Photo Scan Not Working? Common Issues and Fixes
ErgManiac's photo scan is designed to read your Concept2 monitor screen and extract workout data automatically. It works great most of the time, but occasionally things go wrong. Here are the most common issues and how to fix them.
Issue 1: Blurry Photo
Symptoms: The scan fails completely, or numbers are extracted incorrectly.
Why it happens: You just rowed hard and your hands are shaking, or the camera could not autofocus in time.
How to fix it:
- Wait 10-15 seconds after finishing your piece to let your hands settle
- Brace your phone against the PM5 housing for stability
- Tap the screen on your phone to force autofocus on the PM5 display before capturing
- Make sure there is enough light for the camera to focus quickly
Issue 2: Screen Glare
Symptoms: Part of the data reads correctly but one or two fields are wrong or missing.
Why it happens: A light source is reflecting off the PM5 screen and obscuring some numbers.
How to fix it:
- Angle your phone 10-15 degrees off center to shift the reflection
- Use your body or free hand to shade the PM5 screen
- Turn off the overhead light closest to the erg
- Move to the other side of the PM5 and try from there
Issue 3: PM3 or PM4 Monitor
Symptoms: The scan fails entirely or produces nonsense results.
Why it happens: ErgManiac's photo scan is optimized for the PM5, which has a high-contrast backlit LCD display. The PM3 uses a smaller, non-backlit screen with lower resolution. The PM4 is better than the PM3 but still lacks the PM5's clarity and backlight.
How to fix it:
- PM4: Scans can work if lighting conditions are good. Make sure the screen is well-lit from the front (not from behind) and shoot straight-on. Success rate is around 70-80%.
- PM3: Photo scan is not reliable with the PM3's small display. Use manual entry instead.
- Consider upgrading: Concept2 sells the PM5 as a standalone upgrade for about $200. It plugs directly into any Concept2 erg and dramatically improves the scan experience (plus you get Bluetooth and other features).
Issue 4: Partial Read
Symptoms: Some fields are extracted correctly but others show as blank or incorrect.
Why it happens: Part of the screen was obstructed, out of focus, or cut off at the edge of the photo.
How to fix it:
- Check that the entire PM5 display is within the photo frame
- Look for any fingers, shadows, or reflections covering part of the screen
- Tap any incorrect field to manually correct it after the scan. You do not need to rescan the whole thing.
Issue 5: Wrong Workout Type Detected
Symptoms: Your interval workout is read as a single distance piece, or vice versa.
Why it happens: The AI misidentified the workout format from the screen layout.
How to fix it:
- Make sure you are photographing the correct screen. For intervals, the summary screen shows "Interval" in the header area.
- You can change the workout type in the edit screen after scanning.
- For intervals, scan each interval individually after scanning the summary. This gives the AI the clearest possible data.
Issue 6: Screen Timed Out
Symptoms: You open the camera and the PM5 screen is dark/blank.
Why it happens: The PM5 enters sleep mode after a few minutes of inactivity.
How to fix it:
- Tap any button on the PM5 to wake it up
- The results screen should still be available. Navigate back to it using the PM5 menu buttons.
- Scan immediately after finishing your workout to avoid this issue entirely
When to Use Manual Entry Instead
Photo scan saves time, but manual entry is a perfectly valid alternative. Use it when you have a PM3 monitor, lighting is consistently bad, or the AI keeps misreading your workout format. Manual entry takes about 30 seconds and ErgManiac treats it identically to scanned workouts.
Still Having Problems?
Reach out through the support bubble on ergmaniac.com. Include the photo you tried to scan if possible.
