYTHING you want. :P
+1
Agreed - just got the liners. they heat up fast and almost roast - you NEED the regulator not just the on off. Went with mediums and basic on / off. Mediums too short in fingures and they got too hot with basic on off. So ordered large + the full control reg.
money well spent.
I've gone back and forth and may got the heated grips route.
I think it'll add enough for my ~40 minute commute, I can almost get by with just insulated gloves in the mid teens (Olyimpia goretex Commanders insulatioed with a pad to either have under palm - really cold - or on back of hand for slighty less cold and giving better grip).
(http://www.olympiagloves.com/graphics/glove%20pics/high%20res/4298_400px.jpg)
I could use only the 'better grip' option with the gloves.
Also could extend the temp I can wear my summer gloves, really prefer the feel.
Hear all the right things about these
(http://www.lockitt.com/images/oxpic/OF699_350.jpg)
I know this is a battery heated gloves thread - and have been close to deciding to go wih the Gerbing jacket & glove liner route (plug into bike).
Good to see the discussion, cold is a little tougher for us nakid riders.
just a question. why the aversion to plugging into the bike?
it's a lot easier and cheaper to not replace batteries.
and i have never had a problem moving around on the bike except for one time when i tied the connector wire off too short.