Author Topic: Alternative for blipbox  (Read 2572 times)

Casio20

Alternative for blipbox
« on: March 10, 2024, 03:41:13 PM »
Hi dear Mates,
The axs blipbox is so expensive and i thought of any alternative
Thanks a lot



wousera

Re: Alternative for blipbox
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2024, 04:58:55 AM »
Hi, so actually if you like thinkering you can modify some sram wireless blips which you can usually find for under 100$.
https://www.sram.com/en/sram/models/ec-blip-b1.

This Instagram video shows how you can add some custom buttons (zirbel in this case) to them https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4EF0wDsmHf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

edit: i did a little more digging and if you have no other shifter connected the blips might not work (sram prevents you from only paring blips with a rear derailleur without any shifter). An alternative is to connect the internals of a eagle axs shifter (https://www.bike-components.de/en/SRAM/GX-Eagle-AXS-Controller-12-speed-Shifter-p81643/) to your preffered buttons.
There are some videos about that.  ([www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfr1iRHcvNM])

I'm curious what you are trying to add (always cool to see people add custom shifters).

Hope this gives some inspiration
« Last Edit: March 11, 2024, 05:34:02 AM by wousera »

Casio20

Re: Alternative for blipbox
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2024, 06:35:17 AM »
Hi, what an amazing post!

Thanks a lot

wousera

Re: Alternative for blipbox
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2024, 12:24:12 PM »
Thanks!!.

But i have to update the info above as sram seamingly did the unthinkable and just enabled the sram blips to function as a standalone shifter.

https://bikerumor.com/sram-wireless-blips-can-now-be-paired-w-o-shifters/

It enables some serious potential as the circuit boards are really small.

Serge_K

Re: Alternative for blipbox
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2024, 06:33:01 AM »
"
They retail for $99/pair and come with mounting brackets for drop bars. The Wireless Blips are not rechargeable and need to be recycled with other electronics when they stop working. SRAM estimates their battery life at up to two years, with more frequent riders likely getting a little over a year out of them.
"
I'm unfamiliar with these things, but that sounds crazy to me. Imagine you go on a trip and they just die. Are you supposed to just carry spares with you at all times? Maybe that's why they originally weren't supposed to be used standalone?
A bike that can't shift is no fun to ride. What if you have a race coming up? You've used them for 6 months. Can you monitor the state of the battery in a reliable manner? Imagine the thing dies on you on your A race day. One year of prep down the drain because SRAM engineers are donkeys.
That's also de facto a subscription, btw...
Fast on the flat. And nowhere else.

wousera

Re: Alternative for blipbox
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2024, 11:44:27 AM »
They are powered by coin cells so if your goal is to attach a different button to them(like in the instagram post i shared in my first reply) you can definitly replace them. It's just a neat solution for the tinkerers who might be looking for something non existent.

next to that they should last 2 years on a single battery which means that when you compare it to the price of a blip box (400 dollar) you can get 4 paires of them or 8 years.

I must admit that they aren't worth it as they come (if you are thinking of running as auxiliary shifters) but when you are looking to open them up and thinker around with them they are quite the bargain.
I've seen people hacking sram brakes with di2 electronics but with these you could get yourself some di2 shifters (if you don't like DOT brake fluid for example or want rim brakes) and connect them to the internals electronics of the blips and you can connect any sram axs shifter there is.     

ejump0

Re: Alternative for blipbox
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2024, 09:28:32 AM »
Thanks!!.

But i have to update the info above as sram seamingly did the unthinkable and just enabled the sram blips to function as a standalone shifter.

https://bikerumor.com/sram-wireless-blips-can-now-be-paired-w-o-shifters/

It enables some serious potential as the circuit boards are really small.

thats a good news for budget tri bike builder.
since we dont know when wheeltop n ltwoo gonna release tri shifter electronic trigger, apex axs rd + blips would be the cheapest 12sp setup (esp 1x mode)

Vipassana

Re: Alternative for blipbox
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2024, 04:14:48 PM »
Can SRAM blips be used with a Reverb AXS seatpost?

Sakizashi

Re: Alternative for blipbox
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2024, 10:22:52 PM »
Can SRAM blips be used with a Reverb AXS seatpost?

Currently, no. From what I understand, that functionality is unlikely.

Vipassana

Re: Alternative for blipbox
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2024, 11:08:15 PM »
Currently, no. From what I understand, that functionality is unlikely.

Dang. That would be a neat feature.

carbonazza

Re: Alternative for blipbox
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2024, 12:12:36 PM »
Currently, no. From what I understand, that functionality is unlikely.

No, I tried at my last FM909 build, and confirm they don't work with the seatpost.
I thought it was the same as changing rings by pressing both together, but the seatpost seems to have a different need.
There was rumors for a firmware update that didn't arrive, so I kept them, but they are now rotting, waiting for a potential future use.