To my experience the problem with the connectivity is ALWAYS to find in the strap (so the cloth part without the emitter) and never in the emitter or receiver. I regularly buy new straps (from polar, they are the cheapest, the garmin emitter fits on it) and throw away the old one. Also washing does not help.

Care of the strap, i.e. washing. DOES help.

I remove the sensor module and rinse mine in the shower after every use and throw it in the wash at least once a week - see the care instructions on the strap. I suggest that is the reason why I have few problems in general. I do have to replace them every couple of years, but at AU$45 each that's not a problem.

I can't see how anyone could or would keep using these straps without regular cleaning. They must get so gross.

To answer the OP, depending on the age and care of the fabric strap it could be that it's worn out. In earlier versions of HR modules, putting the battery in reversed for a few seconds seemed to kick things into life again.

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Trust me I’m a doctor!
Well, I have a PhD :-)

I ride so fast that I don't smell the strap :-)

So, I washed it last night. Wore it today, worked for the first half of the run. Stopped working in second half. Going to try it one or two more days...

Which is why Garmin probably redesigned the straps with the transmitter pods that are permanently attached, to prevent people from buying replacement straps from polar.

Having said that, I have been very lucky with Garmin straps, and apart from odd battery replacements, have had zero issues. Some of my straps are quite old now and all work perfectly. I'd definitely recommend a battery change if it's failing half way through a workout.

The battery is brand new... I replaced it a couple of days ago.

One bump. May do one more.

f it helps, I had so many troubles with the strap that I went with an optical Scosche band. It's a bit annoying to charge the thing every 10 hours, but I'm never going to deal with a Garmin HR strap again. Btw, Garmin customer service helping trying to find the problem with my band was terrible.

I gave up on Garmin HRM straps due to stripping those itty bitty little screws they insist on using. Both the 4iiii Viiva and the Wahoo Ticker series work just fine with a Fenix 3.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

So, if I train on the bike 99% using TrainerRoad and I run, which of the three HRM options is the best? And the Wahoo works with the Fenix 3? Wow, I'm super-clueless. That's pretty cool.

Sorry, another question. So, I use the Tickr for my TrainerRoad bike workouts; I'd assume that would work fine.

Then, I go running, the Tickr is recognized by my Fenix, the Fenix records the data, and it is uploaded to Garmin Connect?

Is that all correct and how it works?

sorry, I'm the worst. If I decide to make this simple and I buy a new Garmin, do I need to buy the strap ONLY, or do I need to get a new strap and the black thing that snaps into it too?

Just FYI i have gotten bad batteries before. I try to buy from radio shack or walgreens - someplace that has pretty good inventory turn over.

So, this AM, I wore the strap for a TrainerRoad workout, and it worked. There was a small portion where my HR was perfectly level, so it must have stopped working for a bit. But outside of that, it worked.

If I have to buy a new one, what I don't know is if I need to buy the soft strap AND that black thing that snaps onto it, or just the soft strap....

Yep. Once you pair a compatible HRM with the Fenix 3, all of the sports that use it will automatically detect it when you select that sport (running, indoor running, biking, etc). Data goes to Garmin Connect just fine. And, both the Tickr X and the Viiva will send that HRM data via BT to another device if you like (for example, my iPhone running the Kurt Kinetic power app will pick up my HR and display that when I'm on my trainer).

ETA: It may be possible in the future for the Tickr X to send run dynamics to your Fenix 3 as well: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/...ts-own-standard.html

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

I don't think the strap really matters. I tried my Viiva pod with my Garmin strap and it worked just fine.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.