Polar H9 issues: displaying low heart rate and negative trending rate

[sayn3ver]

I've been using a polar h9 for a couple weeks now.

My steady state heart rates have been displaying in the 125-140 range. I workout after work in the evening and when I get home I remove and dry the monitor and then shower and rinse the band and hang dry.


The last two sessions the thing is acting up.

I row at the gym and use the same machine (verify monitor number via ErgData).

A reasonable heart rate is shown during connection (both Bluetooth and ant) but once I setup and start a piece the rate remains at around 100. Then when I try to row harder to see if the heart rate froze it'll actually drop overtime down to 50-70.

It's done this on six 25min pieces over two days.

It's been doing it both when connected to the pm5 with Bluetooth and with ant.

I'm unsure if it's just the position of the monitor as I row. I wasted plenty of time after both workouts shifting and moving the monitor around my chest, sides and back and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

I always check to make sure all apps are closed on my iphone12 mini outside of ErgData and Spotify (as to not accidentally have connection combat between maybe Strava or the polar beat app).

I deleted the polar beat app as an experiment to see if it was still somehow interfering but same result.

The device seems to work consistently outside the gym with Strava and the polar beat app regarding my heart rate vs activity like walking or jogging.

I purchased a polar because I didn't want to deal with fiddling and wanted something to just work. For this hassle I'm sure the Amazon coospo probably works as well or better than this brand name unit.

I even updated the firmware on the erg (6xx hardware running 171) with no change in performance of the heart rate monitor.

I should add I run a memory stick in addition to erg data. Too many connections for the pm5 to run normally?

[jamesg]

HR dropping while you work suggests it's reading someone else's belt; and 100 before warmup is unlikely.

I'm too lazy to rinse my belt, with the excuse that electronics and water go all too well together.

[nick rockliff]

My H9 started doing exactly the same thing. Binned it and got a new one. Try changing the battery first though.

[gvcormac]

Have you tried replacing the battery?

I have similar issues with my H9 and I think it might be battery drain.

I think the battery drain might be caused by failing to disconnect bluetooth from my smart watch, even when monitor is unclipped from strap.

I'm not positive because it takes a couple of weeks to go through a battery. But so far, replacing the battery has fixed the problem, at least for a while.

[sayn3ver]

I'll try replacing the battery. I've only had it a couple weeks but suppose the battery it shipped with was old. The battery level says full in the polar beats app but unsure how accurate that is.

Hopefully that's all. I'll do a follow up tomorrow

[rwestco]

Similar issue using H10 HRM. Since updating to the latest firmware. As you state, connects then during the workout, the harder you row the lower it reads. When using a new battery (3.3volts tested) no issues. If it drops to 3 volts same issue. Works fine with the polar bear app even down to 2.6 volts.
Hopefully will get sorted soon

[winniewinser]

Making sure the belt is wet at the start helps with consistency I have found. I was having issues with my H10 before consistently doing it before each session now.

[gvcormac]

Similar issue using H10 HRM. Since updating to the latest firmware. As you state, connects then during the workout, the harder you row the lower it reads. When using a new battery (3.3volts tested) no issues. If it drops to 3 volts same issue. Works fine with the polar bear app even down to 2.6 volts.
Hopefully will get sorted soon

My H9 exhibits the similar behavior even using Polar's legacy gymlink 5khz connection to my treadmill or old Polar wrist receiver. Wetting doesn't help.

Sometimes it is also more hesitant to connect Bluetooth than gymlink or ANT+. That appears to be one of the first symptoms of low battery.

[Rodb]

I've been having the same problem this past week with inaccurate heart rate. Works fine at first (for 4-5 minutes) then drops steadily and stays low for a while before bouncing back to where I would expect it to be ... does this several times over the course of an hour workout.

I've been using this Polar daily for probably 2 years now. I use it for cycling, rowing, skiers, skiing, running, etc ... so I know how to to use the belt. It also has fresh batteries just last week.

In my case, I'm wondering if the HRM is just 'kaput'. What's the normal operating life of an HRM?

[Tsnor]

I've been having the same problem this past week with inaccurate heart rate. Works fine at first (for 4-5 minutes) then drops steadily and stays low for a while before bouncing back to where I would expect it to be ... does this several times over the course of an hour workout.

