How should I care for my Polar System?

THE WRIST UNIT
The following suggestions help in maintaining the water resistance:

Keep your unit clean.
Wipe off any moisture before putting the unit away. You may also wash it with mild soap and water solution under running water. Remember not to press any buttons.
Do not store the unit in non-breathable material (i.e. plastic bag or damp gym bag).
Do not operate the buttons whilst under water or when wet.
Keep your unit out of extreme cold (below –10 °C/14 °F) and heat (above 50 °C/120 °F).

IF THE BATTERY RUNS OUT
The first sign that the battery may be running down is when the display fades. This may become apparent when the digits fade when the back light is used (certain models).
We recommend that you send your unit to the Polar Service. The rubber seal that ensures water resistance should be checked and the unit should be tested for water resistance every time it is opened.
Service to your unit by yourself or an unauthorized service may damage your unit.
Warranty does not cover damage or consequential damage caused by service not authorized by Polar.

THE TRANSMITTER
Proper care of the transmitter after use ensures longer service life for the transmitter.
Wash the transmitter regularly after use. T31, T31C, T61 transmitters should be washed with a mild soap and water solution. Dry it carefully with a soft towel after washing.
WearLink transmitter strap and connector should be rinsed with water. Never store the transmitter when it is wet, and store the strap and connector separately. Sweat and moisture can keep the electrodes wet and the transmitter activated, which shortens the battery life.
Store your Polar product in a cool and dry place. Make sure that the electrodes do not contact anything damp, such as sport towel or wet elastic strap. Do not store a wet transmitter in any kind of non-breathing material, such as a plastic bag or a sports bag.
Do not bend or stretch the transmitter. This may damage the electrodes.
Readjust the elastic strap periodically so that the transmitter fits firmly around the chest.
Only dry the transmitter with a towel. Hard-handed handling may damage the electrodes.
Keep your Polar product out of extreme cold and heat. The operating temperature is -10 °C to 50 °C/ 14 °F to 122 °F. Do not expose the Polar prodcut to direct sunlight for extended periods, such as leaving it in a car.
T31, T31C, T61 transmitters can be washed with mild soap and a gentle brush. If the electrodes appear discoloured, the transmitter needs to be washed. Do not use any alcohol or a solvent based detergent.
WearLink strap and the elastic strap of the T31, T31C and T61 should be washed regularly in a washing machine at 40 °C/104 °F or at least after every fifth use. This ensures reliable measurement and maximizes the life span of the transmitter. Use a washing pouch. Do not soak, spin-dry, iron, dry clean or bleach the strap. Do not use detergent with bleach or fabric softener. Never put the transmitter connector in the washing machine or drier!
If your T31, T31C or T61 transmitter does wear out, a new one is available at a special replacement cost. Polar recycles used transmitters. (Please note, that this does not apply to WearLink transmitters.)

Limited Polar International Warranty

This limited Polar international guarantee is issued by Polar Electro Inc. for the consumers who have purchased this product in the USA or Canada and by Polar Electro Oy for the consumers who have purchased this product in other countries.

What is covered?

Polar Electro Inc. / Polar Electro Oy guarantees to the original consumer of this product that the product will be free from defects in material or workmanship for 2 years from the date of purchase.

What is not covered?

Warranty does not cover the receiver or the transmitter battery, damage due to misuse, abuse, accidents or non-compliance with the precautions, improper maintenance, commercial use, cracked or broken cases.

Polar can not be responsible for damage caused by unauthorized service. Any damage caused by unauthorized service will not be covered under warranty.

Warranty does not cover any damage(s), losses, costs or expenses, direct, indirect or incidental, consequential or special, arising out of, or related to the product.

This warranty does not affect the consumer’s statutory rights under applicable national or state laws in force, or the consumer’s rights against the dealer arising from their sales/ purchase contract.

During the warranty period the product will be either repaired or replaced free of charge at any of the authorized Polar Service Centers, despite of the country of purchase.

When is the warranty valid?

Warranty is valid only for product that was purchased from an authorized Polar retailer. Items purchased second hand or through open auction sites such as E-bay are not covered by the 2 year warranty. Please use the Retail Finder and the Buy Online links at the top of this page to find Authorized Polar Retailers.

The complete guarantee terms can be found in the user manual. Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions relating to the warranty.

Why do I get Abnormal Heart Rate Readings During Exercise?

There can be several reasons for abnormal or irregular readings during exercise. Due to the same reasons, heart rate may stay at the same value for a long time or the heart rate stays at zero (0).

