Forums >Gears and Wears>Do Heart Rate Monitors Go Bad?
I have had the same heart rate monitor strap for many years. Changed garmin devices, but just used the same strap.
Last week, was starting to get some strange readings on it. So, I changed the battery, tried other suggestions from the past now (moisture, change position of strap, etc.) and now it is REALLY bad. Today, during an interval session I hit a new high HR -- 245. I was working hard.
At this point I am wondering if the darn thing hit the end useful life and nothing will help it?
Anyone else have one die on them?
And you can quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx
Rob
Feeling the growl again
Anything electronic can go bad, especially when constantly exposed to infiltrating corrosive liquids (sweat).
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Makes it sound so appealing!!!
I've seen a heart rate monitor go bad. It just got mixed up with a bad crowd. Now it's doing time.
Sounds like static. Were you wearing a technical running shirt? Is it dryer than normal (low humidity)?
I just switched to an optical HR strop that I wear on my arm. So far it seems way less of a pain to wear and my chest strap was always giving me crazy readings when it was dry out.
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
Bacon Party!
My Garmin plastic strap HRM became came downright useless after a few years. Now it won't work at all.
The softstrap that came with my 220 has had issues too.
Garmin sent a new HRM when I fried the module changing the battery on the original (something I did when it started going wonky).
I've found that it really does perform better with regular laundering (as recommended).
Thinking about going optical, but battery life is an issue. And, since the optical sensors don't do HRV, I'd be losing functionality if I switched. Still, the ideas of comfort and reliability are appealing...
Liz
pace sera, sera
I bought a Mio Link which you wear on your wrist but doesn't have any kind of display. It automatically paired with my 620, no setup involved.
And FWIW in regards to battery life - at a trail ultra 10 days ago, my watch died about 8 hours in but the HRM was still going....
Sounds like static. Were you wearing a technical running shirt? Is it dryer than normal (low humidity)? I just switched to an optical HR strop that I wear on my arm. So far it seems way less of a pain to wear and my chest strap was always giving me crazy readings when it was dry out.
I was wearing a technical running shirt, but I always do. Did everything the same way I have for as long as I have had a heart rate monitor...
In the winter the air is likely to be much dryer. I spray the insides of my technical running shirts quite liberally with Static Guard. That seems to take care of the problem.