I've been using this Polar daily for probably 2 years now. I use it for cycling, rowing, skiers, skiing, running, etc ... so I know how to to use the belt. It also has fresh batteries just last week.

In my case, I'm wondering if the HRM is just 'kaput'. What's the normal operating life of an HRM?

I started having dropouts on an H10 after about 600 hours use. Dropouts appeared late in long, sweaty workouts. Batteries tested good (I was on second set of batteries) but I swapped to a new set of batteries anyway. At most a minor change, still had dropouts. I bought a new "Polar Pro Soft Strap" (belt only, kept old electronics pod, $30 US) -- huge difference, no more dropouts anymore at all.

If OP's H9 was old I'd suggest buying a belt. The "Polar Pro Soft Strap" is the H10 belt, but works with all snap on Polar including H9 and gets a better signal than the belt shipped with the H9 (according to polar).

Since OP's H9 is new strongly recommend they get warrantee service from polar. What he is seeing is not normal for a new belt. Polar will swap him a working unit to replace his unit.

re: What's the normal operating life of an HRM The electronics should last a long time. The belts wear out.

[Tsnor]

I've been using a polar h9 for a couple weeks now.

Oh, one other thing.

The ON/OFF switch for the H9 is not obvious.

If the module is plugged into the belt its ON.
If the module is removed its OFF.

If you left your pod/module plugged into the belt you could well be seeing battery end of life after only a couple of weeks.

If you know to look for it, you can find wording like "Connector: To preserve battery life and prevent snap oxidation, detach the connector from the strap after every use and wipe it dry with a soft towel" in your polar manual. But they certainly don't highlight it.

(suspect there is a "low power while plugged in"/ sleep mode that will work to keep batteries alive when the belt is not in use, but also suspect that the rate of false power ups is high because they want to keep the number of "failed to start up" when you are actually wearing the belt as low as possible.)

[gvcormac]

I've been using a polar h9 for a couple weeks now.

Oh, one other thing.

The ON/OFF switch for the H9 is not obvious.

If the module is plugged into the belt its ON.
If the module is removed its OFF.

If you left your pod/module plugged into the belt you could well be seeing battery end of life after only a couple of weeks.

If you know to look for it, you can find wording like "Connector: To preserve battery life and prevent snap oxidation, detach the connector from the strap after every use and wipe it dry with a soft towel" in your polar manual. But they certainly don't highlight it.

(suspect there is a "low power while plugged in"/ sleep mode that will work to keep batteries alive when the belt is not in use, but also suspect that the rate of false power ups is high because they want to keep the number of "failed to start up" when you are actually wearing the belt as low as possible.)

I suspect (but cannot prove) that it stays on if the bluetooth is connected, regardless of whether or not it is snapped to the belt.

At one point I thought it was connectivity between the two snaps that turned it on and that drying it would help. Or unsnapping one snap. Or unstapping both snaps. None of these have solved the problem for me. I'm now avoiding connecting it to my smart watch, to see of that makes the battery last more than a couple of weeks.

[rwestco]

New (CR2025 coin) battery this session and the same issue. It's almost like it's working in reverse. I choose a set piece that I do regularly (for comparative data) and during the set up, at the time of first connection. The PM5 reads 120BPM (usually around 60-70) as I progress through the piece with "pace increase" at two minute intervals, the BPM trends downward. As I finish the piece (ten minutes) with max effort it's reading 40-50 BPM, where it usually reads 160-175.
All this has been since the firmware update install. I would say that's the point of issue.

[gvcormac]

This concerns me, as I just bought a second H9 for my wife. We had previously tried brand-X, but it read very low for several minutes before giving plausible readings.

I have a drawer full of old Polars and never had problems like these. Interference from power lines sometimes but otherwise deadly accurate. I still use the T34 on my treadmill and elliptical, when the H9 acts up. Some day its battery will die ... then you ned a scalpel to change it.

[jsarche]

I've had similar problems with my H10 at times over the past few years. I've tried pretty much all of the solutions others have suggested in this thread -- and by Polar customer service -- but the only thing that's worked for me has been replacing the strap. I'm on my fourth strap now. I have no idea why this happens; I've heard from other users that they're still on the original strap, but after six to eight months, I start to see problems exactly like the original poster described. Then I get a new strap ($30-$35), and it works perfectly again.