Discussion: How to keep heart rate transmitter in place

Inevitably my HRM strap falls down off my chest and becomes a belt. Anyone have a trick? I've tried safety pins and different tightnesses with a nice fabric- type transmitter to no avail. Maybe I need a shoulder strap?

I have had that problem, too. Making it pretty tight works for a while, but in longer races it tends to begin to fall down.

However, I think the real solution is to develop a nice rotund beer belly and then it should be fine.

eat more pies!

I wear mine so it feels tight at the start. After a bit, this feeling goes away. I have the sensor part just under my man-chest and I try to pull up the strap at the back. I have used a cheap Polar model and now have a Garmin. The longest I have worn them is for a couple of hours but they never slipped down.

Shoulder straps might somehow work but you might try just attaching them to the back strap.

Well, there are bras available with a slot for the hrm to fit into. Perhaps you could buy a bra that is comfortable like a short shirt (they use bras to hold traktrak's so even the best wear them ;)?

I have seen skiers who generally have a more developed upper body use a string or elastic band that they loop up over the shoulders like a shoulder strap. Another solution (the opposite of getting a belly) is to become rake thin so you don't have any lats or pecs that cause the strap to drift downwards.

wearing compression shirt helps a lot, not a good solution for a hot day

tape it?

Another solution (the opposite of getting a belly) is to become rake thin so you don't have any lats or pecs that cause the strap to drift downwards.

I think I'd have a better chance with the belly, but that might hurt my running performance more than thin elastic suspenders, so I'll try that first. This is a pet peeve, so thanks for the ideas.

Mine actually works when I move it down below my ribcage after the inevitable chafing sets in about 18 hours into a rogaine...I say, if it wants to fall down and it works, go with it!

Well, I'm leaning more towards the shoulder strap idea. It sounds better than no more Lat work on the weights.
I was thinking of just a band of thin elastic cord, but I'm worried about it chafing. Maybe I can modify part of my older HRM strap.

Maybe I can modify part of my older HRM strap.

But an ammo belt would look gnarlier. ;-)

Whichever strap you go with, let your AP friends know how it works.

I could lend you a sports bra, 'Bent. Sure it might chafe a little, but you'll just have to be a man about it. ;-)

'Bent, use a battery vest for it and run always with headlamp.

I used to use a soft shoelace over my shoulder with my old transmitter, but I don't need id any more - now I have Polar's fabric one, bigger belly and less upper body workout.

Stapples? *grin*

No, seriously - back inthe days "before" the beer belly I used to have this problem as well. I solved it quite simply by using a small bit of tape on either end of the heart rate monitor. Lucky for me I don't have a hairy chest!

The Garmin HR strap, actually works even when it goes down over my belly (ahm.. six pack). I haven't performed a scientific experiment, and I don't have a statistically significant number of samples, so it's all anecdotal. Grin *...

* I can almost see a gaggle of APs running with HR straps on their bellies tomorrow ;) (Just like the "spontaneous" pillow fights at Pike Place Market in Seattle) http://www.seattleghost.com/youtube/2008/10/5/pike...

Not sure if anyones has mentioned it, but what i find works the best with my polar, which i usually use on the bike and but sometimes running is to wear it backwards. i.e. with the sensor in the middle of the back and the elastic across the front of the chest. Not sure why it works but it doesnt seem to fall down.

Huh! Never thought of that. I'll try it and see if it picks up.

I found a good solution. I found another elastic back strap from an older transmitter that died, and used it as a shoulder strap.

I attached velcro to the lollypop-shaped tab on one end of the shoulder strap and the corresponding velcro bit to the front of my detachable transmitter. I cut off the plastic bit on the other end of the shoulder strap, the one with the adjustable loop, and passed the back of the working chest strap through this loop.

It worked well- picked up signal even though it wasn't too tight.

I can detach the transmitter while leaving the strap in place, so I can put the strap on early instead of fumbling with it under all the layers just before the start. All I need to do is snap on the transmitter/shoulder strap near the start.

I tried the "round the belly" approach, but found I had a very low HR for that session. I'm not sure it picks up all the beats from that low down.

If the straps are nylon, then an issue is that nylon stretches when wet. Do what scuba divers do, and wet the nylon straps before putting them on. That way, they're already stretched by the wetness when you adjust them, rather than stretching as you sweat.

Another question about using the heart monitors:

I've had two (one a cheap brand, one quite expensive), and both fritzed out on me after several months. They just started giving absurd results for heart rate (i.e., 230 without me doing anything, then dropping down to 40, then freezing up on a number). I took the expensive one to a watch store because I thought the battery was dying, but they tested the battery and said it was fully powered.

Anyone else have these problems with heart rate monitors? Any suggestions before I try another?

I almost gave up on HRMs, as the plastic monitors never really read well. They'd work for a while, then lose signal, freeze up, I'd have to re-start, then the HRM would fall off, etc.

I was at my chiropractor and got some electroconductive gel, which greatly improves the signal.

I finally got the newer fabric HRM transmitter from Polar. It seems to get much better signal for me, even without the gel, and I think I have the "falling off" problem solved now.

@ MDeVoll - Ever run near a powerline or train track! I have this problem all the time and it is easily explained. Often when running near or under a power line this happens, and VERY often when running next to train tracks that use electricty. It gets particually weird as the train gets closer!