Sigma heart rate monitor low beep volume



M

Martin

Guest
I have a new Sigma Onyx Pro Heart rate monitor which has some very nice
capabilities for the price and appears to work well. I am interested in
other users' opinions on the beep volume & display contrast

The monitor I have has a very poor beep volume compared with my old
Polar A3. When riding in a group I had to turn the sound of my Polar HRM
off to avoid annoying other riders, but I can't hear the beeps from my
new Sigma at all, even with the volume set to max. (My hearing is OK :)

The Sigma also has a lower display contrast than the Polar which may be
due to the background being a little darker that background on the
Polar. The contrast is important to me because I am only just able to
read the display in good light without my reading glasses. I know I am
fighting a losing battle here and will eventually have to use some form
of reading lenses when I ride, but I would like to postpone that as long
as possible.

Are low beep volume and low display contrast common to Sigma HRMs or is
mine faulty?

Thanks in advance for your comments and experiences.
--
Removed z before replying by email.
 
On May 19, 4:10 pm, Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
> I have a new Sigma Onyx Pro Heart rate monitor which has some very nice
> capabilities for the price and appears to work well. I am interested in
> other users' opinions on the beep volume & display contrast
>
> The monitor I have has a very poor beep volume compared with my old
> Polar A3. When riding in a group I had to turn the sound of my Polar HRM
> off to avoid annoying other riders, but I can't hear the beeps from my
> new Sigma at all, even with the volume set to max. (My hearing is OK :)
>
> The Sigma also has a lower display contrast than the Polar which may be
> due to the background being a little darker that background on the
> Polar. The contrast is important to me because I am only just able to
> read the display in good light without my reading glasses. I know I am
> fighting a losing battle here and will eventually have to use some form
> of reading lenses when I ride, but I would like to postpone that as long
> as possible.
>
> Are low beep volume and low display contrast common to Sigma HRMs or is
> mine faulty?
>
> Thanks in advance for your comments and experiences.
> --
> Removed z before replying by email.


I've used Sigma HRMs. While I found the beep volume acceptable, there
was a mocking derisive characteristic to the beeps that I found
unsettling. I'm sorry to hear that they have extended this
characteristic to the display. At this juncture they will get no more
of my business. Thanks for the warning.

Bret
 
Bret wrote:
> On May 19, 4:10 pm, Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I have a new Sigma Onyx Pro Heart rate monitor which has some very nice
>> capabilities for the price and appears to work well. I am interested in
>> other users' opinions on the beep volume & display contrast
>>
>> The monitor I have has a very poor beep volume compared with my old
>> Polar A3. When riding in a group I had to turn the sound of my Polar HRM
>> off to avoid annoying other riders, but I can't hear the beeps from my
>> new Sigma at all, even with the volume set to max. (My hearing is OK :)
>>
>> The Sigma also has a lower display contrast than the Polar which may be
>> due to the background being a little darker that background on the
>> Polar. The contrast is important to me because I am only just able to
>> read the display in good light without my reading glasses. I know I am
>> fighting a losing battle here and will eventually have to use some form
>> of reading lenses when I ride, but I would like to postpone that as long
>> as possible.
>>
>> Are low beep volume and low display contrast common to Sigma HRMs or is
>> mine faulty?
>>
>> Thanks in advance for your comments and experiences.
>> --
>> Removed z before replying by email.

>
> I've used Sigma HRMs. While I found the beep volume acceptable, there
> was a mocking derisive characteristic to the beeps that I found
> unsettling. I'm sorry to hear that they have extended this
> characteristic to the display. At this juncture they will get no more
> of my business. Thanks for the warning.
>
> Bret


Does 'acceptable' mean you could hear the beep while cycling/running
(i.e. with a fair amount of background noise)?

I can only hear mine in a quiet room indoors.

Martin

--
Removed z before replying by email.
 
Bret wrote:
> I've used Sigma HRMs. While I found the beep volume acceptable, there was
> a mocking derisive characteristic to the beeps that I found unsettling.
> I'm sorry to hear that they have extended this characteristic to the
> display. At this juncture they will get no more of my business. Thanks for
> the warning.


My powertap keeps derisively whispering: "You suck, you suck, you suck...........".

Thank heavens it wasn't hacked by SchwartzSoft or it would be saying
"YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!, YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!, ADMIT IT!!!!!!!"
 
On May 19, 8:20 pm, Bret <[email protected]> wrote:

> While I found the beep volume acceptable, there
> was a mocking derisive characteristic to the beeps that I found
> unsettling.


Ah. So you're saying it's just like normal group rides.
 
On May 20, 8:07 am, Robert Chung <[email protected]> wrote:
> On May 19, 8:20 pm, Bret <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > While I found the beep volume acceptable, there
> > was a mocking derisive characteristic to the beeps that I found
> > unsettling.

>
> Ah. So you're saying it's just like normal group rides.


Almost. If they added a half-wheeling feature I wouldn't even need a
training group.
 
