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Bluetooth HRM

by s_lim
Wed, Sep 17, 2014 11:24
6

I recently bought a bluetooth HRM for what I thought was a bargain price of £25 on eBay. It pairs up with Strava on Android nicely, but it's frustratingly sporadic. It'll maintain a signal for a period of time, then magically stop transmitting without warning, then when you go to analyse any rides, it looks like you've died for a large portion of time.

I ride with my phone in my jersey pocket, and tend to ride on feel, only looking at the data afterwards. I previously used a Garmin 410 with HRM (hangover from running days), but it's only suitable for short stints as the battery dies after 3-4 hours of activity.

Has anyone on the forum similar experiences with bluetooth, or solutions (buying a Garmin 510 or similar is out of the question at the minute)?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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6 comments

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Scrufftie | 10 years ago
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I did use a Polar BT HRM paired to my iPhone but the stress of constant pairing problems drove my heart rate up and I eventually gave up. Ant+ devices just seem to work.

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Scrufftie | 10 years ago
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I did use a Polar BT HRM paired to my iPhone but the stress of constant pairing problems drove my heart rate up and I eventually gave up. Ant+ devices just seem to work.

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s_lim | 10 years ago
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Turns out it isn't a bluetooth problem, but a strap problem - as stated above. Changed to a Polar strap (more comfortable) - no issues with dropout. So I can recommend the I-gotU bluetooth device (£25), but it needs a decent strap.

Thanks for the help folks

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DeanK | 10 years ago
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I'll assume you have a Polar HRM as they are notorious for losing their bluetooth connectivity. Loads of issues on the internet. Sometimes, the bluetooth would not pair up first thing in the morning or you would lose connectivity during a ride.

I used both Strava on Android and my Polar CS300 on the same ride. The CS would continue to provide heart rate data whereas Strava thought I was heartless. It was just the bluetooth connectivity that was dropping out.

I had to remove the battery from the HRM every time and make a connection between the two contacts to 'short' them. Put the battery back and it would work fine for a ride or two. Then repeat.

Not sure if Polar had a bad batch or whether it is a design flaw, but maybe see if you can find an alternative bluetooth HRM strap. I've switched to a Garmin unit with an ANT+ HRM.

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antigee | 10 years ago
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looking at buying a Bluetooth HRM hence reading the thread!

?I'm assuming that conductivity issues are the same as with polar "wireless" hrm's? that is if not enough sweat you'll lose the connection?

not a Bluetooth problem but a chest to sensor problem

- I either wet my polar or use conductive gel

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unistriker | 10 years ago
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I bought a HRM off ebay, just the strap and paired it to a Note 2 running a generic software for monitoring Heart rates.. does the full works and you can export files.

Paid around the same price as you,

not sure why yours is disconnecting. make sure its not moving whilst your riding. and the phone isn't going to sleep.

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