Which heart rate monitor

[HornetMaX]

Just curious: is this 100.000% equivalent to connecting the HRM "directly" to the PM5 (and fire up ErgData after) ?
I mean even in corner cases, e.g. ErgData crashes mid-session: can i still see the HR on the PM5 no matter if I connected the HRM to the PM5 directly or "via ErgData" ?

Yes, it is 100% equivalent. It shows and behaves exactly the same, both on the PM5 and ErgData. ErgData literally tells the PM5 to connect, which it does.

Thx !

[Tsnor]

Connect Ergdata first, Ergdata will (silently) tell the PM5 to connect your HR monitor.

Just curious: is this 100.000% equivalent to connecting the HRM "directly" to the PM5 (and fire up ErgData after) ?
I mean even in corner cases, e.g. ErgData crashes mid-session: can i still see the HR on the PM5 no matter if I connected the HRM to the PM5 directly or "via ErgData" ?

As far as I can tell, there is no difference once your HRM is connected.

Remembering back 4 years or so when I used to connect the HRM manually, connecting through ergdata saves time and hassle. There are less button presses and the PM5 also seems to connect to the HRM faster than it populates the list of available HRMs. At the boathouse when I am on the PM5 connect menu to connect Ergdata, the HR connect button flips from "connect" to "disconnect" 1-2 seconds after ergdata connects. I use that to see that the HR monitor is connected before I leave the pm5 connect menu.

[IStream]

Thanks, everyone. I was aware that Ergdata remembers the HRM but don't always have my phone with me when working out, so I wanted to know if the PM5 could do it without the USB stick. Mine hasn't done so reliably so I wasn't sure if it was by design.

[mromero680]

My Garmin 245 is fine for everything but rowing. The heart rate monitoring during rows is more of a distraction than it's worth. I got an email ad from Garmin in early January about the HRM200 chest strap and figured I'd bite the bullet and pay $88 to get accurate HR info. After three weeks of silence I contacted them. They couldn't tell me when they would be able to fill the order so I cancelled. I've been following this thread for a backup plan.

[IStream]

For what it's worth, my Polar H10 has been rock solid so far (granted, only 10 days), using both Bluetooth and ANT. I paid less than $88 for the monitor with chest strap.

I tend to avoid Garmin as a rule because their business model seems to be centered around rapid product obsolescence and loss of support.

[mromero680]

Good to know about Polar. I see the H10 comes with the strap and sensor. Does the PM5 display the HR data without the cable and sensor required like the setup for my old PM3?

[gvcormac]

Good to know about Polar. I see the H10 comes with the strap and sensor. Does the PM5 display the HR data without the cable and sensor required like the setup for my old PM3?

If you search this forum, you can find my contrary opinions on Polar.

That said, here's some factual info:

Strap and sensor are completely independent. All you need for PM5 is the strap. Any strap that does ANT+ or Bluetooth will do. Coospo 808s is less than half the price of a Polar, and works fine.

For outdoor use (which we aren't talking about) I find the Garmin Dual a bit better than the Coospo, but they are both better than the Polar.

[reuben]

For what it's worth, my Polar H10 has been rock solid so far (granted, only 10 days), using both Bluetooth and ANT. I paid less than $88 for the monitor with chest strap.

My H10 is solid as well, with both the PM5 and ergData (phone). It got a little glitchy recently, but then I got a notification that the battery was low. I replaced the battery (CR2025 I think, slightly slimmer than CR2032) and now it's solid again.

PM5 - ergData (phone) via BT.
PM5 - H10 via ANT.

I'm pretty sure that I'm running the latest and greatest firmware for the version of hardware in my PM5. Not sure about my ergData version.

[mromero680]

Thanks for the tip. Ordered the 808s. For that price I'm willing to give it a shot.

[Dangerscouse]

Thanks for the tip. Ordered the 808s. For that price I'm willing to give it a shot.

I've had an 808s for about four years (I think), and I've replaced it once when the first one got sweat damaged. Apart from that I've had no issues with it.

[HornetMaX]

Good to know about Polar. I see the H10 comes with the strap and sensor. Does the PM5 display the HR data without the cable and sensor required like the setup for my old PM3?

If you search this forum, you can find my contrary opinions on Polar.

If you search this forum (or any forum), you can find contrary opinions on everything

My H9 is 3.5 yrs old. I have absolutely zero issues with (connecting to different devices) except the durability of the elastic strap: at the price the original polar straps are sold, you can basically have an 808s or H6 so yeah, that's not ideal. I've never tried a non-original elastic strap, they are for sure cheaper than polar ones. Will do next time, likely.

H10 is only worth if you value the onboard memory (i.e. if you do activities without your smartphone/watch) or if you value the pro strap (to be honest, I don't find it so much better than the regular non-pro strap, surely not worth the pricer difference for me). You can add the pro strap to an H9 the first time you need to replace the strap.

My (personal) conclusion is that the Polars (H9, H10) are the golden standard, but the Coospos (H6, 808s) are better price/performance.

[gvcormac]

Yes, there are differing opinions, but there seems to be consensus that Polar H9 and H10 straps are temperamental.

I have now owned my Polar H9 for several years, my Coospo H808s for fifteen months, and my Garmin Dual for a bit less. My wife also has an H9 which she has barely used, and behaves the same as mine (and so does swapping straps/transmitters).

I wear the Coospoo every day -- more than 400 sessions so far -- and it has never failed indoors. Outdoors I give it a B+. My Polar H9 fails nearly every time I try it outdoors, and a substantial fraction of the time when I use it indoors. Although it purportedly speaks GymLink, it is really not usable with my legacy equipment (including a PM3 with external receiver). For that I use an AliExpress Gymlink-only strap that works fine.

The Garmin is the most reliable. I mainly save it for outdoors, and for that I'd give it an A-. It sometimes (rarely) gives bonkers readings for a few minutes, generally cured by slobbering on the contact pads. Note that the Garmin has four contact pads (two on each side) which may contribute to its reliability.

I seldom wash or rinse the Coospo or Garmin. Maybe every couple of months (100 wearings; 50-70 hours). Washing the H9 strap may help a bit indoors, but does not cure the outdoor problem.

I'm through with Polar. It has been nearly 30 years since I bought my first. Gone are the days when you could get a perfectly good transmitter and receiver for $30. I still have a few T32/T34 straps that still work better than the H9. But they speak only Gymlink and their batteries won't last forever. I have been known to do a battery replacement with a scalpel, but the AliExpress cheapo is way easier!