Forums >Gears and Wears>Garmin HR Monitor erratic
My HR monitor on my Garmin has been working flawlessly for over a month, but lately its been acting up. It has been losing its connection (presumably with me, not the garmin) for a few minutes, then after I fiddle with it, its starts working again. Usually when it begins again, it will read 225 for a couple seconds, then go back down to a reasonable HR, but still bounces around a 10 bpm range.
I'm trying to work in the MAF range of 180-age and its pretty tough to stay at 140 when it stops and startes, then jumps around on me.
What other HR monitors do people use that can give pretty consistant output bpm readings that don't bounce in a ten bpm range? The garmin is the first HRM I've used and I honestly don't need the GPS part of it. I'm more interested in a good HRM now.
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
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--your chest strap and transmitter is clean. Give it a good wash in soap and warm water
--you wet the transmitter pads with some water before you begin
--go to SETTINGS, GENERAL, Accessories, HR Monitor, and RESCAN
--if you run with a cell phone, keep the cell phone on the opposite side of your body from the side your watch is on.
Good luck
--Jimmy
Better yet - aloe vera gel. You can get a 32oz bottle for $5 bucks or so at the supermarket that should last several years. I put a Q-Tip-sized amount on each monitor (left & right) after fastening the strap and it has almost completely eliminated my FR305's erratic readings. I still have what I consider "bad chest days" from time to time (once every two months or so), where I have to adjust the strap mid-run.
Thanks for the reply Jimmy. I've been getting it plenty wet before I go and have been having to stop lately and wet it some more. I sweat like a pig, so you'd think it wasn't a moisture problem but...
I'll try and wash it down tonight as I haven't tried that before, so thanks again.
Not uncommon. Make sure: --your chest strap and transmitter is clean. Give it a good wash in soap and warm water --you wet the transmitter pads with some water before you begin --go to SETTINGS, GENERAL, Accessories, HR Monitor, and RESCAN --if you run with a cell phone, keep the cell phone on the opposite side of your body from the side your watch is on. Good luck --Jimmy
I'll try that tip out too. Its been working great until recently and I'm wondering if a low or weak battery in the monitor could be the culprit?
Former runner
Ross
Mine is very solid once I warm up and sweat a little. I've had it for a little over a year.
Do you know of someone else who has a Garmin 305? You can try to sink your 305 to their HRM. My friend had a flaky HRM like yours and we checked it out on a training run. He didn't wear his HRM strap and he re-scanned his 305 till it picked up my HRM. Ran along and it was smooth as silk (he's reading my HR during the run!) and matched perfectly the reading I was getting on my 305. This proved it was a strap problem and not the 305. He just bought another strap on ebay and it's worked fine since. Don't know if it was just a weak battery or what.
Well I went for a run tonight to see if the HRM was going to work or not. I washed the contacts off with soap and water, wet the contacts, put it on and went out running. It wasn't long before it stopped recieving a signal. I stopped and wet it down again and waited for it to transmit.......nothing. I started to back home and it jumped up to 225 for a few seconds, then down to 128, then back up to 225 etc. Just like a yoyo.
When I got home, I washed it off again and this time put a dab of aloe vera lotion on the contacts, put it on and it started working. I went outside, waited for a sat. signal and took off again. Got to the end of the block and wham, no HR. I made a loop to get back home. Jumped in the car and drove to the hardware store where I bought a new battery.
Replaced the battery and have been wearing the monitor while at the computer for about 20 minutes and it seems to be working good again. Hopefully it will work tomorrow afternoon when I go out for my noon run.
I have a 301 ( I prefer it over the 405 because it has a larger screen for my aging eyes to read) that I bought new a couple months ago but figured it was probably sitting around for awhile and the battery in the HRM could be weak from its age.
Mine is very solid once I warm up and sweat a little. I've had it for a little over a year. Do you know of someone else who has a Garmin 305? You can try to sink your 305 to their HRM. My friend had a flaky HRM like yours and we checked it out on a training run. He didn't wear his HRM strap and he re-scanned his 305 till it picked up my HRM. Ran along and it was smooth as silk (he's reading my HR during the run!) and matched perfectly the reading I was getting on my 305. This proved it was a strap problem and not the 305. He just bought another strap on ebay and it's worked fine since. Don't know if it was just a weak battery or what.
Looks like he should have spent 3 bucks on a new battery before he bought a whole new monitor. Mine is working wonderfully again after I changed the battery in the monitor.. If he still has it I'll give him 5 plus shipping.