Is it only me, or does everyone’s Polar RS800SD sync a bit finnicky? Meaning getting the IR connection established with the PC. When it works it’s great, but I have to hold the thing at a certain distance at a certain angle, blah blah blah. It’s getting a bit old dealing with this. I’m even using the new expensive Polar IR adapter (the little one that looks kinda like a silver chapstick tube).
Anyone else having similar issues?
Yep. I have the same issue. I just make sure I have a spot cleared off on the desk so I can get it aligned. It works the majority of the time but every so often I want to launch it across the room. I’m not sure what the fix might be.
Not sure it will work for all, but I put the tail of the watch band under the computer speaker, watch right-side up, to hold the watch in place. I just put the end of the band under so the watch can flop forward about 30 degrees. Then I just point the transmitter at the watch, leaving the transmitter flat on the desk. Works every time (so far, knock on wood). Seems to work better than having the sensor lined up straight on and the watch is stationary so you don’t have to worry about moving it.
Are you using the USB extension? I had problems until I just started plugging the receiver directly into the USB port. No problems now.
Mark
Man, I’ve tried everything including plugging it directly into the port… I’m ready to throw this thing out the window. It’s to the point that I have a jerry-rigged bit of postit notes and a bandana to drape over it and that still doesn’t work more than 20% of the time.
There was a fella from Polar support who used to post on here regularly - anyone remember his username? Maybe mine is just crap and needs to be replaced.
I have been recently appreciating the direct usb slot in my Garmin Edge 705. So much easier than the Polar, but I have had luck with this. If the the IR adapter moves at all while downloading my computer often crashes. So first stabalize the IR adapter by taking the USB extension cable and binder clip it to the side of a small box or something with feet. You can then plug the IR adapter in and aim it by moving the box. I find that the watch is most stable if you just put it on its side. the connection is easier if you don’t put the IR sensor and the watch too close together. About 6-8 inches seems best.
Good luck.
Hello dt2511 and All,
I have had some problems as you describe but now it is working fine.
Kill any bright backlight from windows or lamps while you are downloading and that helps.
Cheers,
Neal
Yes, had that same problem - one of the factors that led me to ditch Polar for Garmin.
I have a Forerunner 50 now, which has the same radio link as the more expensive 405 and it works great. You just walk into the room with your computer and it all downloads automatically and flawlessly. I can actually just forget about checking my training log for a week, and then check on the weekend and see the whole week’s data already downloaded from when I had just walked into the room. And the 50 is cheap and durable enough that I can wear it as my regular watch. It removes a lot of hassle from training, not to mention worrying about where your $500 watch is (got my Garmin for $100 with the foot pod) If you get the HRM strap and foot pod, then you get just about everything the RS800SD does. Works with the Garmin bike speed/cadence sensor too. And they’re all ANT+ compatible. I think Garmin got it right.
All ,
This is not normal at all. The IRDA device couldn’t be easier. If the drivers and everything are set up and the light is flashing try this out. Just place the IRDA on the table, switch the Polar into connect mode and place it face down in front of the irda(with the IRDA window facing the IR device of course) and you should sync up right away… Wait for the IR icon to flash up in your system tray and go for it.
We troubleshoot this all the time, and after we suggest this trick we find it works perfectly after that. We have found the IRDA is a great low power option, which is great for battery life. Some of the other options on the market are battery hogs - which with training computers isn’t such a great thing. I personally don’t want to charge something every day.
Now I can tell you, we always love the feedback and appreciate suggestions. Our R&D is always based heavily on consumer feedback. And without giving away too much information there will be a new standard in the near future - a convergence so to speak. Stay tuned…
If this suggestion doesn’t work let me know. We have some really talented people here in tech support that can resolve your issue guaranteed.
-Chris @ Polar USA
there will be a new standard in the near future - a convergence so to speak. Stay tuned…
Please say that Polar is going ANT+. That would be awesome.
No… I said “new”.Think bigger…
No… I said “new”.Think bigger…
You also said “convergence”, which had me thinking of my Polar unit accepting, for example, power data from my PowerTap, or being able to use the superior Polar heart rate strap design with Edge bike computer.
