Anyone test the Polar CS600 power unit ?

[jstock]

2. The calculation in the new 2.4GHz Power Output sensor is the same, i.e. the samples are taken every 1, 5, 15, 60s exactly on that point, not averaging or random value between these points.

If I recall correctly the 7xx updates the screen every two seconds with something that is not a straight average, and every five seconds the number shown is stored. The above does not say anything about how the value shown is calculated. I guess the display is updated every second? Or will you get two identical values stored if you choose 1 second sampling rate?

So while the above seems to suck it is still unclear to me exactly how it works. Is it just me who does not understand?

But it is reassuring they clarify that they are not using random numbers

 

[J-V]

If i remember correctly, what the 720 displayed on the bike was a calculation, one that had no direct relationship to the data you later downloaded. I'm sure Tom can chime in with the 'real deal'...

 

[Tom Anhalt]

If i remember correctly, what the 720 displayed on the bike was a calculation, one that had no direct relationship to the data you later downloaded. I'm sure Tom can chime in with the 'real deal'...

What I've been told by one of the original developers of the device (he's NOT Finnish) is that the number displayed in the watch is updated at ~2 sec. intervals and is a weighted average of integer pedal cycles. The number that is stored for download is just whatever happens to be on the display at 5 sec intervals. So...in a sense, it IS a "direct relationship" to what is displayed...it's just that some of the data is "thrown away".

Now...as far as the "peak" values stored in the watch go...they CAN be different than the peaks shown after download, if the peak happens to occur at a time frame the watch doesn't download the display.

On my S710, I've also seen large discrepancies between the average power for an interval and what is seen after download...even when the download average is set to "without zeros" just like the watch displays. I put that down to being a "bug" in the watch. It doesn't bother me since I never look at averages on the watch anymore.