seejay555

Does anyone on here exercise with a Polar HRM and download data onto their PC? If so I could do with some help!!!

PG

sorry to hi-jack but where is the best place to get a hold of these things?

Crapaud62

Yes, I use an X-trainer plus and download the data to my laptop.

I use it for gym work and all my cycling. I have the speed, cadence and altitude sensors as well as the heart beat monitors. Cycle shops are best places to get the watches and software from. UK importer is very helpful and repaired mine under warranty when I had problem despite fact that I had bought it in New York.

Whats your problem?

[Edited by Crapaud62 - 2/18/2003 8:54:10 PM]

ozzy

I used to have a Polar S410, but treated myself last year to the S610. I would personally avoid the S710 or S510 unless your specifically into serious cycling. All the altitude/candence stuff is purely for cycling, so if you're just into running or gym work you'll not use them. I do cycle myself, but purely to compliment my training so I've no real need for logging anything other than my heart rate (although a GSM could be used for tracking distances, speeds, etc. whether on a bike, running or even swimming)

IIRC, only the S610+ allow you to set the capture interval for heart beats. Mine does 5, 10 and 15secs and has enough memory for 24-60hrs of recording. If you want each heart beat recorded, then you need to spend about £300 for the S810

Mine also uses IR to transfer data to my PC (using the Polar IR receiver).

I bought mine for £150 (inc. IR transmitter) from Newitts. Every now and again they do special offers (hence the low price I paid), but it's usually a £200 HRM.

Other cheap online stores are

Exercise Zone
Heart Rate Monitors

Stefan


[Edited by ozzy - 2/20/2003 11:47:09 AM]

ozzy

Here's a couple of results from my S610.

First is from a days Hill Walking a couple of weeks back. 50mph winds, driving snow and 1000m ascent/decsent from Sea Level, so we were working pretty hard all the way. Even jogged off the hill, so my heart rate was still pretty high at the end.



Second is from one of my cross-country runs (about an hour or so long). There's a few good hills I've got to get over, so you can see where I'm having to work hard and where I can get some recovery time on the descents.



Is that the sort of thing you're after?

Stefan

ChrisB

That's well Ozzy.

Mungo

I'd also recommend Pete Bland Sports - excellent service.

http://www.peteblandsports.co.uk (sorry can't do links )

Edited to say no connection with above blah, blah ,blah.

[Edited by Mungo - 2/19/2003 12:05:45 PM]

seejay555

Thanks folks.
Ozzy - what software is that?
Chris.

ozzy

Chris,

It's the software that comes bundled with the Polar HRM's (well the ones that can connect to your PC anyway). It's called 'Polar Precision Performance SW v3' to give it it's full title (or PPP for short - I kid you not), although they update it every few months, so it's at version 4 now.

Have a look around Polar SW site for some detailed info. If you need any specific questions answered, let me know and I'll do my best (I'm no expert).

If you can splash out the extra dosh, get one of the IR hrm's and not the SonicLink ones. My old S410 used this to transfer data and it was a pile of cr@p IMHO. It sends out some beeps that you need to pick up using a soundcard and mic. I could never get the damn thing to work reliably and gave up using it. Also get one with a decent memory to store all the heart beats. The cheapo ones will show each beat on the display, but they work out how often to capture data based on how fast your heart is beating. So, if you sprint for 400m, you may get a beat capture every 15secs, but on a long steady run it maybe every minute or even longer.

Depends on what you want really as there's an argument that over a n 8hr period do you really need to know what your beats were every 5secs.

What I really want is a method for measuring distance, pace, ascent/descent to superimose this on the HRM data. Timex and Nike have released speed/distance monitors, but I don't understand why Polar don't incorporate one in their HRM. They'd make an absolute mint.

Stefan

[Edited by ozzy - 2/20/2003 11:50:25 AM]

seejay555

Thanks Ozzy. My wife bought me the S410 for my birthday last year. I've loaded the software that comes with that (it's called PC Coach, hence the ? about yours as it's obviously different) but (as you rightly predict) I'm finding the Sonic Link transfer crap/unreliable.
I may have to rethink or just kick the PC!!!

ozzy

It might be better trying a quality mic and/or sound card. I just cound't be @rsed to be honest.

I think the software I have should work with your S410; it's certainly got the Polar sonic link settings, so if you fancy trying it just drop me an e-mail.

Stefan