Seriously ready to throw my Polar FT4 out the window.

Marig0ld
Marig0ld Posts: 671 Member
edited October 2 in Fitness and Exercise
**DISCLAIMER*** I have already been to the Polar website and watched the "how-to" videos repeatedly! I have tried washing machine, soap-water, rinsing/drying electrodes and transmitter, air drying the electrode and strap in open area, readjusting the strap, even getting a NEW strap.

Seriously. I swear. The irregular heart rate readings are driving me insane. I know what's normal and what's not. Starting out around 77-80 and working my way up to 160-170ish at the top of my workout is normal. Starting out at 80, going to 238 and then to 00 in 2 minutes is NOT normal. I wear the strap under a regular sports bra and nothing moves!! Seriously, 238 to 00? If the Polar is correct, I die every day!!! My pulse is still going, and I'm still here!

I bought it on Amazon two months ago, so I don't have a warranty. My questions are:
a) Is there one last-ditch effort I should try?
b) Is it worth it more to just get a new WearLink transmitter or send it off to Polar for service? As in, which would cost more? Since I already bought a new strap I seriously think it's the transmitter that is acting up.
c) Could it possibly need a new battery even though it's only been two months?

Hate to clog the boards with another HRM question, but I wanted to test the waters before shelling out big bucks. Working out without a HRM when you're used to one SUCKS and makes me very anxious/upset GRRR!!!

Thanks in advance for listening to my whining :-)

Replies

  • julwills
    julwills Posts: 286 Member
    Do you remove the transmitter after using it so it's only connected to the strap when you're using it? Otherwise you're constantly draining the battery so that could be the issue. That's the only thing i can think of if you're consistently washing the strap!
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Sounds still like a bad connection somewhere.. sadly it might just be defective.
  • findingfit23
    findingfit23 Posts: 845 Member
    How are you wearing it in relationship to your bra? Is it actually under the fabric, or on the skin under where your bra ends?
    Does that make sense? lol
  • chosengiver
    chosengiver Posts: 1,462 Member
    I've had my Polar FT40 about 4 months--I love it! Never had a problem like this with it. I don't wash the strap with soap. I remove the transmitter as soon as the workout is complete, then allow the strap to air-dry. It doesn't matter if I have it under my bra or on the outside, it works perfectly every time. You may have a defective Polar or may need the battery changed. The website where I purchased mine, I HIGHLY recommend. If you have to replace your Polar, shoot me an IM and I'll tell you where to get one! Best of luck with the one you have though.
  • Marig0ld
    Marig0ld Posts: 671 Member
    Do you remove the transmitter after using it so it's only connected to the strap when you're using it? Otherwise you're constantly draining the battery so that could be the issue. That's the only thing i can think of if you're consistently washing the strap!

    Yep...I disconnect after every use. I only recently have been having this problem. :-( Thanks for the suggestion, though!
  • Marig0ld
    Marig0ld Posts: 671 Member
    How are you wearing it in relationship to your bra? Is it actually under the fabric, or on the skin under where your bra ends?
    Does that make sense? lol

    I gotcha :) I wear it under the fabric of my bra.. Never had this problem til recently, that style of wear seemed like it was working for a while. Do you have any advice??? Thanks!!!
  • pyroxian
    pyroxian Posts: 99
    ...
    I bought it on Amazon two months ago, so I don't have a warranty. My questions are:
    a) Is there one last-ditch effort I should try?
    b) Is it worth it more to just get a new WearLink transmitter or send it off to Polar for service? As in, which would cost more? Since I already bought a new strap I seriously think it's the transmitter that is acting up.
    c) Could it possibly need a new battery even though it's only been two months?

    Hate to clog the boards with another HRM question, but I wanted to test the waters before shelling out big bucks. Working out without a HRM when you're used to one SUCKS and makes me very anxious/upset GRRR!!!

