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Home > Forum > Triathlon Forum > Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift?

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Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift?
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MKirk
Mar 18, 19 9:03
Post #1 of 12 (9179 views)
My Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift. It will sync fine and work for a while and then just drop it's connection. Usually I can just unclip and reconnect the strap connection and it will resync, but just temporarily.

It did this when I first started using it a few months ago, but then I realized that the Bluetooth speaker I was using right next to me was apparently causing interference?......as when I moved the speaker to the opposite corner of the room I stopped having connection issues...and this lasted and was working fine for a month or so. Now I have the same problem back all of a sudden (made no changes). I did replaced the Wahoo Tickr with a new battery just in case. I have my Bluetooth speaker as far way as possible in the room I'm using (about 10 feet away). Any possible solutions to fix this? Can I use a different HR monitor with better results?

Setup is Zwift thru an iPhone and cable mirrored to TV. Elite Direto trainer.
Bluetooth speaker is being connected thru a separate device (iPad) - both are 10 feet from my trainer and phone.
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [MKirk] [ In reply to ]
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altayloraus
Mar 18, 19 9:46
Post #2 of 12 (9163 views)
Interference is possible, but how long since you've replaced the battery?
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [MKirk] [ In reply to ]
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Travis R
Mar 18, 19 11:20
Post #3 of 12 (9137 views)
Have you tried just turning off the speaker completely to see if that helps? I know Apple TV has limits on the number of Bluetooth-connected devices, but am unsure of the iPhone having a similar limit. With the speaker connected through the iPad, I am not sure if that helps or hurts.

Aside from the TICKR, Direto, and speaker, do you have any other Bluetooth devices? Cadence or speed sensors?
Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [altayloraus] [ In reply to ]
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MKirk
Mar 18, 19 12:15
Post #4 of 12 (9124 views)
altayloraus wrote:
Interference is possible, but how long since you've replaced the battery?

New battery replace just last week....did this right after the problem started up again.
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [MKirk] [ In reply to ]
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skot123
Mar 18, 19 15:00
Post #5 of 12 (9094 views)
Just another data point....

I have an ATV4k and a wahoo tickr too. I get 1-4 drops per hour (just long enough to make the graph look stupid).

I've had this happen both with a connection directly to ATV and with a connection via CABLE (aggregating my HR and Cadence)

I didn't especially have this issue with my Scoche HR monitor.

This tends to make me think this is not a interference on the BLE wireless spectrum.
I do the same thing as them, just slower
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [Travis R] [ In reply to ]
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MKirk
Mar 18, 19 17:25
Post #6 of 12 (9079 views)
Travis R wrote:
Have you tried just turning off the speaker completely to see if that helps? I know Apple TV has limits on the number of Bluetooth-connected devices, but am unsure of the iPhone having a similar limit. With the speaker connected through the iPad, I am not sure if that helps or hurts.

Aside from the TICKR, Direto, and speaker, do you have any other Bluetooth devices? Cadence or speed sensors?

No Bluetooth speaker tonight and the HR reading was fine for 98% of the time so looks like it’s definitely a Bluetooth interference issue. Good and bad as it looks like it’s definitely the problem but the bad is no music which is going to really kind of suck. Who the H3ll is designing this stuff!
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [MKirk] [ In reply to ]
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cartsman
Mar 18, 19 23:44
Post #7 of 12 (9049 views)
Just coming at the BT interference from another angle - is the strap itself paired to any other devices? My Tickr is paired to my iPad, my phone and my Garmin watch. I'm pretty sure it can only have one BT connection at a time (though the ANT+ signal can be picked up by multiple devices), so if it connects to the phone or watch instead of the iPad that causes problems. I normally solve by turning off BT on my phone, and making sure the watch isn't in an activity mode where it's looking for the strap. 9 times out of 10 that does the trick, though sometimes I do find that my iPad disconnects from the Tickr during calibration or if I pause the workout. When that happens I just forget the device and re-pair which only takes a few seconds. Have never had the connection drop out while I'm mid-workout though, other than when the battery is getting low. I've also got a BT speaker or headphones on while training, as well as multiple other electronic devices (mesh router, laptop, couple of monitors, etc) in the room, they've never caused any problems.
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [cartsman] [ In reply to ]
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MKirk
Mar 19, 19 6:36
Post #8 of 12 (9024 views)
cartsman wrote:
Just coming at the BT interference from another angle - is the strap itself paired to any other devices? My Tickr is paired to my iPad, my phone and my Garmin watch. I'm pretty sure it can only have one BT connection at a time (though the ANT+ signal can be picked up by multiple devices), so if it connects to the phone or watch instead of the iPad that causes problems. I normally solve by turning off BT on my phone, and making sure the watch isn't in an activity mode where it's looking for the strap. 9 times out of 10 that does the trick, though sometimes I do find that my iPad disconnects from the Tickr during calibration or if I pause the workout. When that happens I just forget the device and re-pair which only takes a few seconds. Have never had the connection drop out while I'm mid-workout though, other than when the battery is getting low. I've also got a BT speaker or headphones on while training, as well as multiple other electronic devices (mesh router, laptop, couple of monitors, etc) in the room, they've never caused any problems.

