Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Heart rate monitor compatibility?

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View Full Version : Heart rate monitor compatibility?


GaryBy
03-22-09, 10:25 AM
Are there wireless computers that are known to not interfere with separate heart rate monitors?

I want a heart rate monitor that I can use for both swimming and cycling, and a wireless bike computer with cadence. My current setup is a Cat Eye CC-CD300DW, which works fine, but drives my Polar Pacer crazy. The Polar PC300 would seem fit the bill, but has lousy reviews (even ignoring the problematic PC connectivity, which I don't need). The VDO Z3 would also fit, but is quite expensive. Neither the Rox nor the Cat Eye V3 are suitable for swimming.

What would be ideal for me would be something like the 1606L/cadence or Strada Double Wireless combined with a separate heart rate monitor, preferably Polar. Both are encoded, but I think they're both on the older radio frequency. I've submitted support questions to both Sigma and Cat Eye, but I don't expect either of them to warrant that they'll work with Polar's HRMs. In any event, independent confirmation is always useful.

Many thanks.


AEO
03-22-09, 12:57 PM
HRM for swimming? that could be tricky.

if it was just cycling I would have recommended a garmin since it can do all those on one device with no interference.

GaryBy
03-22-09, 07:43 PM
I just found the Suunto t3c line. They've taken a modular approach to their product packaging, so that there's the basic heart rate monitor, with a choice of add-on pods, including two different bike pods, a cadence pod, and a PC pod. The HRM+bike pod runs $200, cadence adds $60, PC USB connectivity adds $100. This puts it between the Polar and the VDO in total price, with better connectivity than the Polar. But the really interesting thing is that there's also a GPS pod.


GaryBy
03-26-09, 10:50 PM
For what it's worth, VDO doesn't recommend using theirs for swimming. Suunto flat out says that their digital systems won't work in the water, but you can get the $150 Memory belt which will record the data for later uploading. Polar, on the other hand, says that almost all of theirs will work.

So now I'm looking at getting a Rox 9, and using my current Polar HRM for swimming and gym until the bateries die, and then replacing the HRM. Or maybe getting a computer without the HRM, and getting a separate HRM.