Tried FOBO...didn't like it

[pegasus1300]

Try AliExpress,I think that is where I got mine from.

 

[bhern]

FOBO has a package with three t-valves

Were can I find the T-valve so I can inflate my tire without taking the TPMS monitor off?

The Fobo Bike for Trike has a an option to buy the three=monitor set with three t-valves.

https://my-fobo.com/Product/TRIKE

It looks like the list price is $24 for the three valves, based on the difference in price between the monitor sets with and without. I assume that's a bit pricey, since, well, Spyder, but that would be one way to go if you don't have the FOBO monitors already.

 

[Texas Al]

false alarms

I have a TPMS and I keep getting false alarm because I don't have the fourth sensor on the back. How can I get the false alarm stopped? I have removed the battery from the sensor and still get the alarms.

 

[Peter Aawen]

Hey Texas Al, if you have an RT, you could stick the 4th sensor on the Schraeder valve for the Air Bag, under the seat. I believe it has been tested & does (just) fit under there. Sure, if you do that it'll probably need a different upper & lower limit for the pressures, but hey, if it stops the alarms! :thumbup:

 

[Texas Al]

False Alarms

No I have a F3. Guess I could put a T-Valve and put both sensors on the same tire, but it might be too much weight. Anybody have any ideas?

 

[arsquatch]

Look on Amazon for something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075848KTW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

View attachment 161507

I got it a few months ago. Right now its 50 bucks, uses same sensors as FOBO or anybody else for that matter. Pull the battery from one sensor before you install it, and it will show two front wheels and only one rear. Velcro the display to the top of the dash or somewhere else that you can see it. Sunlight keeps it charged for a very long time, like weeks or months. No cell phone app, no charging and it costs about what one sensor does with FOBO. And yes, dont bother with the locknuts, just treat them like big valve caps.

Is this still functioning good for you? Anything you would change or advice? I ordered mine and they arrived today?

 

[johnsimion]

I have had my FOBO for a few months now. I did not install it with the lock nut because I keep my Spyder garaged and rarely do I leave it parked unattended, and even if I did -- like somebody said, who would steal a sending unit? It's very convenient to walk up to the trike, turn on the FOBO app and voila! I can instantly tell that my pressure is okay to ride. OTOH, there are two minor problems, one of which is my own fault:

Problem 1: It's a little harder to add air than before. When mounted thusly, they are indeed the equivalent of regular valve caps, but that also means you have to remove the FOBO while you are adding air, and you can't read the FOBO for that tire until you put them back again, and so if you are off you can go back and forth, over and over, remove and replace, remove and replace, which leads to Problem #2. I wish I had the T-valves but could not see removing all three wheels and re-mounting the tires for this. If I ever replace my tires, I will add T-valves then.

Problem 2: The FOBO gives the pressure readings down to the tenth of a pound. This helpful feature thus allows a nitnoid user such as myself to nitpick the air pressure to the point of absurdity. I find myself adding and bleeding pressure for an hour, remove and replace, remove and replace, remove and replace, just to make sure all three tires have EXACTLY the correct pressure down to the tenth of a pound. Yes, I know this is entirely stupid and my fault. OTOH, I was never this nitnoid before I got the FOBO!

 

[Flamewinger]

I have enjoyed the original FOBO because it makes it so easy to check tire pressure. When one went dead I just replaced the 2032 battery and it works again. I set the alarms so they wouldn't go off so readily. I recently replaced them with the FOBO II which are smaller and are quicker to respond to the app. FOBO II sensors use Bluetooth 5 technology. They have new features like slow and fast leak, multiple of mode alerts remote monitoring and group ride monitoring. So far, the new app is not available in BRP Connect. (yet)

Love 'em.

 

[jcthorne]

We no longer use ours either. The final straw for me was I have 3 bricked sensors because of a phone update and the phone no longer recognizes the sensors. Fobo admitted the problem happens but refused to replace the dead sensors. There were lots of other problems along the way so this was not the only fault that made us give up on them. Its just easier to check tire pressures with a good gage every couple weeks than to deal with the Fobo nonsense. When someone makes a TPMS system that works like the ones on our cars that JUST WORKS, no fiddling, no batteries, no false alarms, no dead sensors every few months, no bricks from phone updates, then I will consider them again. These are just too much a PIA to bother with. Stopped recommending them to customers as well. Sold off all our stock for cheap.

 

[seaweed]

We no longer use ours either. The final straw for me was I have 3 bricked sensors because of a phone update and the phone no longer recognizes the sensors. Fobo admitted the problem happens but refused to replace the dead sensors. There were lots of other problems along the way so this was not the only fault that made us give up on them. Its just easier to check tire pressures with a good gage every couple weeks than to deal with the Fobo nonsense. When someone makes a TPMS system that works like the ones on our cars that JUST WORKS, no fiddling, no batteries, no false alarms, no dead sensors every few months, no bricks from phone updates, then I will consider them again. These are just too much a PIA to bother with. Stopped recommending them to customers as well. Sold off all our stock for cheap.

I have to disagree with you a little bit. Sometimes there are false alarms on car tires with TPMS. This then requires that the TPMS be reset by a garage with a special device and the sequence of tires.

 

[LeftCoast]

I was going to ask for FOBOs for my bday but now I’m conflicted. The FOBO 2’s are only available via a kickstarter type campaign but I’m more interested in those.

 

[jcthorne]

That is not how they work on my wifes Ford Explorer or on my Vette. In both cases a low pressure warning only requires refilling the tire and driving the car. Will reset the warning in a few miles. The ones on my vette are even smart enough to figure out which sensor is on which wheel on their own. No idea how they do that but they do.

