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

What kind of "sketchy" is your HRM after a few hours? Does your heart start beating somewhere in the 30 per minute rate, or somewhere around 240 bmp?

When was the last time you changed or checked the battery?

Visit your local tailor/seamstress - cut the Garmin elastic strap and sew in a 6" (or whatever) extension?

Sketchy in that it stops registering, or registers in a very intermittent basis. Sometimes I can reposition the belt and it will start working again, but stop within a couple of minutes.

The first thing I did was change the batteries. The behavior continued. I've also ridden with the Polar strap one day (4-5 hours, encountered problems) and the Garmin the next (without chaning batteries, 4-5 hours, no problems). Since I've had this happen with two different Polar straps, it would seem that the Polar straps are the common item...

And I'm seriously considering modifying the Garmin strap to add the Polar pieces...

It just seems odd that the combo exhibits this behavior after a few hours, yet I've ridden 8-9 hours with the Garmin strap with no issues. I guess there is just some compatibility issue.

Charles

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I would assume that none of the major manufacturers allow compatibility? I have a HR strap I used with my Cateye HB100 and now have a Garmin 500. Any remote chance these two can be used together (Cateye strap and Garmin 500)?

Hey, how's that 500 working out? You've had it less than a week, right. I remember the late night (at least for me) forum posts about getting it.

To your question...Garmin now uses a standard called ANT+, so if the Cateye HR strap is ANT+, then you're in business. I'm guessing it isn't however since a quick review of the owner's manual doesn't say anything about it.

If you have to go with the Garmin strap, I'd suggest spending the extra $10 to get the Premium version. That model is more comfortable than the regular one, and since it uses the "puck" transmitter pictured above, if you ever need to replace the strap, you can, without the expense of replacing the entire unit (strap and transmitter). A quick Google Products web check shows that you can get the Premium strap from Amazon for about $40.

Good luck!

Charles