Doubtful but convinced
I have two physical spoke tension meters but have retired them in favour of this app. The app is able to measure a wider range of spoke types and is more consistent in repeated measurements. I set up a test weight on a single spoke and the app tested spot on.
If I keep track of which side and which spoke, it works
If I pluck with my thumbnail, if I hold the cross-over spoke tight against the spoke I am testing, if at each spoke I hit the SET button to remember that reading before moving on to a different spoke, and if I only try to get between 80% and 120% of the average spoke tension for that side of the wheel, it works awesomely.
I was surprised it remembers the front wheel spoke lengths I set on the iPad, when I open the app on my iPhone. It also remembers the rear wheel spoke lengths, but I first noticed this feature on a front wheel. Keeps track separately for both, I just had not noticed.
I was surprised it tunes differently than a piano string. When the tension is too high, and I hear a lower pitched clunk mixed together with the musical note, the tension is too high just like the app says. With my deformed wheel, I had to loosen a surprising amount to get it back between the 80% and 120% where it again sounds nice.
With my slightly deformed wheel, which I last tuned many years ago, I cannot get a perfect circle graph of all sixteen spokes on one side, although I can consistently get a very round circle on the other side.
Once I started pushing the cross-over spoke against the spoke I am testing, I got essentially the same reading every time I plucked that spoke. I wanted to just set all the tensions on that side almost exactly the same. Almost exactly the same tension, does not work with my deformed wheel running true left and right and up and down. I studied the specifications for a popular hand-held tension meter, and found out why it can get the same reading, while the app cannot. With the popular hand-held tension meter, when you look up the chart, the very next hand-held number reading may actually be 15 kg tension different. The hand-held gives the same number, across quite a bit different tensions.
The popular hand-held comes with a gauge you can measure the spoke thickness. Unless there is some feature I have missed, with the app you have to know which thickness of spoke you are using.
I was surprised it remembers the front wheel spoke lengths I set on the iPad, when I open the app on my iPhone. It also remembers the rear wheel spoke lengths, but I first noticed this feature on a front wheel. Keeps track separately for both, I just had not noticed.
I was surprised it tunes differently than a piano string. When the tension is too high, and I hear a lower pitched clunk mixed together with the musical note, the tension is too high just like the app says. With my deformed wheel, I had to loosen a surprising amount to get it back between the 80% and 120% where it again sounds nice.
With my slightly deformed wheel, which I last tuned many years ago, I cannot get a perfect circle graph of all sixteen spokes on one side, although I can consistently get a very round circle on the other side.
Once I started pushing the cross-over spoke against the spoke I am testing, I got essentially the same reading every time I plucked that spoke. I wanted to just set all the tensions on that side almost exactly the same. Almost exactly the same tension, does not work with my deformed wheel running true left and right and up and down. I studied the specifications for a popular hand-held tension meter, and found out why it can get the same reading, while the app cannot. With the popular hand-held tension meter, when you look up the chart, the very next hand-held number reading may actually be 15 kg tension different. The hand-held gives the same number, across quite a bit different tensions.
The popular hand-held comes with a gauge you can measure the spoke thickness. Unless there is some feature I have missed, with the app you have to know which thickness of spoke you are using.
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Spoke Tension Gauge
I’m very impressed with this app suite. A bit of a learning curve to negotiate but really very well thought out and presented.
Over 45 years of building and several thousand built wheels informs my evaluation.
The app will not replace well executed technique. If you are just starting out, read some of the wealth of published documentation and check out Joey Mesa’s videos.
Employed properly, the app will provide a high degree of accuracy and verification of the objectives sought by skilled wheel builders: measured and confirmed uniformity of tension within tightly held limits of radial and lateral deviation.
Instructions are clear, with an additional set of contextual hints.
And it’s fast. Left open on your workbench the app will report instantly on any spoke you care to investigate without having to stop, pick up your manual tension gauge, test (maybe more than once) swap the gauge for a spoke wrench, adjust and repeat, and repeat again. The advantage gained from this simple bit of continuity cannot be overstated.
