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HRM-Tri - Download Heart Rate - why does it change TE etc?

alexpez
over 7 years ago
Hi, I've posted a little about some behaviour that I don't understand over in a thread about continuous monitoring by the HRM-Tri strap, but I'd like to open a new thread regarding this behaviour as its separate from continuous monitoring when outside of an activity, and either a bug or some setup option that I have missed.

I have previously trained and competed wearing a Forerunner 610 with an accompanying chest heart rate strap.

I purchased the 935 Tri bundle two weeks ago and started running using the packaged HRM-Tri strap. When I put the HRM-Tri on, I get notification from the watch that it is connected, and the watch itself is set to automatically set my upper HR (currently at around 193), and resting is using average of 50bpm. I have been keeping the watch on the HR screen so I can see what my HR is during the run.

I noticed that upon long run completion, the TE values were often 5.0 and 0.0, so scrolling around the menus post race I noticed the DOWNLOAD HEART RATE option. I selected that and the watch seemed to pull data from the HRM-Tri and then processed them. The TE values generally changed quite dramatically, along with other metrics (the TE was the one that caught my eye).

It has been suggested to me that perhaps my watch was losing the connection with the HRM-Tri mid run, and using the OHR instead, so DOWNLOAD HEART RATE was feeding the watch with more accurate data post run. Today I decided to test that out.

I ran 15km or so today, with the Wrist Heart Rate sensor disabled (Settings/Sensors & Accessories/Wrist Heart Rate/Status -> OFF). I put the HRM-Tri on, and the watch said it was connected, I waited for a GPS signal, and started my Run activity. The screen was set to display HR so I could see whether it was reading from the HRM-Tri, and at no point during the run did I see a blank value on this screen.

Upon completion, I saved the run and checked out the TE values:

5.0 aerobic
0.0 anaerobic

Thought that was a bit strange, so I clicked on DOWNLOAD HEART RATE to see what it would do (note that the Wrist Heart Rate sensor was disabled, so the watch has only used HRM-Tri data to calculate that TE value). The watch showed me the DOWNLOADING STORED HR DATA screen, then the PROCESSING DOWNLOADED HR DATA screen, then HR DATA DOWNLOAD SUCCESSFUL. I then checked the TE values:

2.9 aerobic
2.0 anaerobic

Can anyone explain why this is happening? Are people who are not selecting DOWNLOAD HEART RATE following a run activity when they are using an HRM-Tri getting inaccurate data? Is there some setting burried somewhere that I've missed or incorrectly configured?

Why are the values take pre and post DOWNLOAD HEART RATE so different if the watch has only used the HRM-Tri during a run?
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    I thought the data looked suspect: last week on firmware 6.10, I recorded 5.0 aerobic 0.0 anaerobic following a run. That seemed off to me. I noticed the DOWNLOAD HEART RATE option and wondered what would happen if I selected it; the values changed to: 2.9 aerobic 2.0 anaerobic.
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    Another 15km run today, slow pace, wrist monitor off, hrm-tri on:

    Post run, save:
    2.6 anaerobic
    5.0 aerobic
    915 calories

    Post download heart rate:
    2.2 anaerobic
    5.0 aerobic
    922 calories

    No one else seeing this when running? I've read over on DCRainMaker that Garmin have changed the HRM-Tri at some point this year - the old one has the blue material around the sensor pads that is similar to the hrm-swim material, whereas the new hrm-tri is all black (can anyone confirm that?). My hrm-tri has the blue material around the sensors.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    TE changing after executing Download HR Data is still an issue with version 7.00 firmware. I want to keep this subject alive until it is addressed by Garmin.
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    Well yes that is a valid question too. Just curious as to why you were downloading when you had the data in the first place.


