New R2 Remote problem

Change of mindset for the new remote regarding battery percentage. I think you’re less likely to worry about the percentage drop going up a hill, for example. Let’s face it, it’ll either make it or it won’t! The indicator will turn yellow and the remote should even vibrate when it drops into low power mode to warn you, I believe.
Quite like the ergonomics of the new remote and it’s certainly more robust. Not worried about snapping the little trigger off! It was also far too easy to inadvertently fire the board off (once into my leg!) with the older remote.

 

not sure i can agree with that, when i go on a open ended ride i like to know how my battery is performing under a given load before making a choice about how far or how demanding a route i take before going home.

lack of real information takes away from a rider making informed choices on the street where it matters most.

no marketing spin can convince me otherwise

 

For those interested, this came as a reply from Evolve HQ with regards to the omission of a battery percentage indication...

“Screen size had a part to play in this decision.
Being a smaller screen, changing the board battery indicator to a number would require larger font and subsequent screen space.”

Personally, the battery ‘trend’ whilst riding is pretty clear and the battery level whilst in a steady state is perfectly acceptable.

 

acceptable to who ?

that is my question.

 

When a sentence follows the word ‘personally’ it undoubtedly implies the opinions of the author. Sorry for sounding patronising, but clearly ‘acceptable’ in this context refers to me - “It’s acceptable to me”!

I appreciate that you may disagree. Don’t think they monitor these forums too closely, so perhaps you should email them?

Let’s face it, the board isn’t ‘perfect’! It’s not waterproof, you cannot travel by air with it because of the battery size, and the motors stick out and are liable to get scuffed when it’s being dragged along! Still love it though.

 

While I am not looking for perfection and I agree with Jetdriver “Let’s face it, the board isn’t ‘perfect’! It’s not waterproof, you cannot travel by air with it because of the battery size, and the motors stick out and are liable to get scuffed when it’s being dragged along! Still love it though.” I am looking to get an R2 after most of the “bugs” have been worked out. Is battery drain still an issue? Thanks.

 

The battery drain issue is sorted.

 

mine finaly arrived and i got to do a night ride last night with it, i found there was no learning curve adapting from the r1 to the r2 i had no problems with that and it rides very nice.
however im going to stick by my battery display comments.
i ran a familiar circut that ends in a series of climbs, a long steady on followed by two shorter but sharper ones. i know well that during the first climb the long steady one that is over 1k long that i am sagging and need to go easy after about the half way mark or i can't regen enough on desents between the two that follow to make it home without been rated down to eco. the problem here is the new display fails to convey the need to back off and its misleading about the boards true state of performance and will definitely trick people into running short in the final leg.

 

I agree with your comments regarding the missing percentage reading & really do hope that Evolve had had enough feedback from users to re-implement the option to choose. All I can say is that if we carry on being vocal to Evolve directly, then our request may be answered in a firmware update down the line. It just grieves me that it WAS initially there as an option & even the instruction manual states that it is there as an option! On a more positive note, since using my R-2 I have been impressed with the vibration feedback that warns of the impending drop to Eco/low board/remote battery level etc.

 

As you guys will be aware, after you get your order from Evolve it is followed up by a request for us to review our purchase & give a Star rating. Copied in below is the review I have just sent back to Evolve NZ:

"I would have instantly given the R-2 5 stars if the original firmware had not been changed to omit the battery % option in the preference menu. The real time information that the % readout I'm so used to gives, was for me, invaluable! I previously contacted HQ to ask the reason behind it's removal, but the answer given did not sit right with me. Seeing as it was already decided to be included in the preferences (as can be backed up by the fact the instruction manual still clearly describes how to select the % option) I am at a loss as to why it could not remain as an option, for us as the end user to change from the default bar meter if that was our preferred readout. Choice is always a good thing, as evidenced by the fact that we now have a deadmans switch, but can switch it off if not required (which is what I have already done, not being one of the large number that have been demanding one be fitted.) But that's fine by me because there is the Choice to use the deadmans switch or change it in the preferences if so desired. The issue of clarity, for me does not hold water after seeing Evolve's own ambassadors demonstrating the screen when the % option was selected, it looked just fine to me and as already stated, it would be for me to Choose if it were made available again! From my own personal point of view and may I add from other longer term Evolve owners I have had contact with, I/we would be very happy to hear that the % option will be re-instated in a future firmware update. So to end this on a more positive note, I will say that in each and every other department the R-2 really is game changing. P.S. I do hope this actually reaches the powers that be over on the Gold Coast."

