Polar FT4 brand new-- not working. (please any advice!)

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Replies

  • Brenda_Pancakes
    Brenda_Pancakes Posts: 288 Member
    Yeah, mine does that 00 crap every once and awhile too. It'll work fine for a week or two, them BOOM - I can't get it to quit doing that.

    When it starts that in the beginning of my workout this is what I do:

    Take the strat off, take the transmitter off the strap. Get the strap wet again (couple seconds under faucet each little gray part on the strap). Then WET YOUR SKIN. No lie, this works for mine. Slap the strap back on and fasten it. Then take a towel or cloth and wipe off the little snap clasp things where you snap on the transmitter. Get them nice and clean and dry, then snap back on the transmitter.

    Usually, when I do this - it works. I don't have any issues mid-workout when I do this in the morning.

    Good luck! :)
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    My advise? Swap it for a Garmin!
  • ApexLeader
    ApexLeader Posts: 580 Member
    i have a zephyr hrm and they say to use a little moisture on the receiver. not sure if that will help you, but it might help.
  • pineygirl
    pineygirl Posts: 322 Member
    I had to send my first one back to Amazon, because it did the 00 think the third time I tried to use it. The new one I have works fine. I use it with conductive gel, and I got a tighter chest strap with this one because my ribcage only measures 25" around.

    I think the first one had a bad battery in either the trasmitter or the reciever.
  • smuckers722
    smuckers722 Posts: 11 Member
    Hey guys, I spoke with Polar tech support today, and they were very helpful! They instructed me to remove the backing of the battery from the monitor (not watch) and take the battery out and leave it out for three minutes to reset the sensor. Then we put the battery back in, and I put on the monitor and turned on the watch.. and voila, it was picking up an actual heart rate, not telling me I had a heart rate of 00. Maybe this will be useful info for someone else!
  • JustJudy
    JustJudy Posts: 142 Member
    I'll have to try that. Having same issue but can't callCS due to time difference.
  • bcassill2013
    bcassill2013 Posts: 72 Member
    I'm very interested in getting the FT4, so, hopefully it isn't a quality issue?
  • sc1234
    sc1234 Posts: 42 Member
    I have the FT6 and it worked perfect the first year and a half, now I'm coming up to the 2 year mark and it works 50% of the time. Sometimes shows 00, sometimes "check heart rate transmitter", sometimes heart rate of 220+.

    I've changed the batteries on both ends (watch and strap) and jumped through all of the hoops, washing it, snapping the thing on right side up, snapping in on upside down (sometimes seems to work better), strap tighter, strap looser, etc. etc.

    It'll work great for 50% of my workout these days. Too bad.

    So I thought I'd look into the 2 yr warranty - I shipped away the product to Polar, turns out I've only had it 1.5 yrs and then they wanted me to pay $50 to fix it by changing the batteries (which I already did on my own troubleshooting and didn't help) and to replace the strap (which I found out is not under the 2 yr warranty because it fits in the regular "wear/tear" category).

    I had just paid $10 to ship it and now $50 to fix it, I told them to keep it, I can buy a new one online.

    My last one died around the 2 yr mark. So it seems every 1.5 - 2 yrs I have to buy a new one.
  • Ugh I am also getting sporadic glitchy readings and 00 readings. So frustrating because it worked like a charm for 2 months. I haven't done anything different besides tighten the strap as I lose weight either. I even changed the transmitter battery and it worked for one workout then back to its crap.

    I will be calling Polar to get a new transmitter.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    It should be right under your breasts and TIGHT.

    I have never ever had a problem with mine not registering my Heart Rate unless it was lose. :)
  • nje444
    nje444 Posts: 62
    Hi Polar FT4 Owners,

    Do you know how to delete past Training Files? When i first got the watch, I was messing around with the settings and now have 3 or 4 files saved that are more or less blank/non workouts.
  • nje444
    nje444 Posts: 62
    Ok ladies, I just tried something weird... I shoved it under the underwire in my bra and it's back working.... try tightening the strap to UNCOMFORTABLE, spit on it and lodge it there!

    Thats not weird at all! I use my sports bra to help support it and keep it in place. Sometimes it slides a little the more I move and sweat
  • woodsy0912
    woodsy0912 Posts: 323
    Just wanted to update, after working with Polar customer service, they first replaces the transmitter and it was still having the same problems. No change. 00 readings or "check transmitter" or super high glitchy readings.

    Then I asked them to replace the strap. Did the trick! Used the new strap this morning and it worked like new!
  • arsan
    arsan Posts: 97 Member
    Which transmitter sensor do you guys have cause I haven't had any problems at all with my polar HRM
  • Larisonlj
    Larisonlj Posts: 426 Member
    Hey guys, I spoke with Polar tech support today, and they were very helpful! They instructed me to remove the backing of the battery from the monitor (not watch) and take the battery out and leave it out for three minutes to reset the sensor. Then we put the battery back in, and I put on the monitor and turned on the watch.. and voila, it was picking up an actual heart rate, not telling me I had a heart rate of 00. Maybe this will be useful info for someone else!

    I'm going to give this one a try. We'll see.
    Thanks! :flowerforyou:
  • I got my Polar FT4 a couple of days ago, you have to put it right under your boobs ladies.

    As the monitor has to be where your heart is, for it to transmit properly. I played around with mine and it has to be tight (not too tight though!!) and it has to be up the right way too, like others have said.
  • paulperryman
    paulperryman Posts: 839 Member
    Mine seems to have packed it in after only a month. Either the battery in the strap is faulty i dunno, it was playing up a few times, then the last few days it wont register at all or today it did but regardless of what i was doing it said my Heart Rate wouldn't go any lower then 168bpm, which is the upper maximum i reach when jogging or going flat chat on a cardio machine, so obviously incorrect. and to counter check that i have a Blood Pressure monitor and that read my heart rate at 90 :)

    Trying a new battery tomorrow to see if that is the issue, Hopefully.

    and to the above aslong as it is on your upper abdoment it will register, it doesn't have to be right under the boobs, infact atleast as a guy with moobs that it registers more accurately lower down and just under the breast area is restrictive anyway. But thats me.
  • cool how does that help ?
  • Cool