 

[Peteoz]

Problem 1: It's a little harder to add air than before. When mounted thusly, they are indeed the equivalent of regular valve caps, but that also means you have to remove the FOBO while you are adding air, and you can't read the FOBO for that tire until you put them back again, and so if you are off you can go back and forth, over and over, remove and replace, remove and replace, which leads to Problem #2. I wish I had the T-valves but could not see removing all three wheels and re-mounting the tires for this. If I ever replace my tires, I will add T-valves then.!

Yeah, I had this problem too, John. I found that the purchase of a battery operated pump with an adjustable preset psi did the trick...bend down low, remove FOBO sensor, attach pump and set to required psi, remove pump and reattach FOBO, straighten up again (takes a while with “basketball” knees). Works perfectly for me :thumbup:

Pete

 

[Eviltwin]

Look on Amazon for something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075848KTW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

View attachment 161507

I got it a few months ago. Right now its 50 bucks, uses same sensors as FOBO or anybody else for that matter. Pull the battery from one sensor before you install it, and it will show two front wheels and only one rear. Velcro the display to the top of the dash or somewhere else that you can see it. Sunlight keeps it charged for a very long time, like weeks or months. No cell phone app, no charging and it costs about what one sensor does with FOBO. And yes, dont bother with the locknuts, just treat them like big valve caps.

My cheapo system is still working fine after a year. No issues yet. Interesting to watch the temps (which I can do because the display is always visible, not in an app) go up as the tires warm up. Especially true in the summer as the pressure in the tires can go up 4-6 psi as the tires get hot. Those folks that want to nitpick the pressures down to tenths when they fill them up would see that once running, it doesnt make that much difference.

 

[jlc41]

Eviltwin, just so I understand You are removing the battery from the 4th sensor not from a mounted sensor, is that correct?

 

[ndspyderlover]

What is FOBO??

 

[bikerbillone]

I'm subscribed, just didn't bother to ask.

 

[Peteoz]

My cheapo system is still working fine after a year. No issues yet. Interesting to watch the temps (which I can do because the display is always visible, not in an app) go up as the tires warm up. Especially true in the summer as the pressure in the tires can go up 4-6 psi as the tires get hot. Those folks that want to nitpick the pressures down to tenths when they fill them up would see that once running, it doesnt make that much difference.

EvilTwin, you are voicing an incorrect assumption re FOBO which may mislead people. I don’t know why you believe that the FOBO display is not able to be always visible because it is a smartphone app, but it is untrue. You simply tick the “constant display” box in FOBO setup and it does exactly that with pressures and temps. It’s your choice.

Pete

 

[Peteoz]

What is FOBO??

Tyre pressure monitoring, nd. A Bluetooth receiver on each tyre and airbag valve stem linked to a smartphone app.

Pete

 

[Buckskin]

Pete, I have been reading a number of posts about the FOBO Trike TPMS and now the new Trike 2 TPMS. You seem to be a reasonable guy and have provided a lot of common sense dialogue regarding FOBO. Let me step in here and clear up a few things. First about the T-valve. It works fine on the rear wheel of any CanAm Spyder. As to the front wheels, there is an issue with contact with the front brake calipers and should not be used. I have on my own F3T chrome bolt in 1.25" valve stems/pictures attached. If one wanted to use these stem and add a screw on T-valve it might be possible but it will stick out a little bit from the rim. Picture attached with it in use on the F3T rear air suspension. As to the locks, lose them. They have to be removed to add air and in some cases if the thread on the valve stem is short it will take up space and may not allow the sensor to hit the dill valve and thus will not get a sense of pressure and thus will not register the sensor. Worried about theft? Not to worry, Have had them on my wife's and mine vehicles for 3 years now and no one has ever bothered them. As to the main thing, the sensors are "paired" to the riders smart devices and if someone steals them, they will never work!! Might as well throw them away. So why would anyone make a habit of stealing them? Not to say someone might one time or another, but no chance of them being of any value.

If one has issue programing sensor, always check the battery. And if you buy a new battery, it may or may not be a good battery as there are a lot of dead stock out there. Check that battery!!
If one has some fancy phone case, and it will not register, take it out of the case and actually touch the sensor with the phone. Not close or touch the wheel, but the sensor. Once programmed, put the case back on, it will work.
The system works very well for most riders. When I pull up to my garage with aluminum door and CanAm inside (door closed) and before I turn off the ignition on my truck if my rear suspension is down (it leaks a lot) I will get an alarm and that is 15-20 feet and through the closed door. Pretty good read of data. You do not have to have the app open to the screen. It runs in the background and it will alert you with a vibration/ring tone/notice on top of screen. It doesn't get any better.
Regarding the battery. In the winter time, it can take it's toll on the battery for a couple of reasons. (No problem for you Pete where you are) but cold is a detriment to batteries in general. But here is the kicker. If one has the bike stored or using it very little and not paying attention to it much if that set point which is factory preset (you can override it by adding 2-3 psi on the MIN side) goes off and you do not pay attention to it, it will keep signaling over and over until it gets attention or runs the battery to dead. But you will still know you have an issue as it will show up on the screen in RED or ERROR or something that will bring your attention to the offending sensor/tire. Put a new battery in and good to go. Think of it like leaving the headlights on, on you car. It will run your battery down in short order. If you will address the alert in reasonable time, and add air to the tire it will save you some grief.

Buckskin

Tyre pressure monitoring, nd. A Bluetooth receiver on each tyre and airbag valve stem linked to a smartphone app.

Pete