Wire pigtail to my Gerbings controller is warm.... that normal?

[Fugu]

That normal?

 

Was running Warm n Safe pants and Gerbing jacket liner both pretty high off a Gerbing dual zone controller wired through jacket plugs (pants plug to jacket, two cords to jacket), noticed the cord itself (the one supplying juice to the controller) is warm. There's extra slack in it, which I had bundled up and in tank bag where it was insulated from the cold outside.

 

I wonder if it's because it's coiled up? I realize they pull a lot of juice, but this is the pigtail Gerbing supplies, I assume it would be up to the task size wise so I'm looking for feedback from those of you who have been running it for a while - yours warm up? I guess I have a heated tank bag now, too!

 

By the way -- I've been an idiot for not buying heated gear before now. Holy mackerel is this stuff nice.... Cold? No such thing.

[moshe_levy]

Yes, it is normal. Don't worry about it.

 

-MKL

[OoPEZoO]

^^^^^What he said. Perfectly normal. Your pulling lots of juice, and the cables may get warm to the touch. It would take some serious current (like a short circuit) to do damage to the wires.

 

I agree about the heated gear 100%. I never thought it was necessary either. Then I came across a smoking deal on riding gear from a guy who was getting out of riding. There was a Gerbings in the pile, so I decided to give it a try. WOW OH WOW what a difference. Makes all the difference in the world. I've even used it in my Jeep (with the top and doors off) on cold mornings when I know it will be nice in the afternoon.

[Fugu]

Thanks guys!

[notacop]

Bull Droppings, A wire will not get warm unless it is acting as resistor. Heat is the indication current is being lost in the wire.

You need to check the wiring for a break or weak spot. The jacket /pants should do the heating up not the supply wire.

Oh, yeah, warm clothes are nice.

[dirtrider]

Evening Fugu

 

It might not be right but it is somewhat normal for the Gerbings controller under max load.

 

I have 2 Gerbings dual controllers and one Gerbings single controller and they all have warm to the touch power wires (controller power side power lead) if I run them at max power (multi mixed garment) and sitting still or enclosed. The wire stays cool if exposed to the cold ambient air while riding though.

 

There is no doubt some voltage loss due to the wire heating and also probably some loss to the switching control inside the controllers but I guess as long as the garments make enough heat to keep the rider comfortable no big deal. In fact some of the older controllers were resistance units so did the controlling through resistance not pulse width.

 

If it really bothers you, you can run a voltage drop between the power source (battery) and the garments. Or you do a Heat calculation on the power loss through the controller and harness’s (how to do this in on the Warm n Safe web site) http://www.warmnsafe.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=58&chapter=40

 

[KDeline]

Slightly off topic, but when I have had to run the liner and pants on high I get some real hot spots on the wire connectors and on the bunched up wire in the pants and jacket, were the heating elements gather into, enough to get very uncomfortable after a long ride.

[moshe_levy]

This is a symptom of older gear with thicker resistance wiring that gets bunched up over time through your movement. The end result is hot spots and cold spots instead of even warmth. Solution is to buy a newer garment such as EXO2, Gerbing's Microwire, or Warm N Safe's Gen 4 liner. In the case of EXO there is no wiring whatsoever, so this problem will never happen there. The Microwire is nearly undetectable vs. the old "spaghetti under the fabric" feeling of the older gear. W&S, also, makes a nice product. They're all head and shoulders above the old stuff in every way.

 

-MKL

[EffBee]

Slightly off topic, but when I have had to run the liner and pants on high I get some real hot spots on the wire connectors and on the bunched up wire in the pants and jacket, were the heating elements gather into, enough to get very uncomfortable after a long ride.

 

Gerbing's has always used heating pads located throughout its gear, with the heating wires routed strategically through sewn pathways in these pads (the pathways are sewn using commercial embroidery machines to ensure accuracy and consistency). Each heating pad is then sewn into position in the garment. That way, the heating wires can't "bunch up". However, there is a gathering of wires where they connect to either the PDU (Power Distribution Unit) or on earlier models where they're soldered to the hanging wire leads to which you connect your Temp Controller. That's probably what you're feeling as a "bunch". What you may be experiencing is a solder joint that is starting to fracture due to age, which would increase the resistance and cause a hot spot. It's impossible to diagnose it over the internet, but solder joint fracture do occasionally happen. Whatever it is, it's something we at Gerbing's want to take care of for you right away.

 

Please call our Customer Service Department and tell them of your problem. Your jacket and pants have a Lifetime Warranty on the internal wiring. We don't just offer that warranty as a selling point. We want you to use it when there's a problem. That's what it's there for, and that's why we're here.

 

I think you'll find our Customer Service to be exceptional. 800.646.5916

 

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Fugu, you may be experiencing a wiring harness that's got a couple of broken wire strands. We buy in excess of 100,000 of these harnesses every year. Sometimes a bad one passes QC, but after some time it starts to subperform. Again, please call Customer Service and let them help you.

 

 

[KDeline]

Thank you sir, I might just look into that.