ANT+ compatible replacement for Garmin heart rate strap

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boysa
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by boysa

Same situation here. Old strap works great, and I usually apply a little saliva before heading out the door.
My wife had one of the new versions... I tried it twice before it ended up in the trash.
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Causidicus
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by Causidicus

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Last edited by Causidicus on Wed Jun 18, 2014 1:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Nefarious86
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by Nefarious86

The new Wahoo strap?
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Causidicus
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by Causidicus

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Last edited by Causidicus on Wed Jun 18, 2014 1:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

kulivontot
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by kulivontot

I've logged maybe 8-9 workouts with the mio link (half cycling half running) and I can say that it is probably the most accurate HRM I've used yet. Not once have I had it completely drop out or log a 220bpm value.
Downsides are the $100 price tag, relatively low battery life (about 8 hours) and potentially a slower update rate, but I've got to say that I'm impressed. I've logged data both with an ant+ watch on my wrist and my cell phone in my pocket on my back or on my opposite hip.
There's clearly some some issues as there's a lot of negative feedback on the dcrainmaker review site, but I get the feeling that it either works for you or it doesn't based on your wrist size, skin color, etc.
Biggest thing for me is that I actually use it, because it's not super inconvenient to put on.

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toiyuet
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by toiyuet

DuncanS wrote:I had seen plenty of reports of bad experiences with garmin premium. Interwebz research suggested that Bontrager had same OEM as most others but they spec'd a higher quality strap that was more durable, so I forked almost full retail for a Bontrager. So far (6 months), no complaints.
Beware: Unless something has changed since I did my research, Suunto use ANT but not ANT+, which makes them incompatible with anything but Suunto.

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SRM PC7 is ANT compatible.

kevinkalis
Posts: 553
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by kevinkalis

I used the premium Garmin strap at first, went through one rinse in only water, then didn't work properly anymore. Then I switched to a Polar, worked really well until again, a rinse in water, then came the erratic readings.

I've since gone back to the CycleOps strap I got with my PowerTap and it's worked flawlessly every time.

Same as this one
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jvanv8
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Location: Northeast USA

by jvanv8

I just went through the search for a new HR strap as well. I have the very reliable Garmin (older plastic version that came with my 705 which Kevin posted above).
Sadly, it wasn't working once I got an ICD. The wireless signal from the ICD certainly isn't in the same ANT+ spectrum, but for some reason the HR data was no longer reliable.
I got both the Mio Link (~$85) and the newer Garmin Premium Soft Strap to see what would work.

The Mio Link worked ok, but if I put in a short effort, the Mio sometimes didn't notice (at times, showing a dropping HR when it should be increasing).
I had it tight (as they recommend) but it just wasn't as accurate as the Garmin - though the Mio Link data probably is fairly accurate for average HR for an entire ride as the signal was never dropped.

The newer Garmin Soft Strap worked well (no interference) so I think I'm going to continue with that. Hopefully it won't fail after a year or two as some on this thread have experienced.
I wanted to like the Mio Link, but I don't think the technology for wrist-based ANT+ monitors has evolved to it's fullest potential yet. The short battery life is also another reason to look elsewhere.
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drmutley
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by drmutley

No need to quote above...


I wonder if your ICD goes off whether it will fry the sensor in the heart rate strap! Would certainly make for interesting data! [THUMBS UP SIGN]

jvanv8
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by jvanv8

I kept the Mio... just in case :wink:
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n808
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by n808

I worry if your ICD goes off while on the bike (downhill) you might have other issues to worry about than the heart rate strap.. I have read it is a painful and shocking experience.

I have a bi-ventricular PM myself, it wirelessly communicates with a device on my nightstand, but I don't think it sends any wireless signals at other times. Still I always thought it was the cause I could never get the Garmin "Premium" straps to work well, dropping out every single ride. Now I got the Polar soft strap and using it with the Garmin sensor, there are no more dropouts. So it was just the Garmin design being incompatible with my skinny body shape or steel wire bumps remaining in my breast bone after an aortic valve replacement surgery.
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drmutley
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by drmutley

drmutley wrote:No need to quote above...


I wonder if your ICD goes off whether it will fry the sensor in the heart rate strap! Would certainly make for interesting data! [THUMBS UP SIGN]


Really mod? Over officious?

Admin edit: or, you could read the post from Frankie-B...

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=126225&p=1077509#p1077509

/rolls eyes

KB
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Location: HULL UK

by KB

I have both the Mio watch and the wrist strap (that sends my HR to my Garmin). I've found it to be very good and much prefer it to using the Garmin chest strap. The data also equates to my BP/HR monitor.

It's important to me because I had quadruple bypass surgery on 23 May so I like/need to record my HR.

ToffieBoi
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Location: Krakow, Poland

by ToffieBoi

I had Garmin Premium HR strap. After a few months, readings started to be unstable, which is a problem everyone sees.

I did everything written on internet to fix the issue, icluding buying the polar strap.
Just waste of time and money.

Go for the original, old, cheaper garmin HR band.
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superdx
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by superdx

I picked up a Mio Link a couple days ago and finally got a chance to use it biking. Originally I bought it because I wanted HRM for swimming, but since it had ANT+ figured might as well see how well it did compared to a Garmin strap.

Basically it works fine, no spikes, seemed accurate but there's a bit of a delay in transmitting data, but that's no different than the Garmin strap. There were no dropouts and I barely noticed it was on my wrist, albeit I don't give the Garmin strap much thought either.

It is kind of a relief not having to come home and seeing glaring red marks on my chest, so I will probably put the Garmin strap into the closest for the time being.

On the cons, man Mio's software needs work. Upgrading the firmware failed multiple times that each attempt made me think that I had bricked the strap. Through my iPhone, the app had to be force closed and restarted several times and had to fiddle with Bluetooth pairing a lot to get it upgraded. The latest firmware does give 10 hours of battery life compared with 8 hours out of the box, so it is worth the hassle it if you do long rides. I really do hope they get their act together on that part at least.

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