Polar data transfer question

Jamie Smith says...

>I have a Polar S725 monitor and will be away for a weeks training next
>year so am trying to think of different ways to keep the information.

I just take a laptop along. I typically take a camera when I travel so I need a
place to offload photo memory to anyway.

I wrote something similar for my Pocket PC using .NET Compact
Framework. I was able to grab the raw files, but it wasn't delimited
anyway that made sense so I wasn't able to get it to import later in to
the Polar application. If you can get from Raw bitstream to Polar file
- then I might be able to help.

http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=13277

You can try this too. They apparently wrote something that handles the
Polar HRM format (I think). You'll need an iPaq though.

http://developer.polar.fi/developer.nsf/274B9D08AF06359BC2256DF60045B8CB/$FILE/Polar%20HRM2%20file%20format.pdf

Crazy Finns - if you can make sense of this - you're better than me.
Maybe this is a good next pet project to get this all working again.
Polar Executive Edition.

"Andrew F Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
http://developer.polar.fi/developer.nsf/274B9D08AF06359BC2256DF60045B8CB/$FILE/Polar%20HRM2%20file%20format.pdf
>
> Crazy Finns - if you can make sense of this - you're better than me.
> Maybe this is a good next pet project to get this all working again.
> Polar Executive Edition.
>

That's the HRM file format. However, you only get the HRM files after
you've downloaded to the Polar software on a PC. So, this won't help the
OP.

FWIW, Polar treats their file formats and data interfaces as proprietary
information, and refuses to release information about them unless you join
their rather expensive Developer Program.

They also have bugs that sometimes manifest...at least, they do in the HRM
files. I've seen numerous instances of HRM files where the watch unit is
set to display Miles, but the HRM file reports ride distance in Kilometers.
It only happens every once in a while, and so far I have been unable to
figure out what triggers the problem. But, I've seen this problem reported
by quite a few folks, so assume it's a real bug. These folks have confirmed
that they have the latest Polar software, and have reported the problem to
Polar, but so far no fix is available.

GG

Andrew F Martin wrote:
> http://developer.polar.fi/developer.nsf/274B9D08AF06359BC2256DF60045B8CB/$FILE/Polar%20HRM2%20file%20format.pdf
>> Crazy Finns - if you can make sense of this - you're better than me.
>> Maybe this is a good next pet project to get this all working again.
>> Polar Executive Edition.

GaryG wrote:
>FWIW, Polar treats their file formats and data interfaces as proprietary
>information, and refuses to release information about them unless you
>join their rather expensive Developer Program.

Polarviewer is an open source project:
http://www.saring.de/polarviewer/

HRM file formats:
http://www.zielzone.de/HRM-Format-Beschreibung.134.0.html

PolarViewer looks cool, but the Smartphone OS won't support the full
set of .NET namespaces. It might be worth it to look into the code to
see how they manage the IR conversation with the watch and try to
duplicate that for .NET Compact Framework.

Donald Munro says...

>Polarviewer is an open source project:
>http://www.saring.de/polarviewer/

I'll check it out at home later but I have a question or two if you've used it.
What I just read said it sees all recorded data except power. I know my 710
records distance but it doesn't pop up on the Polar plot or on the table of data
generated with the Polar software. Does Polarviewer give you tabular distance
vs. time? I'm interested in generating plots of hill grade and that would be
one way to get it. The Polar plots only show distance with tenths of a mile
resolution - it would be cool to get a decade better than that. Any ideas? A
GPS could be used but I'd rather not carry one around on rides.

GaryG wrote:
> "Andrew F Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> http://developer.polar.fi/developer.nsf/274B9D08AF06359BC2256DF60045B8CB/$FILE/Polar%20HRM2%20file%20format.pdf
> >
> > Crazy Finns - if you can make sense of this - you're better than me.
> > Maybe this is a good next pet project to get this all working again.
> > Polar Executive Edition.
> >
>
> That's the HRM file format. However, you only get the HRM files after
> you've downloaded to the Polar software on a PC. So, this won't help the
> OP.
>
> FWIW, Polar treats their file formats and data interfaces as proprietary
> information, and refuses to release information about them unless you join
> their rather expensive Developer Program.

