Jaybird Headphones - Disconnection Issues - POLL

Interesting point about the RD Pod. I've run with that as long as I've had my Vistas, and never had a problem. I've started running with a BT chest strap (a WAHOO TICKR vs. my old Garmin HRM Run ANT+ strap), and have had the dropout issues.

My iPhone holds a connection to the Vistas fine, so it isn't the Vistas (and no, my iPhone was nowhere near the Vistas when I booted them up and connected to the watch, or during the run – since I have music on my watch, I don't take my phone with me when running anymore).

I thought about what's going on, and wondered if the chest strap is interfering with the Vista-Watch connection. The weird thing is, the transmission is fairly constant, so it's odd that it drops out as randomly as it does (sometimes, it lasts for minutes, sometimes mere seconds; sometimes I can disconnect and reconnect, and sometimes it won't work, but music keeps playing even if it's not coming through).

I do wonder if it's an interference issue between the strap and the headphones. I don't want to run with a strap, and figured I don't need it since I have HR on the watch, but you don't get training status without a strap (for some reason), which is annoying, so I started running with it again.

newbodies said:

I have HR on the watch, but you don't get training status without a strap (for some reason), which is annoying

From the support website:

Training Status

These measurements are estimates that can help you track and understand your training activities. The measurements require a few activities using wrist-based heart rate or a compatible chest heart rate monitor. Cycling performance measurements require a heart rate monitor and a power meter. 

I was quite certain this had been fixed during one release in the late spring and I used a non-rolled back version for several weeks without disconnecting and turned on automatic updates again. Then suddenly it started disconnecting again, so I guess another release was pushed out without proper quality assurance.

Anyone else noticed that it worked as it should for a few weeks?

That’s what I thought, but my watch says I need chest-strap-based HR to get runs. It won’t use treadmill runs, and when I do 2 runs with wrist HR, it still tells me I need to complete 2 outdoor runs with heart rate to get training status.  The only thing that seems to resolve that is running with the chest strap.

I was thinking about the RD Pod point more. I doubt that would be the culprit, even though Garmin brought attention to it. It uses ANT+, so it’s a different radio, and shouldn’t be causing an issue.  My WAHOO TICKR uses BT.

I don't have the Vistas and was just commenting about being able to run and get your training status with the WHR.  It won't work with treadmill runs as it needs GPS (outdoor running) for part of the calculation.  I use a chest strap for all my activities, so I personally haven't tried it, but I have friends that only use WHR and it's working fine for them.  As a side note, I don't have any issues using a chest strap and my Bose Soundsport Free's.  The chest strap is a Garmin-Tri, Ant+, so maybe you're on to something with the two Bluetooth connections. 

I am in the SAME boat. I actually thought the BT connection was fixed. I didnt have issues for many weeks.  and I was on official 6.11.   Then one day I was mowing the lawn, and it was major disconnect issues again.  Only thing that changed (apparently) was the core firmware.    Its a strange issue to be sure.

This thread is totally bizarre, sad and funny. There is a Fenix bluetooth disconnection issue with several kinds of headsets. The issue is reported, and users find some crazy downdate workaround. Months later, nothing from Garmin's side has happened, not even an acknowledgment. Tech support knows of nothing and suggests resetting the watch, the one-size-fits-all answer for so many issues.

Users continue to use the workaround, like coal miners propping up a light with stones.

This is Garmin's flagship watch we are talking about.

Not sure how long you've been around Garmin as a customer, but this is totally par for the course. Have issues lots of customers experience, claim there's no issue and make customers do crazy things to have the product usable.  They're like this across the board, and now Tacx is, too.

I come from the Instinct Solar. Same thing there. Battery issues, with many watches lasting far less days than promised - for example, after a SensorHub update. That problem then just persists forever.

Support and everyone else just totally ignores it, and the occasional fanboy does the rest.

Good suggestions are also totally not listened to.

It's a disgrace, and they don't care. The logic always seems to be: Oh, but it only concerns a few people - I do not believe a word of that.

For me, it's overpromising and underdelivering. And one always hears 'but the ecosystem is so good'. Really? Do they mean Explore, or Connect? Online sleep tracking is worse than on a years old Fitbit. It's an omnishambles.

Garmin is like Nokia or Blackberry, so complacent, they won't know what hit them once the Chinese offer watches just as good for half the price.

Their hardware is fine, but that is mostly due to the fact that they didn't build a single of those components themselves.

The stuff that actually comes from Garmin is the software. And that feels tied together with little pieces of string below a shiny surface.

(Regarding hardware quality, I think the sourcing of one good and one bad display for their top line of watches says a lot about their thinking. Sure, diversification in sourcing is important, but you need consistency.)

This is exactly why I waited for Amazon Prime Day. I thought I could bare the usual Garmin experience having spent a reduced amount of money on my Instinct Solar. But to be honest, I still hadn't expected this. My trusted Vivoactive HR was great in comparison.