The Official BLEvo Thread

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eagerly

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Oct 6, 2018
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Maastricht said:
Hi Pelt,

First of all welcome to this forum!

For clarification I have never owned a Garmin device I do know that it offers a lot of options besides the navigation function too. Via the link underneath I have seen it should be possible to show some key metrics related to the Levo as well:
Ebike Field - Garmin app ~ UPDATE: New Diagnostics app - EMTB Forums

I decided not to buy a Garmin as the BV6000 (or a different cheap Android phone) in combination with BLEvo will cost you approximately 1/3 of the price. But here price is certainly not leading. You will notice also the screen is bigger of the BV6000 and the combination with BLEvo it's a very powerfull device. BLEvo can offer, according to my opinion at least, everything what the Garmin is capable of but next to that it's offering much more features and benefits for example like the smart power functions. It will let you enjoy dynamic support based on leg power and/or hear rate. I suggest that you download the BLEvo manual which will offer you a good insight in all the added values.

I must need to make one correction. I think Garmin will offer you navigation to a specific address too. BLEvo will not (yet) do that. This is depending on Paolo where we should understand BLEvo is his hobby. You can still buy a Garmin of course but I assume when you go riding you will bring a phone with you too. Even if your Garmin is on the handle bars and your phone with BLEvo running is in your pocket or backpack, you can enjoy the smart power functions.

If I may suggest, I would buy BLEvo for only €9,99 and then first test how you like it on your normal phone. If you like it, I would buy a cheap Android phone like the BV6000 and just use it as a display when riding. If you don't like it I would buy an expensive Garmin and then depending if you like to use the smart power functions of BLEvo or not, you may have lost €9,99 and @PaoloBLEvo will be happy that he can buy some excellent Belgium beers. ;)
Click to expand...

Let me add one more thing...Garmin is not-no one-able to show all the informations regarding your Levo like power, cadence, battery. It's true that Garmin is some way is more accurate, thinking of %slope, the total rise, and with Garmin you can have the navigation. I am a garmin owner for years, an these are my personal plus and minus over this version of blevo:
PLUSEs
-maps, in particular the openmtbmaps not yet available with blevo
-calculations of %slope and trip overall rise
-integration with basecamp
-battery (with stilus)
-IP
MINUSEs
-plenty of bugs
-expensive
-display
-slow
-connectivity
For BV6000+Blevo current android version:
MINUSES
-Maps (I don't like 4umaps, too much low resolution)
-Calculations of %slope and rise not very much accurate
PLUSES
-Display
-Battery
-Connectivity
-Sensors Turbo Levo
-Speed
-Operating System
-SMART POWER & HR
-Open and expandable
-IP
-The software is continuously maintained and improved
 
M

Maastricht

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eagerly said:
Let me add one more thing...Garmin is not-no one-able to show all the informations regarding your Levo like power, cadence, battery. It's true that Garmin is some way is more accurate, thinking of %slope, the total rise, and with Garmin you can have the navigation. I am a garmin owner for years, an these are my personal plus and minus over this version of blevo:
PLUSEs
-maps, in particular the openmtbmaps not yet available with blevo
-calculations of %slope and trip overall rise
-integration with basecamp
-battery (with stilus)
-IP
MINUSEs
-plenty of bugs
-expensive
-display
-slow
-connectivity
For BV6000+Blevo current android version:
MINUSES
-Maps (I don't like 4umaps, too much low resolution)
-Calculations of %slope and rise not very much accurate
PLUSES
-Display
-Battery
-Connectivity
-Sensors Turbo Levo
-Speed
-Operating System
-SMART POWER & HR
-Open and expandable
-IP
-The software is continuously maintained and improved
Click to expand...

Hi Eagerly,

As I haven't used a Garmin device I can't provide any detailed feedback.