1. Poor contact between the skin and the electrodes of the transmitter
For accurate heart rate measurement, the contact between skin and the electrodes should be as good as possible. Polar transmitters measure the ECG signal from the chest, where it is the strongest. The weak heart-generated signals need to be accurately measured before the calculation of the heart rate. It is therefore important to ensure that the contact between the skin and the electrodes is as good as possible. Here are some tips how to ensure good contact:

1.1. Moisten the grooved electrode areas on the back of the transmitter. At the beginning of the exercise session your skin may be dry and the moisture will help ensure better contact. When you start to sweat the contact will improve because the salt in the sweat conducts the electrical signals very well. Saliva is a good conductor as well. However, if you have a WearLink31 or WearLink W.I.N.D transmitter, it is essential that you moisten the electrodes well under the tap water before the exercise.

1.2. Tighten the elastic strap of the transmitter. If the transmitter is loose, the movement of the electrodes disturbs the detection of the ECG signal. If the standard strap does not fit satisfactorily, larger and smaller elastic straps are available as accessories.

1.3. The type of the ECG signal slightly varies from person to person. The form of the ECG signal can depend on form of the chest, the anatomical location and position of the heart, position of the electrodes and the amount of body fat. If the ECG signal is weak, disturbances can more easily spoil the signal. Find the best contact by turning the transmitter left or right, or place it lower or higher. There have been cases where the transmitter detects the heart rate better when it is turned upside down so that the Polar logo is upside down and facing out, or even when attached on the persons back with the Polar logo upside down and facing out.

1.4. For active sports like aerobics or marathons, women can use the accessory Heart Bra which makes the transmitter stay in place better. Ask your local Polar dealer or distributor for the availability of this product.

1.5. Hairy chest may also weaken the contact. Try to find the best possible position for transmitter.

1.6. In demanding cases, use conductive electrode lotion or gel to improve the contact. After using them, it is very important to wash the transmitter carefully. However, it is not recommended to use conductive electrode lotion or gel when using the WearLink31 or WearLink W.I.N.D transmitter since the lotion or gel can block the electrode area.

2. Wear and tear of the transmitter
Proper care of the transmitter after use ensures longer service life for the transmitter.

2.1. Wash the transmitter regularly after use. T31, T31C, T61 transmitters should be washed with a mild soap and water solution. Dry it carefully with a soft towel after washing.

WearLink31 and WearLink W.I.N.D transmitter connector and strap should be rinsed with water after every use. Dry the connector carefully with a soft towel. Store the WearLink or WearLink+ strap and connector separately.

Never store the transmitter when it is wet. Sweat and moisture can keep the electrodes wet and the transmitter activated, which shortens the battery life.

2.2. Store your Polar product in a cool and dry place. Make sure that the electrodes do not contact anything damp, such as sport towel or wet elastic strap. Do not store a wet transmitter in any kind of non-breathing material, such as a plastic bag or a sports bag.

2.3. Do not bend or stretch the transmitter. This may damage the electrodes.

2.4. Only dry the transmitter with a towel. Hard-handed handling may damage the electrodes.

2.5. Keep your Polar product out of extreme cold and heat. The operating temperature is -10 ºC to 50 ºC/ 14 ºF to 122 ºF. Do not expose the Polar product to direct sunlight for extended periods, such as leaving it in a car.

2.6. T31, T31C, T61 transmitters can be washed with mild soap and a gentle brush. If the electrodes appear discoloured, the transmitter needs to be washed. Do not use any alcohol or a solvent based detergent.

2.7. WearLink and WearLink+ straps should be washed regularly in a washing machine at 40ºC/104ºF or at lest after every fifth use. This ensures reliable measurement and maximizes the life span of the transmitter. Use a washing pouch. Do not soak, spin-dry, iron, dry clean or bleach the strap. Do not use detergent with bleach or fabric softener. Never put the transmitter connector in the washing machine or drier!

3. Electromagnetic disturbances

3.1 Transmitters using 5 kHz transmission frequency – T31 – T31C – T61 – WearLink31

Electromagnetic disturbances may occur near high voltage power lines, traffic lights, mp3 player, the overhead lines of electric railways, electric bus lines or tram lines, televisions, car motors, bike computers, some motor driven exercise equipment, cellular phones or when you walk through electric security gates. Check your surroundings and move away from the source of interference, or remove the source of the disturbance.

3.2 Transmitters using 2.4 GHz transmission frequency – WearLink W.I.N.D

Disturbances may occur near high-voltage power lines, traffic lights, mp3 player, overhead lines of electric railways, electric bus lines or trams, televisions, car motors, bike computers, some motor-driven exercise equipment, cellular phones, or when you walk through electric security gates. Microwave ovens, computers and WLAN base stations may also cause interference. To avoid erratic readings, move away from possible sources of disturbance.
3.3 Disturbance caused by electronical exercise equipments

Exercise equipment with electronic or electrical components such as LED displays, motors and electrical brakes may cause interfering stray signals. To solve these problems, try the following:

1. Remove the transmitter from your chest and use the exercise equipment as you would normally.
2. Move the monitor around until you find an area in which it displays no stray reading or does not flash the heart symbol. Interference is often worst directly in front of the display panel of the equipment, while the left or right side of the display is relatively free of disturbance.
3. Put the transmitter back on your chest and keep the running computer in this interference-free area as much as possible.

