Hi! I only need the speed sensor option for indoor rides. I use GPS outdoors. The option seems to be there (the Garmin sensor is available and can be selected), but the inability to deselect the “speed from power” makes it unusable. It is working in Xert Mobile, so I’ll use it while waiting for EBC. (btw: I managed to turn off GPS in Xert Mobile by removing the gps-permission).
In other words: ANT+ will only work for either K2 mode or EBC and it’s a known bug, yes? It matches my experience since I always had to enable and use bluetooth mode in EBC.
Hammerhead finally got wise about offering trade-ins although it is a short promo –
Trade In and Trade Up – Hammerhead
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I just ordered the Edge 530 at lunch today, then I just see the trade in offer. I imagine most would go Hammerhead over the 530 for the Xert EBC? Are the Xert Garmin apps still maintained. Thoughts @ridgerider2 @ManofSteele
I may not be the best person to ask. 
I started training by power with a Polar 450 then moved up to a Garmin 1030.
Never got into Garmin’s platform much. I only cycle so not interested in all the other tracking options and metrics on Garmin. I actually liked Polar’s platform better.
Now I am strictly Xert for everything and happy with EBC on my Palm phone or Kingkong Mini (neither has a SIM card). EBC does everything I need. I never used half the stuff on the 1030 anyway.
I think I will opt for Hammerhead’s trade-in regardless. Not going to get $160 for the 1030 from anyone else as it has a bit of the blue halo problem. It has been a paperweight.
I doubt I’ll use all the stuff on the Karoo 2 either and will primarily run EBC.
Your decision really depends on what usage scenarios you see yourself benefiting from. For example, maps with TBT directions, climb profiling, segments, etc…
The Connect IQ platform is a dead-end IMO. There is only so much you can do with it and Xert is maxed out there. Great stuff for what it does but limited by the Garmin environment.
Android on the other hand is why Karoo has started to take off. Constant updates and new features are catching up to what Garmin does plus superior screen and touch control.
So for the best of both worlds (multi-featured head unit with option to load EBC natively) I would have to say Hammerhead has the edge.
For my purposes EBC on a $99 Android device (KKM) with no SIM does the trick most days. The downside is the KKM is not waterproof or ruggedized while the Karoo looks like you could use it a a hockey puck. I don’t intend to test that scenario.
The Karoo will just be another option for me to grab (surely one of these units must be charged enough for today’s ride 
). I might try TBT on the Karoo when traveling but honestly I usually pull my phone out to look at a map in more details including POI. Or flip to another app like Komoot or RWGPS on whatever Android device I’m using.
If Xert were to add GPX support for EBC that is all I would ever really want. Don’t need TBT. Just zoom in/out. YMMV
I started with a Polar V650 then went to a Wahoo Bolt a while back. Then I went to a Garmin Fenix 5 when I found Xert a while back in order to use the Xert Apps and all was okay. I didn’t mind the Garmin ecosystem, occasionally the Live track wouldn’t work. I couldn’t get $60 bucks for either of the Bolt or V650 as they sat as paper weights.
Then I lost my Fenix after a charity ride. So my wife replaced it with a Venu and I went back to using my Bolt. Inside I use Xert EBC on an old Pixel phone. They are offering $160 for either one of them, which perked my interest in trying the Karoo 2.
99 percent of my rides are on roads I know under 3 hours or on Zwift. I do get lost I pull out my phone to use Google maps. So I probably don’t need the 530 or Karoo and just talked myself out of both.
Same here. I know the area where I ride in every direction and if feeling adventurous I will pull out my phone for an alternate route or occasional meander.
Still mulling over the Hammerhead offer. Fine print indicates it will be 60 days before you see a trade-in credit on your card, but my 1030 is just cluttering up my trainer desk.
Live Track on the Garmin was flaky but supposedly fixed in one of the updates.
That would be one reason to go Karoo as I haven’t heard complaints about their live track function. I have been using Beacon now that’s is free but the Strava app is a battery hog so not useful on long rides if it kills your phone.
@ridgerider2 FWIW, I use the ‘Spokz’ app as my live-tracking app (from my actual phone - data connection is needed).
Although it doesn’t do second by second like Garmin/Strava livetrack, but rather sends an update once every ~5-30s. It barely sips battery and works as I need, which is essentially for my partner to see my approximate location & (hopefully never needed) my last updated location if something were to happen, such as a crash, flat, etc. YMMV
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@ridgerider2 I use a Karoo 2, and I am very happy with it. I am pleased with the battery performance to ride long rides aswell.
Only thing with the EBC app running on it IMO is you are not able to do a route TBT. That’s a pitty.
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how do you pair sensors to the Xert app on Karoo2, I tested it for the first time yesterday?
First I paired all sensors to Karoo 2, but when using it on Karoo Xert app it seems like you have to unpair the sensors from Karoo and pair them in Xert app, is that correct?
Tested it on a Indoor Ride with Tacx Neo 2 and Vector 3 ath the end of the workout my sensor connection dropped in the last 5 minutes of Cool Down!
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I didn’t opt to buy a Karoo, but based on what others have posted the answer is Yes.
Disable connections under the Karoo settings (including ANT+) and use BLE for sensor pairing on EBC.
hmmm, thats strange, because HH suggest ANT+ on their usecase, so the EBC App ist different?
I never had Dropouts when riding with TrainerRoad and pairing everything with BLT, but at the end of my workout with EBC on Karoo2 i got one :-\
The sensor stack on the HH is a bit different than that of a regular Android mobile device. You’ll need to disable all the sensors on the Karoo at the moment for the EBC app to see them. An inconvenience yes but it does work very reliably, both ANT and BLE, when you do. We have many users doing this. Shouldn’t get dropouts. Check other factors if you do.
I just got a K2 and want to be able to use EBC and the K2 mapping simultaneously.
When everything connects, it’s great, but often the sensors don’t connect, or it takes a long, long time to pair, or worse still, it crashes the Xert app.
Armando previously said you have to disable the Karoo sensors to connect them within EBC. What are current best practices?
Starting from scratch, what do I connect first, and what protocol do I use, Ant+ or Blt?
Do I connect everything first in EBC (using ??? protocol), and then connect them in the Karoo (using ??? protocol).
And also — will I have to do this at the beginning of every ride I use both the K2 and EBC, or should it remember these settings?
I have a Varia radar, Quark PM, Polar HR strap.
Thanks.