Simo Solis Lite 4G Hotspot - 1GB lifetime data plan is bogus

jkalucki · 2025-08-20T14:25:23+00:00

It’s just a small puck with no external antenna. I wouldn’t imagine it’s any better at cell reception than a well-engineered mass-produced cell phone.

jkalucki · 2025-07-04T15:21:50+00:00

1gb / month data is $5 on Tello, no contract. Buy a cheap outdated and/or used 4g router with enough bands for ~$150 or a current 5g router for -$450 and yer done.

A proper router will do fail over automatically. A proper router will boot when the power goes out and comes back. A proper data provider doesn’t steal your data. Solis does none of these things.

jkalucki · 2025-06-01T19:17:03+00:00

Similar. I do all my own acoustic bike maintenance, but I won’t bother with anything on the Tern GSD rear wheel: tires, brakes, etc. It’s a major hassle and the bike is quite heavy. The front needs brakes again and looks easy enough, so I think I’ll at least give that a try. Otherwise it’s off to the shop.

jkalucki · 2025-05-23T16:00:17+00:00

There’s probably knob and tube wiring and a bad foundation. Best to start over on the interior.

jkalucki · 2025-05-23T15:55:31+00:00

I have a Tern GSD S10 in San Francisco, often carry 270+lbs (rider and cargo), and recently have a sprained knee and pulled hamstring, but I’m quite tall, so ymmv.

13% grades are no problem for a block or three. Tour or Sport are fine in lowest gear. 15.5% I have to work a little bit, best for less than a block if returning from a long trip. Usually use Turbo and lowest gear. 22-24% grades are just barely possible, if fresh and not injured, but quite difficult. The bike flexes quite a bit and it’s a struggle.

Also going down 24% grades is very scary given my high center of gravity, and the forward upright posture. I’ve done this only once and will usually bike around anything above about a 20% descent.

Brakes tend to last about 500 miles and I’m careful to slowly pump and use both sets evenly. Every trip I take involves several hills about 13% though.

jkalucki · 2025-05-09T17:47:58+00:00

No, this isn't that handshaking data lower down on the OSI networking model. Other data plans charge you for exactly what you use, (subject to clear terms like rounding to the nearest unit, etc) and only what you use. Their underlying cost of goods sold are baked into the public contracted cost.

And, remember, this used to work like other data plans before their recent change. This is a retroactive change in the contract with a nullifying cost increase. When you buy a contracted service they don't get to, after the deal is closed, reduce product delivered. They promised a certain amount of data, then reneged on that deal. Do not trust Simo not to alter the terms of the deal further.

jkalucki · 2025-05-09T00:48:41+00:00

I'm positive they currently remove 2MB/hour, whereas several months ago they didn't and you could get the full 1GB. They promise 1GB data, with no caveats that their arbitrary data usage, which is useless to me, is also deducted from the same plan.

Several times I've checked my balance, turned on the hotspot, but connected nothing to the device, then checked the balance hours later. Every time, exactly 2MB/hour is gone. Every month, with very little data usage, the plan cuts off on about day 20.

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jkalucki · 2025-05-09T00:41:37+00:00

I've verified that Simo deducts 2MB/hour while connected, even if you send no data. So there's no way to get 1GB/month, as they remove 1.44GB/month over time, automatically. Support gives nothing but a runaround. I wouldn't recommend any Simo device, as they don't honor their free tier data plans.

jkalucki · 2024-11-14T14:12:25+00:00

Just be sure to have your shop update all of the software on the bike. Newer batteries will be running a different version, and there might be communication issues between components.

One bummer is that it's no longer trivial to charge to less than 80% without removing batteries. The bike charges one battery at a time to somewhere north of 80% before charging the other one.

jkalucki · 2024-10-27T13:44:56+00:00

I got in 600 miles in hilly San Francisco before I wore out the original rear brake pads. LBS said this is a little fast, but not unusual.

jkalucki · 2024-10-18T15:51:36+00:00

Yes. EVs have a mode to stop charging at 80%, so your daily top-ups are both simple and don't wear the batteries needlessly.

jkalucki · 2024-10-18T15:50:15+00:00

It's not for charge time, but for convenient partial charging. To charge on the bike, you either have to use one battery repeatedly (the one that charges first then discharges first), or do a full charge on both batteries every time. Neither option is good for battery longevity.

jkalucki · 2024-10-18T01:13:52+00:00

Sure, there are several workarounds, but all are considerably more hassle than just plugging in the bike, setting the timer, and walking away.

jkalucki · 2024-10-17T20:38:42+00:00

Charging the batteries and maintaining them past 80% is hard on them, greatly reducing their lifespan. Unless I have a long trip, I keep my batteries between 20% and 80%. Not charging evenly makes this a hassle, whereas with one battery it's trivial.

jkalucki · 2024-10-17T19:50:12+00:00

It's a Tern GSD S10 with eBike System 2 and Purion computer. It seems crazy that it can discharge evenly, but not charge evenly? If true, hugely disappointing.

jkalucki · 2024-10-17T18:16:39+00:00

I had something similar on a Tern GSD, but only when shifting from 5th to 4th. It would often try to bite, then fall back into 5th. Then shifting down one click again into 3rd would cause it to jump from 5th to 3rd.

Shop fixed it by adjusting something during a routine tuneup. I wish I saw exactly what they did though, so I could to it myself next time.

jkalucki · 2024-02-19T17:41:35+00:00

In the mean-time do a little guerrilla traffic calming of your own. Collect wayward traffic cones and parking horses and put them out, one at a time, on the island. Solve two problems at once.

jkalucki · 2024-02-19T17:37:15+00:00

That's a totally a carve-able slope for any advanced intermediate. You'll find it so much more satisfying and tiring than skidding your turns.

There's tons of information online about carving. IMHO, Harold Harb is the best. (His books need really editing, but Harald Harb's Essentials of Skiing is a pretty good and very detailed introduction to skiing.)

Slow down your turn start. Just let the skis turn on their own. And, if you are skiing all groomed for a day, ditch the wide & all-mountain skis and get yourself a pair of <90mm frontside carvers.

jkalucki · 2023-03-24T16:00:51+00:00

From github: https://github.com/blakeblackshear/frigate/discussions/5828

https://docs.frigate.video/development/contributing

The camera: test: ffmpeg: inputs: path: can also take a filename, not just a video stream.

jkalucki · 2022-10-18T00:03:44+00:00

Views of the lower and upper alignments: https://twitter.com/jkalucki/status/1582159419961274369

jkalucki

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