Hi, i wonder if anyone else noticed the same behaviour. My Fenix 5X Plus doesn't display the heart rate, once a chest strap is connected. Though it is registering the pulse data, when i start an activity. But without an activity on the main watchface there is only a pulse displayed for a few seconds an then "--". I tried this with my old chest strap from my Fenix 3 and now also with a new Garmin HRM Tri strap. Is this normal?
The problem is not that the chest HRM disconnects. The problem is that the watch in some cases refuses to use the internal, optical heart rate sensor for its usual purposes when a chest HRM has been connected, and it will also refuse to use the chest HRM - meaning that the watch will use neither sensor.
OK, though the time until no pulse is displayed is 5 seconds at max, not a few minutes. I just checked this with my Garmin HRM Tri strap. And after some time the optical sensor reactivates and there is a reading again.
So actually with the Fenix 5 it is not possible to have precise heart rate data via the strap (or an alternative sensor) other than the built in optical sensor unless an activity is started?
So actually with the Fenix 5 it is not possible to have precise heart rate data via the strap (or an alternative sensor) other than the built in optical sensor unless an activity is started?
You can try the HR widget. It has a behaviour which is somewhat different from the HR field on the main watch face. It will sometimes show data from a connected strap.
However, you can't stay permanently on the HR widget - after some time, the watch will revert to showing a normal watch face.
For a premium watch this is terrible. I thought maybe with the latest software update this would be looked at. I have a chest strap and wanted heart rate data on the screen outside of activities. Really disappointed this hasn’t been looked at. Also switching between chest and wrist requires the watch is turned off and on again or it doesn’t pick up the wrist.
I have never read anywhere that it was Garmin's intention that it should be possible to use a chest strap outside logged activities. And I don't understand either why this would be considered a mandatory feature in a "premium watch". So I think you have a weak case there.
The need for switching off the watch sounds unacceptable, though. I have never experienced that myself. But I have had some strange incidents when switching between internal and strap HRM, and I can't rule out that they would have been solved by switching the watch off.
Actually one of the big things about Garmin watches is the battery life. Using an HRM outside activities would impact that, and would also impact the battery in the HRM band itself.
I've never had to switch the watch off when switching back to the OHRM. It might take a couple minutes to see the band is gone, but that's about it.
