
Winter arrives and my August-purchased 910XT suddenly develops heart rate spikes. Sigh!
Some of you will be having Garmin heart rate recording issues from new. Others, like me, think (or thought) they have got a good unit…for a while at least.
Here’s a summary of some heart rate ‘facts’ by on my non-statistically sound research!:
- All major brands seem to suffer heart rate recording issues
- ANT+ heart rate will never transmit through water
- Heart rate spikes are usually a problem with the strap…not the sender unit and not the receiver (watch)
- It can be hard to edit heart rate base data with Garmin software (but it can be with SportTracks)
- Heart rate spikes may be caused by static
- Static is created only when there are two different materials…your body hair might count as one material
- Heart rate spikes may be caused by incorrect contact between the strap and body.
- A commonly held view is that licking the sensors on the strap first help with contact.
- Garmin are pretty good about sending a replacement strap (not sender unit) whilst under warranty.
- Newer/soft straps seem more prone to heart rate error than the older hard straps.
- Heart rate spikes tend, for me, never to happen after 20 minutes of use
- Dropped heart rate reading are either simply a temporary lost contact with the strap and body or something far more sinister and faulty elsewhere. Possibly could be interference with another unit I guess.
- Garmin transmitters fit the competing Polar straps and work on them.
- Garmin recommend a medical contact gel to ensure a good signal is picked u from the body/strap contact.
Solutions
- Lick and tighten
- Go back to an old Garmin hard strap
- Get a new, warranty replacement soft strap from Garmin
- <Buy> a replacement on Amazon – a full replacement is often cheaper than just the strap
- Wear a tri-suit and shave body hair
- Use medical gel if licking doesn’t work
- Turn on and wear the watch and strap for 20 minutes prior to starting exercise
- Buy <THIS> Polar soft strap and put your Garmin transmitter onto it
- It only happens in your warm up so don’t worry about it
- Edit the data afterwards with SportTracks
Related articles
- Garmin Triathlon Watch Reviews – 910XT, 310XT, 305 FR, Xmas 2012 (the5krunner.com)