PM3 vs PM4 -is it worth it?

keith134 · Post by **keith134** » January 15th, 2009, 3:06 pm

I am replacing my aging Concept 2 erg with a new Model D. Is there any real benefit to going with the model D with PM4 (vs the PM3) if you're not into the on-line racing thing? What are the other benefits of going with the PM4?

Thanks in advance for any info. Cheers.

rowland · Post by **rowland** » January 15th, 2009, 3:38 pm

I would say there are some advantages for some people.
The difference in price is only $150, if you can afford the D with the pm4 you probably should get the PM4. It is a deal getting it now, rather than getting it later At $360. I am just looking at the practical side of it.

I have a pm3 and I am perfectly happy with it and would never spend $360 for the upgrade. but if I was buying a new rower,like I told you above, I would consider it.

fishbust · Post by **fishbust** » February 16th, 2009, 10:46 am

You can do a side by side comparison and decide for yourself which one you need/want.

I went with a model D and PM3 and Polar heart monitor pickup because I already owned a Polar belt and I did not need any of the PM4 features.

Whichever you decide on, the PM card and saving/uploading is GREAT! No more scribbling notes trying to keep track of training numbers.

Snail Space · Post by **Snail Space** » February 18th, 2009, 2:59 am

fishbust wrote:Whichever you decide on, the PM card and saving/uploading is GREAT! No more scribbling notes trying to keep track of training numbers.

Absolutely. Also, combined with the logcard utility, you can upload your metres to the online logbook with the click of a button.

Cheers
Dave.
[Happy with my PM3, but would opt for PM4 when I buy a new ergo]

c2jonw · Post by **c2jonw** » February 18th, 2009, 11:16 am

Keith134,
You've probably seen this comparison page:
http://www.concept2.com/us/indoorrowers ... ompare.asp
The PM3 design has been stopped where it is now due to memory capacity and any upgrades will be limited to bug fixes. New games and other enhancements will only be available for the PM4. PM4 also has a rechargeable battery pack which is recharged as you row. Communication between PM4s in the same room enables wireless racing options for multiple machines. C2JonW

shu246 · Post by **shu246** » February 25th, 2009, 1:55 pm

Get the PM4.
Changing batteries is a big bother, and aint cheap. PM3 seems to go thru them rather fast, in spite of I keep the USB cable plugged and the computer on most of the time.
-shu

Montanaandy · Post by **Montanaandy** » March 2nd, 2009, 2:16 pm

c2jonw - is there ever going to be a firmware upgrade for the PM4 that will support a wireless connection between the PM4 & a Polar belt? The other exercise machines that I have which have a HR receiver support the Polar wireless standard and thus my belts are from Polar. I have not had good results using the Polar setup with my PM3 and the transmitter that runs under the track so I stopped suing it long ago (i.e. HR is frequently dropped or I get a crazy reading from time to time). You indicate that future support for the PM3 will be curtailed so there would obviously not be a firmware upgrade for this unit. Thanks.

Montanaandy · Post by **Montanaandy** » March 2nd, 2009, 2:22 pm

c2jonw - is there ever going to be a firmware upgrade for the PM4 that will support a wireless connection between the PM4 & a Polar belt? The other exercise machines that I have which have a HR receiver support the Polar wireless standard and thus my belts are from Polar. I have not had good results using the Polar setup with my PM3 and the transmitter that runs under the track so I stopped suing it long ago (i.e. HR is frequently dropped or I get a crazy reading from time to time). You indicate that future support for the PM3 will be curtailed so there would obviously not be a firmware upgrade for this unit. Thanks.

c2jonw · Post by **c2jonw** » March 2nd, 2009, 4:24 pm

As indicated on the PM3/4 comparison page, PM4 does work with polar, you just need the wired receiver unit, same as the PM3. PM3 support will not be ending, but improvements, new capabilities, etc. will only be available for the PM4 because we have pretty much maxed out the memory capacity of PM3. Regarding the inconsistent readings with Polar/PM3, you should call our tech service to do some troubleshooting. C2JonW

Citroen · Post by **Citroen** » March 2nd, 2009, 5:50 pm

c2jonw wrote: Regarding the inconsistent readings with Polar/PM3, you should call our tech service to do some troubleshooting.

Aren't most of the inconsistencies due to the odd maths and odd way the PM3/PM4 takes the instantenous HR reading at the end of the split then does a simple average on that to get the "average" HR for the whole session.

The quirk is that if you push hard for the end of the session you'll get an out of band reading for the fifth (last) split and that skews the simple average for the whole row.

We've discussed this to death and most folks accept that it's "just how it works". One tactic to get more sane numbers is to divide the row into more (up to 30) splits. The strategic way to get more accurate HR data is to use RowPro (which reads HR data on every stroke). The naive way is to accept that it works that way and use a Polar, Garmin or Suunto watch to collect your HR data.

Concept2 Forum

PM3 vs PM4 -is it worth it?

PM3 vs PM4 -is it worth it?

PM's

Re: PM's

Wireless Polar Interface?

Wireless Polar Interface?