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Not finding HR at start of run

Had the 235 for about a week, such an improvement over the 620. Overall very happy with it, but there's a couple of things I'm a bit concerned about.

In order to save battery life I've switched it off when not in use, when I've switched it back on in the run mode it hasn't found my HR, turned it off and back on and it was fine. This has happened twice.

Decided just to leave it on now. On today's run there was no HR, turned it off and on, still nothing. Started my run, after about 3-4 minutes, HR appeared and was accurate.

Software is up to date.

Is this normal? Just a bug?

0 ASmugDill over 9 years ago

Is this normal?

It is normal that the optical heart rate monitor needs/takes some time, after being activated from an off or sleep state, to lock onto the user's current heart rate. With firmware v4.20 (or later) and WHR module v2.60 (or later), taking several minutes – especially if the user's heart rate is rapidly changing, such as at the start of a run – is not unusual, from anecdotes shared in this forum.

0 Max556 over 9 years ago

Before you go for a run, go to the HR widget first and wait until the heart icon stops blinking which indicates the watch has locked onto your HR (or when in Run mode, wait until the blinking heart icon goes solid). Then, when you go to run mode, you should see a registered HR (scroll through to the HR screen to ensure you see a HR). Good practice to always make sure it has locked onto your HR before beginning a run, or you will get missing HR at the beginning most times.

Max

0 caferey over 9 years ago

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

Before you go for a run, go to the HR widget first and wait until the heart icon stops blinking which indicates the watch has locked onto your HR (or when in Run mode, wait until the blinking heart icon goes solid). Then, when you go to run mode, you should see a registered HR (scroll through to the HR screen to ensure you see a HR). Good practice to always make sure it has locked onto your HR before beginning a run, or you will get missing HR at the beginning most times.

Max

Sometimes when I entered Run Mode, the HR is locked right away, but sometimes it took ~5-7 mins to lock the HR.

Is that normal?

0 azerbouf over 9 years ago

Took me some time to find a good solution for that, and here is my workaround suggestion: wear the watch 15 before you are going to workout and open HR screen, wait about 5-10 minutes so that HR will stabilise and you will see the graph start moving. HR should work in activity mode.

0 Max556 over 9 years ago

Sometimes when I entered Run Mode, the HR is locked right away, but sometimes it took ~5-7 mins to lock the HR.

Is that normal?

As azerbouf says, check the HR widget before entering the Run Mode. I find that I often get a HR rate lock within 30 seconds on the widget (the heart icon stops blinking and goes solid) and then when I enter the Run Mode, it's all good. Like you said, sometimes it takes forever (it seems) waiting for a HR to register while in the Run Mode.

Max

0 Bigspottedcat over 9 years ago

Works

Before you go for a run, go to the HR widget first and wait until the heart icon stops blinking which indicates the watch has locked onto your HR (or when in Run mode, wait until the blinking heart icon goes solid). Then, when you go to run mode, you should see a registered HR (scroll through to the HR screen to ensure you see a HR). Good practice to always make sure it has locked onto your HR before beginning a run, or you will get missing HR at the beginning most times.

Max

Had same problem as OP.

Put watch on for a run and it did not register HR during a 12km road run. Came home perplexed and checked the forums.

Max - you are right. For some or other reason, the HR will not register in run mode unless HR is synced before you start. Clearly a bug but with a simple workaround - Wait for heart to stop flashing before starting run mode.

;)

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

Thanks

Thanks! Chcecking historical HR and locking it there before entering run mode did significantly sped up acquisition. Let's hope Garmin gets this bug fixed - last thing I need to remember at 5am is sequence for work around :)

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

you can put it on the data screen (without clicking start) on your way to the run
by the time you get there it will pick up your hr ....

0 SciFish77 over 9 years ago

With battery life of several weeks without GPS, I'm not sure why you'd be concerned enough to turn it off between runs anyway :confused: I wear mine all the time so have only had one or two occasions when it didn't have HR and I turned the setting off and on again. Sorted.