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Heart rate values from optical HRM still totally wrong with 20.26

Hi 

Coming back from this thread, where a lot of us participated and gave valuable input, that you were asking for:

https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-955-series/362273/heart-rate-values-totally-wrong-after-update-18-22

With 20.26 this has NOT changed, it is still the same old bug.

This is an example from my usual bike commuting with just the watch and optical HRM, where it is way too low at the start and suddenly jumps up 50 beats:

Yes, you may contact me and yes you may have a look at activities in my account if it helps to identify the problem and yes, I live in Germany.

And PLEASE, don't just collect input again and then ignore us for weeks and months! Communication matters and seriously, the communication from official side here regarding the bugs (even the acknowledged ones) is more than poor.

  • Last time I contacted support about this - they sent me a phone number of some store in Russia. JoyJoyJoy Lol, like single, even official store is responsible for entire Garmin's firmware production. And on forum - NO answer at all. ) My next watch is not Garmin whatsoever. ))

  • Last time I contacted support about this - they sent me a phone number of some store in Russia. JoyJoyJoy Lol, like single, even official store is responsible for entire Garmin's firmware production. And on forum - NO answer at all. ) My next watch is not Garmin whatsoever. ))

  • It never came to your mind to contact garmin and replace your watch for refubrished as it seems you have this problem in yours device and you expect them to fix it with software?

  • No, because it is a software problem. It was fine before 18.xx was updated.

  • Actually, it works 90% of the time okay. And 10% it malfunctions. And even with these 10% it works okay after 10-20 minutes. So no, bare it's a physical problem.

  • No, that never came to my mind because it is not like the Optical HR does not work at all.

    It works ok during sleep, it works ok during walking and hiking, it works ok while in office. It is no hardware problem.
    Only when my pulse rises fast, like when I sit on a bike and commute (and I really can't ride a bike slowly), the OHR data is still there, but INTERPRETED wrong by the firmware/software. And after some time this is corrected and suddenly the pulse jumps up 50 beats.

    This is "just" a case of firmware, no hardware problem.

  • Agree with Grumpy here, it's a software issue correlated with the elevate v4-sensor.

    Garmin has reproduced the issue, but apparently a solution is not yet available. Garmin gives us the silent treatment, no updates on this issue, while this issue leads to totally wrong metrics like

    - Training effect
    - Stamina
    - Performance condition
    - Recovery time
    - Training advice
    - Race predictor
    - Endurance score
    - Load focus

    The first 20 minutes of an activity are about ~ 40-50 bpm too low and than all of a sudden a very steep step towards the correct value.

    It happens on 90% of my activities and I've already got an replacement, but the same issue is still present. 

  • I have a theory - you doing bike activities in which you have to tense your muscles, this might affect OHR readings. So maybe on next bike ride try to not tense muscles on hand on which you wearing watch and see if this improve OHR behaviour. Do this just to check if this might be the issue.

    • I won't create a new topic, I'll just write here. firmware 20.29 still has the problem with incorrect display of heart rate.
      it was a competition. and I'm extremely upset with the operation of the device, which costs a lot of money. I will switch to another supplier from the beginning of 2025 and will tell about this problem to the maximum number of my friends who want to buy Garmin in the future

    https://postimg.cc/kDzBnd8q

  • I barely do any bike at all (3-4 times a year, maybe), doesn't seem to be a reason for such an issue.