Hi all...

I've got an Edge 500 (moved up from a Forerunner 50, then Forerunner 405), and I use the Premium Heart Rate monitor with it. (For those not aware of the differences, the non-premium strap has two tabs that slot into the strap, whereas the premium version has a belt with two snap tabs onto which the transmitter, which is shaped like a smushed hockey puck, snaps.) Pictures will probably help make this clearer...

Regular Garmin heart rate monitor below


Premium Garmin heart rate monitor and puck below


FYI, both straps work well, and I haven't had any issues with the heart rate monitoring. What is a bit of problem is that at present, I'm a big guy...with a 48/50 inch chest. Both straps are very tight, and the premium is already starting to stretch/show signs of wear after just a couple of months.

Right after I got the Premium strap, I happened to see a picture of the Polar Wearlink+ strap. I know that the transmitter units are not compatible (Garmin/Polar), but it certainly looked like the Garmin transmitter puck would snap right onto the Polar strap. The Polar strap is also available in sizes...up to an XXXL which handles a 60-inch chest! Picture below:



I thought, "Oh well, it's worth a shot", and ordered the strap from Amazon. It arrived, the Garmin puck snapped right on, and I put it on. SUCCESS! The Garmin Puck/Polar strap/sensors worked and I was able to get my heartrate on all of my Garmin units.

It's at this point that I finally get to the point of the thread...

The combo works GREAT for about 2-3 hours, but then it stops transmitting successfully. I've tried re-applying conductive gels (two types), saliva, repositioning, etc.,...all to no avail. After 2-3 hours, it just doesn't transmit consistently. If I can get it to start recording again, it's very sketchy and eventually ends up dropping out again.

My first thought was that I had a bad Polar strap, so I ordered another one...and experienced the exact same problem, so I'm assuming that there is just something about the combination of the two that is the problem.

It's not a deal-breaker as I CAN use the Garmin strap...it's just not as comfortable as the Polar XXL strap. Obviously if I got to Garmin or Polar, their response is don't use the combo.

So, I thought I'd ask here...Has anyone else tried this? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...

Charles