Temporary Heart Rate Monitor failure

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SteveTries
SteveTries Posts: 723 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to figure out why my Polar FT4 stopped working this Saturday, 3kms into a 21km race but worked fine the next day.

The message on the watch was something like "check heart rate transmitter". I waited for about another km for it to pick up again but it never did.

The sensors were wet before the start. I was sweating lightly. The strap well adjusted. The transmitter was fitted the right way up. I rinse it after use each time and clean it more thoroughly regularly.

I'm reaching here, but the only thing I can think of is I went under some overhead power lines and they affected it - can't find anything via google to support that theory though.

Any ideas/experiences?

Thanks

Replies

  • slieber
    slieber Posts: 765 Member
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    Sometimes the strap slips or part of the strap actually flips over and can't read the HR. The only way to check this is to literally stop, take the dang thing off and re-fit it.

    I also found that if it's slightly loosens, the "check HR transmitter" thing comes on.

    Finally, if your battery is dying, that's another reason it could have that message.

    I generally find that while the strap FEELS like it's fitted properly, when I take it off and check, it's actually loosened up a bit during exercise.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    The overhead power line would only have been for the duration you were under them, and I'm pretty sure they're not strong radio wave generators or they'd upset your car radio. If you're sure the chest strap hadn't shifted out of position, take out the battery and tease the contacts up a little. The battery may be coming to the end of its life too.
  • xTenaciousJx
    xTenaciousJx Posts: 555
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    next time re-position the strap...or like the PP maybe your battery is going. I know if I'm sweaty I have to re-position to make it start reading again.
  • jagfan
    jagfan Posts: 255 Member
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    I have a Timex and have had it for a little over a year. Mine quite reading my heart rate last week. I replaced the battery, and all seems to be good. I guess I have become too dependent - it drove me nuts when I couldn't get the actual calorie count from boot camp. :brokenheart:
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    You are wearing a poly shirt in picture it appears, great at making static electricity.
    Though it sounds like it was humid there.

    Is that a shirt you normally wear on your runs? Was the wind blowing, or change direction at some point?

    As mentioned above too, did overhead lines change to that side of canal or something, that could mess with transmission, especially if battery on transmitter or receiver is getting weaker. Might not normally be a problem, but then it could be.

    Normally the effects of static is mis-reading the HR, so spikes or nothing for moments, not flat out gone, but I guess possible.
    That effect is confirmed by merely pressing the shirt up against the HRM so it stops flapping, and if the reading settles down or appears - there you go.

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