The accompanying spoke length calculator is robust and extremely well provided for with dimensional data of hundreds of hub and rim types and an editable template for custom or otherwise unlisted hub models. Graphics are excellent. Full and comprehensive instructions as well as automatic updates to the databases and other information are included.
All in all an impressive amount of real and useful information as well as a vetting tool that will help achieve accepted, high level, quality control parameters.
Over 45 years of building and several thousand built wheels informs my evaluation.
The app will not replace well executed technique. If you are just starting out, read some of the wealth of published documentation and check out Joey Mesa’s videos.
Employed properly, the app will provide a high degree of accuracy and verification of the objectives sought by skilled wheel builders: measured and confirmed uniformity of tension within tightly held limits of radial and lateral deviation.
Instructions are clear, with an additional set of contextual hints.
And it’s fast. Left open on your workbench the app will report instantly on any spoke you care to investigate without having to stop, pick up your manual tension gauge, test (maybe more than once) swap the gauge for a spoke wrench, adjust and repeat, and repeat again. The advantage gained from this simple bit of continuity cannot be overstated.
The accompanying spoke length calculator is robust and extremely well provided for with dimensional data of hundreds of hub and rim types and an editable template for custom or otherwise unlisted hub models. Graphics are excellent. Full and comprehensive instructions as well as automatic updates to the databases and other information are included.
All in all an impressive amount of real and useful information as well as a vetting tool that will help achieve accepted, high level, quality control parameters.
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Shockingly good
This tensio app is really unique. Measuring the spoke length and dimensions are critical - read the instructions! But used properly, it really works. I find the values within 10% of my $400 ‘real’ tensio. More importantly, the values are consistent and repeatable. Great back up tool, plus it works on small wheels (16-20”) where you may not be able to use a trad tensio on the spokes. I haven’t found serious issues with crossed spokes, as some reviewers have, but I tend to pluck spokes a lot during my build. I think with time you develop better technique for getting clear, pure tones from your plucks. Banjo picks are helpful for some folks, but I prefer a soft pluck from my finger pad.
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Doesn’t work very well
This app shows the high tension side of a wheel reading lower on every spoke than the low tension side, compare to using a real tension gauge, which show correct results. Something wrong with the app.
Doesn’t work
Gave same tension no matter what spoke I plucked or how much I tightened. Waste. Of money
Not even close
When compared to my tension meter the readings were off my by up to 100kgf. I dialed a spoke up to 200 kgf is a fixture and it read 46-56kgf. Seems like this tool could lead to damage of wheels as well as possible injury.
It stopped saving my builds when the app closes
It worked OK for my first wheel. For the second wheel, it stopped saving any of the work I was doing. I have to re-enter the spoke count, diameter, length, etc. every time I restart the app.
Great!
First, it does need to be a relatively quiet setting. Second, made truing my wheel very even with having spoke tension data. Third, I have an iPhone 7 which has great mics...so not sure how it works on a legacy device or iPad.
I might even start building wheels (again) with an app like this. This app is a home run!
I might even start building wheels (again) with an app like this. This app is a home run!
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A miserable failure
After truing my wheel on the Park Tool 2.2 wheel truing stand I wanted to insure I had uniform tension on the spokes. Lacking a spoke tension gauge I checked for an app and tried this one. While the concept made sense, when I was done my wheel was horribly out of true. And when I could hear clear differences in tone the app failed to detect them. Pretty disappointing.
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Tensioner on iPad Air
I've loaded the latest version on my iPad Air and it is fully functional.
Much easier to use than on my ancient iPod Touch.
I haven't used all the new functions yet but it definitely locks onto the spoke tone more accurately.
Great wheel building app.
Much easier to use than on my ancient iPod Touch.
I haven't used all the new functions yet but it definitely locks onto the spoke tone more accurately.
Great wheel building app.
Good Start
1. Needs a lock on the slider bar.
2. Most Important: Needs some sort of smoothing or averaging algorithm to make results usable
2. Most Important: Needs some sort of smoothing or averaging algorithm to make results usable
Simple and effective
I've been riding the wheels I built with this app for nearly 3 years now and they've been rock solid and perfectly true still.
