Originally posted by Kristian
I cant work out those interferance problems you are having. That would annoy the **** out of me.
Yes- it is extremely annoying to me as well. The thing is I can spend 10 minutes after each ride trying to "fix" the data. The problem is that the error correction screen only allows you to correct 10 or so readings at once - and usually up to a hundred get corrupted at once. Eventually, you do not believe the data at all, as you have manually entered in any old reading yourself - almost at random. What is the point if you have to enter your own random values?
Do you ride around alot of traffic?
Well, I generally ride around Brisbane, which is a fairly large town (1 or 2 million people, I think). I also do a fair bit of riding in the surrounding countryside on the longer rides - mainly dairy and light agriculture sort of countryside. A lot of the place is totally empty - no people at all.
The only point where I KNOW there is a huge problem is near electric train lines. Since all of our club rides leave from a railway station car park, I see this sort of interference all the time. So at the start of a ride, my HR readings are almost always 220 for 5 to 10 minutes (until we leave the carpark).
During the ride it a different matter. I have had interferece miles from nowhere out in rural countryside - nothing except the power poles on rickety wooden poles at the side of the road. No reason whatsoever.
I know that taxis can be a real problem - so driving past a taxi rank is a no-no.
I have now used a S710, two S720i and now a S710i. All have had exactly the same problem. So it was not simply the case of one faulty unit.
With the S710 I used the standard wireless sensors for speed and cadence. These were so unreliable I decided that I could not possibly use them at all - so I upgraded to a new S720i and the Power Output option - simply so I did not have to use the wireless sensors.
And in general this ploy has worked - the cadence and speed readings are generally ok. I have had a couple of rides (like the one depicted above) where the speed readings are totally wrong, but generally it is ok. Cadence has never played up - as far as I know. HR is always a problem as it is always wireless.
I had two S720i units as I hoped the metal case on these units would act as a better shield - it doesn't. The other big problem with the S720i units is that their LCD screen is VERY prone to rainbow artefact. In fact, it was so bad I could barely read them in the bright Queensland sunlight - so I eventually swapped my second S720i for a S710i. This is a lot better than the S720i in that respect.
The last couple of short rides I have done have been perfect - no problems at all (well, except for the HR readings which always have interference).
The thing is - I have used a Polar M24 unit on the bike for over a year - riding all these same areas - and never one little bit of interference. It even works in a car an inside electric trains. Why does the M24 work perfectly, and the Polar S series do not? Surely they would use the same technology?
I am seriously thinking of getting a HAC4 just to get around this problem....apparently these do not suffer from this problem.
