Garmin HRM playing up

[Hicky]

My soft strap HRM used with my edge 800 is playing silly buggers, it picks up that one is in prximity but the readout is patchy at best.
I've changed the battery(last one was less than 3Vdc) and the strap is always well fitted and the contacts moist.....help

 

[Roadrider48]

Same thing happened to me. It was all good then just started not to work out of the blue. My 800 picks it up but it doesn't actually give a reading on-screen.
Like you, I changed the battery, washed the strap(as someone here suggested), all to no avail.
Mine is about a year and a half old and it hasn't worked for the last couple of months.
So I have just accepted that it is knackered. Won't be buying another one though, not for £40 or £50....too expensive for what they are IMO.
Hope you sort it mate....

 

[DRHysted]

Replace the strap with one from Polar.

 

[Bazzer]

I have had a similar problem. I don't know if it is coincidence, but I have discovered that if the monitor is fitted a little while before I fire up the Garmin, then the display reads OK. Say fitting it when getting dressed then having breakfast, before going on my bike.
On the other hand, if I fit it just before getting on my bike, then it doesn't always pick up, until I have been riding for a while.
The conclusion I came to, possibly wrongly, is that even if you wet the contacts before fitting, that isn't necessarily enough. There has perhaps got to be a degree of moisture on the surface of the skin, which wouldn't necessarily happen, just by wetting the contacts. There is however likely to be moisture on the skin once the unit has been on the skin for a while, if only because of the plastic back to the monitor.
I had planned on trying a smear of vaseline on the contacts before fitting and then seeing if the receiver and transmitter communicated straight away, but haven't got round to it yet.

 

[jiberjaber]

Change the battery again, but this time, put the battery in upside down and keep it there for a few seconds. This shorts any residual energy out of the device electronics and ensures it is reset. Then put the battery back in the right way round.

I had the same issue over a few weeks and assumed it was static of my base layer and all sorts of other scenarios... last week with mine and I was about to buy a new HR monitor until I tried the above. Working like new now!

 

[uclown2002]

My soft strap HRM used with my edge 800 is playing silly buggers, it picks up that one is in prximity but the readout is patchy at best.
I've changed the battery(last one was less than 3Vdc) and the strap is always well fitted and the contacts moist.....help

Jersey flap? Loose fitting jerseys cause issues with my Garmin HRM.

 

[jefmcg]

In 2012, I used the garmin site to report a problem (I never throw out email)

Product is "Premium Heart Rate Monitor (Soft Strap)". It does not appear on your list of products, and I cannot see a serial number on it. Purchased on 24 August from Amazon.co.uk. Stopped working about 35 days later. Have tried with another Ant+ device, and changed the battery. No connection, device not found. Connecting to an Android phone, worked fine for the first month.

The next day:

Thank you for contacting Garmin Europe.

I am sorry to hear about the problems you are having. I will be more
than happy to send out a new HRM to you. Please can you confirm your
best address details and I will arrange this.

Edit: I've still got the replacement one, and a never used chest strap. I've changed phones, so I don't use it any more. Any offers?

 

[Hicky]

Done all the above, battery in the wrong way etc...fitted tight to my chest, strap damp.....intermittent signal....crap.
I've emailed Garmin and lets see what they say.
Thanks all.