Last week, JetBlack released updated firmware supporting new features for their Volt trainer. While the number of Volt users worldwide is relatively low, this firmware update is good news to Zwift Hub owners as well.
Why? Because the Hub was developed in partnership with JetBlack, so the Zwift Hub is essentially the same hardware as JetBlack’s Volt V2. They are “dressed” differently and sold with varying cassette options, but the hardware is the same.
As for the firmware – well, that’s where it gets interesting. JetBlack and Zwift manage the firmware for their respective trainers separately, but they’ve also worked together on firmware upgrades. So far this has led to JetBlack releasing firmware updates for the Volt first, with Zwift releasing similar updates weeks or months later.
As an example: JetBlack released autocalibration for the Volt back in December 2022, while Zwift just released this upgrade for the Hub last week.
New Feature Details
Version 3.1 of JetBlack’s Volt firmware includes three upgrades which apply to both the V1 and V2 versions of the Volt:
- Dual Bluetooth Connection
- ANT+ Spin Downs
- Trainer Reporting at 10Hz over BLE
Dual Bluetooth Connection
Supporting more than one Bluetooth connection to the trainer just makes life easier for owners. When a trainer only supports one Bluetooth connection you may be connected to it on your phone (for example), which means you can’t connect to it at the same time via Bluetooth on your PC when running Zwift.
Or you may want to run TrainerRoad alongside Zwift on the same Mac, using Bluetooth for both pieces of software. This isn’t possible if your trainer only supports one Bluetooth connection, but with two it’s a snap.
Manual ANT+ Spin Down Calibration
Previously a manual spin down was only possible using Bluetooth. Users with an ANT+ connections can now perform a manual spin down using the ANT+ FE-C protocol.
(This is a fairly minor upgrade, considering the Volt and Hub now have firmware that auto calibrates the trainer whenever you stop pedaling. It’s always having the option to do a manual calibration, though.)
Reporting at 10Hz over BLE
This may be the biggest new feature in JetBlack’s release – especially if you’re a Zwift racer!
The new Volt firmware supports reporting at 10Hz over Bluetooth connections, much like Wahoo’s “Race Mode” recently released for their KICKR trainer. This increases how often your power numbers are sent to Zwift, from once per second to ten times per second.
Is this actually advantageous for racing? Shane Miller certainly thinks so…
JetBlack says, “To make your training more efficient, we have turned this feature off while in ERG mode as the rate of reporting makes it very difficult to control a steady ERG session.”
Wrapping It Up
I reached out to Zwift for comment on JetBlack’s release, but they weren’t willing to offer anything official.
My guess, though, is that Zwift has the firmware code for these updates in hand, and is testing it extensively before releasing it on the Hub, possibly with Companion app or in-game integration to support toggling 10Hz reporting on or off.
So good news today for Volt owners… and probably good news soon for Hub owners.
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