Choosing Hear Rate Monitor

[fedora]

Basically as of now I have a Concept 2 Model D erg with a PM3 monitor, all of which has been working well. I've been wanting to start using a heart rate monitor, however, but I'd like to be able to monitor my heart rate on the erg and also in the boat so I want a sensor that is compatible with the PM3 plug-in receiver but will also be compatible with an external monitor. There seem to be a number of options to accomplish this, however, I'd like to do it most economically. The heart rate compatible stroke coaches I found are out of my range which means likely just a Polar watch monitor that I can strap onto the boat. I'd like to get just the cheapest, most simple monitor that just displays heart rate and nothing else fancy but which will work with a heart rate sensor that is also compatible with the PM3 receiver. I wasn't sure which polar sensors are compatible with the PM3 receiver and which Polar monitor would be cheapest that would also work with said sensor. I'd appreciate any advice on the subject.

[jamesg]

Get the cheapest strap and watch you can find and don't bother with compatibility. It's handy if you can change the batteries yourself. You can then use it in/on water, bike, climbing mountains, erg or anywhere you like. On the erg HR, as a proxy for power output, is not really needed, you can see your output directly and work to % of target or real 2k power, which is immediate, far more accurate and a good technical guide too. Or vice versa: analyse your work and forecast a 2k power from workout: if you can do 30 minutes at X Watts, your 2k power is around 150% of X. You'll know when you exceed your lactate threshold HR. Later on you can get some more sophisticated junk if you really need it; some watches tell us where we are, including altitude.

In any case you'll need to find your own max and rest HRs, and then apply the Karvonen HR range idea.

[OarConsequences]

My impression was that all Polar gear used the same protocol. If you're worried you could try contacting C2 sales and asking them specifically if the equipment you're looking at is compatible or not.

[Citroen]

My impression was that all Polar gear used the same protocol. If you're worried you could try contacting C2 sales and asking them specifically if the equipment you're looking at is compatible or not.

As long at the Polar belt is analog or analog (polar coded) then it WILL work with a PM3 or PM4 using the HR receiver dongle (under the rail on the long wire).

[Carl Watts]

The standard Polar coded belts do the job. The Wearlink has the replaceable battery and a really nice soft strap so you don't know your wearing it and it doesn't chaff you on really long rows. Some of the Polar transmitters now also have Bluetooth and W.I.N.D so these are not compatible with the receiver that can be purchased from Concept 2 and plugs into your PM3.

Overall the Polar system works well and I use it on both of my Ergs.

[mohamedtri]

I'm using Garmin 910XT with my Model D & PM4 and they're a perfect match. Unlike Polar which uses a proprietary protocol as I know, Garmin and Wahoo uses the ANT+, which is the common standard for fitness device communication. To a good extent most of the ANT+ compatible devices are able to communicate with each other because they share a common protocol.

Further, unlike the additional piece of equipment required to make Polar talk to PM4, Garmin devices can talk without much fuss due to both using ANT+. You may check the Forerunner series, and choose depending on your requirement and budget. Better check the C2 site and also talk to their Customer Support after you have shortlisted a few models. All the best!

[Carl Watts]

I think you will find Polar being used on fitness equipment more than ANT+.

ANT+ is a pain and even Polar recognises the move to Bluetooth and have gone that way. Concept 2 needs to revise the PM4 Firmware to enable Bluetooth and for the future PM5 it's a must have. The Bluetooth dongle for your PC is a few dollars and this would enable you to throw the USB cable in the bin and row wireless with RowPro. The big advantage here is that the PC could even be in another room and you can just wheel the rower out of the garage onto the drievway in the summer when the weather is great without any cables to worry about.

[Ergmeister]

I use a Polar HR belt with C2's plug in monitor and it works very well with all the devices I use at the gym as well as the rower. The data is captured and logged by the PM3 or PM4 for your log file if you use a card which I do. The new Erg Buddy app for iPhone also provides a lot of data so if you are interested in getting your HR lined up with and matched to your work on anything, this is a system I've used for five years and am very happy with it. Before I bought the plug in receiver for the PM3/PM4, I simply attached my polar HR watch to the handle facing up and kept an eye on it. Every fitness machine with HR monitoring in my gym works on my polar belt without fail or issues, so it's pretty versatile. My belt began to fail last year after 4 yrs of daily use (battery?) and it was less expensive to buy a new belt on the web than to pay Polar to service it.

[Clifonef]

I am using the Garmin 910XT and a PM4 monitor. I have set up workouts on the Garmin and would like to capture the distances for several intervals in the Garmin data base. This is no problem outside when in a boat as the GPS provides the distance. However, when inside nothing is captured. The ANT beacon is active on the PM4, but nothing is transferred to the Garmin device. What I am doing now is transcribing data from my PM4 to the Garmin Connect database, but this is so pencil-and-paper. Is there a way for the PM4 to get the information to the Garmin device?

[raotor]

I use the Polar FT1 heart rate monitor which comprises the Polar T31 chest belt transmitter and a wrist watch receiver. It's the cheapest Polar solution and works fine with the PM3 via the Concept 2 heart rate receiver module and cable which you need to purchase from C2 (Part reference 1862).

The Polar FT1 wrist watch receiver just shows heart rate in large clear figures, so should be suitable for use in a boat and is simple to operate.

Regards

Steve

[Iron Cinghi]

I'm using Garmin 910XT with my Model D & PM4 and they're a perfect match. Unlike Polar which uses a proprietary protocol as I know, Garmin and Wahoo uses the ANT+, which is the common standard for fitness device communication. To a good extent most of the ANT+ compatible devices are able to communicate with each other because they share a common protocol.

Further, unlike the additional piece of equipment required to make Polar talk to PM4, Garmin devices can talk without much fuss due to both using ANT+. You may check the Forerunner series, and choose depending on your requirement and budget. Better check the C2 site and also talk to their Customer Support after you have shortlisted a few models. All the best!

hi. just a question. when you sync with garmin connect, the activity is marked as other or as indoor rowing?
i have forerunner 610 that marks as indoor rowing and forerunner 910xt that marks as other and when i change to indoor rowing, it doesn't display strokes and cadence