Training & Nutrition - vasaline as contact

My HRM has been acting up.

I changed batteries but still, I get readings that aren't right. Too high or too low. Sometimes the display says no input data. The problem is only for small portions of a ride, but I need the accuracy to be right.

I was thinking of using something like Vaseline for contact instead of water because maybe, the water put on the cheast strap just isn't doing the job.

Good idea?

veggie glycerin maybe but not vaseline.
Only because vaseline is a petrolium product so it's pretty nasty stuff.

Just spit on the contacts.

Also synthetic fabrics flapping in the wind will produce static and screw with the results. Wear tight fitting jerseys or wet the front of your shirt before riding. Once you are sweating the static won’t be a problem.

petrol jelly will not work

If you are not getting good readings after riding a few minutes, then the problem is not the electrical contact between the strap and your chest. A few minutes of riding should build up enough sweat (salt water) to make a good connection.

Why would you think that vaseline would be better? There are conductive gels for HRM straps, but they really should not be necessary.

I made a 5% salt/water solution, and it works great. My Sigma HRM starts reading right away without sweat.

Regards

I have a Timex and I was think Vaseline might work better because it would stick to the contact rather than what may be happenning now which is the water that I place on it mostly goes away and the readings aren't good untill there is a good sweat happenning.

Nothing's more frustrating seeing your rate displayed as 240 one second and then 93 the next. That's got to screw up the average.

I thought about using spit, but I thought that might lead to some rash at the contact from the pores opening up and letting in all that junk that's no doubt swimming about in my mouth.

Do you have a hairy chest? I do and I know that plays havoc with the readings. I'm thinking of shaving!

saliva.

Shoulders hunch forward and chest goes concave. Result, HRM loses contact. Tighten up strap and use sweat, salt water or saliva.

Tightened up the strap, spit on the transmitter and it seems to be working reliably now.

No skin issues a the spit points either.