Athletic heart rate monitor belts

I am new to PM and this site, having had my first pm implant the day before yesterday.

I'm a life long bicyclist, my average mileage for the last ten years is about 100 miles/wk.

I use a Garmin edge 520 along with a variety of belts that snap around my torso with the pick ups quite close to the pm incision.

The only literature I have found thus far, addresses the pm's effect on the HR monitor.  About which, by comparison, I am hardly concerned at all.

The more compelling concern is whether the belt can affect the operation of the pm.

The belt that I most often use is a Wahoo brand*  that, like most other belts, communicates (links to) with the device via a bluetooth (RF) signal.  I usually link it to my iPhone as a back up.

I would really like to hear from someone who actually wears such a belt that sends info to a Edge 520 or similar product.

(Incidentally, it was the data presented by the edge/Wahoo combination that sent me scampering to a cardiologist to begin with.)

Any help much appreciated!

* https://tinyurl.com/ybl85r8n

5 Comments

No Problems Here

by Shaun - 2017-11-23 16:10:27

I sometimes use a Garmin ANT+ heartrate sensor (clipped into a belt that wraps arond the torso) with my Garmin Edge 1000 and I’ve never experienced any problems.

Thanks for the on point answer!

by halmc - 2017-11-23 21:15:08

Thanks for an on point answer, something of a rarity on internet forums in my experience.

I was reading back in this forum about heartrate sensors and ran across a thread you started about two years ago in which you inquired about HR monitors.  If I undertand correctly, you were asking about the value of optical readers.  I have used a Garmin 225 running watch and a Microsoft "band" both of which use optical reading and neither one of 'em were worth a hoot.  Unreliable and almost never accurate.  The technology just ain't where it needs to be.  A total waste of money.

 

I had issues with Garmin straps

by jesmondo - 2017-12-21 10:05:17

Hi,  since having a pacemaker fitted I found my garmin straps no longer worked at all, so have replaced it with a Scosche RHYTHM+ armband.  I have to say it works very well for me and support ant+ and bluetooth.

I have an old polar strap & watch that is acurrate and still works and it compares well for values, never out more than 1 bpm.

HR monitors: arm band

by halmc - 2018-07-30 08:51:27

I ordered a Scosche RHYTHM+ armband and will be giving it a shot as soon as it arrives.

Does it use optical technology or more conventional, like the torso belts?

Oddly enough my wahoo torso belt-borne sensor works with the Pacemaker, but I get goofy results, i.e., sticking on a given heart beat --  say 107bpm --  for a mile or so, then working somewhat normally for a while, then getting "stuck" again.  Weird.  It took me a good while to persuade myself that it was the monitor rather than my heart/PM "sticking" at one rate.  I had to resurrect one of my optically-driven wrist watch/monitors to finally blame the torso belt-borne one.

I hope the arm band one works.  I'll report here the results I get.

 

 

Scosche RHYTHM GREAT RESTULTS

by halmc - 2018-08-07 10:30:24

I bought an Scosche RHYTHM as Jesmondo and am happy to report that it works wonderfuly.  It uses optical technology. Not only does it accurately report my heart rate but the hitherto difficult-to-explain bra strap shadow across my back is beginning to fade.  Thanks to Jesmondo, and thanks to this forum.

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