Spartan Sport WHR Baro always reading HR too high at first few km while running

[vietpq]

I just bought Spartan Sport WHR Baro nearly 2 months ago. I usually have problem with the WHR. It’s usually readining HR too high at first few km while running, even higher than my maximum HR. I have tried to follow Suunto guide but problem still remain (I already update lasted firmware and try to reset the watch). Following are some moves for the details:
http://www.movescount.com/moves/move240833009
http://www.movescount.com/moves/move240624460
http://www.movescount.com/moves/move230077271
Please help
Thank you

[SlaSh]

What works for me is to go to exercise you are going to perform but do not start it few mins before, it will engage HR sensor and GPS if it is outdoor workout, this will correct HR readings of the start. I do this usually during warm up session.

[iuliant]

@SlaSh said in Spartan Sport WHR Baro always reading HR too high at first few km while running:

What works for me is to go to exercise you are going to perform but do not start it few mins before, it will engage HR sensor and GPS if it is outdoor workout, this will correct HR readings of the start. I do this usually during warm up session.

This also works for me too, i remain in the exercise screen (where it searches for HR and GPS) the whole warm-up and occasionally check my HR and after about 10-15 minutes of warm up i start the exercise timer and don’t have any issues during my runs. Still, there are some times when HR spikes are recorded but i guess this happens also on garmin fenix watches as well.

[sartoric]

@vietpq
Do you wait for HR “locking” before starting your training ? Does it show the right value ?

In some cases for a “Weight training” session I faced some similar issue but when started the training, HR were quickly “corrected”.

[Alberto Yoldi]

This issue happened to me for the last years on every watch I used. Even with external HR sensors, I always have an extreme peak at the beginning. I even thought it is my heart

[SlaSh]

@sartoric wrist HR for weight training is awful cause of the wrist movement and hr readings are with huge delays, hr raising after you have already done the set chest strap or forearm based ohrm are much faster to respond to fast hr beats changes.

[vietpq]

@sartoric I always turn on exercise mode, wait for HR & GPS stay at stable condition and do some warming up (about 5 minutes) before hit start button but problem still remain. Next time I will try to wait longer

[vietpq]

@Alberto-Yoldi do you think that is a normal situation or a problem?

[sartoric]

@SlaSh said in Spartan Sport WHR Baro always reading HR too high at first few km while running:

@sartoric wrist HR for weight training is awful cause of the wrist movement and hr readings are with huge delays, hr raising after you have already done the set chest strap or forearm based ohrm are much faster to respond to fast hr beats changes.

I know, and I’ve seen it
But in those case I don’t need very precise data and that’s why, for now, I’m not buying a chest strap.

Maybe I could arrange a very long wrist band

[jthomi]

Sometimes, before starting a ride the start screen shows a HR value of maybe 75 or 80, but when I start the exercise the watch shows twice as much.

I stop the exercises, delete it because of the wrong HR and start the exercise again.

This time when start screen show a certainly value the watch shows the same when starting the exercise. This happens from time to time, but not regular.

Spartan Sport with chest belt.

[SlaSh]

@sartoric or scosche rythm in my case, very comfortable and accurate device.

[SlaSh]

@jthomi even with the belt? WOW thats bad…

[A Former User]

@vietpq I wonder how well Baro sits on your wrist, i.e. whether you have large wrists or not? Spartan units (not Trainers) are fairly big, and I’d imagine would have more of a “roll” on smaller or medium wrists as your arms move, resulting in some erroneous HR. At least, until blood circulation picks up and your limbs start to swell a bit due to all the increased blood flow.

Also, when you begin to run, do you shoot like a bat from hell or pick up your speed slowly in a I’m-a-weightlifter-not-runner-piss-off type of fashion? Optical HR is known to lock on cadence sometimes, especially when there’s light leaking.

I have Spartan Baro too and have been relatively impressed with its accuracy, enough that I no longer carry a strap or band most of the time. But then my wrists are on a larger side, I always start uber-slow, and I’m a perfect pick for optical HR from a skin complexion point of view…

[jthomi]

@SlaSh Only sometimes, maybe once, twice in two weeks…

[sartoric]

@jthomi
But that looks like an issue in “transposing” what is measured into numbers … or heart at full throttle

[A Former User]

@vietpq Yep, looked at your moves data… Cadence 91 (182 for both legs), heart rate 183-185… See above. I’d definitely suggest wearing the Baro higher on your wrist and making sure it sits real snug.

[vietpq]

@NickK I alway wear the watch 2 fingers above wrist bone during exercise as Suunto’s guide for WHR, I also wear tight enough so can’t be able to see the light shining from the sensor.
I’m experienced runner so I usually do warm up carefully and start at easy pace for first few km before speed up

[A Former User]

@vietpq I did check your moves: the watch is clearly locking on your running cadence as Valencell sensor, and many others, are known to do sometimes. Not sure there’s much you can do about it. I had a very similar issue with a few Garmin devices and their Elevate sensor a couple of years back: they’d lock on my walking cadence, “hike” heart rate to 110-115, then “chase” it all the way up to 140-150 trying to lock on something real.

If you are absolutely positively sure the watch is tight to avoid any light leakage, my only suggestion would be to either try a different arm, or arm position, or really low cadence initially – like 80-110 typical for walking, or use a separate sensor like Scosche Rhythm or Polar OH1.

Unfortunately, to this day wrist mounted sensors can be a hit or miss, and for you it’s clearly more of a miss.

[Brad_Olwin]

@vietpq I have issues that are worse than yours for OHR and at this time it works for some and not for others. I believe that Suunto is working with Valencel to make this work better. We just have to wait for future updates. I use the Smart Sensor when I need accurate HR.

[SlaSh]

@Brad_Olwin people reporting abnormalities even with suunto smart sensor… sometimes I feel like it is not an hr sensor itself, but something with algorithms.