There are 2 file formats. The proprietary files are the "Soniclink"
files. The 725 and all of the better HRM watches use ASCII based *.HRM
file format which is not only not proprietary, I could teach you how to
write one from scratch easier than HTML.

>
> They also have bugs that sometimes manifest...at least, they do in the HRM
> files. I've seen numerous instances of HRM files where the watch unit is
> set to display Miles, but the HRM file reports ride distance in Kilometers.
> It only happens every once in a while, and so far I have been unable to
> figure out what triggers the problem.

Useless info unless you state which watch, and which process (IR or
Soniclink), and which software package (and its driver) you use.

But, I've seen this problem reported
> by quite a few folks, so assume it's a real bug. These folks have confirmed
> that they have the latest Polar software, and have reported the problem to
> Polar, but so far no fix is available.

See above. The only bug I know of (fixed a while ago) was that the
ASCII files would "blow up" if there was no value for speed. If that
whole column was missing it would modify the file and delete even more
data. The workaround was to either turn off speed as a recorded value
or make sure there is a non-zero value for at least one sample. Anyway,
the most recent patches have also fixed it. Maybe you are talking about
the Soniclink file format. It would be nice for you to say.
>
> GG

How many hours do you expect to record? With cadence, speed and
altitude recording (but not power) you get just under 9 hours. For some
that is enough for a week this time of year. Multiply that times 3 if
you change it to 15 second samples. There is also a chart in the user
manual (also downloadable from support.polar.fi) that explains how much
memory you get by shutting off features and changing sample rates. If
it is only 1 week I am sure 15 second samples will be fine.

Another choice is to bring your software CD and IR device along to see
if you can borrow a PC. You then email the files to yourself. That is
what I always do (though I normally have a laptop too).

"Chris M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> GaryG wrote:
> > "Andrew F Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > >
> >
http://developer.polar.fi/developer.nsf/274B9D08AF06359BC2256DF60045B8CB/$FILE/Polar%20HRM2%20file%20format.pdf
> > >
> > > Crazy Finns - if you can make sense of this - you're better than me.
> > > Maybe this is a good next pet project to get this all working again.
> > > Polar Executive Edition.
> > >
> >
> > That's the HRM file format. However, you only get the HRM files after
> > you've downloaded to the Polar software on a PC. So, this won't help
the
> > OP.
> >
> > FWIW, Polar treats their file formats and data interfaces as proprietary
> > information, and refuses to release information about them unless you
join
> > their rather expensive Developer Program.
>
> There are 2 file formats. The proprietary files are the "Soniclink"
> files. The 725 and all of the better HRM watches use ASCII based *.HRM
> file format which is not only not proprietary, I could teach you how to
> write one from scratch easier than HTML.

I'm aware of the difference.

>
> >
> > They also have bugs that sometimes manifest...at least, they do in the
HRM
> > files. I've seen numerous instances of HRM files where the watch unit
is
> > set to display Miles, but the HRM file reports ride distance in
Kilometers.
> > It only happens every once in a while, and so far I have been unable to
> > figure out what triggers the problem.
>
> Useless info unless you state which watch, and which process (IR or
> Soniclink), and which software package (and its driver) you use.

It's been reported to me by users with several different watches, and the
most recent version of the Polar software. The specific problem is in the
"[Trip]" data block - sometimes, for no apparent reason, the trip distance
shown there gets switched from Miles to Kilometers.

There's another problem with the [Trip] block - some watch versions that
calculate elevation gain will show 0 for elevation gained in the [Trip]
block. According to Polar, this has something to do with a "patent issue".

> But, I've seen this problem reported
> > by quite a few folks, so assume it's a real bug. These folks have
confirmed
> > that they have the latest Polar software, and have reported the problem
to
> > Polar, but so far no fix is available.
>
> See above. The only bug I know of (fixed a while ago) was that the
> ASCII files would "blow up" if there was no value for speed. If that
> whole column was missing it would modify the file and delete even more
> data. The workaround was to either turn off speed as a recorded value
> or make sure there is a non-zero value for at least one sample. Anyway,
> the most recent patches have also fixed it. Maybe you are talking about
> the Soniclink file format. It would be nice for you to say.

Nope...the problem has been seen repeatedly (though rarely) in the HRM file
format.

> >
> > GG
>