# Heart rate monitor strap problems



## il sogno

I have a Polar heart rate monitor. It's an FT 7. I keep getting the ole "Check heart rate transmitter" message with my heart rate registering at 0. This has been going on for months now. I keep checking the transmitter, adjusting the strap, etc. I've changed the batteries on both the transmitter and the watch. 

Is there a trick to putting on the transmitter? I have it on just below the sternum (bra line). Should it be higher? Lower? Or should I toss the thing and buy a different brand?


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## theBreeze

Polar has always been a very reliable brand for me. Sounds like you have the strap too low. I always put mine right on my sternum with the elastic of my sport bra directly over it. If that is uncomfortable try it just above the bra elastic. Polar used to sell a sport bra with a casing right in it for the monitor strap. Several women I know have liked it.

Also, they tend to register better when we get sweatier. I put a bit of body lotion on the underside of the strap to make good skin contact.


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## il sogno

theBreeze said:


> Polar has always been a very reliable brand for me. Sounds like you have the strap too low. I always put mine right on my sternum with the elastic of my sport bra directly over it. If that is uncomfortable try it just above the bra elastic. Polar used to sell a sport bra with a casing right in it for the monitor strap. Several women I know have liked it.
> 
> Also, they tend to register better when we get sweatier. I put a bit of body lotion on the underside of the strap to make good skin contact.


I've experimented with it higher and under the bra and have had no luck. I'll give it another shot.


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## Touch0Gray

you can buy conductive gel at a good pharmacy. They use it for the contacts on ekg electrode and such. Try that....


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## il sogno

Touch0Gray said:


> you can buy conductive gel at a good pharmacy. They use it for the contacts on ekg electrode and such. Try that....


Good idea. I'll see if I can find that.


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## Becky

I just use a little saliva or water to boost the conductivity until I work up a good sweat. If spitting on your HRM strap doesn't appeal to you, many bike shops sell that conductive gel stuff as well.

Has the strap loosened up over time?


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## il sogno

Becky said:


> I just use a little saliva or water to boost the conductivity until I work up a good sweat. If spitting on your HRM strap doesn't appeal to you, many bike shops sell that conductive gel stuff as well.
> 
> Has the strap loosened up over time?


I've been spitting on it. It worked great at first but doesn't seem to make any difference nowadays.

The strap hasn't loosened much. I tightened it down the last time I rode. Didn't help.


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## Becky

Is it possible that the strap is just toast? You've changed batteries, spit, and tightened....I'm not sure what else there is.

What does Polar say?


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## il sogno

Becky said:


> Is it possible that the strap is just toast? You've changed batteries, spit, and tightened....I'm not sure what else there is.
> 
> What does Polar say?


I've only had it since last Mar or Apr. And it's been messing up for at least a couple of months. 

Haven't contacted Polar yet. I've been trying to "fix" it.


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## kmunny19

Touch0Gray said:


> you can buy conductive gel at a good pharmacy. They use it for the contacts on ekg electrode and such. Try that....


not to be gross, and this is directly from personal experience with my cateye, which works perfectly when I do this, and horribly when I don't. spit (lots) on the back of it. its the same principle as the conductive gel, only free.


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## Touch0Gray

well yeah...I spit on mine too...I was recommending the "couth" method for the lady!

I was going to suggest her husband lick it but I didn't want to say that..................uh...ut oh..............


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## il sogno

theBreeze said:


> Polar has always been a very reliable brand for me. Sounds like you have the strap too low. I always put mine right on my sternum with the elastic of my sport bra directly over it. If that is uncomfortable try it just above the bra elastic. Polar used to sell a sport bra with a casing right in it for the monitor strap. Several women I know have liked it.
> 
> Also, they tend to register better when we get sweatier. I put a bit of body lotion on the underside of the strap to make good skin contact.


^^^^ this! 

I moved the strap up higher. It works much better now. It still stopped few times during the hour and a half ride but it sorted itself out and got going again. Thanks!


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## il sogno

Okay, it's not working again. I'm gonna email Polar. grrr!


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## Touch0Gray

hey...pull the battery and make sure the contacts aren't bent away from the battery


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## il sogno

Touch0Gray said:


> hey...pull the battery and make sure the contacts aren't bent away from the battery


I'll check it out.