If the monitor still does not work with the exercise equipment, it may be electrically too noisy for wireless heart rate measurement.

4. The distance between the transmitter and the unit is too great

4.1 Transmitters using 5 kHz transmission frequency – T31 – T31C – T61 – WearLink31

The maximum transmission range between the transmitter and the unit is 1 meter (3 ft). If the distance is greater, the unit may not get all the signals sent from the transmitter. In cases where the transmission range is at it is extremes, for example rowing or biking where the unit is not attached to the wrist, the unit may display the same heart rate for a long time. To avoid this, keep the distance within 1 meter.

5. Signals from more than one Polar Transmitter within 1 meter transmission range
Note this is valid only with non-coded 5 kHz transmitter!

In cases where there are more than one transmitter nearer than 1 meter, and you are using the non-coded transmitter, your unit can pick up the signal from all transmitters within the range. This can result abnormal high readings. Even if the other transmitter is coded, and yours is non-coded, your unit may still give an inaccurate reading. To avoid signal crosstalk, keep the distance to the other transmitters.

The coded transmitter and unit system does not pick up the signal from other heart rate monitors. In case of false readings with a coded transmitter and unit, check if the code has been locked. After a successful code search, a frame will appear around the heart symbol on the display (apart from Polar FT40, FT60 and FT80 display). If the frames around the heart cannot be seen start the measurement again and check that you are not near other heart rate monitor users, because they may interfere the code search. Also, high voltage power lines, televisions, mobile phones and other sources of electromagnetic disturbance may interfere with the code search, as well as keeping the unit too close to the transmitter.

6. Static electricity, technical sportswear and special conditions
If the humidity of the air is low, or you are exercising in windy conditions (for example high-speed road racing), a fluttering shirt may rub the transmitter and generate static electricity. This causes additional signals, especially if the contact between skin and transmitter is poor. To avoid this:

6.1. Moisten the electrodes before use, or use the conductive lotion or gel
6.2. Use a cotton shirt instead of a synthetic shirt
6.3. Use a tighter shirt to avoid fluttering of the material
6.4. Use the transmitter on a wet shirt
6.5. Wet the shirt

7. Arrhythmia
Polar products are not designed to detect arrhythmia or irregular rhythms and will interpret them as noise or interference. The computer in the wrist unit will make error corrections, so that arrhythmia beats are not included in the averaged beats per minute. The blinking heart symbol in the face of the unit, however, will continue to show all heart beats received. In most cases the Polar products will work fine for persons with arrhythmia.

8. Battery of the transmitter is getting empty
The estimated average battery life of the Polar WearLink31 and WearLink W.I.N.D Transmitters is 2 years and other transmitters 2500 hours of use. If the battery of the transmitter is running low, the transmission range decreases and may cause errors similar to the ones listed above in this document.

How to calculate target heart rate zone?

Key Target Zones

60-70% of max hr weight loss, building endurance
70-80% ” ” ” weight management, improving cardio fitness
80%+ interval workouts

Now use one of the following formulas

Option 1 Age-based formula
220 minus your age (A) = estimated max hr (HRMx)

To find your target zones
MHR X .60=( ) MHR X .70=( ) TZ1
MHR X .70=( ) MHR X .80=( ) TZ2
MHR X .80=( ) TZ3
You now have your three personal target zones
Option 2 Karvonen formula
This formula uses your age and fitness level to determine your target zones. It is a more personalized number and recommended for people who are experienced exercisers.
First, you must take your heart rate for three mornings in a row before getting
up from bed. Once you have those numbers, take the average of the sum:

Morning 1# + Morning 2# + Morning 3# = ( X)
(X) divided by 3 = Morning Resting HR (MRHR)

This is the single best indicator of your state of fitness. Once you have this number established as a baseline, you can use it to understand more about yourself than you can imagine. Take it again every once in a while, at least once every two weeks.

As your fitness improves, you will most likely see that number going down.

If you see an elevated number, it could mean one or more of the following:

You did not recover from a hard workout the day before
You need more rest
Your body has begun fighting off an oncoming illness

Now use your resting heart rate number as follows:
220 minus your age (A)= estimated max hr (HRMx)

HRMx minus MRHR= (C)

Now find your personal target zones:

(C) X .60 = (D) D + MRHR = ( ) 60% limit number
(C) X .70 = (E) E + MRHR = ( ) 70% limit number

Example:
Mark is 40 years old and his morning resting hr is 58.

220 minus 40 = 180
180 minus 58 = 122

122 X .60 = 73.2 73 + 58 = 131
122 X .70 = 85.4 85 + 58 = 143

His 60-70% Target Zone would be 131-143