|   Training HRM + Trainer | Davep2
Dec 18, 2002 10:13 PM | | Hey all, I have been somewhat of a silent observer to this message board for sometime now and I finally have a question.
I have been training for the upcoming season and now with my Santa Cruz County weather, I'll be indoors on the trainer for a little while. Anyways, I finally killed my Polar Protrainer XT HRM and am looking to upgrade, thanks Santa!
I want to know how the S-510 works compared to the S-710. I have been to PolarUsa.Com and have read the reviews on MTBR. But I wanted to know from those who may be using them now.
Does the extra file storage, altimeter, and thermometer justify the extra money? Does the IR interface work with XP? And most importantly, do the functions work 100% of the time or do they skip every once in a while?
Thanks
--Dave |
| S510 vs S710.... | SS_MB-7
Dec 19, 2002 4:45 AM | | When my Polar Protrainer XT died, I compared all the S-series Polar monitors and went with the S710 over the S510 for a couple reasons. First, I wanted the IR download/upload feature. Very quick and reliable. I've heard that the SonicLink download used by the S510 can be flaky. Second, the additional memory was nice -- 1 file with 5 summaries on the S510 vs 99 files on the S710.
The altimeter and thermometer are cool features, but not really necessary. It's nice to have a plot of your ride/race while simultaneously showing your heart rate, speed and cadence.
I've had no problems with any of the functions. Great HRM.
I'm not sure if the IR works with XP (I'm using 2000)....email Polar -- they were very quick to reply to my questions.
Ride Hard,
Mike B. |
| Hey Mike...I ended up going with the S410 Polar..... | KMan
Dec 19, 2002 6:50 AM | | I decided I really didn't need the "bike computer" functions since I like the Cateye I am using.....(I switch it back and forth between my MTB and Road bike). The 410 seemed like the best bet for me. Should get it in the mail today.
KMan |
| Enjoy.... | SS_MB-7
Dec 19, 2002 8:24 AM | | Ya, I wanted cycling functions so I opted for the 710. I like having all the info consolidated into 1 unit. Makes analyzing the info easier.
I've been using my HRM religiously since I have started a fairly extensive training program (in preparation for a solo 24 Hr race in June) and need to stay within certain zones for certain rides, etc. Lots of LSD training with a few intervals thrown-in.
Ride Hard,
Mike B. |
| KMan, If your are going download info often then get the S610 | DIRT BOY
Dec 19, 2002 5:37 PM | | instead of the S410.
I currently have a Polar Coach, S510, S610, S810 with a S710i on the way.
The Sonic Link feature in the Coach, S510 is really a pain to download info. Any noise in the house or near your computer will make it difficult to download info. With Infrared it is almost perfect.
The new S710i is a better S710 now in a steel casing to protect it better from falls.
But for you real techno geeks the S810 is the Sh!T!!
What ever model you have make sure you download the new Polar Software and all the updates for flawless downloading.
DIRT BOY |
| DIRTBOY...??? | Davep2
Dec 19, 2002 6:55 PM | | Where can I find the 710i? I have looked all over. |
| You can get it through Polar's site. I think it's being released | DIRT BOY
Dec 19, 2002 7:12 PM | | to the public soon. The company I work for is a National Dealer and I have connections with Polar.
I think in January most Polar dealers can order them for you.
I have the S720i Coming.
