Wireless Heat Controllers

[blackcat]

There are three choice's on the market:

Gerbing
Powerlet
Warm & Safe

Gerbing being the less expensive with Warm and Safe the most expense, but I have read that if you say "Adventure Rider" in the order process it is 20-25% off, making it in the middle price range.

Anyway, who has an opinion of which one is the best? Seems like the dual control is the only choice worth considering.

[steveford]

I'm using Warm n Safe. Great people to deal with, and an awesome controller. Their heated hear is also excellent.

[rss29]

I only have experience with the Warm n Safe but it works perfectly with my Gerbing Gear. It's well made and is easy to mount just about anywhere.

[kingoffleece]

I believe W and S makes them for everybody.

[cognosticator]

Warm n safe here also, used it this past Saturday when it was 34° when I left the house. It is nice not to have wires, but the receiver is pretty heavy, but you don't notice it when sitting on the bike.

[Cam3512]

Powerlet. Jacket and glove liners on dual wireless controller. 

Rocketmoto.com.  Ask for Adam Schoolsky.  Tell him you ride a Guzzi and we are friends. See what price he gives you.  Great to deal with, and with no wires in the fabric, I still don't know how it works.  Even heat throughout.

Cam

[MGrego]

I have a powerlet heated jacket with a wireless controller and I have been satisfied with it.  Works great for the past 3 seasons, and being able to dial in the level of heat is a very nice feature.  I have had to replace the battery in the controller every year.  I use some heavy duty adhesive backed velcro to stick the controller where I can easily adjust it while riding.  I have an adapter so that I can just plug the jacket into the SAE battery tender wiring coming out from under the seat.

[Cam3512]

FYI, Powerlet recommends you not use the Battery Tender pigtail.  They have a coaxial pigtail that I have on all my bikes.  Then I use a coax to SAE adapter for the tender to charge the batteries.

[WitchCityGuzzi]

I have the Powerlet unit but I believe it may be made by warm and Safe and labelled from them. I've been using it for 4 years and it works great, but you need to run it with a liner with the corresponding receiver.

Talk to my buddy Adam at Rocket Moto for great pricing and service.

[MGrego]

FYI, Powerlet recommends you not use the Battery Tender pigtail.  They have a coaxial pigtail that I have on all my bikes.  Then I use a coax to SAE adapter for the tender to charge the batteries.

Noted, thank you --  Can't see why that would make any difference, but then again, I'm no electrician either !

[sturgeon]

Had Widder for years, when it gave up the ghost I got Powerlet, with the wireless controller. No complaints, but I have comparison with the other two. On a related note, First Gear sells a panel-mount coax socket that could be used for any of the coax-based connections (maybe all of the above?).  Beats the hell outta having a dangling coax lead.

http://firstgear-usa.com/6-dc-coax-jack-panel-mount.html

[groundhog105]

Without a doubt warm n safe for quality and customer service. They stand behind their products.

[leafman60]

The Warm and Safe/Powerlet controllers are awesome.  I have the Powerlet-branded version but most of my bikes have hard-wired controllers on-board.

Powerlet is converting to the Atomic Skin brand and they are/will be offering a slick new wireless controller that you can wear on your wrist or Velcro to the bike.

http://www.powerlet.com/shop-by-product/heated-clothing/HEATCLTHNG

See controller details on page 15 of this PDF-

http://www.powerlet.com/pdfs/product/PHG-915_ii.pdf

The "old" powerlet controller works just fine, though. 

The Powerlet/W&S products utilize an even-warmth, carbon matrix heating element that is superior to Gerbing.

.

[leafman60]

Had Widder for years, when it gave up the ghost I got Powerlet, with the wireless controller. No complaints, but I have comparison with the other two. On a related note, First Gear sells a panel-mount coax socket that could be used for any of the coax-based connections (maybe all of the above?).  Beats the hell outta having a dangling coax lead.

http://firstgear-usa.com/6-dc-coax-jack-panel-mount.html

The same or similar are offered by several sellers. Good idea for some riders.

Check this one-

http://www.amazon.com/Gears-Canada-Female-Clothing-100263-1/dp/B00AC6Z5GQ

or this one offered by Gerbing -

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/gerbings-panel-mounted-port-kit


.

[jas67]

Buy ANYTHING BUT GERBINGS!

As of two or three years ago, Gerbings are under new management.    They no longer honor the lifetime warranties of products purchased prior to the change of ownership without having original proof of purchase.

I loved my Gerbings T5 gloves (the model prior to the "T5 Hybrid"), but, the left one gave up the ghost after three seasons of use.    Gerbings would not honor the lifetime warranty, so, I voted with my dollars and went elsewhere.    Last winter, I bought a pair of First Gear heated gloves, which work great.    My only complaint is that the gauntlets aren't as large (in width) as the ones on the Gerbings, and a little harder to get the 2nd one over my jacket with the other hand already gloved.    Otherwise, they work great.

Also, one of the channels on the Gerbings two-channel heat controller controller failed after two seasons of use.   Same deal -- lifetime warranty was the "lifetime" of the old company.  I have replaced it with a First Gear controller.

AFIAK, the current Gerbings products only carry a 1 year warranty.

So, while I have no experience with the wireless controllers, my experiences with Gerbings products in general have not been good.  The T5 gloves are of the "microwire" type.    I've read complaints of their jacket liners and vests having portions of the garment stop heating.   I would say that in general, they're not the quality product they used to be, and certainly aren't a good company to deal with any more.

First Gear heated gear products are the Warm-n-Safe products brand labeled and distributed by First Gear.     So far, both the gloves and the controller are giving me good service, though, I don't have as much time on them as I did the Gerbings stuff when it failed.

