Related
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

How to tell Bluetooth vs ANT+ connections?

badbri
over 4 years ago

I can't seem to determine how to tell if sensors are connecting via ANT+ or via Bluetooth?

I have several sensors (Stryd, Scosche Rhythm HRMs) that can connect via either ANT+ or Bluetooth, however I want them to connect to my 945 via ANT+ whenever possible (allowing another device to connect via Bluetooth - like my phone).  Anyone know how you can specify this?  Apologies if I totally overlooked this in the menus and the manual.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to badbri

    When you select Add New, then Search All, it will display what I described above. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Garmin-Blake

    Thanks but mine is not operating that way.

    For example, I just performed the following test:

    Turned on Scosche Rhythm 24 HRM/Cadence/Footpod sensor.  (it was already connected as an HRM)

    Did "Search All" as described.  After a few moments, it showed that a Footpod was able to connect.  So I connected to it.  When I viewed the "about" menu item under the sensor, it showed it connected as BLE, even though the Scosche is dual band BLE and ANT+ and should've connected as ANT+ based on your description of the menu process.  Instead it connected as BLE first. 

    This is what happened originally with my HRM connection until I forced it connect via ANT+ by taking the BLE channel away with my phone connection.

    (Note - I can't get the "show bluetooth sensors" menu option to show no matter what I do.  When I do "search all" and it doesn't find anything, it just says "No sensors found" and below that with the down-arrow "Try again")

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to badbri
    badbri said:
    Because only one bluetooth connection can be made at a time (ANT+ can have many)

    Is this correct or did I misunderstand what you're saying?  I've done activities using my phone and the LiveTrack function along with my Bose SoundSport Free headphones which are both Bluetooth connections. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

    One Bluetooth channel connection.  Meaning for example, an HRM connection over Bluetooth is one channel.  Livetrack and HRM would be different channels.  Just as Livetrack and Headphones would be in your case.

    Within channels though, connections are 1 to 1 over BLE.  For ANT+, they are 1 to many.  ANT+ is obviously the superior way to go for that reason, but alas phones can't connect via ANT+.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    One other thing, I think this might have something to do with my excessive battery drain (I typically only get a 10 hour estimate on battery with activities - even those with just sensors connected - no phone or music or headphones etc).  If I've been connecting to Scosche via BT all this time, instead of the relatively lower-battery-cost ANT+ then that would explain the higher battery use-rate.

  • +1 over 4 years ago

    I might be wrong, but when I connected all my external sensors that were dual-band devices; the Ant+ side was given priority (meaning that showed up first), but right below the device there was a menu option to show "All BT devices."

    Pretty sure that happened when I paired my HRM-Dual+. It discovered the ANT+ signal and then had the option to find the BT. I didn't bother connecting on both, but it was there.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 2goBeyond

    Maybe you could check again?  That wasn't my experience originally and I just replicated the process with a new sensor add and didn't show anything about BT Devices.  I'm on FW 2.5 now, not sure what I was on originally when I got the device.

  • +1 over 4 years ago in reply to badbri

    My 945 is not working like this. Just tried it out and added my Wahoo Tickr chest strap (dual BT/Ant+). I already paired the Ant+ part and when I show info, it says "Techn.: Ant+". I paired the BT part of the Tickr and it showed up with a different name and said in info: "Techn: BT". No problem deleting the BT side afterwards and reconnecting to the Ant+ side.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to fischest

    Thanks.  What FW are you running?