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Not a Windows user so really have no idea how to get it to recognise an ANT+ stick. Any ideas?
I've gone to the control panel but can't see anything there.
What do you mean?
You've got an Ant+ USB dongle, plugged it in & it's not working?
If so, you should just plug it in, it'll go through the normal 'new USB device recognised' gubbins and then it should work.
Are you sure the USB port works? Are you sure the dongle works? Have you tried a different USB port? Turned it off & on again?
If yes to all of those, then I'm not sure why it wouldn't work. The one I use for Zwift was just a cheap Amazon job that I plugged in & it worked straightaway & has continued to work for the last 6+ years, so that's unfortunately the limit of my knowledge.
It works fine on my Mac but not Windows. USB port works with other stuff.
I've not heared of ANT+ before now...
it looks like a bluetooth type connection, but not bluetooth, so you might need specific windows drivers in order for it to work in windows?
https://support.polar.com/uk-en/what-is-ant-in-polar-products
What's the purpose of the dongle?
Its to pair a smart trainer to the computer for Zwift.
Does the smart trainer not do bluetooth?
Follow the instructions here to install the drivers:
https://www.thisisant.com/forum/view/viewthread/7582/#9726
I have a very new laptop and still had to install a driver. I have a lifeline dongle from the crc sale and the Garmin driver worked great.
I've got an old Garmin Dongle and a Lifeline Dongle, I found the old Garmin one picked up drivers and worked fuss free.
Worth noting also that I put both a BT and a ANT+ dongles on 2m long USB cables so they are physically closer to the devices (Trainer/cadence sensor/HRM), apparently you can only have one Bluetooth device connected, but lots of ANT+ broadcasting devices.
ANT+ unfortunately being more patchy, and potentially overlapping with certain Wifi frequencies. I prefer to have the power from my trainer on that 'reserved' BT connection as I can tolerate potentially patchy coverage from other sensors, but power dropping out really fudges a Zwift session...