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Where is Garmin at in a fix for the Optical HR bad data?

gxgene1
24 days ago

A discouraging thing I just noticed, I used the top menu to go to the Beta Program. There are change logs for each of the Beta candidates more recent than the current "Live" version. There was much of nothing mentioned in the Beta Change Logs for addressing the bad HR data.

 Where is Garmin at in coming up with a solution to make the HR data to be at least as reliable as it was back in the FR245 days? Had I known I was buying a crusade rather than (what I thought was a desirable upgrade to my FR245), I wouldn't have. If there isn't some reasonable fix to the HR problems, or if Garmin ushers in a new HR sensor that is at least as reliable as the FR245's version and doesn't offer us poor saps that invested in the FR265 / (FR255) " a really serious discount to get something that actually works, taking another chance on a Garmin product without assurances that the HR has been fixed is not a mistake I will repeat.

I'm not talking medical grade data, or absolute max peak instantaneous values, just respectable reasonable data that doesn't suddenly jump for no reason 10 minutes into an exercise, well no reason other than it was reading wrong for the 1st 10 minutes.

So point blank  is Garmin making a serious effort to address the HR data problem?

  • 0 10 days ago

    I just did a 10k race yesterday, and 4 miles in my HR reading dropped 20 bpm, and never went back up, despite my heavy push at the end of the race. It should've been at least 30 bpm higher based on my effort. I've had it 2 weeks, and am finding it much less accurate than the 245 I was using prior. I have an old chest strap I just dug out and connected that I'll be using going forward since I can't rely on the watch.

  • 0 9 days ago in reply to 5118010

    Now with the latest software rollout and a laundry list of things addressed there is once again no mention of a fix for the optical HR.

  • 0 4 days ago

    Is the software garbage or the hardware?

  • 0 4 days ago in reply to Carmen_F

    i believe software. it worked well for 8 months. it can't even track the walk activity right sometimes. when I don't start an activity, the hr reading is right. it's super frustrating. garmin recommended that I use a chest strap because some of the activities I do are too "sudden". the chest strap definitely works, but I'd expect a 500 dollar watch to track the basics. it should not be stuck in zone zero and at 60 bpm for 20 minutes.  

  • 0 4 days ago in reply to 6887522

    Yes, I often have garbage readings during walks.

  • 0 3 days ago

    Did a 4km walk, most time with garbage readings. 

  • 0 1 day ago in reply to 6887522

    That's a possibility, the FR255 uses the same sensor as the FR265 and it's now a generation old, but if Garming doesn't come out with a workable solution then as it stands now, it's the last Garmin watch I'll ever own and that would be seriously too bad because otherwise I really like the watch. I have acquired a Garmin chest strap to try as a stop gap possible solution but I need to update the software and the user reviews on the version updates past mine have not been encouraging. One of the updates specifically addresses pairing with the strap I have. Previous generations of Gramin straps have not worked well for me, After owning them for only a short time, I've gotten screwy readings and that is without any software updates. So, an optical sensor that provides at least reasonable readings & reliability is ideal for me. The FR245 fit that bill with the version of software I was running. Now, with the Garmin hyped up new sensor in the FR265 I was expecting at least as reliable of readings but instead of getting a sensor with a lot of class, it seems to be a sensor that would be better associated with the words Class Action. Since the software solution to make the readings at least usable has been elusive at best, the question I have is a solution even plausible with this generation of sensor, or will Garmin have to abandon it. I don't want to throw the Garmin software engineers under the buss, but the either the current engineers do not have the skills needed to fix the issues, or this optical HR sensor just can't be fixed. I say that because this is not at all a new problem and it is at the heart of the core features that define the watch.

  • 0 10 hours ago

    i've been in contact with garmin support and they said that they are looking to improve the software on the OHR sensor. however, they do not know when that is being released because it requires a lot of "testing".