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## Touch0Gray

Additionally, we have been assuming it is the transmitter, this may or may not be the case, Humor me here, do you have a n analogue quartz watch? If yes take and set it on a table directly next to the hrm receiver.watch thing. Does the Receiver register anything? Because both of mine register a perfect 60 bpm when place right next to a quartz watch. (the oscillating coil broduces a perfect 60 cycle per second signal which MY receivers pick up. Yours may not but it may. Just checking.....


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## il sogno

Touch0Gray said:


> Additionally, we have been assuming it is the transmitter, this may or may not be the case, Humor me here, do you have a n analogue quartz watch? If yes take and set it on a table directly next to the hrm receiver.watch thing. Does the Receiver register anything? Because both of mine register a perfect 60 bpm when place right next to a quartz watch. (the oscillating coil broduces a perfect 60 cycle per second signal which MY receivers pick up. Yours may not but it may. Just checking.....


Would my Breitling be an analogue quartz watch? Cause I set it next to the receiver and it registers zero.


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## Touch0Gray

is it a SWEEP second hand or does it jump in one second increments?


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## il sogno

Touch0Gray said:


> is it a SWEEP second hand or does it jump in one second increments?


Jumps.


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## Touch0Gray

quartz.....just checking, i don't have a polar, yours may not be sensitive to that frequency OR it isn't working right...If it HAD responded it would have ruled out the receiver. It was just a stab in the dark


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## il sogno

Conductive gel ftw!


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## Touch0Gray

I figured it would work....you get the flavored stuff....lol?


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## LS2379

If it is the Polar soft strap, I go through two of those a year. Even if I clean them well after every ride, my sweat just eats up the small electrical sensors. Polar says that some peoples sweat will destroy the strap faster than others.


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## Touch0Gray

ladies don't sweat, they glow.......................


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## LS2379

Oh, sorry, forgot my manners this morning.


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## Ryder321

il sogno said:


> I have a Polar heart rate monitor. It's an FT 7. I keep getting the ole "Check heart rate transmitter" message with my heart rate registering at 0. This has been going on for months now. I keep checking the transmitter, adjusting the strap, etc. I've changed the batteries on both the transmitter and the watch.
> 
> Is there a trick to putting on the transmitter? I have it on just below the sternum (bra line). Should it be higher? Lower? Or should I toss the thing and buy a different brand?


<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Polar is the world standard, has been for decades, and is used by professional sports teams, TdF teams, the NFL, NASA, etc. Your Polar should work; if not, something is amiss, so don't give up on Polar yet.

The strap electrodes are located at the SIDES of the strap. The transmitter is in the center, but that is not what you want to concern yourself with except incidentally.

Make certain that the SIDES of the strap, left and right of the centrally located transmitter, are pulled up high.

Tuck the SIDES of the moistened strap right up underneath your breasts, nice and snug. Shortly, the strap should get nice and sweaty, which is good because salt water is an excellent electrical conductor, just what you want for this.

I'm _old_; I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to say those things. If not, please excuse me.


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## il sogno

Ryder321 said:


> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Polar is the world standard, has been for decades, and is used by professional sports teams, TdF teams, the NFL, NASA, etc. Your Polar should work; if not, something is amiss, so don't give up on Polar yet.
> 
> The strap electrodes are located at the SIDES of the strap. The transmitter is in the center, but that is not what you want to concern yourself with except incidentally.
> 
> Make certain that the SIDES of the strap, left and right of the centrally located transmitter, are pulled up high.
> 
> Tuck the SIDES of the moistened strap right up underneath your breasts, nice and snug. Shortly, the strap should get nice and sweaty, which is good because salt water is an excellent electrical conductor, just what you want for this.
> 
> I'm _old_; I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to say those things. If not, please excuse me.


Thanks, I'm hip to the jive as to where the electrodes are. 

update: The first half of my run yesterday was at 115% of max according to the HRM. [sigh... ] It settled down after that. Nevertheless my readings for that exercise session are totally off. 

I think I'm gonna have to send it back to Polar and see what they have to say.


