Another heart monitor question (Read 769 times)

Okay, it's gross, but I've found that just a little bit of spit wiped on the back of the electrodes is all that's needed for the monitor to start working. After that, well, I sweat enough (even in wintertime!) that moisture's never been a problem. ... Are you unusually hairy in the areas of the electrodes? You could try shaving... I've never tried the contact gel, but one thing I have found is that certain geographic locations make my monitor say my HR is 220... when it's not. A particular corner is especially guilty of this. I don't know what kind of electrical signals are going on there, but it's kind of strange. Does your monitor act up for the first bit if you're starting somewhere else? Or, alternately, does it act up in the same spots on your way back from a run?

I have tried spit and water and have even used spit during the start of a run when I know the monitor is nutty. And the reading on the retrun through that area seems to be OK. I get the feeling that the salt in the sweat is what is making the contact better during the run. And lets face it the colder weather is going to make sweating harder and harder to do as fall turns into winter. Ain't global warming a bitch? We have had 3 months of below average temps in a row here. Then again I was out for a rather long time and maybe the begining of my runs drive my rate up higher than normal right now. My HR was OK before the injury. Occum's Razor. At least I hope so.

Could it possibly be a low battery issue? I definitely have trouble with the hair thing. Getting an electrocardiogram was an interesting experience. (A battery that is just beginning to weaken does sometimes come to life when warmed, in this case by the contact with body heat.)

I know polar straps are supposed to last 2-5 years (~2500 hours), depending on what kind of strap. I also use spit on the strap before runs -- I've also found that aquaphor works well.

Then again I was out for a rather long time and maybe the begining of my runs drive my rate up higher than normal right now.

Is the only thing that is abnormal is that your heart rate seems too high? It might just be that your heart rate shoots up when you first start (before you get in your 'zone' and your stride smooths out). I've seen that happen with mine, even when the connection is good and it seems to be monitoring perfectly. I think it just takes me awhile to relax and find a smooth pace. Anyway, it could be that.. though the hair-chest thing seems like a likely problem.

It's not a battery issue if it is that new.

Still could be. Depending on where he got it, it could have been a return... sitting on the shelf... battery slowly draining away... Or the battery they put in the thing might not have been new. Gregg, next time, why don't you try taking your HR manually about when you think it's acting up? That way you'll know for sure if it's the machine or you. If you just want a quick-and-dirty pulse rate (which will get you in the general range but not be super-accurate) you can just count pulses for 6 seconds and multiply by 10. Of course you might have to wear a second watch to do this... which would look really goofy...

Is the only thing that is abnormal is that your heart rate seems too high? It might just be that your heart rate shoots up when you first start (before you get in your 'zone' and your stride smooths out). I've seen that happen with mine, even when the connection is good and it seems to be monitoring perfectly. I think it just takes me awhile to relax and find a smooth pace. Anyway, it could be that.. though the hair-chest thing seems like a likely problem.

Chest hair? What dat?