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More OHR testing - running this time..fail!

MATTBABIDGE
over 9 years ago
Tried running with the 735xt this AM, after my poor experience with cycling yesterday...just a simple jog with 1k effort at local track (https://www.strava.com/activities/583756548). OHR similarly useless for running as with cycling yesterday. HR didnt change much during the 1k effort, then drifted substantially higher on jog back home....seems that the OHR is next to useless for any 'activity' and can really only be used as supplementary HR capture for passive daily activity monitoring.....is this what Garmin expects/proposed with OHR? bit of an airgap to the marketing rhetoric if so!

Any other views/advice? i am clutching at straws but just showered and applied moisturiser as usual post shower,,,,would having moisturiser on arms interrupt the OHR at all? ( i recall in the userguide it did mention to not use sunscreen...) probably a long shot as i applied moisturiser probably 15hrs prior to this last run!

Matt
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    It's possible you have a problem with your watch. Mine's been great this past week, and slightly better than the 235 I've sold.

    I haven't tried it biking yet, but I always wore a strap biking with the 235 as I prefer the watch mounted on the handlebars.
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    I have done some limited testing so far of the 735 OHR and in running tests it has performed very well for me and in my recent biking tests I would say acceptable (as I mentioned in my analysis during hard climbs the 735 was slower to respond by about 2s or so, and on the display it never showed the same max HR, but the recorded data does reflect the same max so it might just be when I looked vs. dying on the climb ;) ).

    I would try cleaning the optical sensor and make sure there is nothing inhibiting it, and barring that I might exchange it, especially if even in running tests you are getting poor results.

    Any chance you can provide comparative graphs of your results?

    Here is a better version of my biking results:

  • 0 over 9 years ago
    Tried running with the 735xt this AM, after my poor experience with cycling yesterday...just a simple jog with 1k effort at local track (https://www.strava.com/activities/583756548). OHR similarly useless for running as with cycling yesterday. HR didnt change much during the 1k effort, then drifted substantially higher on jog back home....seems that the OHR is next to useless for any 'activity' and can really only be used as supplementary HR capture for passive daily activity monitoring.....is this what Garmin expects/proposed with OHR? bit of an airgap to the marketing rhetoric if so!

    Any other views/advice? i am clutching at straws but just showered and applied moisturiser as usual post shower,,,,would having moisturiser on arms interrupt the OHR at all? ( i recall in the userguide it did mention to not use sunscreen...) probably a long shot as i applied moisturiser probably 15hrs prior to this last run!

    Matt


    Sorry but ... Do you have hairy arms? Have you tried placing the watch on the inner side of your arm, slightly higher than usual? I have done tricks like this with my scosche with promising results.
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    Usually wearing the watch further up the wrist and fairly tight is recommended and certainly worth trying if have not already.

    Personally I stick to my strap for activities in the main and use OHR otherwise.

    I find the OHR generally OK for fairly easy runs but more variable when the intensity changes a lot.
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    I have done some limited testing so far of the 735 OHR and in running tests it has performed very well for me and in my recent biking tests I would say acceptable (as I mentioned in my analysis during hard climbs the 735 was slower to respond by about 2s or so, and on the display it never showed the same max HR, but the recorded data does reflect the same max so it might just be when I looked vs. dying on the climb ;) ).

    I would try cleaning the optical sensor and make sure there is nothing inhibiting it, and barring that I might exchange it, especially if even in running tests you are getting poor results.

    Any chance you can provide comparative graphs of your results?

    Here is a better version of my biking results:



    Hey chimpwear - how did you capture the hr data file so you could plot it. Let me know and I'll do a comparative test using chest strap and my Garmin 510 if I need to use 2 devices?
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    So the 735 is having the same OHR problems as virtually all other OHR devices. No surprises there. I'm sure that if you take the time to read through the threads about OHR on the other GARMIN devices, and other brands, you'll reach the same conclusion. OHR is great for low intensity activities, but once you start increasing the intensity it starts degrading in terms of response and accuracy.
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    Exactly, it is what it is. Some say its working for them, others claim the opposite.
    I have tried different brands and sensors and results were very similar (poor, random, unreliable -> useless) - i really want to believe that "elevate" could be different but my money would be on 735xt without OHR :)
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    To be honest HRM straps are not flawless either. I habitually have "ghost" high reading in winter as many people do for example. Having said that for most runs I will just use OHR except intervals and all rides where I will continue to use HRM strap. Best of both worlds when you need it :)
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    Hey chimpwear - how did you capture the hr data file so you could plot it. Let me know and I'll do a comparative test using chest strap and my Garmin 510 if I need to use 2 devices?


    I downloaded the data from GC (FIT) and loaded into Garmin Training Center and then exported it from there as a CSV and imported into Excel and then used timestamps to align data.
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    http://www.mygpsfiles.com/app/ is great for a quick compare of 2 or more activity files - especially of the same run/bike.