Garmin HRM issues: strap or sender?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Sunny so. cal.
Posts: 904
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 136 Post(s)
Liked 57 Times
in
31 Posts
Garmin HRM issues: strap or sender?
It have the premium strap and I'm getting erratic readings: lower than normal HR then spikes to way over my Max HR. Even mid-range readings seem low. Do you find it's the strap or sender that's at fault? I have a new battery in with the same results which leads me to think strap. Strap is 4 years old, washed as they instruct. Thanks.
#2
Senior Member
Almost certainly the strap. Buy a Polar strap, the Garmin head unit fits after you trim the plastic around the snaps. It has longer contact patches. Garmin brand strap never worked for me, same symptoms you are experiencing.
#3
Roadie
It's definitely the strap. I've never had a Garmin soft strap last more than a year, but keep original little plastic transmitter as a backup too, it's nice to have just in case.
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Sunny so. cal.
Posts: 904
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 136 Post(s)
Liked 57 Times
in
31 Posts
Good point about a spare sender--thought I'd lost mine a few times over the years. I can get the strap solo but will buy the combo.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 5,751
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore 11, 2020 Salsa Warbird GRX 600, 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX disc 9.0 Di2, 2020 Catrike Eola, 2016 Masi cxgr, 2011, Felt F3 Ltd, 2010 Trek 2.1, 2009 KHS Flite 220
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4387 Post(s)
Liked 3,016 Times
in
1,865 Posts
I had all kinds of problems with my Garmin strap, including the ones that you describe - at times I thought that I must have tachycardia, but it was the strap. I figured that the strap was getting old, so I replaced it with another Garmin - mistake. Problems persisted. I bought a Wahoo Tickr. No more weird readings. And (helpfully) it does both ANT and bluetooth.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Santa Clarita, CA
Posts: 138
Bikes: 2017 Specialized Roubaix Expert, Surley Karate Monkey 29er hard tail
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 79 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
I too had issues with my Garmin strap that is about two years old. The HR would go much higher than what was accurate and I would change the battery and then after a month it would do the same thing. Then I decided to wash the strap separate from the load of my kit after a ride. I let is soak with warm water and a small amount of detergent overnight. That seems to solve my problem. I did this 6 months ago and everything is perfect. I think that the salt from natural perspiration causes the issues all of you have seen. I also short out the contacts of the internal battery contacts in the heart monitor.
#7
Junior Member
Tensive Conductive Adhesive Gel on the pads before you put it on will reduce the errors. I've been using it with HR straps for a couple of years and have had steady readings since.
#8
Non omnino gravis
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
CanadianBiker32
Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets
4
12-02-15 09:43 AM
CanadianBiker32
Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets
7
01-01-14 08:40 PM
chasmm
Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets
5
08-12-10 09:53 AM