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OHR Vs. Strap difference

Former Member
Former Member over 4 years ago

I got curious after seeing some people complaining about differences between OHR and strap HR readings so I did a wee experiment.

From another thread in the F6 forums and using a data field I found on the ConnectIQ store I put on my strap, configured the data field and got these results (see photo). My results where also very similar while in activity (+/- 4 bpm )but as I don't carry my phone with me no photo so you'll have to take my word for it.

Try this yourself and post a photo of the results. Please show how you wear the watch as well.


Download and install the datafield from here (F6 only!): https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/a9734c04-fb8a-49b9-89e1-9ac16a9a6f5e

Instructions to use:

  1. Download and install the datafield.
  2. Turn off the HR strap within your F6
  3. Configure the datafield (1 field only) for your chosen sport.
  4. Go into an activity (you do not need to start the activity) and the datafield will automagically connect to your HR strap.
  5. Scroll to the datafield, take a photo and post it here.

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  • 0 over 4 years ago

    Hello everybody! I also have a difference on the watch and on the belt-only 2-3 strokes. Even in interval training. I'm very happy.

  • +2 over 4 years ago
    Start an activity the datafield will automagically connect to your HR strap

    Hello, since you addressed me directly here, I would like to emphasize once again that I have no major differences between WHR and BELT when I start an activity profile. So I could download the data field and do the test exactly as you described it. I would get the same good results.

    The deviations, of which many talk about, relate to being physically active without starting an activity profile. Of course I start an activity when I run, but for me the watch is unable to measure increased heart rates during the day. I have published my test. For this test I was constant for 30 minutes on a real HR of 170-195. But if you don't have an activity profile started, you get to around 110 and then drop again.

    So we're not talking about climbing a few floors of stairs. We're talking about 30 minutes test of extreme physical exertion. If the watch has not managed to recognize in 30 minutes that I have long been at 180, but displays 90, this is not acceptable and cannot be explained with a lower sampling rate after 30 minutes. Even if the sampling rate outside of an activity profile is lower than with a started profile, I expect an almost good value after 30 minutes when I'm at real 195. A displayed WHR value of 110 is a bit far from reality. Neither the F3HR nor the F5X showed such large differences.

    I have already published my results in the other WHR threads. These results have also been confirmed by tests by other users who have also published tests.

    Since you are talking about a started activity PROFIL and your data field is in this activity, this has nothing to do with my complaints.

    So your data field and this Thread has nothing to do with our problem.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to bluefish
    bluefish said:
    Since you are talking about a started activity PROFIL and your data field is in this activity, this has nothing to do with my complaints.

    I have edited the instructions to state that you do not need to start an activity, simply go into an activity (instruction 4).

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member
    simply go into an activity
    bluefish said:
    for me the watch is unable to measure increased heart rates during the day.

    This is also shown by my 30 minute test. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to bluefish
    bluefish said:
    We're talking about 30 minutes of extreme physical exertion.

    Please point me to the part of the specification where it's stated that the watch should be able to capture this outside of an activity.

  • +2 over 4 years ago in reply to SAHO
    SAHO said:
    Please point me to the part of the specification where it's stated that the watch should be able to capture this outside of an activity.

    https://www.garmin.com.sg/garmin-technology/heart-rate/

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to iLikePotatoes

    Okay, thank you for that.

    I still don't get why someone would do "extreme physical exertion" yet refusing to record it as an activity though.

    Anyways - this is off topic in this thread, so sorry for that.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to SAHO
    SAHO said:
    I still don't get why someone would do "extreme physical exertion" yet refusing to record it as an activity
    bluefish said:
    Of course I start an activity when I run, but for me the watch is unable to measure increased heart rates during the day.
    bluefish said:
    We're talking about 30 minutes test of extreme physical exertion.

    This was a test that shows that the watch is unable to correctly measure my heart rate during the day.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    From some orienteering this morning. Activity was recorded in trail run mode. I had everything connected for about five minutes before I began recording. I didn't do a warm-up either. Below is the HR data from that activity.

    First time posting on this forum, so I don't know how well you'll be able to see those graphs. Less than half the activity had what I'd deem accurate WHR data (±10 bpm of chest HR). The biggest difference is -60 bpm.