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Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout?
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Guys, I'm running into a problem where after 30-40 minutes of work on the bike or treadmill, my HRM (premium soft strap - new version) is dropping the signal to half of the actual reading. See the link below during my run this morning. At about 31 minutes I put on my polar HRM for the treadmill and it was showing 176 when the garmin was showing 88. Any ideas what could be going on? I'm well warmed up and already sweating making the strap wet. When the problem started thought it was my tech shirt so popped that off to no avail. I had the same problem on my bike a couple days before and hand washed the strap just in case something was going on there. I'm at a loss. This is only a few months old. I can try a new batt but odd that it works for the first 3/4 of the workout and then drops. Same thing happened on the bike on Saturday. I guess I'll try tightening it a but too?

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/425665695

Thanks in advance,
Andrew
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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I've had this happen plenty with Polar and Zephyr soft straps - always meant the strap was failing in my case. Wearing a strap 5-10 times per week I typically seem to get only 6 months life out of soft straps. Haven't had it occur with my Garmin soft strap yet but that is only ~3 months old.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [roballey] [ In reply to ]
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yes, as others said with the polar soft strap on non polar equipment. (especially racer mate stuff)

Gone back to the t61 hard strap, seams to work ok. We have also had better results with the Garmin soft strap, gel and the polar sender unit.

Maurice
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
premium soft strap - new version

Quoted above is your problem. These straps absolutely suck, and do not last. Get the Garmin hard strap.

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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [nickwhite] [ In reply to ]
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nickwhite wrote:
Quote:
premium soft strap - new version


Quoted above is your problem. These straps absolutely suck, and do not last. Get the Garmin hard strap.


My Garmin soft strap crapped out about 1/4 way into my IMC '12 run. Replaced with the Polar strap and still working great.
Last edited by: dano-oly: Jan 6, 14 14:02
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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If your polar HRM has the strap that is compatible with the garmin sender unit, try switching those around: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/...-dropoutsspikes.html

If you already have the strap, that is a free test/fix. Otherwise, plan on rebuying the strap, and possibly the sender unit as well every 6-18 months.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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Hello Andrew and All,

Try putting the strap a half inch or so above your nipples and see if the reading changes to normal.

That has worked for me on occasion and I never noticed the half speed readings until I switched from Polar to Garmin (Ant+).

(let me know if it works for you)

Cheers,

Neal

+1 mph Faster
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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I don't think any of the HR straps are going to be 100% awesome 100% of the time. I've had Polar ones do weird things, Garmin ones, Suunto ones. First I'd replace the battery. If that doesn't work I'd look for a new transmitter. That's usually been the culprit for me when a new battery didn't fix the issue.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [fletcherandrew] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah, I'd be ok with that approach if this wasn't only 6 months old. I soaked the strap to try to start it off "clean", replaced the battery and will try anti scratch electrical contact cleaner (a silicone grease spray) next. I need to get some of that jelly stuff to try the next time the signal drops out to see if it's that contact that's causing the issue or of it's something in the transmitter like some have mentioned. It's the engineer in me, I need to take out one culprit at a time so i can really know what the problem is.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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I'm wearing my HR monitor at work right now and mine just went to zero! Ha! That's crazy. Everyone knows that it can't go to zero. To quote a study that I read recntnlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll..
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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I've got two Garmin soft straps that crapped out. Sent a note to Garmin and I got a reply that said, "Here's a link" (to Garmin stor to buy a new one at full retail, as if I couldn't figure that option out myself). Weak customer service, IMO, since they didn't even ask how old it was, what it was doing, just pasted in some form email.

If anyone has an alternative to the soft strap, I'll buy them...
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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I've had this happen, but only riding the bike outdoors. I've never had the problem running. It seems my issue was related to catching the wind between the monitor and my chest.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [tobrien] [ In reply to ]
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To be fair, the times I've had it happen the most are on the bike trainer with a fan blowing on me or this time on the treadmill with the fan blowing on me, but even then I was still sweating.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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Here are some tips.

- try changing the battery, but WAIT 5 minutes before inserting a new one, it will reset the HRM and make it work sometimes like new. Pretty useful tip there!
Worked twice for me when I had weird readings.
-Get the hard strap. You save money and it works forever.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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Interestingly enough the same started happening to me just recently. I have the HRM3 strap, some 6 months old. Tried washing it, didn't help. Will replace the battery next, see what happens.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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I don't need a heart-rate monitor to tell me that I have been doing half-hearted workouts for the last few years...



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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [Nick Mallett] [ In reply to ]
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Well, I made this modification to the strap, and it seems to have fixed my issue. Only a sample size of two of the same workout, but so far so good.

Run
Before: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/425665695
After: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/430330852

Bike
Before: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/426499074
After: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/430209733


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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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Has anyone experienced getting twice the actual HR on a Garmin transmitter/soft strap? What did you do to fix it?
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [ressbautista] [ In reply to ]
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See dcrainmakers post for that.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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just to reiterate what others have said; I've have noticed far more inconsistency with the Garmin soft straps compared to the hard (older) straps. I would have the opposite issue: my HR would be 40-60 bpm's higher than it should be. At first I thought I had something wrong with my heart, but after thorough testing (cardiologist) and more careful observation of which straps I was using (I have 2 soft and 2 hard), I realized it was the soft straps. It never happened with the hard straps and it was happening at least 7 out of 10 times with the soft straps.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [ressbautista] [ In reply to ]
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ressbautista wrote:
Has anyone experienced getting twice the actual HR on a Garmin transmitter/soft strap? What did you do to fix it?

I've seen both half and double my real HR during (different) runs. For me, it would last at most 30s, and they'd end up fixing itself, usually with some more sweat under the band.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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I will review DCRainmaker's remarks about the Garmin straps. Thanks.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [nickwhite] [ In reply to ]
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nickwhite wrote:
Quote:
premium soft strap - new version


Quoted above is your problem. These straps absolutely suck, and do not last. Get the Garmin hard strap.

The Garmin hard strap is the worst HRM strap I have ever used.
It registers absolutely nothing until I am soaked in sweat. Which means it does not work for any outdoor activity during the winter.

#######
My Blog
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [sub-3-dad] [ In reply to ]
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You've gotta lick the underside of the strap to get it nice and conductive. :) I've been doing this at least 10 times a week for years with no problems at all.
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Re: Anyone ever have their HRM start showing half your actual heart rate mid workout? [nickwhite] [ In reply to ]
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The Garmin soft straps (echoing above) are terrible. I went through 6 or 7 in a matter of 16 months. I ultimately changed to an ANT/Bluetooth compatible strap by 4iii. http://4iiii.com/product-viiiiva/ - This thing has been bulletproof for about 6 months and reads accurate the moment I put it on. I do wet the straps and clean it after every session. I'd recommend this one all day.

As far as Garmin goes I've always called their customer service and they've never given me a problem. Always shipped me a new one. Why they haven't done away with those soft straps is beyond me.

Keith Burtis
Buffalo Triathlon Club Board Member 2013/2014
<a href="http://duyoutri.net">Du You Tri - Podcast</a>
<a href="http://rodsracing.org/keith">RODS Athlete - Racing for Children with Down Syndrome</a>
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