Accuracy of your heart rate monitor.

[burtonator]

How accurate is your heart rate monitor (in your opinion).

I have a fairly cheap Garmin FR60.

I was NOT happy with my ride today. Normally I fiddle with it for 30 seconds until I think I get a good reading. Sometimes I have to bike for 2-5 minutes and then stop and re-seat the chest strap.

Today. I spent like 10-15 minutes messing around with the damn strap before finally giving up.

It might be an issue with the battery but it's not warning me that the battery is the problem.

I'm considering upgrading it considering I rely on it pretty heavily ... perhaps a decent HRM along with a GPS.

 

[dabac]

My Polar goes all wonky in the proximity of power lines, and sometimes when the chest strap has been recently washed it won't start on the first ride.
But once it's up and running I have no reason to doubt it.
I've used it together with treadmills, stairmasters and the occasional stationary exercise bike w/ intergrated HRMs, and they all read close enough as to not matter.

 

[MMMhills]

I use the Polar CS600 and it is comfortable and I have never had any problems or reason to doubt it.

 

[Yojimbo_]

You need to dampen the contacts on the strap where it touches at the front.

 

[jackson123]

Originally Posted by Yojimbo_ .

You need to dampen the contacts on the strap where it touches at the front.

dampen the contacts ???

 

[ambal]

Originally Posted by jackson123 .

dampen the contacts ???

Lick the part of the strap that contacts your chest? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/drool.gif

 

[Yojimbo_]

Originally Posted by jackson123 .



Quote: Originally Posted by Yojimbo_ .

You need to dampen the contacts on the strap where it touches at the front.

dampen the contacts ???


I guess you don't own a heart monitor.

The monitor has sensors that need good contact with your body to detect your heart beat. To get good contact, there needs to be some moistness on your skin between you and the sensor. If you put the strap on dry, it might not work properly for awhile until sweat forms between you and sensor. An alternative is to just wet your skin (or the sensor) using tap water before you put it on.

 

[tafi]

I would have thought that what you are complaining of doesn't relate to accuracy at all but rather reliability.....

 

[Yojimbo_]

Yes.....he's talking about reliability.

Accuracy of the monitor is very easy to check - you just take your pulse rate yourself and compare it with what the monitor says. I'd like to think he could figure that out for himself w/o coming here to ask about it.

 

[Scotttri]

Originally Posted by Yojimbo_ .

Yes.....he's talking about reliability.

Accuracy of the monitor is very easy to check - you just take your pulse rate yourself and compare it with what the monitor says. [COLOR= #ff0000] I'd like to think he could figure that out for himself w/o coming here to ask about it.[/COLOR]

LOL!! then again you never know!!

 

[cyclingfun2010]

might be true.

Originally Posted by tafi .

I would have thought that what you are complaining of doesn't relate to accuracy at all but rather reliability.....