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## Touch0Gray

maybe it's right?......what is your max set at?


now I got a question...how does it work?......can it feel the thump...thump....thump?...or is there an electrical signal?.....and if there is an electrical signal, could it pick it up from the back???????

inquiring minds want to know


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## il sogno

Touch0Gray said:


> maybe it's right?......what is your max set at?
> 
> 
> now I got a question...how does it work?......can it feel the thump...thump....thump?...or is there an electrical signal?.....and if there is an electrical signal, could it pick it up from the back???????
> 
> inquiring minds want to know


When it's humming along at 115% of max the HR indicator is blinking like it's strapped onto a hummingbird. I don't know how it works. The sensors go alongside my ribs in the front. My max is around 190 or so.


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## il sogno

il sogno said:


> When it's humming along at 115% of max the HR indicator is blinking like it's strapped onto a hummingbird. I don't know how it works. The sensors go alongside my ribs in the front. My max is around 190 or so.


Or maybe 180.


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## Touch0Gray

aha......i have always suspected that you were a hummingbird!


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## il sogno

Okay I rode today and the HRM totally worked. Yay! Here's what I did. 

I put the conductive gel onto the electrodes then I wetted it down. I put the water over the gel on the electrodes. I put the strap on under the workout bra, high up right under the boobs. It totally worked. It did not stop or give a false reading a single time.


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## Touch0Gray

il sogno said:


> I put the strap on under the workout bra, high up right under the boobs. It totally worked. It did not stop or give a false reading a single time.


high res, large format pictures or it didn't happen...... (ducking)


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## il sogno

.....


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## Touch0Gray

ha ha....you got blue feet


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## Ryder321

il sogno said:


> Okay I rode today and the HRM totally worked. Yay! Here's what I did.
> 
> I put the conductive gel onto the electrodes then I wetted it down. I put the water over the gel on the electrodes. I put the strap on *under *the workout bra, *high up right under the boobs.* It totally worked. It did not stop or give a false reading a single time.


 <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> 

There you go. I think this means you owe me a beer, right? 

Glad to hear it's working for you now. When my wife has experienced the same problem you described, it's invariably because her strap has slid down just a bit. The electrodes need to be high in order to detect the weak electrical impulse given off by the beating heart. Women's breasts tend to push the electrodes on their straps downward just enough to cause a loss of signal. This can be especially problematic for large-breasted runners.

Your experience with HR readings that seem too high are probably not caused by the strap sliding down, which should simply result in a loss of signal. While I've not experienced the very high readings, I've read that they are often caused by static electricity creating high-frequency signals. It has been suggested the static build-up is the result of synthetic fibers in the user's jersey flapping in the wind and/or rubbing on the transmitter, and it seems to happen more often in colder, dryer weather.

If problems of signal dropout resume, you might wish to have a male friend (or your child, perhaps) wear the monitor and see if it works properly on them, making certain, again, to keep those electrodes up high near the heart region in the chest. Most males probably do not have any problem with the straps slipping down. You have a two-year warranty, I think, and before your warranty expires you want to be certain that your problems are user issues, not equipment problems.

You mentioned running. You may find as many do that your maximum heart rate (MHR) varies by sport; for many athletes running will produce a MHR a few beats higher than cycling, which in turn will be higher than what can be generated swimming which doesn't use the biggest muscles in the body as do running and cycling. Your target zones may vary for each of these different sports.

Here's a tidbit that might interest you as a new Polar user: I have found my Polar most useful over the many years I've used one, _not_ to encourage me to go _harder_ on hard days, but to help me to go _slower_ on slow days. As I warm up and become comfortable, I tend to pick up the pace a bit without any increase in perceived effort, and soon find myself going harder than I'd planned for the ride, often way too hard. 

It's my impression that one of THE major findings in human performance research in the past few decades has been the importance of _easy days_. Many people claim to be able to perceive their exertion level with great accuracy and dependability. I seriously doubt that they can. Most coaches now recognize that easy days need to be really easy, maybe no more than 60% of MHR, or even less. Without my HR monitor to keep me in check, I'll come back and find I spent a ton of time in excess of the 60% maximum I set.

Try setting your Polar upper limit to 60% of your MHR and then go out on a ride, but keep your Polar under a sleeve so you won't be alerted to when you're going harder. Try to go slow for an hour or two, sticking to your easy pace. Come home and analyze your data. I predict that you'll be surprised.

Anyway, glad to hear that your Polar HRM is working for you, now. It can be a very useful tool. :thumbsup:


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