BKool - Help syncing with Sufferfest

[molokoid]

Hi,

Only just found and joined this forum. Apologies in advance for the mercenery (desperate) plea for help on my first post!

I've a Bkool Classic, pre August 2014, so it has the mini USB and other connectors at the rear. I'm trying to connect the trainer to the Sufferfest system, which requires the bkool trainer to be FE-C.
To be FE-C i believe my trainer needs it's firmware updating and Bkool support (which unfortunately have been approaching useless; contradictory and unclear instructions) have stated this has to be done via the mini-USB.

So i'm connecting my MacOS Mac to the Bkool trainer via USB lead (question one, can this be done via a Mac? I dont own a Windows computer if not!) but no where in the Bkool software (latest version v3.4) can i find out what the firmware version is, or how to update it.

Any help appreciated before i can the trainer off?!

Thanks in advance.

 

[theboxers]

Welcome to the party .

IIRC the original and updated classics (where they changed the roller to a ridged one) can not be updated to FE-C. It is only the ones from august 14 onward that can be done, I think they lost the usb port from then on. I have a pre-August 14 one and have not been able to update it to provide that protocol . You do not need to connect to the usb to do an update on this version of the trainer, at least mine was not the last time it was done (using a PC). However the Ant+ dongle needs to be within 5cm of the turbo to get it to update (a USB extension cable is cheap and get the dongle closer to the sensors). The latest FW I have updated to was 3.06 iirc (but I could be wrong).

I do remember that updating is a pain. I have not been asked to do t for almost 2 years. The last FW update did give the classics a few, advantages, that the pro's no longer have .

 

[molokoid]

After much frustration with BKool, i seem to have received a straight and plausible answer from them. The original Bkool (pre Aug 2014, with ports on the back), can be updated to the latest firmware and hence use FE-C protocol, but this can only be performed from a Windows computer, not a MacOS (despite their app).

Anyhow, the experience with Bkool support has made me give up on their products and i've ordered myself a Wahoo Kickr to use instead.

All the best, thanks for the response.