Fixe Hardware Alien Evolution LITE Cam Failure

bearbreeder wrote:keep the easily replaceable solid wires, which were never a real issue on the aliens anyways

They were if the lobe got dinged. The solid wire tend to get pinched & impedes with lobe movement. But this is an issue on all small cams w/ solid wires. I was actually glad Totem switched to stranded wires.

reboot wrote: They were if the lobe got dinged. The solid wire tend to get pinched & impedes with lobe movement. But this is an issue on all small cams w/ solid wires. I was actually glad Totem switched to stranded wires.

Take a fine file and gently shave off the dings ... Also with solid wires you can bend em a bit to avoid the dings

The problem i have with totems is whether the wires are easily replaceable

With my non basic totems if theres a broken wire it needs to be shipped back to spain .... Its almost better to buy a new cam

One thing that most folks dont look at but is quite important is how easily maintainable a cam is

The camalots, old aliens were tops in that regard

Obligatory old alien pic

;)

bearbreeder wrote: Take a fine file and gently shave off the dings ... Also with solid wires you can bend em a bit to avoid the dings

That's not the problem. If the lobe is dinged at the wire hole (which runs thru the entire width of the lobe), it can deform the wire hole enough to prevent a solid wire from rotating freely. No amount of filing/cleaning/bending at the edge will solve that problem, maybe if you remove the wire & use a very small drill bit.

reboot wrote: That's not the problem. If the lobe is dinged at the wire hole (which runs thru the entire width of the lobe), it can deform the wire hole enough to prevent a solid wire from rotating freely. No amount of filing/cleaning/bending at the edge will solve that problem, maybe if you remove the wire & use a very small drill bit.

remove the wire ... take a steel needle of roughly the same diameter ... put it though the non dinged side and tape it with finesse to get the ding out, then shave it down

chances are the ding will be at the edge of the hole, and not the entire length of it ... if its the latter its probably time to retire that cam

you risk breaking the needle of course and getting it stuck, so have some pliers ready too

any cam with a solid wire termination would be subject to the same issue, but since most are made of harder aluminum, the issue wont happen as much as the softer lobe cams

im not certain that kevlar or braided wire is that much better in that case, as if the hole is pinched, eventually youll rub through and break the wire

;)

bearbreeder wrote: any cam with a solid wire termination would be subject to the same issue

Yes, I've stated exactly that. But you tend to find this problem w/ smaller cams b/c the hole is so close to the lobe edge.

bearbreeder wrote:im not certain that kevlar or braided wire is that much better in that case, as if the hole is pinched, eventually youll rub through and break the wire ;)

A flexible cable doesn't rotate (especially kevlar, based on the glue) inside the hole, so it's a non-issue. Lobe edge deformation will prob break the cable more easily.

reboot wrote: Yes, I've stated exactly that. But you tend to find this problem w/ smaller cams b/c the hole is so close to the lobe edge. A flexible cable doesn't rotate (especially kevlar, based on the glue) inside the hole, so it's a non-issue. Lobe edge deformation will prob break the cable more easily.

well how often does this stuck wire scenario happen vs the much more common broken trigger wire issue?

having wires that are easily replaceable are much more important i should think

at worst you can always use braided wire on the old aliens, just use stopper knots ... or use a drill bit as you said, they cost like 5 dollah for a set of 2

which by the way metolius recommends you use for kevlar trigger wire replacements on their mastercams regardless

metolius

metoliusclimbing.com/pdf/Ma…

now the big question i have is can i use the fixe alien trigger wire kit on the totem basics ... if it works that solves alot of the "ship to spain" issues for em

;)

bearbreeder wrote: well how often does this stuck wire scenario happen vs the much more common broken trigger wire issue?

I imagine that depends how often you take the cams for a walk vs whipping on them. I've had no trigger wire breakage that did not also require retiring the unit. I've had 4 sticky/stuck wire issues, but I don't have many solid wire small cams anymore. YMMV.

reboot wrote: I imagine that depends how often you take the cams for a walk vs whipping on them. I've had no trigger wire breakage that did not also require retiring the unit. I've had 4 sticky/stuck wire issues, but I don't have many solid wire small cams anymore. YMMV.

Seen a few whips ... Note the worn through wire hole edge I had to pry off the excess metal

do note that almost every case of trigger wire issue with cams on MP is with breaking and fraying .... no doubt wuzzy MPers simply take em for a walk

i hope folks arent blowing their trigger wires apart umbrella wise ... thats simply poor placement

;)

NONE of the evo lites I've seen broken were fallen on. All broke while cleaning pieces, one of which I personally cleaned/broke, under "normal" conditions. My jaw dropped when I discovered that the reason I couldn't clean a brand new cam was because the cable had magically pulled from the lobe. These are quality control and design problems, not user error/abuse.

Adding my experience to the string of Alien Evo issues:

The short: my alien also broke from its regular use (not from falls or placement). So I returned it to the Bishop warrantee offices early November. After many weeks of sporadic back and forth. I get it processed to Spain... Which takes another bunch of weeks... Finally receive a box with a new but WHOLLY DIFFERENT size/color alien cam. Total time: 4 months...

If anyone wants the little details I can elaborate further.

Customer Service:
I'm used to people taking long in between contacts. I don't mind but I think most people wouldn't be able to stomach like a week or so between emails replied to... Most times they replied within the hour but sometimes they didn't update me until I emailed asking them for an update weeks (one time a MONTH) later! They always had prompt and polite language.

The issue with my cam:
my internal spring became an external spring. How did this happen? I couldn't tell ya! Notice it is a green cam, I sent them this same photo in my first email to the Bishop warrantee headquarters.

Green alien Evo cam popped spring (farthermost lobe) happened from being in a backpack

The cam received from Spain Techrock folks:
Pretty new blue alien Evo... Not the same cam :). Weird
New Blue alien Evo, reference avocado

I'm amused by all this but at the same time kinda disturbed by all the time it took to ultimately... This weird result. Love how light these cams are but gotta SMH at all the experience with trying to warrantee it.

Edit after reading bear breeder's comment:

I honestly missed out on the new metal trigger bar! Haha I was so bemused by the situation that I didn't get to look deeply enough at the cam! I'm glad they're still improving on their product...

ive heard that fixe went back to the solid wires, hopefully theyll be easily replaceable just like the old ones

the metal trigger bar is a nice surprise

;)

Glad to see the fixes being implemented (metal bar and metal "pins" for the cams). Perhaps the delays were Fixe redoing the line to incorporate the fixes. Hope yet...

I wonder if CCH's license agreement includes a clause that Fixe has to maintain CCH's legacy of shoddy quality control? If so, they nailed it.

mattm wrote:Perhaps the delays were Fixe redoing the line to incorporate the fixes.

No. My warranty replacement did not have the fixes. Still took like 3 months.

They kept the lower plastic trigger bar...idiots.

I can't wait tillc my aliens explode and I get to deal with this.

Another example of a broken trigger. The cam is about 6 months old

i thought it would only be the top bars breaking, now its the bottom ones as well !!!

this would be hilarious if it wasnt so comical ...

if fixe simply did their QC properly, kept the solid metal wires, kept the metal triggers and simply narrowed the head widths ... theyd be laughing

;)

Yeah, the plastic just snapped. My buddy was cleaning it while being lowered. I guess I'm gonna go with X4s or totem aliens.

Well - they don't call them failiens for nothing.

Hope! I don't recommend the x4s. The main stem cable on the .75 is too flimsy, and the smaller sizes incorporate the springs within partially hollowed out lobes.