Regarding the BV6000+BLEvo, maybe Paolo can comment the slope % calculations and the choice of maps. To my understanding the amount of meters in ascent or descent should be pretty accurate as the BV6000 contains a barometer of which BLEvo displays the data. If the phone doesn't contain a barometer then BLEvo will use GPS signal but also here Paolo can provide more details...
 
Last edited:
PaoloBLEvo

PaoloBLEvo

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Maastricht said:
Hi Eagerly,

As I haven't used a Garmin device I can't provide any detailed feedback.

Regarding the BV600+BLEvo, maybe Paolo can comment the slope % calculations and the choice of maps. To my understanding the amount of meters in ascent or descent should be pretty accurate as the BV6000 contains a barometer of which BLEvo displays the data. If the phone doesn't contain a barometer then BLEvo will use GPS signal but also here Paolo can provide more details...
Click to expand...
I'm already in contact with Eagerly in order to check and understand the correctness of ascend value..
Yesterday I tested the new filter used by BLEvo and the Garmin says 637m of ascend instead BLEvo says 639m.. I think is a good result. Eagerly has problem with continue up and down.. maybe the problem is solved with the new filter..
If the phone doesn't have the barometer but use only the gps, the value could be totally wrong..
About the slope, I need to check again how is calculated and I need to improve it.
For the map, I will work on that in order to add more maps... with better quality..
Paolo
 
E

eagerly

Active member
Oct 6, 2018
131
172
Pordenone
Maastricht said:
Hi Eagerly,

As I haven't used a Garmin device I can't provide any detailed feedback.

Regarding the BV600+BLEvo, maybe Paolo can comment the slope % calculations and the choice of maps. To my understanding the amount of meters in ascent or descent should be pretty accurate as the BV6000 contains a barometer of which BLEvo displays the data. If the phone doesn't contain a barometer then BLEvo will use GPS signal but also here Paolo can provide more details...
Click to expand...

you are right, barometer+gps provides with accuracy in altitude, but the amount of ascent is a result of internal calculation...I am sure Paolo will fix / improve this
 
E

eagerly

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Oct 6, 2018
131
172
Pordenone
PaoloBLEvo said:
I'm already in contact with Eagerly in order to check and understand the correctness of ascend value..
Yesterday I tested the new filter used by BLEvo and the Garmin says 637m of ascend instead BLEvo says 639m.. I think is a good result. Eagerly has problem with continue up and down.. maybe the problem is solved with the new filter..
If the phone doesn't have the barometer but use only the gps, the value could be totally wrong..
About the slope, I need to check again how is calculated and I need to improve it.
For the map, I will work on that in order to add more maps... with better quality..
Paolo
Click to expand...
this is great news paolo! thanks, will check and revert you back!
 
X

xcentric

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Feb 2, 2019
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Market Drayton
Have done a quick search - it seems the BV6000 is the preferred go to device for BLEvo to create a decent mtb bike computer setup. Is this correct? Is there a preferred extended battery pack for the BV6000 or is it ok as it is?

(mods feel free to move this to a different thread if this is not the right place for it!)

-edited to add: is the BV6000S the same device?
 
Last edited:
M

Maastricht

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xcentric said:
Have done a quick search - it seems the BV6000 is the preferred go to device for BLEvo to create a decent mtb bike computer setup. Is this correct? Is there a preferred extended battery pack for the BV6000 or is it ok as it is?

(mods feel free to move this to a different thread if this is not the right place for it!)
Click to expand...

Hi Xcentric, Paolo recommended me the BV6000 as it is very robust and with the internal battery it runs for about 8 hours even when continuously screen and gps active.

If you like to add a battery pack, I have a Topeak:
MOBILE POWERPACK 5200MAH | Topeak
I bought this earlier then the BV6000 as I tried to ride with my iphone first on the handle bars where the battery drained very quickly.

