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mtbrat
Huge Tracts of Land
Joined: Feb 13, 2003
Posts: 13,489
Location: Shaven Haven
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 Posted: Sun 26/Oct/08 2:59pm Post subject: |
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Yes chest strap has battery, strap battery should last longer than a year though
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UK_Exile
Dusty
Joined: Jun 23, 2005
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Mon 27/Oct/08 9:05pm Post subject: |
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| psychavoc wrote: | FYI - I was looking through the weekend paper today and Rebel Sport have the basic Polar FS1 model HR monitor for half price down to $60 from $120, so that's a pretty good deal for a very basic (but by the sounds of it, reliable) HRM  |
I had a look but the FS1 seemed just too basic as didn't keep record of max, average and wasn't coded so high chance of picking up other peoples heart rates. As will be riding often with son the FS3, the next model up the range did max, average and codes. I'm waiting up they had a specail deal on those.
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Gavatron
Ridden
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Joined: Jul 01, 2008
Posts: 143
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| Posted: Mon 27/Oct/08 10:57pm Post subject: |
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| psychavoc wrote: | | The interference that some of the cheaper models pick up on will make wearing a HR and the data pretty much useless anyway - my current one often reads my max HR in the 230s, depending on how close I'm standing to other people/powerlines, etc |
I find the same thing. So have folks found a brand/model that is more stable in readings and less susceptible to these heart rate fluctuations unrelated to activity?
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wobbly01
Scuffed
Joined: Jul 24, 2007
Posts: 500
Location: Dunedin/Nelson
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| Posted: Tue 28/Oct/08 12:37am Post subject: |
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| dhroadie wrote: | | My Polar CS100 is less than a year old but the strap thingy has started playing up. Often it doesn't pick up my HR - have tried tightening it and this works some of the time. Is there a battery or something that needs replacing inside there? Unit itself works fine, is just the chest strap seems to be having a few issues. |
Try cleaning the bit that sits on your chest, I thought the battery on my strap was dieing so I took it back to the bike shop, they rang up the polar supplier who suggested I scrub out any grime that was building up round the sensors on the chest strap. Now it works fine (as long as I keep it clean).
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UK_Exile
Dusty
Joined: Jun 23, 2005
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Tuesday 12:51pm Post subject: |
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UPDATE - Rewarded ourselves with Sigma PC15 heart rate monitors. Really easy to use once it's set to english rather than german as supplied.
Nice big numbers on the display make it easy to read.
Just need to learn how to effectively use it now. Seems my 1-2hr rides were generally being done in 80-90% of max rate range. Also found out I can get over max quite easily (my gender/age/weight calculated max is 186 however I've reach 194). Average of mid 160s for 2-3hrs seems ok.
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psychavoc
Ph.D. (Vorbology)
Joined: Jul 17, 2003
Posts: 24,234
Location: Welly-town
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| Posted: Tuesday 1:00pm Post subject: |
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If you can get over your "max" (that formula is only a rough rule of thumb not a definite calculation of your max), then it's not your real max 
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UK_Exile
Dusty
Joined: Jun 23, 2005
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Tuesday 4:45pm Post subject: |
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the 186 it calculates is the 'estimate' based on this formula
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UK_Exile
Dusty
Joined: Jun 23, 2005
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Tuesday 4:51pm Post subject: |
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this is it's default zones, so a majority of my riding is split between the default fitness and power zones
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OliverBendix
Worn
Joined: Jul 31, 2006
Posts: 597
Location: Paddling in the Waiwhetu stream, Lower Hutt.
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| Posted: Tuesday 4:53pm Post subject: |
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Like it says, "The best way to determine your max HR is a stress test"
That formula gives my max HR as 189, but I've seen 194 on the dial, climbing hills for a PB time. Does your monitor record the max over an interval? That'd be the way to find a proper maximum.
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nzmatto
Worn
Joined: Jul 27, 2008
Posts: 605
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| Posted: Tuesday 9:06pm Post subject: |
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Mine works out to a max of 194. I have achieved 220+ several times, although this only ever happens in short bursts.
The more I have been riding and fitter I have been getting the lower my average is getting, yet surprisingly the higher I can burst to. This should be working well in my favour and hopefully in a few months time once I have lost another significant piece of weight I should see major improvements in my hill climbing abilities.
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UK_Exile
Dusty
Joined: Jun 23, 2005
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Tuesday 9:09pm Post subject: |
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Yes, it records max, average, time in each zone, lap times, current pecentage etc etc. Chose it over olar after reading many online reviews. Awesome kit for the price and expect it will have the usual Sigma reliability :-)
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gavfaemonty
Dusty
Joined: Feb 12, 2007
Posts: 78
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| Posted: Tuesday 10:19pm Post subject: |
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| Gavatron wrote: | | psychavoc wrote: | | The interference that some of the cheaper models pick up on will make wearing a HR and the data pretty much useless anyway - my current one often reads my max HR in the 230s, depending on how close I'm standing to other people/powerlines, etc |
I find the same thing. So have folks found a brand/model that is more stable in readings and less susceptible to these heart rate fluctuations unrelated to activity? |
I get this whne I'm a million miles from anyone or anything, but have found that it's about the quality of the connection between the strap and my chest (hairy basdrat). Also, once it's happened, the monitor is 'confused' and needs the ride re-set. So, stop the session, wet my chest with water, lick the contacts on the chest strap, put the thing back on, re-start. Usually works.
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onbike
Shiny
Joined: Nov 20, 2008
Posts: 20
Location: Christchurch
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| Posted: Tuesday 11:11pm Post subject: |
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I used to have heaps of trouble getting a connection with any herat rate monitor that has the hard chest straps.
For the last couple of years I've been using the Polar cs600 which has that soft sort of fabric chest strap. I have never had any problems and always get an awesome connection. I just find it fits around my chest much better so you always have a perfect connection.
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Tugboat
Wrecked
Joined: Mar 28, 2006
Posts: 4,231
Location: Beside the pie warmer.
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| Posted: Wednesday 7:18am Post subject: |
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+1 on the CS600. They are pricey but worth it in my opinion. Vast range of features and they are reliable. I've never had the problems of erroneously high readings or signal dropout like I did on my old wrist Polar (can't remember the model). The 2.4ghz wireless seems less susceptible to interference.
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UK_Exile
Dusty
Joined: Jun 23, 2005
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Wednesday 8:19am Post subject: |
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The Sigma did cut out momentarily (10 secs max) when I was right underneath the 220kV Benmore - Aviemore tower circuit. It dropped to 0bpm and paused the training time, then restarted when signal ok again. Seemed a good compromise, much better than the reading going really high as I've read in reviews the Polar units tend to do.
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