I hope you’re not talking about Bluetooth to an iPhone or something…
I was looking at the Forerunner 50 because the heart rate strap is compatible with my Edge 705 and Powertap, but it doesn’t have altitude which I really want.
Kudos to Chris and his team for getting me some quick help on this one. Turns out I’m an idiot and it works fine - something my friends could have probably already told you all
Thanks again Chris. Much appreciated.
No problem!
All ,
This is not normal at all. The IRDA device couldn’t be easier. If the drivers and everything are set up and the light is flashing try this out. Just place the IRDA on the table, switch the Polar into connect mode and place it face down in front of the irda(with the IRDA window facing the IR device of course) and you should sync up right away… Wait for the IR icon to flash up in your system tray and go for it.
We troubleshoot this all the time, and after we suggest this trick we find it works perfectly after that. We have found the IRDA is a great low power option, which is great for battery life. Some of the other options on the market are battery hogs - which with training computers isn’t such a great thing. I personally don’t want to charge something every day.
Now I can tell you, we always love the feedback and appreciate suggestions. Our R&D is always based heavily on consumer feedback. And without giving away too much information there will be a new standard in the near future - a convergence so to speak. Stay tuned…
If this suggestion doesn’t work let me know. We have some really talented people here in tech support that can resolve your issue guaranteed.
-Chris @ Polar USA
The Polar HRM is nice, but this infrared interface is really a nightmare.
I have a S610i and Polar ProTrainer 5.30.153 (same problem with PPP), and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
The problem is that at the beginning, everything seems to be running fine, but when I press the Exercises button to download the exercises on my laptop, the connection drops after 10 or 12 seconds in the middle of the download (I can see the beam in the Windows tray going down, and I get an error message).
If I recorded only 4 or 5 hours of exercises, this is fine, because this is long enough to download all the exercises, and I get them properly stored in ProTrainer.
But if I have recorded 15 or 20 hours, then it takes too long, and the download get interrupted in the middle. If I retry to download, then ProTrainer starts it all over again from scratch, and it will usually crash again in the middle of the transfer.
I have tried all kind of watch/PC distance, background, HRM position… the result is the same. Sometime, it will work, though, for no obvious reason.
Any clue? Or should I go to Garmin?
To be perfectly honest, it sounds like all you need is a new battery…
I’m one of the biggest techies you will ever find. Love my gadgets, and IRDA has been and always will be one of my favorite methods of transfer.
In my experience the RS800 is a pain to transfer data, and I have had a disastrous time with mine. I run an RS800 and an S725. The S725 is great and I have no problems with, although it is starting to die now. I have to use a bunch of post-it notes and markings on the table to line the watch up perfectly to get it to transfer data (IR port on laptop). Having said that, I haven’t really had an issue for the last 4-5 months as the blo#dy thing has only worked once since getting the battery changed in October. It is about to go back to Polar for the 5th (maybe 6th) time - I just need to calm down a bit first - as I may lose the plot this time. For the 3rd time after getting it back the watch lcd goes a messy black (can’t see much) and then the next day completely blank. The other times they managed to stop it from picking up HR and/or foot pod (not sure how they managed that - when they were fine before).
I have also been hugely dissapointed with the foot pod and the accuracy. I was hoping for 3-5% accuracy when I bought it, but have never been able to get within 10%. It requires different calibrations for different speeds, is very sensitive to shoe lace tension, and different surfaces (eg grass vs concrete) throw it out completely (eg if I run on the foot path and then on to the grass verge at pretty much the same speed, the polar will drop my pace by around 1min/km, quite repeatably)…
I know I happen to have a crap example, as I do coach a few athletes with the RS800 as well, and they have had far fewer issues, BUT most have had issues! Having been a polar user for almost 20 years and have been through over a doen devices in that time, I am pretty sure next one I buy will not be polar…
Just as a counterpoint, I’ve been using mine for about a year and a half and it works just as it should.
Not sure what are my issues but my problem is either with Vista or my RS800G3 but mine has never worked and I have given up trying.
Either way very disappointed and won’t be getting either a Polar or Vista in the future if I can help it.