Regarding the differences between the BV6000S which slightly more basic compared to the BV6000 check the following specifications:
Products | Blackview Mobile
or
Compare Blackview BV6000 vs Blackview BV6000S: Price, Specs, Review | Gadgets Now
I bought the BV6000 as the difference between pricing was small.
 
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Stumpy

Stumpy

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Maastricht said:
Hi Xcentric, Paolo recommended me the BV6000 as it is very robust and with the internal battery it runs for about 8 hours even when continuously screen and gps active.

If you like to add a battery pack, I have a Topeak:
MOBILE POWERPACK 5200MAH | Topeak
I bought this earlier then the BV6000 as I tried to ride with my iphone first on the handle bars where the battery drained very quickly.
Click to expand...

I think @Rob Hancill has a BV6000 too - maybe an opportunity to review it (and BLEvo) on the next bike test? (Or something)
 
X

xcentric

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Feb 2, 2019
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Has anyone used the BLEvo (and a BV6000 or similar) as a replacement for a Garmin bike computer on a road bike?

i.e. ignoring it's Levo integration, how well does it work for mapping, nav guidance, and the squall data fields one sees on road bike computers?
 
PaoloBLEvo

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xcentric said:
Has anyone used the BLEvo (and a BV6000 or similar) as a replacement for a Garmin bike computer on a road bike?

i.e. ignoring it's Levo integration, how well does it work for mapping, nav guidance, and the squall data fields one sees on road bike computers?
Click to expand...
I use BLEvo with BV6000 and everything is perfect ?... but I think I'm not the right person to ask.. :p
 
M

Maastricht

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Oct 3, 2018
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xcentric said:
Has anyone used the BLEvo (and a BV6000 or similar) as a replacement for a Garmin bike computer on a road bike?

i.e. ignoring it's Levo integration, how well does it work for mapping, nav guidance, and the squall data fields one sees on road bike computers?
Click to expand...

I assume you read my previous posts above here already so I will not repeat them. I really think it works well but I am not you and you are not me. ;) So I would recommend without immediately buying a BV6000 or similar phone, just to install the BLEvo app on your current phone. For €9,99 you will know if you like it or not. If possible I would choose to install it on any Android phone as the BLEvo Android version is more comprehensive.
 

E

eagerly

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Oct 6, 2018
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The 5500 has no barometer (sorry the italian):

1549824697607.png
 
Dee Scee

Dee Scee

Member
Dec 21, 2018
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Berkeley
Maastricht said:
Hi @Stumpy, @Kiwi in Wales and others,

I received the BV6000 last saturday and I also received the GUB Plus 8 (rotatable handle bar bracket). Remember Paolo uses the GUB G-85 which is a non rotatable bracket.

First of all I paid for the BV6000 about €160,- including shipping, custom fee and taxes. The bracket costed about €10,-.

I started with mounting the bracket on the handle bars. The bracket (as it is rotatable) has some internal play but there is a central bolt which you can tighten more and then the play is almost gone. The bracket itself is very stable, it works like a vice and it holds virtually any phone very well.

Regarding the BV6000, I will share my first feelings as I haven't rode a long tour yet with it. The installation went very smoothly at first. However as soon as I started to play around with the display brightness settings I ended up in troubles. Suddenly the screen became very dark and, although I selected 100% brightness, it changed every time automatically to dark again. I thought to download a firmware update which maybe would solve the issue but wifi also continuously stopped working. Long story short, I performed a factory reset and started all over again. Wifi is now very stable, brightness is now at 100% and the firmware update has been installed. I don't know what the problem caused but it's ok now.

Then I installed BLEvo. The Levo 2019 can only be paired to one phone! First I deleted (at least I thought to have deletec) my 2019 Levo from my IOS bluetooth settings. However still I wasn't able to connect the BV6000 I found out that you need to swipe the bikes name in IOS (with the bike turned on and connected) and then select "forget this device". It's then unpaired from the ios device. After that I was able to connect the BV6000 and vice versa.

