Actually, the HR stuck issue has not gone away (at all).

Posted this morning in another thread: https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?336946-Heart-Rate-Stuck-on-66&p=785727#post785727

Hi Everyone - Sorry for the trouble! We've got a new beta that should resolve this bug. You can find it here:

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=9920

I don't know if this beta fixes the issue with the HR locking on 66, because I have been fortunate enough not to have had that problem. I can stay that it DID NOT fix the issue with the HR flashing a number, going steady at 72, and then going to my actual HR. I've had OHRM's from Basis, Omron, Fitbit and Atlas. NONE of them did this. For the life of me I can figure out why Garmin did this with the 235 and their VivoSmartHR? This wasn't an issue until the 235 updated the sensor to WHR2.30/40. The VSHR was also fine until it received an update a couple days following the 235's. Now they both have the identical problem. It seems pointless and makes me wonder how it's sampling my HR throughout the day when I don't actually press the button on the watch. Very disappointing!

UPDATE: I performed a little test because I can't figure out this little 72 thing :confused: I conducted a test 5 different times. While outside a recorded activity, when I check my HR, the average time the value was blinking was 4 seconds. Once the value went steady at 72, it stayed there an average of 4 seconds. Once it started adjusting my HR it took an average of 10 seconds to stop on my fixed HR. Following each test I checked my HR manually. My HR was around 83 during the test. I discovered two things. The first is once it goes through this initial 72 process it won't duplicate if you check it again immediately. The green light has to turn off for a couple of minutes before it goes through this process again. Secondly, I was actually impressed that the final HR reading was nearly spot on (plus or minus 1) with my manual test. I understand that there are different variables with each person (how the watch is worn, actual HR, etc) that will change these average times. So, it does seem to read my HR correctly, but should I really have to wait around 18 seconds to see that? I can manually check my HR for 15 secs, times it by 4 and get my HR faster.

I don't know if this beta fixes the issue with the HR locking on 66, because I have been fortunate enough not to have had that problem. I can stay that it DID NOT fix the issue with the HR flashing a number, going steady at 72, and then going to my actual HR. I've had OHRM's from Basis, Omron, Fitbit and Atlas. NONE of them did this. For the life of me I can figure out why Garmin did this with the 235 and their VivoSmartHR? This wasn't an issue until the 235 updated the sensor to WHR2.30/40. The VSHR was also fine until it received an update a couple days following the 235's. Now they both have the identical problem. It seems pointless and makes me wonder how it's sampling my HR throughout the day when I don't actually press the button on the watch. Very disappointing!

UPDATE: I performed a little test because I can't figure out this little 72 thing :confused: I conducted a test 5 different times. While outside a recorded activity, when I check my HR, the average time the value was blinking was 4 seconds. Once the value went steady at 72, it stayed there an average of 4 seconds. Once it started adjusting my HR it took an average of 10 seconds to stop on my fixed HR. Following each test I checked my HR manually. My HR was around 83 during the test. I discovered two things. The first is once it goes through this initial 72 process it won't duplicate if you check it again immediately. The green light has to turn off for a couple of minutes before it goes through this process again. Secondly, I was actually impressed that the final HR reading was nearly spot on (plus or minus 1) with my manual test. I understand that there are different variables with each person (how the watch is worn, actual HR, etc) that will change these average times. So, it does seem to read my HR correctly, but should I really have to wait around 18 seconds to see that? I can manually check my HR for 15 secs, times it by 4 and get my HR faster.

It seems like the 72 thing is a feature and not a bug. It doesn't bother me to be honest. I don't see a lot of difference having to wait 5-10 seconds with a number that "zeros in" to the right HR, vs a blank field that then displays the HR after 5-10sec.

I don't have an issue with it either. My Apple Watch takes just as long to get a hr. The difference is it shows a graphic while its finding my hr as opposed to the 235 going to 72 each time before moving to actual hr.

I think the problem with the 235 would be if it's actually recording your hr as if it were 72

I think the problem with the 235 would be if it's actually recording your hr as if it were 72

Well, I think mine is recording my HR as if it were 72. I sit at a desk for most of the day with my HR between RHR and 60. However, in my graph over the past four hours, it shows a spike at around 72 for each time I have checked my HR.

I haven't tried the new beta, but hopefully it will do the trick.

It appears not only in the form of 66 , but 72 , 79 , 1XX whatever number the affected ones have experienced.
When I woke up in the morning , HR was flat all the way at 79. Wtf was that ?

All these firmware updates are not helping at all.

You fix something , you break something.

Get it together Garmin.

Could not agree more. When I returned my Vivosmart the girl at Bestbuy says she has see many returned due to problems. I purchased the Forerunner 235 and it is doing the same thing. Sad for Garmin, right at Christmas. They have pretty well worn me out on their brand. Back to Fitbit.

I'm still on old 2.40 Firmware, and when I open the HR-widget it always shows me the correct heartrate instantly. So there's no doubt the hardware part of the optical sensor is more than capable enough. Garmin just did something very wrong with the new sensor hub firmwares ...

I thought these devices were able to show your HR is real time or pretty close to it. Have the HR function drop to 71 for any period of time will skew other thing like minutes in Intensity won't it?

There is no doubt in my mind that this isn't a bug and Garmin did this by design. The 235 came out a couple of months ago and I expected the HR function to at least be on par with other devices. It worked ok prior to the WHR2.30/40 release. Even though I believe my readings end up correct, it seems like they've taken a step back with the way they go about doing it. I know this example is a bit of an exaggeration, but I don't want to download a movie from the internet using a dial-up connection after using broadband for so long and then say I'm happy with it just because the end result is the same.

I'm running the new Beta (WHR 2.41)

I was having no problem until about a week ago, then the watch started locking up on random HR's, to include 66 & 58. I don't know why they starting happening, out of the blue, but I hope that the new FW fixes it.