Heart rate monitor straps.

[zigzag]

2032 cells are 3v nominally, but measure around 3.2v when new. i found that hrm transmitters start to miscalculate hr when the battery voltage drops to ~3v. i leave transmitters attached to the straps, except when washing. i'd like to get a year's of usage from one battery, cheaper and less waste.

edit: just measured the 2032 cell that's run it's course, and it shows 3.08v. gps unit was showing "low hrm battery" warning, so i've replaced the cell a bit earlier (hr data was still reliable).

[Kim]

Battery life of my Polar H9 suffers unless I disconnect one side of the sensor from the strap. Garmin and Wahoo I could leave fully attached without it affecting battery life.

Anecdotally, that appears to be the case for the H10, though I haven't tested it scientifically.

[Dtcman]

I've got an HA Sports strap and sensor from eBay and a Magene strap and sensor from Aliexpress for about £12. Both Ant+ (and bluetooth0 and both work great with both my Garmin Fenix 3 and my Etrex 30x. As with the Garmin straps, the batteries don't last too long if you leave the sensor attached to the strap when not using them. I don't really know what the difference is. The early Polar straps 30 years ago used to last forever and you couldn't change the batteries in them, they were sealed. Only had CR2032's in them if you cut them open though.


       

[Lightning Phil]

If you place the H10 HR pod with the studs facing up then it stops transmitting.  Maybe leaving clipped simply means they transmit for a fair while after you’ve finished exercising?

[rr]

Lifeline banded HRMs are £9.99 on wiggle/CRC now, look very much like my decathlon one.

[Frank9755]

My batteries last for several years. Maybe I don't use it enough!  I don't use it on long events, which do account for a fair proportion of my annual total hours, maybe that is the explanation

[morbihan]

ime, straps (garmin, wahoo, no-name) last about a year, then they start misreading the signals from the chest. so i keep replacing them whenever that's needed.

another "feature" with chest hrm's is that the advertised battery (2032) life is 1+ years, but they last 1-2months for me, before readings become erratic.

i have a handful of garmin and wahoo hrm's, haven't tried any others.

To be fair they probably commit suicide after realising that they drew the short straw and you took custody of them. High speed PBP, ultra races,  what a relentless existence they have ahead of them.
Joking aside, I regularly wash the salt from the webbing, and too have found they don't last forever. The elasticity loses its spring here on the salty, humid Island. As do underpants!

[Andrew Br]

Apologies, I should have updated this sooner.
I went with Kim's recommendation*, the Polar H10.
So far, how good ? That would be very good (as far as I can tell....).
It seems to connect straight away and the figures it's recorded seem neither too high nor too low. I'm happy so far.

What is p*ssing me off a bit is that the Garmin sometimes doesn't recognise some of the sensors on the various bikes I use it on.
On occasion I've had to stop to reconnect the Garmin to the sensors on the bike. Usually it's the cadence sensor.
Even more annoyingly it can be the same sensor on the bike I rode the day before........

Anyway, HRM seems to be back on track  .

*Kim recommends should be a "topic" on here 

[Andrew Br]

Quote^ with an edit in:-
"What is p*ssing me off a bit lot is that the Garmin sometimes doesn't recognise some of the sensors on the various bikes I use it on.
On occasion I've had to stop to reconnect the Garmin to the sensors on the bike. Usually it's the cadence sensor.
Even more annoyingly it can be the same sensor on the bike I rode the day before or even the same bike after I'd stopped for a break........"

This^, (with a correction) is still happening  . I can only assume that it's the f*cking Garmin. They really are sh*t aren't they ?
I'm intending using my favourite bike from Saturday onwards having ridden mostly on the Topstone.
Expect more rants about the Garmin's refusal to realise that other sensors are being used.

Seriously how hard can it be Garmin ?

On the positive side, the Polar HR strap still seems to be working well.

[drossall]

I have had no issues at all with this, over several Garmins and rather more years.