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So disappointed in 235 - can you help?

Former Member
Former Member over 9 years ago
I'm so disappointed in my 235. I've been using it for about 3 months and spend more time trying to make it work than I have used it. Emailing garmin got me an auto reply with a quote from the manual (which I've read and re-read too many times).

- at first I was using it just in a cardiac rehab environment - either treadmill or stationary bike and it took forever to start getting the heart rate recording.

- sometimes the heart rate jumps to a very high reading, sometimes it drops by half. I've tried all of the suggested fixes in the manual (changing arm, placement, resetting, resetting to factory setting etc). It now seems to work fine about half the time; the rest of the time it either never starts monitoring (sometimes I can see it monitoring when I click the down arrow in time mode and then it will not pick up heart rate in bike mode - I use bike mode without GPS on the stationary bike). The only way I can get this to correct is with the 15 second reboot.

- When I first started using the watch there was an app for indoor biking. When I did the reset to factory settings, I lost this app (not the end of the world since the only biking I do is indoors, so I just changed the Bike app to GPS off, but it's strange that I would lose an app and I'm wondering if there isn't some voodoo here? in the present app not seeming to work for heart rate when the system of the watch does seem to be working).

- My latest gremlin is that the DATE is off by one day. Does't the date and time get set from either my Mac when I sync or from the GPS satellite info? this is the weirdest yet...again not a big deal but this makes the damn watch a time sink of tinkering.

Any ideas? It's too late to return the watch to the seller and Garmin has only answered one of my emails and that only with some boilerplate that didn't help.

thanks in advance

Tom
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    I have only has my 235 for a few weeks but so far so good. My indoor runs were out by 10 hours and it was pointed out that you need to set the time zone in Garmin Connect on your PC - cant be done on the watch or mobile app. Maybe this might help with your date issue. I am sure you have tried this but snug fit on watch needed as if it moves around you will have problems. I am hairy and fair skinned and the HR copes with that most times.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    - When I first started using the watch there was an app for indoor biking. When I did the reset to factory settings, I lost this app (not the end of the world since the only biking I do is indoors, so I just changed the Bike app to GPS off, but it's strange that I would lose an app and I'm wondering if there isn't some voodoo here? in the present app not seeming to work for heart rate when the system of the watch does seem to be working).


    Try going to settings > Activity Profiles >

    There should be a selection to either activate or deactivate the Bike Indoor


    - My latest gremlin is that the DATE is off by one day. Does't the date and time get set from either my Mac when I sync or from the GPS satellite info? this is the weirdest yet...again not a big deal but this makes the damn watch a time sink of tinkering.


    Date and time is set by GPS (and not syncing). You may need to go outside, start an activity, make sure there is clear GPS lock, and then proceed with that activity.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    106

    With date time for non GPS activities you need to set your time zone in Settings in Connect on your PC. Can't do it on the watch or in Android app. Might help.
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    Also make sure settings:system:clock:set time automatically is set

    CW
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    Inaccurate HRM

    I've had my 235 for several weeks now and continue to struggle with getting accurate hear rate info. It seems accurate in all day mode, easily verified manually, but when I run it seems very high generally. I switched from a mio to the garmin so I have about a year's worth of experience with heart rate training and have a pretty good feel for where my heart rate is. It seems to be ok until the rate goes up significantly, for me, up to 165 or so, then it seems to simple stay high, almost as if it matching my cadence. It seems to be unresponsive even. I've tried all the same fixes, resets, different positions, etc, but nothing seems to really help. I'm guessing that it loses the heart rate connection at the skin and then gets wet from sweat and can't recalibrate before it happens again, could this be? I love the 235, but the HRM stinks and I am very disappointed because the HRM is why I bought it! The other odd thing I noticed, is the time in zone, displayed in garmin connect app is incorrect, almost as if it is of 1 full zone?
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    I've had my 235 for several weeks now and continue to struggle with getting accurate hear rate info. It seems accurate in all day mode, easily verified manually, but when I run it seems very high generally. I switched from a mio to the garmin so I have about a year's worth of experience with heart rate training and have a pretty good feel for where my heart rate is. It seems to be ok until the rate goes up significantly, for me, up to 165 or so, then it seems to simple stay high, almost as if it matching my cadence. It seems to be unresponsive even. I've tried all the same fixes, resets, different positions, etc, but nothing seems to really help. I'm guessing that it loses the heart rate connection at the skin and then gets wet from sweat and can't recalibrate before it happens again, could this be? I love the 235, but the HRM stinks and I am very disappointed because the HRM is why I bought it! The other odd thing I noticed, is the time in zone, displayed in garmin connect app is incorrect, almost as if it is of 1 full zone?


    Eh, this sounds like cadence lock yeah... If you had searched around you would have found that this is/was a common issue. What firmware do you have?

    Basically for me with the latest fw (4.60 and WHR 2.70) it seems to work way better, but I still have to wear the watch very tightly and a bit above the wrist. So try tightening the watch more and wear it a bit higher then where you'd normally wear a watch.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    Eh, this sounds like cadence lock yeah... If you had searched around you would have found that this is/was a common issue. What firmware do you have?

    Basically for me with the latest fw (4.60 and WHR 2.70) it seems to work way better, but I still have to wear the watch very tightly and a bit above the wrist. So try tightening the watch more and wear it a bit higher then where you'd normally wear a watch.



    I have 4.60 and 2.70. I wear the 235 snuggly, about 2-3 inches above my wrist bone nub. Thinking more about it, it does seem like once my heart rate nears my cadence (160ish) that it becomes less responsive as if it measuring cadence. It would also explain why my heart rate going up hill, sometimes is slower than after I crest and I am descending. A garmin tech told me cadence lock was not an issue with the 235, but then he noted in my case.
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    I've had my 235 for several weeks now and continue to struggle with getting accurate hear rate info. It seems accurate in all day mode, easily verified manually, but when I run it seems very high generally. I switched from a mio to the garmin so I have about a year's worth of experience with heart rate training and have a pretty good feel for where my heart rate is. It seems to be ok until the rate goes up significantly, for me, up to 165 or so, then it seems to simple stay high, almost as if it matching my cadence. It seems to be unresponsive even. I've tried all the same fixes, resets, different positions, etc, but nothing seems to really help. I'm guessing that it loses the heart rate connection at the skin and then gets wet from sweat and can't recalibrate before it happens again, could this be? I love the 235, but the HRM stinks and I am very disappointed because the HRM is why I bought it! The other odd thing I noticed, is the time in zone, displayed in garmin connect app is incorrect, almost as if it is of 1 full zone?


    Read post 4 above regarding your time zone

    Max
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    Read post 4 above regarding your time zone

    Max


    I'm referring to the "time spent in zone" (HRM) not the time zone