Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - HRM Issue

Sometime my HRM works great, but other times it goes completley out of wack, saying that my heart rate is over 200BPM and I can guarantee it wasn't 200. What throws off HRM? Is there anything specific I should do in order to get an accurate reading? It's an Axiom 306.

Thanks!
James

When it goes bonkers, are you near/underneath power lines? Analog HRMs are especially susceptible, but even my digital-coded Polar 720 wiggs out sometimes at one particular spot on my regular rides.

^^ +1

If you're going near anything electrical, it can throw it out of whack. There's a section I bike near that always makes it go over 240.

This, from the Polar website:

Please note: Static electricity in clothing or a flapping shirt can cause electrical interference, so some items of clothing, i.e. man-made fibers, can also be the cause. Please try wetting the t-shirt in the area where the transmitter is.


This used to drive me nuts, now I make sure that jerseys are washed with fabric softener and hung to dry, never tossed into the dryer.

another possible cause: when i ride by a hospital in my area the hrm goes wacko... no high voltage lines i can see, but something from that hospital is putting out a powerful pulse of some kind....?

When I used my Polar or Sigma Sport (which I think is compatible with
the Polar) the electrical noise in the gym I use interferes. Now that
I use Garmin I am OK in the gym.

Yup. As already mentioned - don't worry about it, James. It's just some interference. I've found power lines to be the biggest issue also.

... Brad