    Thanks in advance for listening to my whining :-)

    a) yes - replace the battery
    b) if the battery change doesn't help, send it in, If you bought it from Amazon (ie not from a 3rd party you found on amazon) you should still be covered in factory warranty if the transmitter is defective
    c) yes, definitely possible - while I no longer use a Polar HRM, I've owned several, and have had batteries need to be replaced that soon after purchase on 2 occasions. In both of those cases replacing the battery with an Energizer from Walgreens took care of the signal drop-outs I was having and lasted much longer than the battery in the unit. Around here the CR2032 battery that transmitter uses sells for $3-5 and is certainly worth a try.

    Another thing you might want to confirm is that the strap itself is pulled tight (TIGHT!) - IE it won't matter how little the transmitter moves if it's your bra pressing the transmitter into your skin while there's no pressure on the silver fabric patches that actually need to make contact with your skin. Sometimes pre-wetting the contacts either with tap water or some Buh-bump or other electrode gel (Amazon) is needed, and of course as mentioned before be sure you unsnap the transmitter unit from the strap after use and store them separated since having the transmitter snapped onto the strap does drain the battery.
    Good luck.

    (Disclaimer - I have no personal experience with an HRM strap in conjunction with a sports bra, or heck, with a sports bra at all as I'm not properly equipped for that piece of equipment. :) )
  • flawedandfabulous
    flawedandfabulous Posts: 41
    I bought a cheapo sportline from Walmart that used to somehow register a crazy insane heart rate from the strap when it was sitting in my desk drawer. :) I now have a super fancy Garmin that I hear is totally awesome, but I am still technologically challenged and everytime I think I have figured it out, I don't.
  • Lisiebird
    Lisiebird Posts: 45
    I've been having trouble with my New Balance the last couple of days. I recently replaced (about 4 weeks ago) the battery in the chest strap. The watch part for the last 3 days or so hasn't hardly been picking up my heart rate. It otherwise works fine but it's just giving me a blank line where my heart rate should be. Do you think that's a battery issue?
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
    These erratic numbers get worse when the temps start coming down, and the humidity is lower.

    Wet the electrodes before putting the strap on, or get some electrode gel from Amazon. My Garmin does the same thing this time of year....fine during the hotter/damper days of summer.
  • elmsallmissile
    elmsallmissile Posts: 86
    I was a Coronary Care Nurse & even ECG telemetry heart monitoring equipment costing many thousands of pounds will give erratic data under certain circumstances, as others have said electrical contact must be a priority conducting gel if necessary, change battery, but you just may have a duff unit.
  • eggmcg
    eggmcg Posts: 40
    (Disclaimer - I have no personal experience with an HRM strap in conjunction with a sports bra, or heck, with a sports bra at all as I'm not properly equipped for that piece of equipment. :) )

    :laugh: :laugh:
  • dannylives
    dannylives Posts: 611
    That sucks!
  • Lisiebird
    Lisiebird Posts: 45
    Well, that's an hour of my life I'll never get back! Have any of you had a problem bringing in your HRM to get the battery replaced? I went to 4 stores and no one would do it. They said they can't change the battery on a digital watch. Someone gave me the right screwdriver to do it myself though and needless to say, it did not go well. The last time I had the battery replaced (at a jewelry store that wouldn't do it today) the watch wouldn't come back on. Same thing happened today after I replaced the battery myself. This was a New Balance that until this weekend had been working pretty well. So I just bought the FT4 on Amazon for a decent price. The only downside is I have to wait a week for it to get here. I hate working out not knowing my calorie burn and how high my heart rate is. Sigh. How do you all get the battery replaced in your heart rate monitors?
  • findingfit23
    findingfit23 Posts: 845 Member
    How are you wearing it in relationship to your bra? Is it actually under the fabric, or on the skin under where your bra ends?
    Does that make sense? lol

    I gotcha :) I wear it under the fabric of my bra.. Never had this problem til recently, that style of wear seemed like it was working for a while. Do you have any advice??? Thanks!!!

    I wear mine right below where my bra ends, so kinda around my ribs, at the bottom of the breast bone. Give that a try and see if it helps any. And make sure the transmitters are moist.
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