Bottom line, I would vote for First Gear/Warm-n-Safe over the Gerbings products.

[blackcat]

Thanks guys, Gerbing wasn't my first choice and I think the Warm N Safe controller is the one I will buy. And I'm definitely going to order that First Gear coaxial plug.

[pyoungbl]

RE the coax plug mounted on the bike:  when you have electric gear plugged into the bike, be it via plug installed in the dash or a coax wire connection, it's just a matter of time before you forget to unplug prior to dismounting.  I speak from experience here.  One of the real benefits of the coax plug is that they will generally pull free rather than pull the bike over.  That works just fine as long as the connection is pulling in line with the wire.  If, on the other hand, you have your vest plugged into a socket that is at a 90 degree angle from the pull you are defeating the entire 'pull free' idea.  I'd much rather have a coax wire dangling near the headstock than risk the sudden stop when I have reached the end of the tether.  Even if you don't pull the bike over you are not doing the electric vest any good.

As for the wireless controller, I'm not sure what problem is being solved by going wireless.  On each of my bikes I have the W&S controller attached to the left side of the handlebar in such a way that I can easily see the controller and make adjustments with my left hand, even wearing thick gloves.  If you are going wireless so you can put the controller in your pocket it seems to me that you are also making it harder to adjust the heat on the fly.  Since the wireless route seems so popular I guess I'm just missing something.

[blackcat]

The only plus with the wireless is moving the module from bike to bike instead of buying separate controls for each bike.

[jas67]

I just use a wired two channel controller strapped to my leg, and plug it into a coax connector that dangles from the left side several of my bikes (said cable gets stowed under the seat in warm weather).  The two output cables get fed into the left pants-pocket access zipper of the Aerostich suit, thus all other cabling is under the suit, one cable to the heated jacket, the other a Y-cable to the gloves that I hold each end of when putting the suit or jacket on.

The controller is attached to an elastic strap that has velcro both on it's ends to attach them together, but, also on the back to attach it to the velcro strip on the leg of the Aerostich Roadcrafter to keep it from moving around on my leg.

The control knobs are quite convenient to access to adjust while riding, and I only had to buy one controller, not one for each bike.

[Cam3512]

You don't leave the wireless controller in a pocket.  It will get turned on/off by accident.  Get some heavy duty velcro and stick it somewhere within reach on each bike.

[stick]

FWIW, the way I do it is to clip it to the LH side of my tank bag.  Tank bag goes on all my bikes.  Same wire to feed the bag (radar det. and also 2 channel heat controller). 

Set it and forget it. 

Note the Escort 8500 has a Voltmeter feature in it, so it's my voltmeter on all my bikes!  I believe the feature is called "Pilot V", if  U have one and want to try to enable it.  It'll read voltage when it's not detecting radar/laser.

Stick

[Vagrant]

just an FYI;
I found that when one of my controllers quit and or worked when it felt like  it the unit was actually OK. the problem was the center stud has a split down it. that had crimped down and wasn't making contact. disconnect the power, get down in there with a tiny knife and spread open the stud and you are back in business for a couple more years.

[Kiwi_Roy]

As of two or three years ago, Gerbings are under new management.    They no longer honor the lifetime warranties of products purchased prior to the change of ownership without having original proof of purchase.

When I saw this thread I was going to ask, that's too bad, I can see why they would be reluctant to honor any previous ownership warranties though, it could send them broke.

[WitchCityGuzzi]

You don't leave the wireless controller in a pocket.  It will get turned on/off by accident.  Get some heavy duty velcro and stick it somewhere within reach on each bike.

Mine lives Velcro'd on the top of my clutch master cylinder. Very convenient and easy spot to access the control knobs.

[89MilleGt]

Another plug (sorry) for Powerlet. Best gear I've purchased. The FarIR technology makes the jacket feel like a typical nylon jacket (no wires) yet heats evenly including the collar.

Bought it from Adam @ Rocketmoto who I cannot recommend enough! Being local, he helped make sure I had the right size, cabling, mounting for the controller...first class outfit! Got an unexpectedly nice discount too.

Wireless controller is velcro'd to the clutch cylinder. It has a strap to tether it to the bars if the Velcro fails. Has all worked flawlessly and I no longer have to dress like the Michelin Man to stay warm.

[HDGoose]

Wireless?  Lots of amperage through the air?

[sturgeon]

Wireless?  Lots of amperage through the air?

Try it, it's a crackling good time.

[Zoom Zoom]

FYI, Powerlet recommends you not use the Battery Tender pigtail.  They have a coaxial pigtail that I have on all my bikes.  Then I use a coax to SAE adapter for the tender to charge the batteries.

Interesting. I switched to Powerlet several years ago and just kept using the connector that I already had on the bike. An SAE plug off the battery and the Gerbing end which I had already. Never had any trouble with heat or anything else. Just saying....

BTW, I've been very satisfied with the Powerlet jacket liner and glove liners. I usually Ty-Rap the controller to whichever bike I'll be using, in an easy to access location. Works great! The wired Gerbing controller was always falling off and I would find it dangling from its wires when I went to adjust it. Wireless controllers are great. Batteries last for a pretty long time. I have never had them go dead. I do replace them once a year just to be sure.

John Henry

[89MilleGt]

From the Powerlet site http://www.powerlet.com/news/article/rapidfire-heated-jacket-liner-earns-5-out-of-5-stars/25

Carbon Nano core panels consisting of bundled carbon fiber strands...

So not like other jackets with stiff wires running though the jacket.