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Accidental sensor pairing -Race season time/comment to show Garmin this matters

My wife uses a Forerunner 235. On numerous occasions her watch has accidentally paired to multiple kinds of sensors. So far: tempes, cadence (cycling), heart-rate straps, and foot pods.

Most Garmin devices need to be told to "pair" before they hook up with random sensors. Not the 235, he hooks up with any sensor close enough to smell.

I called Garmin and let them know that my random pairing issue was not just localized to me, below are three threads I've found that show the same issue:

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?343746-How-to-avoid-chest-band-pairing-with-FR235/page3&highlight=sensor+paring
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?343687-Maximal-heart-rate-correct-with-Forerunner-235&p=806527#post806527
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?344123-How-to-avoid-pairing-with-footpod-with-235

Garmin stated that this auto-pairing issue was a feature to allow users easier pairing with their sensors. They said the watch needs to be within a few centimeters to pair, but I know that two feet was close enough. The tech support rep also said that this issue was not highly prioritized for the programmers either.

I'm concerned that race season is here and too many 235 owners are going to be at the starting lines fighting with their optical sensors getting trumped by other racers' heart-rate straps or foot pods.

If you read the other threads there is a fix, after your watch has mischievously paired with something it shouldn't, you need to enter the sensors settings and tell the 235 to disconnect, but don't unpair the unwanted sensor or the 235 will just re-pair with it.

If this thread gets enough visibility and comments then I'll report back to Garmin and see if the programmers won't add a user requested pair option to the sensors menu like most their other watches vs. the "auto-pair".

Please comment if you have had this issue, or if you plan to use your 235 in a race and are concerned that this issue will affect you.

I ask if an administrator would make this a sticky thread please. I want to help garmin and the 235 users before they are overwhelmed after race season starts.

0 rtperna over 9 years ago

I haven't had this happen, even though I Just ran a trail race where my watch was definitely within feet/inches of somebody else's HRM.

That said, it's a stupid feature. Hopefully they are going to change the default behavior to "off", so the user has to turn it "on" to pair whatever it is they're pairing.. and can then turn it "off" again.

0 kalamarios over 9 years ago

My wife uses a Forerunner 235. On numerous occasions her watch has accidentally paired to multiple kinds of sensors. So far: tempes, cadence (cycling), heart-rate straps, and foot pods.

I understand that this is a forum where people mostly post problems about their devices but I have to say that the latest Forerunners are full of half-baked things like the pairing problem you mentioned. Random pairing has happened to me as well when my 235 paired automatically to my 630's HRM-RUN and it took me forever to realize what's going on.

I don't want to sound too negative, but I sincerely hope that Garmin wakes up because they are going to be the next Nokia ...

0 LeanMeanGreen13 over 9 years ago

I understand that this is a forum where people mostly post problems about their devices but I have to say that the latest Forerunners are full of half-baked things like the pairing problem you mentioned. Random pairing has happened to me as well when my 235 paired automatically to my 630's HRM-RUN and it took me forever to realize what's going on.

I don't want to sound too negative, but I sincerely hope that Garmin wakes up because they are going to be the next Nokia ...

Garmin is working on improvements to the proximity pairing feature of the Forerunner 630/235/230. The improvements are designed to help prevent the devices from pairing with the incorrect HRM. I do not have a release dates for any new changes, but they are being worked on. As others have suggested, in the meantime, disable any incorrect HRM that may have paired with the device to ensure that the preferred strap or OHR sensor is used.

Kalamarios, Garmin responded to this thread and acknowledged our concern. Hopefully we see a update soon with the standard pairing format where the user chooses what gets paired and when.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

I don't want to sound too negative, but I sincerely hope that Garmin wakes up because they are going to be the next Nokia ...

I agree with this.

Complacency and poor business/technology stategy can be a company killer. Couple this with strong competition and Garmin is in real danger IMO. I definately won't buy Garmin again unless they demonstate an improvement in their product release stategy and overall product quality.

0 ASmugDill over 9 years ago

Couple this with strong competition and Garmin is in real danger IMO.

That sounds more like a “would be” than a “is”. If there really was strong competition, then we wouldn't see this number of complaints in discussion forums such as this – some consumers would simply not buy the product in the first place in the face of many viable contenders, and others wouldn't fret about their Garmin products not being fit for the purposes they have in mind, when they would just return the products and get something else.

No manufacturer in the market is offering a perfect product/package to suit everyone, and logically/probabilistically nobody will. Consumers have to compromise on their wants, preferences and ideals; that is the (power of) choice on their part. All a manufacturer such as Garmin needs to do to remain competitive and successful is offer compromises that are least unpalatable to a large enough proportion of the consumer base, as opposed to earnestly endeavour to delight its customers. At the end of the day, a satisfied but rational customer will readily switch brands the next time he/she is doing due diligence for a discretionary purchase of significance.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

Changes to how the device pairs with external sensors was released with the 4.30 software update that came out today.

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?350162-Software-Version-4-30-Now-Available!

0 LeanMeanGreen13 over 9 years ago

Changes to how the device pairs with external sensors was released with the 4.30 software update that came out today.

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?350162-Software-Version-4-30-Now-Available!

Excellent news!