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Heartrate so inaccurate that my watch is basically useless for training

I got my Forerunner 265 about a year ago and I have loved almost everything about it.  I love the touch interface, the AMOLED screen, sleep analysis, training readiness, etc.  But I have been trying to use it to track my training and the heartrate is so inaccurate that it is basically useless.  Today was a good example, I just wanted to go for a 40 minute run on my lunch break.  I took the watch off, cleaned the sensor, strapped it snuggly on my wrist in the suggested spot and headed out on a run.  My goal was to get some good Zone 2 progress.  Instead one minute into my run, I glance down and I'm in zone 5.  I check my heart rate manually and I'm actually in zone 1.  I let the watch calm down and try again.  Same thing.  I do this for two miles.  I eventually discard the run because it's so crazy.  But now I've run 2 miles that won't be recorded.  Not the end of the world.  But my lunch break is almost over so I try again.  Basically the same deal.  I keep stopping to let my watch try to get in sync with reality, but by the time I'm done my watch now thinks I was doing an interval workout.  Having gone through this frustrating process a few times, my mileage, my load focus, my max heart rate, my training load, basically everything are now all out of whack.  Can't get good heart rate data running, biking, rowing, or stair climbing Disappointed

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  • I'm having the same problem with my brand new watch. I wore it for a workout for the first time today.  I ended up wearing my old 35 at the same time during my workout.  My 35 was saying my pulse was 140 at the same time my 265 was saying it was 85!  That's crazy and unacceptable.  I also can't get it to sync properly.  I am really regretting my decision to upgrade my phone.

  • So my status changed to productive, but not only did by predicted time not move, my Vo2 max dropped, and my max HR dropped 2 BPM?  I mean really?  Do the watches features not talk to each other, or are they completely independent of each other?  I just don't get it!

    I get an email from Garmin this morning telling me about all these new features the watch has now, but they can't get the stuff correct thats been in existence for at least the last 5-10 years.  Total slap in the face, and shows a lack of awareness towards QC and how it affects their brand perception to people that want actual decent metrics...and PAID for it expecting it.

  • Another joke of a workout. Doing 15 minute speed work and heart rate didn’t register until the last 30 odd seconds. Should have been 170+ for 15 mins. Instead it averaged 129 then shot up to 172. So annoyed

  • hopefully someone from garmin is reading this and will fix it in the next one update!

  • If you guys are interested, the FR965 seems to have the same issue with latest software. There is a very similar discussion in that forum.

    https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-965/360704/18-20-hr-bug-still-here

  • Fenix 7 and Epix users have same issues for some time now. Software updates cuased these HR tracking problems.

  • Some time? Since 1 year ...

    So you expect update soon, right :)?

  • Some people have noticed these issues about a year ago, but most about 6 months ago. There were several updates from then but HR tracking is getting worse. Thus, I do not expect Garmin to fix it soon (if at all). It took them a long time to evem consider that this needs to be fixed, and now they are in "researching" phase. Still long way to go to "fixing" phase and then finaly "fixed" phase.

  • I'm seeing this issue across what appears to be many of the watches with the Elevate v4 HR sensor after a certain software update. In other words, these issues were not present at launch. I suggest everyone ask Desfit, Quantified Scientist, DC Rainmaker, etc...anyone who does a lot of reviews for these watches, to retest. Pressure them to retest these watches with the software updates and see if they are consistently performing poorly compared to a HRM for easy exercies like indoor biking, hiking, etc... and how off they are compared to what they were seeing on initial release. It appears to me, I hope I'm wrong, that Garmin is prioritizing new "features" vs fixing what is most important in a watch like this, and that's accurate HR which basically effects every single training metric.

  • Go check the epix pro 2, same issues there with new V5