Thanks for some additional things to look into. I only intentionally paired the HR strap directly thru the Elite Directo (with power and cadence) - a quick look on my phone BT settings and I don't see the strap listed as a device so I don't think it's getting connected there, but I will double check next ride. Garmin Vivoactive watch.....will check that as well.
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [MKirk] [ In reply to ]
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IM_Rick
Mar 20, 19 7:05
Post #9 of 12 (8985 views)
I had frequent drops of my Wahoo Kickr to Zwift connection. (Setup is Kickr to Windows 10 laptop). Determined the problem was having Bluetooth enabled on my cellphone, which was in another room. Now I always disable Bluetooth on my phone before my Zwift session. No more drops.
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [IM_Rick] [ In reply to ]
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MKirk
Mar 20, 19 9:32
Post #10 of 12 (8970 views)
IM_Rick wrote:
I had frequent drops of my Wahoo Kickr to Zwift connection. (Setup is Kickr to Windows 10 laptop). Determined the problem was having Bluetooth enabled on my cellphone, which was in another room. Now I always disable Bluetooth on my phone before my Zwift session. No more drops.

Thanks, I’ll try that before I look to contact WAhoo about a bad monitor. Last evening I removed everything from the room including my Garmin watch and the drop problem was rampid.....worse than ever. Because I direct wire my cellphone to a tv, the cellphone does sit right next to me.
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [MKirk] [ In reply to ]
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MKirk
Mar 22, 19 14:57
Post #11 of 12 (8928 views)
MKirk wrote:
IM_Rick wrote:
I had frequent drops of my Wahoo Kickr to Zwift connection. (Setup is Kickr to Windows 10 laptop). Determined the problem was having Bluetooth enabled on my cellphone, which was in another room. Now I always disable Bluetooth on my phone before my Zwift session. No more drops.

Thanks, I’ll try that before I look to contact WAhoo about a bad monitor. Last evening I removed everything from the room including my Garmin watch and the drop problem was rampid.....worse than ever. Because I direct wire my cellphone to a tv, the cellphone does sit right next to me.




That was a duh moment. I can’t turn off Bluetooth on my cellphone since my Elite Direto runs thru my phones Bluetooth to the Zwift app on my phone. I’ll just have to reach out to Wahoo on Monday and let them figure it out. Tried again today with the HE dropping pretty much 95% of the time.
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Re: Wahoo Tickr HR monitor keeps dropping from Zwift? [MKirk] [ In reply to ]
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MKirk
Mar 29, 19 8:40
Post #12 of 12 (8861 views)
I contacted Wahoo and the mentioned that interference could come from pretty much anywhere...from the cable box, electrical lines in the wall, TV's computer mouse....ect.

I closed all the apps on my phone to eliminate anyone trying to find a connection somewhere, removed all BT devices from the room and still have the connection drop. Using the TickR Utility app....I can sit right next to the router and have a consistent signal and HR reading - no problem.

Any chance there could be some sort of compatibility issue or software glitch thru the Zwift app? I would think if that would be the case, this would be a widespread issue.....which I take it is not.
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