 

im aware of it, i got the please rate our product email about a month before i got the product lol.

 

Yeah I've got a heap of them in my inbox at the moment for other bits & pieces (will not fill those in), but really wanted to approach Evolve on this battery % issue again!

 

Nice to hear the feedback about the remote and that it is a step in the right direction. Maybe I will change my mind once I start to use it but for me I rarely look at the percentage or the remote for that fact while in motion. I can tell from the feel of the board what is going on. The quick drop in number when going uphill really doesn’t mean a lot to me and towards the end on my rides when it drops to ECO I know why, I don’t need the number to confirm it. In short either way is good for me. I will say that making firmware updates available via a support page would be nice. I suppose they will need to have a disclaimer so that if you brick it you aren’t yelling for a refund but I would be ok with that. Nice to see the passion, Take Care.

 

I completely understand what you are saying about knowing where things are at with the board by "feel" I have a similar outlook/understanding with my board & now that I'm using the R-2 it is even easier to ride without actually needing to look at the remote all that often! The main reason being, that with the vibration feedback, a hell of a lot of information is now available from the remote simply when it vibrates as a warning at speed mode changes or remote/board battery states during your ride. During most of my rides I have an idea roughly where I will be when it drops me to ECO & at that point it always leaves me enough juice to get back (and now that is also relayed to me with the vibration before it is about to happen) My main issue with the battery % being removed, is that it WAS originally an option on the R-2 so could have been left in preferences for us to make the choice!

 

planning ahead on a ride ya know ya want to see those numbers long before ya get rated down to ecco or ya controller vibrates.

especially when you part way through a climb on the way home and there is several more climbs to do and just a couple of desents to use regen...

the battery bar doesn't cut it in the information stakes it falls short when you getting to the pointy end of the wedge on that ride.

 

they wont post my reviw cause i gave 4 stars and refrenced the battery display....

that's poor form evolve

 

My review, as you can see in my post above, is also 4 stars and referencing our concerns about the removal of the % reading, but Evolve NZ HAVE posted mine on the website! Log on to the NZ website and it is the FOURTH review out of six.

 

Mr. Scampers
If it’s that big of a deal, why don’t you just carry on using the previous gen remote?!
Again, I’m struggling to really appreciate your upset! On a long incline I back off from full pelt in GT because I know that the battery drain will be too great. It’s fine ‘giving it the beans’ on a short sharp hill. At the end of the day, you only have what battery you’ve got, and a percentage indicator really is no better or worse than ‘lumps’ on a skateboard disappearing at a slower or quicker rate.
The more you ride, the more of a feel you get for what the battery can sustain. In the UK that is even noticeably reduced in the colder weather of Winter.
Think this will be my last post on this thread. I’ve been in touch with the UK Evolve guys and they have asked the question (battery percentage on preferences) to Evolve HQ, so they are aware of the Community’s request. If it is ever put back, it is highly likely you would have to return it for a software update. There are more important things in life!
All the best.

 

I am going to miss the % as I do use it to measure the current amp draw and plan my ride as you guys are saying. However I will get used to the battery bar. I already know if I’m trying to save energy I ride easy. I will learn the battery bar and know at what point I need to conserve more energy to make it somewhere. I do wish Evolve would have left the option. Oh well. In the end I just want to ride! I’m in the USA, ordered mine as soon as it was released on Evolve USA website. Ive received an email saying they have further been delayed and should arrive mid February now. Frustrating but hopefully I’ll get one that’s been sorted out and is without issues. If anything comes up I’ll report back. At least Evolve customer service will take care of you if something goes wrong. They have treated me great with any issues and I have been very impressed with them.

 

well i just went on a ride using the r2 where the r2 just started refusing to maintain a conection to my boad so i got the r1 out from my backpack and it connected, i finished the ride on the r1.
it was an interesting and informative ride because when i got home using the r1 i tried to re connect the r2 and it did connect. now the good part..... the r2 showed 50% battery and the r1 was reading in the red zone for sag...
r2 doesn't give real feedback and you cannot use information from the r2 screen to make choices about what speed to set into a headwind or how much trigger to hold during that last climb for your ride.