Polar Wearlink

Impossible is Nothing

Does anyone know if the Wearlink is compatible with other makes of HRM?

It's much the best chest strap and it would put me off getting a different brand of HRM if I had to go back to the awful straps with big "flexible" plastic bits on front.

[Deleted User]

They will work with most other analgue HRMs, but these are quite rare. They will not work with Timex Digital HRMs, not I suspect any other brand of digital device...

[Deleted User]

they are definately incompatible with any of the digital systems.As it is a analogue device, that iswhy polar code them to lower the interferance problems.

[Deleted User]

I have a Polar S625X which came with a Wearlink. It is very comfortable and always stays in place.
I travel a lot and have used it on treadmills, exercise bikes, steppers and god knows what exercise equipment with built-in HRM receivers. (In Seoul, Shanghai, Raleigh NC, and New York since new year only) I have yet to find one that does not pick up the Wearlink signal properly. That, to me, would mean that it is compatible with most HRM's.
Or am I wrong?

[Deleted User]

It means most exercise equipment is compatible with Polar HRMs. Presumably Polar licence their receiver to exercise equipment makers. I really doubt they licence it to competitors making other HRM watches.

[Deleted User]

DRT,

Doesn't the coding make them digital, or am I getting confused. I always wondered how POlar encoded their signal...

djb

[Deleted User]

Polar Non-Coded Transmitter:
Transmission frequency: 5kHz
Means of transmission: On/Off -modulation, magnetic field by means of a 5-7 milliseconds burst for each heart beat

Polar Coded Transmitter:
Transmission frequency: 5kHz
Means of transmission: On/Off -modulation, magnetic field by means of a train of three 5 milliseconds bursts for each heart beat for Time Interval Coding

[Deleted User]

I'm glad someone else explained how polar code their transmitters.

I use a Suunto which is digital & the foot pod & HR band have to be paired with the watch. & when you want to use it you have to search for the devices, it basically sets up a local digital network. I know that Suunto used to get their HR bands from Polar.

My cardiosport seems to work interchangably with polar stuff.

[Deleted User]

Just to avoid confusion my point was built on the following facts/assumptions:
Since it did not say Polar on the exercise equipment it probably work with other HR bands.
The Wearlink works with older non coded receivers.
My impression is that the HRM transmission scheme is the same for most HRM's.

I agree it is a bit inductive so dont take my word for it, but in my mind probability of compatibility is high.

[Deleted User]

Polar have been going for years longer than anyone else and have a bigger market share than anyone else, therefore exercise equipment makers have a bigger incentive to make their equipment polar compatible. That doesn't mean they won't be able to receive other HRM transmissions to, but I suspect few would bother.

Polar designed the coded system to be forward and backwards compatible. A non-coded receiver sees the signal it was expecting at a given time, followed by a couple of signal repeats that it decides to discard since nobody has a +500bpm heart rate.

I have three types of HRM belts, Polar, Timex and one that came with my Proform treadmill. None work with any of the others.

[Deleted User]

I guess that settles it. I have not tried with other HRM.

Impossible is Nothing

Cheers Foo Bar - a pretty thorough answer (which I'm sure I don't fully understand)!

Damn shame though - the wearlink is the most comfortable strap, and I don't think any of the others do similar style straps. I remain a Polar user then!