I read that other riders had problems with connecting their phones to their 2019 Levo's as well. Maybe you should try to delete the bluetooth connection from the phone which was originally paired with the bike. (maybe this can even have been your shop owner's phone?) I am not 100% sure but in my case it seems that this solved the issue.

So once I succeeded to connect the bike I started to add all the BLEvo settings and there are many. ;) @PaoloBLEvo tried to work to a one size fits all app so you can customize really everything in high detail. I have set the bike monitor display, smart power, downloaded the offline Open Street Maps 4umaps.eu. I have downloaded the maps as I will use the BV6000 as a display only and not a phone so I haven't inserted a cellular card. In future I will still carry my iphone with me when riding but I will not add it to the handlebars anymore. If required via the iphone you can always set up a personal hotspot with the BV6000 in case you need a data connection due to whatever reason.

Some differences compared to the ios version are:
- graphics are more attractive then the ios version (but this is just a personal preference)
- open street maps which I like much more then the maps available in ios
- elevation data of the selected track
- gpx track direction (small arrows show which direction the track is meant to ride)
offline map availability
- Smart Power settings can be tuned in more detail
- Detailed graphs of the tour
- Barometer
- in general much more customization possible
- direct upload to Strava possible

Too be honnest too, at home, I got some strange faces, why does daddy needs a new phone? Well technically you are right but it's just a smart display with a huge battery inside. This last is also great advantage. I charged the device last saturday and it's still at 50% battery level. So where I first connected my iphone to an external powerback that's not required anymore.

Overall I am very happy that I followed @PaoloBLEvo 's recommendation. As an addicted ios user I never thought to switch to an Android device before. In case of any questions, please feel free to ask.
Click to expand...
aloha Maastricht! i am working on my blevo / bv6000 setup. i’ve imported a few .gpx files from previous rides now, so i’m starting to see how that works. last night i figured out why i couldn’t download tiles of the map for offline use. i was zoomed too far out. as i zoomed in and the button activated. joy! however, even for a relatively small (10 sq miles approx) it’s taking hours to download. the bv is new to me and other downloads have seemed normal. have you downloaded tiles of the maps yet? i think i’m going to use the trail one. (cannot remember exactly what the choices were now)
 
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Maastricht

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Dee Scee said:
aloha Maastricht! i am working on my blevo / bv6000 setup. i’ve imported a few .gpx files from previous rides now, so i’m starting to see how that works. last night i figured out why i couldn’t download tiles of the map for offline use. i was zoomed too far out. as i zoomed in and the button activated. joy! however, even for a relatively small (10 sq miles approx) it’s taking hours to download. the bv is new to me and other downloads have seemed normal. have you downloaded tiles of the maps yet? i think i’m going to use the trail one. (cannot remember exactly what the choices were now)
Click to expand...

Yes, I downloaded the tiles too but I have understood that Paolo has been hobbying again. I expect he will release a new update soon which improves the whole process.

Keep tuned to this thread...
 

Kev Henson

Kev Henson

Member
Sep 6, 2018
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25
Leicestershire
PaoloBLEvo said:
Ok but this site says that the BV6000s doesn't have the barometer, but I'm sure that it has because my friend has this phone.. Is the site reliable?
Click to expand...
Maybe not so reliable then, but i could only find the 6000S on the site which does not have the sensor, i have ordered a 5500 which should be here thursday this week, with or without the sensor its still a good price,
 
M

Maastricht

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Maybe check this link:
Products | Blackview Mobile
Here you can compare the different specifications of all the BV models. The BV5500 also seems not to support 4G. (also the battery can not be replaced if I remember well) Barometer is not part of the specification list but it is part of the marketing launch page like @RobertK said already.
 
Rob Rides EMTB

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I must say that the BV6000 and BLEvo work well together. For £100 it will give infinitely more functionality that Garmin. It's big though.

But also I bloody hate android. So much faffing around with stuff. Am an Apple fanboy really!
 

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