Too noise sensitive
Seems to need a SILENT room, not just quiet. No refrigerator, TV, kids, traffic, etc. Difficult to achieve repeatable results too, even in silence. Not cheap either.
Worth the price
Made it way easier to true my wheels. Got all the tensions even and in spec, then minor tweaks to true the wheels. Followed the tips and got consistent readings.
Definitely need to do it at a quiet time (like when the dog next door isn't barking).
The app could do with a set button. It's too easy to bump the spoke thickness and length settings while you are using it. And stuff your job. But with care it works, and there's no other tool I could have bought after dinner that would have allowed me to true both wheels before supper. Thanks guys. Four stars until there is some way to avoid accidently changing the settings when you are using it. Then definitely a five.
Definitely need to do it at a quiet time (like when the dog next door isn't barking).
The app could do with a set button. It's too easy to bump the spoke thickness and length settings while you are using it. And stuff your job. But with care it works, and there's no other tool I could have bought after dinner that would have allowed me to true both wheels before supper. Thanks guys. Four stars until there is some way to avoid accidently changing the settings when you are using it. Then definitely a five.
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Doesn't like 3-cross
This app probably works well for radially spoked wheels, but it didn't work well on my 3-cross wheel. Between the other spoke ringing, the rim also ringing, and the difficulty of damping everything except the section of spoke that you were trying to measure, the readings were jumping all over the place and I couldn't get a clean tension reading. The app also appeared to lock onto harmonics because it would jump between displaying two different tensions. The app also needs a mode where you pluck one spoke a number of times and it then averages those readings down into one number. Maybe this app works for other people's wheels, but not for mine tonight.
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Too sensitive to sound
Can't use it outside, with wind and neighbors and cars. Can't use it inside with a kid upstairs, a dog clicking across the hardwood, and a wife typing in another room. The readings just go nuts all the time, and it makes you hate your family. Might work in a walk-in closet at 3 AM. I think this app just sold me on a Park TM-1.
Also, a way to lock down the sliders would be a huge help. Even just testing the app, I reset the gauge and length a couple times with no feedback.
And... Instructions.
Still super edgy about any noises, after trying to use this for a few sessions...
Also, a way to lock down the sliders would be a huge help. Even just testing the app, I reset the gauge and length a couple times with no feedback.
And... Instructions.
Still super edgy about any noises, after trying to use this for a few sessions...
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Accurate
Accurate compared to Park TM-1 and spoke with 70kg hanging on it. Sapim Laser 1.5 mm round spokes laced radially.
Nice tool
For those of us who are tone deaf, nice tool to verify tension. I use it to verify evenness of tension. Have always built by feel (and never had a broken spoke, including on multiple sets of tandem wheels) and plucked to compare tensions, but I'm not the most accurate on tones.
Ignore the 1 star review - I was able to use all features fully within 2 minutes, instructions are fine. If you're able to lace a wheel and have read Jobst Brandt's book or other reputable reference, you should be able to understand this just fine. This does not replace a truing stand.
I do not own a tensiometer to physically verify readings. If developer stated clearly that the frequency to force calculations have been physically verified, I wouldn't put in that caveat. If I missed that, sorry, will pull that caveat. Readings are reproducible - measured same wheel multiple times, same force readings each time.
Wish list: report output (or xls file output)
Ignore the 1 star review - I was able to use all features fully within 2 minutes, instructions are fine. If you're able to lace a wheel and have read Jobst Brandt's book or other reputable reference, you should be able to understand this just fine. This does not replace a truing stand.
I do not own a tensiometer to physically verify readings. If developer stated clearly that the frequency to force calculations have been physically verified, I wouldn't put in that caveat. If I missed that, sorry, will pull that caveat. Readings are reproducible - measured same wheel multiple times, same force readings each time.
Wish list: report output (or xls file output)
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Garbage!
Do NOT waste your time, and especially do NOT waste your money on this. Plucking the same spoke multiple times provides wildly different readings anywhere from 60 to 150 kgf. Completely USELESS because you don't know which (if any) of the readings are correct! This is only five dollars, but it is five dollars WASTED that you could put towards a proper tensiometer or having a shop do the tune for you.
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