On May 19, 10:12 pm, Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
> Bret wrote:
> > On May 19, 4:10 pm, Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> I have a new Sigma Onyx Pro Heart rate monitor which has some very nice
> >> capabilities for the price and appears to work well. I am interested in
> >> other users' opinions on the beep volume & display contrast

>
> >> The monitor I have has a very poor beep volume compared with my old
> >> Polar A3. When riding in a group I had to turn the sound of my Polar HRM
> >> off to avoid annoying other riders, but I can't hear the beeps from my
> >> new Sigma at all, even with the volume set to max. (My hearing is OK :)

>
> >> The Sigma also has a lower display contrast than the Polar which may be
> >> due to the background being a little darker that background on the
> >> Polar. The contrast is important to me because I am only just able to
> >> read the display in good light without my reading glasses. I know I am
> >> fighting a losing battle here and will eventually have to use some form
> >> of reading lenses when I ride, but I would like to postpone that as long
> >> as possible.

>
> >> Are low beep volume and low display contrast common to Sigma HRMs or is
> >> mine faulty?

>
> >> Thanks in advance for your comments and experiences.
> >> --
> >> Removed z before replying by email.

>
> > I've used Sigma HRMs. While I found the beep volume acceptable, there
> > was a mocking derisive characteristic to the beeps that I found
> > unsettling. I'm sorry to hear that they have extended this
> > characteristic to the display. At this juncture they will get no more
> > of my business. Thanks for the warning.

>
> > Bret

>
> Does 'acceptable' mean you could hear the beep while cycling/running
> (i.e. with a fair amount of background noise)?
>
> I can only hear mine in a quiet room indoors.


I have a different experience. I have to turn the music up louder than
is comfortable to drown out the beeps.
 
Hi Martin,

just a thought, have you tested the battery? I know my computer
contrast slowly fades as the battery goes. It's quite subtle and
sometimes I think the contrast is no good, then I remember the
battery. It could account for the low volume as well.

Peter

On May 20, 8:10 am, Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
> I have a new Sigma Onyx Pro Heart rate monitor which has some very nice
> capabilities for the price and appears to work well. I am interested in
> other users' opinions on the beep volume & display contrast
>
> The monitor I have has a very poor beep volume compared with my old
> Polar A3. When riding in a group I had to turn the sound of my Polar HRM
> off to avoid annoying other riders, but I can't hear the beeps from my
> new Sigma at all, even with the volume set to max. (My hearing is OK :)
>
> The Sigma also has a lower display contrast than the Polar which may be
> due to the background being a little darker that background on the
> Polar. The contrast is important to me because I am only just able to
> read the display in good light without my reading glasses. I know I am
> fighting a losing battle here and will eventually have to use some form
> of reading lenses when I ride, but I would like to postpone that as long
> as possible.
>
> Are low beep volume and low display contrast common to Sigma HRMs or is
> mine faulty?
>
> Thanks in advance for your comments and experiences.
> --
> Removed z before replying by email.
 
[email protected] wrote:
> Hi Martin,
>
> just a thought, have you tested the battery? I know my computer
> contrast slowly fades as the battery goes. It's quite subtle and
> sometimes I think the contrast is no good, then I remember the
> battery. It could account for the low volume as well.


Hi Peter,

I replaced the battery after I noticed that the display dimmed when I
set the volume to max. The new battery improved the contrast slightly
but made little difference to the beep volume.

Thanks for the suggestion

Martin

> Peter
>
> On May 20, 8:10 am, Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I have a new Sigma Onyx Pro Heart rate monitor which has some very nice
>> capabilities for the price and appears to work well. I am interested in
>> other users' opinions on the beep volume & display contrast
>>
>> The monitor I have has a very poor beep volume compared with my old
>> Polar A3. When riding in a group I had to turn the sound of my Polar HRM
>> off to avoid annoying other riders, but I can't hear the beeps from my
>> new Sigma at all, even with the volume set to max. (My hearing is OK :)
>>
>> The Sigma also has a lower display contrast than the Polar which may be
>> due to the background being a little darker that background on the
>> Polar. The contrast is important to me because I am only just able to
>> read the display in good light without my reading glasses. I know I am
>> fighting a losing battle here and will eventually have to use some form
>> of reading lenses when I ride, but I would like to postpone that as long
>> as possible.
>>
>> Are low beep volume and low display contrast common to Sigma HRMs or is
>> mine faulty?
>>
>> Thanks in advance for your comments and experiences.
>> --
>> Removed z before replying by email.

>



--
Removed z before replying by email.
 
On Tue, 20 May 2008 04:12:05 GMT, Martin <[email protected]>
wrote:

<snip>

>Does 'acceptable' mean you could hear the beep while cycling/running
>(i.e. with a fair amount of background noise)?
>
>I can only hear mine in a quiet room indoors.


Yeah? I can hear mine while riding even when I've got the i-pod
pumping music into my ears.
--
Regards.
Richard.