Polar FT7 crapped out in a race today....

tenunderfour

In the middle of a duathlon.... (5k run, 30k bike, 5k run) the wrist watch read something ilke "cannot read heart rate". The chest band was perfectly in place. I tried to readjust it, but that's not easy when you're biking in a race! I never got it working again and just gave up. This is the second time it has happened to me. It did the same thing one other time on a training run. It was easy to stop and adjust and I took the chest strap off and put it back on.

Has anyone had this happen where it loses the connection with the chest strap although seemingly everything is in place?

dad106

Yep.. and it means a couple of things:

1. Wash the strap
2.Make sure it's tight enough
3.Make sure it's wet enough
4. Replace the transmitter in the battery
5.Make sure the area around where the transmitter snaps on is not wet

If none of those fix it, then soak the strap in a combo of baking soda/water and wash as usual... that should help!

izzydino

it happens quite often to me. I use it for water aerobics and swimming laps. Normally it means the strap is too lose... and sometimes it needs replacing. ;(

Skeebee

Yep.. and it means a couple of things:

1. Wash the strap
2.Make sure it's tight enough
3.Make sure it's wet enough
4. Replace the transmitter in the battery
5.Make sure the area around where the transmitter snaps on is not wet

If none of those fix it, then soak the strap in a combo of baking soda/water and wash as usual... that should help!

Awesome advice. I'll ask a weird one...what was the temperature there? I live in Texas and my husband and I have that problem is the temperature is about 95 while we are working out; the intense heat throws the strap sensor off and goes haywire...at the time, I had a FT4 and he had a Garmin. Two different models, same problem.

MoreThanMommie

Wow. I've never had this happen with my Polar FT7, but I'm glad I read this. I'll now know what to do if it ever does. Thanks.

tenunderfour

Yep.. and it means a couple of things:

1. Wash the strap
2.Make sure it's tight enough
3.Make sure it's wet enough
4. Replace the transmitter in the battery
5.Make sure the area around where the transmitter snaps on is not wet

If none of those fix it, then soak the strap in a combo of baking soda/water and wash as usual... that should help!

THanks for the suggestions! I will definitely wash it. I think it was tight enough.... it was under the band of my sports bra. It was definitely wet enough, but it is possible that the snaps got wet on the transmitter - from sweating. Although when it happened I wason the bike and there is decent air flow. So not sure.

Thanks again!

tenunderfour

Awesome advice. I'll ask a weird one...what was the temperature there? I live in Texas and my husband and I have that problem is the temperature is about 95 while we are working out; the intense heat throws the strap sensor off and goes haywire...at the time, I had a FT4 and he had a Garmin. Two different models, same problem.

I'm in CT. The weather today was warm, in the 80s. But during the bike portion of the race this morning it was probably only 70. Seems like the other time this happened though on that training run - it was a hot day. Maybe heat is involved. ?

kittymoney

great i just bought mine 3 hours ago and going to test this out while working out tomorrow morning.

dad106

Yep.. and it means a couple of things:

1. Wash the strap
2.Make sure it's tight enough
3.Make sure it's wet enough
4. Replace the transmitter in the battery
5.Make sure the area around where the transmitter snaps on is not wet

If none of those fix it, then soak the strap in a combo of baking soda/water and wash as usual... that should help!

THanks for the suggestions! I will definitely wash it. I think it was tight enough.... it was under the band of my sports bra. It was definitely wet enough, but it is possible that the snaps got wet on the transmitter - from sweating. Although when it happened I wason the bike and there is decent air flow. So not sure.

Thanks again!

That might do it too.. being under the sports bra. I find mine works best when there is a gap between the bottom of my sports bra and the strap... I have had both the Polar FT7 and now the FT60.. and both worked best with a gap.

AZKristi

Some of my athletic bras interfere with my Polar FT7 as well. There are some where it works best under the bra and some where it works best if it is an inch or so below the bottom of my bra.