HR Monitor question

[Deleted]

I'm getting erratic readings for HR on my Polar CS 200cad, but don't know how to fix it. The battery in the transmitter is recent so I'm thinking it's the strap. maybe:
- the strap is old and needs replacing
- the strap is loose and needs tightening
- the whole Polar stuff is knackered
- I should use that conducting gel

Any ideas...??

[Michael "HummingBird" Sanders]

Hi,

I have had issues with unreliable heart rate pickup too. Sometimes my HR monitor only seems to pick up every second beat, or shows a freakishly high rate >200 when I'm not doing much work. This is with both a Polar unit and a Garmin unit, so I don't think it's a specific dodgy unit or strap.

I have had some success with applying salt water to the strap and my chest before putting it on (I just dissolved some table salt in a little water). This seems to help a lot, but I was still occasionally seeing flaky readings after a while, presumably if the strap "dries out" too much and no longer makes a good electrical connection.

I've recently bought some ECG gel and so far so good: (http://www.medisupplies.co.uk/acatalog/ECG_Conductive_Gel.html). It's dirt cheap stuff really, though it does generate some curious questions from colleagues if you have it delivered to work ;D

My advice is to try the salt water trick first and see if that solves it. If not try the ECG paste.

Hope this helps,
- Michael

[Deleted]

had similar problem with Polar CS 200cad. v erratic reading and sometimes hr stuck on zero. bought a new strap - about £25 ( tried it first in a shop, holding the computer in my hand) . All works fine now. The strap was 3 or 4 yrd old.

[Deleted]

Guy, I've had the same problem, both with my older Polar RS725 (I think that's what it was called) and with my CS600. Both times it was the strap. However, I've found that the contact areas just needs to be a lot wetter and then it works fine.

I just douse them with water and put the strap on no more than fifteen minutes before I head out and it seems to be OK then.

[Deleted]

I've got another odd one to addd to the list - since the autumn I've had a good HR signal on the way to work, but a complete inability to pick up on the way home. Very confusing - same bike, clothes, routine etc. Tried all the tips here - new batteries in strap, wetting clothes, bought some gel - but still consistently good in morning and rubbish in the evening. If I could get a connection ar all, it would last no longer than 10 seconds if I was on the bike.
Finally dawned on me this evening it might be my lights - turns out one of my front lights (a cateye opticube thing) blocks the signal whenever it is switched on. Switch it on, HR freezes, and then display goes blank after 5 or 10 seconds. Switch it off, and HR comes back in a second or two. My other front and rear lights have no such effect.
Way home was then good, except for a stretch through hyde park - maybe the lights there also have an effect, as it's also fine in the morning??