New Balance N4 heart rate monitor

Is anyone else having problems getting the HRM to pick up your heart rate? No number is showing up when im in HRM mode. I worked out the other day for an entire hour and the HRM didn't record any information except for the duration of the workout. -_-
It's not picking up my heart rate correctly. Should my heart rate be up there before I even begin to workout? Someone help!
And I tried putting a lot of saliva on the strap as well and it still won't pick up my heart rate.

Thank you so much! That was defintely helpful. When I get home I'm going to try it out again and if not I'll take it back and get a new one because I may have a faulty one.

Thanks!!

I have gone through all the steps of setting it up and now can't make the watch pick up my heart rate. Does it need to go through a pairing mode?

No, it should pick it up. Make sure the sensors are wet enough and the strap is positioned correctly. If the watch isn't reading your heart rate, try scrolling through the Modes again, back to HRM and see if it picks up. You should see the little heart symbol start to flash and then the heart rate number will show up

HRM is a Mode. It's under the Mode button

I wonder if anyone here has had issues with the N4 while at a gym with machines that will pick up a heart rate, or with wearing it simultaneously with a FitBit Zip?

I've been using my N4 happily for the last few weeks. Starting this week during my 3 treadmill walks/runs, I noticed something (this is also the week I started wearing the fitbit Zip, I wonder if the signals are crossing? I tried putting the zip in my pocket once instead while exercising and it didn't seem to make a difference...)..

Anyway, what happens is I'll be walking or running along, and for some reason the HRM display goes wayyy down to like 80 or 90 for a little bit, then jumps back up to where it "should" be (during a run, around 140-150). It also drops to 110 or 120 ranges when I know my heart rate is more like 145-150. I've noticed that when I hold my wrist close to the chest area, that is when the jump back up occurs (like it is closer and so 'hears' it better).

At other times, for a minute or so, the machine I'm on will pick up the heart rate accurately and show it, even though the watch display may or may not match.

In the manual it suggests that I place myself farther from other exercisers who might also be wearing devices, but when you have a row of treadmills and can't predict who will be getting on the one right next to you, this is rather hard...

I'm going to try the N4 while I am exercising outside of the gym, and also at the gym without the FitBit Zip (this is the only variable that has changed as far as I know, I don't think the machines have changed). But I *want* to wear them both together and it looks like I might not be able to without the N4 skewing things... Today after my 5k treadmill run it said my average heart rate was 126 which I know is wrong!

Just curious if anyone else has noticed weirdness either with gym machines/other people nearby, or when wearing both the N4 and a FitBit Zip. Thanks! I think I might have to get something that is designed to avoid this type of cross talk >.<

I don't have any answers for gym machines as I do all my exercise at home or outside, but I do have a Fitbit Zip, and haven't noticed any problems with wearing both devices at the same time.

How long have you had your N4? Any chance it could be a battery issue? I've had mine for around 3 years, and have had to replace the watch and the chest strap battery. If you're getting up and down readings, it sounds like it could be the chest strap battery - mine gave me all sorts of weird readings like that when it was going out. When the watch battery went out, it went OUT - no display on the watch all of a sudden.

The chest strap battery is easy to replace, and you can get a battery at Walgreen, Target, etc.

Hope you find the answer and that it's an easy fix!

Thanks for the response! Good to hear you wear the FitBit and N4 together with no problems. I've had the N4 for just over a month, so I don't think it's the battery but I was still thinking of replacing it just to see if that improves things. Wish me luck

I was still having issues at the gym even after replacing the chest strap battery, though that certainly could be the case for you. I have found a workaround when I'm at the gym that seems to do the trick - I strap my watch to the machine on the handholds right in front of me so that it doesn't move and is pretty close to the strap - it works much more reliably when I do that.