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HRM Dual stuck on 72 (or below)

tansleydog
3 months ago

Hi,

I know this is a problem that has been repeated many times over the years and have tried many, if not all of the suggested solutions.  I have an older HRM Dual which went this way a year or so ago, I bought a new HRM Dual which worked ok to start with.  I haven’t used it for a number of months and now it has gone the same way as the first one, only reading a constant (and suspiciously low) rate and even dropping further down during g activity.

Have Garnin ever responded to causes of this as it seems a very common issue?

I’m out of warranty so only option may be to buy a new HRM, but I’m loathe to buy Garmin given past experience…

Cheers,

Simon

  • 0 3 months ago

    If you been caring for the strap since new, ie, removing the module and washing the band at least once a week, then you likely only need to replace the band itself. The straps do degrade and are readily available from Garmin or elsewhere at a price well below that of replacing the complete unit. 

  • +1 3 months ago

    Thanks for your reply Phil, it’s really all an expensive gamble though isn’t as I still don’t know why my Garmin HRMs have failed so consistently.  The latest one is not much more than a year old and has not been used all that much.  Garmin are selling straps alone for £40.  Not much less than a compete new unit.  If Garmin straps are failing how sure can I be that cheaper non Garmin versions will be any better!  

    I think Garmin need to give some formal response to this obviously common complaint around failure of their product, or risk losing brand loyalty.

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to tansleydog

    I can't comment on whether or not 3rd part straps work but there have been posts from others who say they do when sourced from AliExpress, Amazon or similar. They're inexpensive in comparison so not much to lose if they don't work out.  In the past I've used Polar straps and they've worked well.

    I can't speak for how other users look after their straps but I rinse mine after every use and throw it in the washing machine at least once a week. I've got close to 2 years out of the strap before having to replace it. Is that good? Is it acceptable? That depends on your view point but I'm not complaining as things do wear out. And since these straps are a soft fabric with electrodes woven through them it seems not unreasonable for them to wear out.

    tansleydog said:
    I think Garmin need to give some formal response to this

    For that to happen you need to contact Garmin Support directly.

  • 0 1 month ago

    "Solved by shifting the heart rate sensor slightly to the left"

    I found this suggestion and it worked for me. I move the strap so the sensor was over the left edge of my sternum and it started reading my heart rate accurately.