Optical heart rate not accurate

Only in as much as when I look at it it's returning a heart rate as expected. But here's yesterday's trace with a run in the morning and some walking around during the day. Can't really see any problems there.

@philipshambrook I don't think this image tells us or you much regarding the correctness of the readings. There's nothing quite like seeing the OHR readings on the same graph as those of an HR strap. You do have quite some jumps in HR there towards the 90-100 and it's really a matter of what were you doing there. If you were climbing 4 stories up by foot that could explain it. But you might have well been sitting down. That's what I get - 90-110 sometimes when sitting down for 30 minutes straight.

jmto said:

how it's done?

If you're referring to how to put OHR and Strap HR on the same graph, then I have it explain here. You need to install the CIQ data field (mentioned in the first post) use the Fit2Txt converter (also mentioned there) to create a text file, and then you can follow these instructions to extract the right data in order to plot using Excel (these are instructions for commands to run on a UNIX-based command line).

You’re right. How do I know those readings reflect the times when I’m moving around? How do I know they are spikes that arise when I’m sitting and not because I’ve moved? I don’t. I do know the spike in the beginning is a run that morning. How do I know the other lumps aren’t happening when I’m sitting. I don’t. Because I do move around during the day, I use a sit/stand desk at work. I go up and down the stairs in the office. I walk at lunch time. But don t stare at my watch throughout the day. What I do know is that when I do look at it, the numbers are right. The resting heart rate is right. THe heart rate is low for when I’m sitting down at the end of the day vegging out on Game of Thrones and rises when I get another beer out of the fridge. If it’s wrong then it’s not apparently wrong.

Garmin are working to improve OHR - it’ll never be ‘fixed’ only improved. If you truly believe you have a problem with the watch, you and the others should have, if you have not already done so, open a case with Garmin Support. 

If you look at the watch often and don't see any anomalies then that's fine and I believe you that for you the Sensor is doing a good job throughout the day. I only said the graph you supplied doesn't help in verifying/proving that - that can only be done by putting OHR and strap HR on the same graph.

I do however ask you to be fair and apply the same rule you do to yourself to those who complain and claim their previous devices did a much better job - based on monitoring the HR readings - without asking them for proof, just as you expect to claim that and be believed.

Dr Phil said:

For all you people who keep telling us that you always had better results from older model watches - show us the evidence

Dr Phil said:

So I’ll say again, show us the evidence honestly. Not just the rare occasion when it worked, but the majority of times when it didn’t.

(Fenix 6 forums)

That was specifically with reference to using OHR for recording activities as the OP stated.

And if you take the time to trawl back through my history of posting about OHR and activities since Garmin started producing watches with that ability, you'll see a move away from decrying it might never work to it's working well most of the time, along with providing evidence to show how it compares with a strap for activities.

In the past most of the conversation has been around using HR for recording activities. I might be wrong, but I think the conversation has turned more to 24/7 monitoring as the number of people who use it for that purpose has grown, or perhaps just become more aware of it.

And it will never work as expected for everybody. Which is what all manufacturers state and all the evidence clearly demonstrates.

And I'll say again, if you truly have a defective sensor, then Garmin will support you. But if the sensor is working but the results are not what you expect, that's a much harder issues to resolve.

Like I said - OHR readings on my 645M were more than plausible both 24/7 and on the few activities where I forgot to take my HRM-Run. I was actually very pleasantly surprised how plausible it was and eventually didn't take the strap with me for short weekend vacations.

With the FR945 the 24/7 OHR readings were ridiculous from the first minutes of wearing it, and I proved it in a test. On the other hand, the readings during an activity were very very impressive compared to the "real" HR (HRM-Run). I put the links to my tests on this thread.

I don't think my sensor is faulty hardware at all. Take a look at what happened when I took the watch off my wrist for 10 seconds and puts it on my other wrist:

This has happened before also when just giving it a very short rest and putting it back on the same wrist.

I am having the exact same issue.With heart rate strap average is around 140 cause that is where I train.With OHR i am getting 170 to 175 beats.