    I will confirm that this discrepancy between TE recorded by the watch during a recorded activity (while using a HR strap) and the TE from the strap has been broken since at least June. To answer the above question; I went for a run (4miles) where the watches TE for both Aerobic and Anaerobic recorded at 0. No TE at all for the run (Threshold run, so Z4/Z5). Something went wrong so I tried Downloading the strap data in hopes that maybe it would have a TE number. It did.....both TE were 1.2. I did another run 2 days later and did get a TE (3.6/2.9) same circumstances, but downloaded the TE to see if there was a difference. Both came back (1.2/0.9). I did this for about two weeks and the strap data just reported 1.2/0.9 for runs over and over.

    I was told by someone here that the recorded data was only there for swimming and not for runs....but then why was the ability to download it from a run even an option? Either way, the number is bollocks.
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    Yes - this is still broken. I actually don't remember it being a problem from when I first had the watch (Tri-bundle) but it seems to me that subsequent software updates have progressively broken more and more of the functions that used to work correctly.

    I went for a run this morning with the HRM-Tri connected for the run. The TE showed on the watch at the end of the run 4.0 and 0.0. Saved the activity and was able to then select to download HR Data - six months ago, if I tried to do this I would be told that the data was already loaded, but more recently, it happily downloads the new data. The effect today was that the TE changed to 4.1 and 0.0. A few days ago it changed from 2.9 / 0.0 to 3.9 / 0.0 but earlier in the week (on software 6.1 instead of 7.0) it changed from 2.4 / 0.0 to 2.1 / 0.7. I think version 7.0 has buggered it up even more rather than fix it!

    And that's beefore I even start to talk about how my activities NEVER automatically upload to the Connect App any more - even manually syncing is hit and miss - today I had to plug in and select the FIT file from the watch.

    Who ever is managing the development of these updates is a clown.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    I have to agree with the last assessment made of the Garmin software development manager.
    We still have no idea what is intended with an Activity's "Download HR Data" option, how it is supposed to work nor any mention of fixing the problems reported.
    Then you see Beta Firmware 7.54, just "picking the low hanging fruit".
    How frustrating.
    Speaking of frustrating save an Open Water activity without wearing the HR Swim strap (it was worn and connected in earlier swims).
    The watch automatically searches for the HR strap and puts the user through the "third degree" before you can save the activity without data from the strap.
    Wow this paradigm is completely different from say a Run activity using a Tri strap; it is almost humorous.
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    I have no idea if this is the same issue. I have my HR Zones set in GC. They are custom. When I run, the HR info uses the correct run HR zones I set. But, when I use the bike indoors, It is not using the custom cycling zones, but was using default watch set zones. Before my workout today, I set the zones in the watch just like my bike zones. I did my workout and when synced it was comparing them to the wrong zones again. So, obviously the Training effect was way off. Does anyone know how to fix this issue with my zones set in GC not being used or seemingly synced.
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    Yes - this is still broken. I actually don't remember it being a problem from when I first had the watch (Tri-bundle) but it seems to me that subsequent software updates have progressively broken more and more of the functions that used to work correctly.

    I went for a run this morning with the HRM-Tri connected for the run. The TE showed on the watch at the end of the run 4.0 and 0.0. Saved the activity and was able to then select to download HR Data - six months ago, if I tried to do this I would be told that the data was already loaded, but more recently, it happily downloads the new data. The effect today was that the TE changed to 4.1 and 0.0. A few days ago it changed from 2.9 / 0.0 to 3.9 / 0.0 but earlier in the week (on software 6.1 instead of 7.0) it changed from 2.4 / 0.0 to 2.1 / 0.7. I think version 7.0 has buggered it up even more rather than fix it!

    And that's beefore I even start to talk about how my activities NEVER automatically upload to the Connect App any more - even manually syncing is hit and miss - today I had to plug in and select the FIT file from the watch.

    Who ever is managing the development of these updates is a clown.


    What just crossed my mind: you could send me a .fit file and I can have a look with FitFileRepairTool, just spotted that it shows which sensor is source of information.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    TE changing after executing Download HR Data is still an issue with version 7.60 firmware. I want to keep this subject alive until it is addressed by Garmin.
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    TE changing after executing Download HR Data is still an issue with version 7.60 firmware. I want to keep this subject alive until it is addressed by Garmin.


    That being so am still not really sure why you need to use this feature for running.