http://www.heartratemonitor.co.uk/polars510710.html#polars710
DIRT BOY |
| Correction: The S710i replaces the S710. I have the S720i coming | DIRT BOY
Dec 19, 2002 7:16 PM | | which has the steel case. |
| Don't forget to downlaod a Monitor Icon! | DIRT BOY
Dec 19, 2002 5:58 PM | | http://www.polar.fi/support/exercisesession/S610_S810_monitor.shtml
I have this one: |
| Great HRM | FatBoy
Dec 23, 2002 6:41 PM | | I bought the same model for the same reasons. With a little over one year of use I have found I still love it. The PC coach light software is OK. I recomment you opgrade to the better version. The only flaw I can say about the Polar is that the data sample rate is to long. It would be nice to have a more precise HR when using the unit in the three hours range. For example, using the unit for three recors your average HR every 30 seconds. It would be cool to have more accurate data especially when you plot it on a graph. Have Fun and stay motivated. |
| I have S710 and XP | sdbelt
Dec 19, 2002 8:23 AM | | and it works just fine. I have a laptop, and the IR just connects perfectly. I do take care to do it in a certain order. First I open up the Polar software, then I select connect to HRM and press OK, while at the same time, pointing my Polar at the IR and clicking the button to start COMs connection. If the Polar software isn't looking for the HRM before the connection is established, then XP will try to do something "interesting" with it. It's a minor thing, really.
I find the altitude sensor to be particularly useful. It's great to see your altitude going up and down, and then your speed going up and done. If you are riding any type of loop, you can see via your altitude and speed, when you get back to the start/finish, which saves you from fumbling to push the Lap button while riding. As well, the altitude sensor makes the graph of a hike more meaningful as well. Like my trip down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. I can "see" my rest stops, the steep spots, everything. I thought it was cool.
Overall, I think the S710 is great and is working as well or better than I ever imagined.
--sdb |
| Get the newet update: p303014.exe to work with XP Perfectly. | DIRT BOY
Dec 19, 2002 5:38 PM | | |
| re: Training HRM + Trainer | mtnbkaz
Dec 19, 2002 3:19 PM | | First, 510 vs. 710:
The main difference is that the 710 has much more memory and has the option to add on the power sensor kit. The extra memory is well worth the extra money in my opinion. If you have the memory samples set to every 5s, you run out of memory quickly (that's the smallest interval so that is as accurate as you can get). The more sensors you add (cadence, power, etc.) the memory is consumed by each sample. I sometimes get lazy with my HRM and sometimes I will run out of memory in the middle of a workout because I haven't uploaded to the computer in a few days. I get about 8 hours worth of data on the road bike (speed, cadence, altitude) and about 11 on MTB (no cadence sensor). If you're willing to spend the $$ on the 510, I promise you that you'll be happier if you squeeze a couple more $ out of the bank account and get the 710.
Problems with 710 (or 510 or any wireless computer for that matter):
I like my 710, but there are some problems with it. For one, the wireless signal can be flaky at times. There is a little-known fact that you can set the transmission strength of the speed and cadence sensors if you take them apart. There is a little computer jumper that you can set to 3 different strength levels. The default is low (no pins jumped). Medium setting is pins 0&1, high setting is pins 1&2. I recommend setting this to at least medium right away to relieve the signal reception issues. (The higher the transmission strength, the lower your battery life.) The wireless signal is also subject to interference. Not so much of a problem on MTB but when I ride on my road bike, my speed & cadence will spike really high near certain power lines. You can correct these spikes in your workout log via the Polar software but it is still a bit of a pain and if the interference lasts for a long time your data will be inaccurate. There are tons of features with the 710 but one that I can't find is the trip odometer (it might be there, I just need to look again - I'm usually more concerned with time and cadence). At the end of the ride it will display the trip distance but during a workout a couple weeka ago I didn't see the trip distance as one of the display options when someone asked me how far we'd gone. Also, I've seen too many people lose their HRM by putting it on their handlebars and having it come off or break during a crash. For that reason I always keep it on my wrist during MTB rides. It makes it harder to see and invalidates the temperature settings (FWIW) but I feel better about protecting my investment. I do keep it on my bars on the road bike. One last quirk of the 710 is that on a 40mph road descent on a particularly bumpy "tar & chip" surface, my watch reset itself. That kind of sucked but it's only happened once and I've ridden that descent many times.
Is it worth it? Well, that's a good question. The Polar A5 gives you all the bare necessities (and some extras) in a simpler, less complicated (and less error-prone), and much cheaper package. For me, I'm of the techno-geek persuasion so I feel that the more information I have, the better off I am. In that sense, the 710 is a great analysis tool.
You might want to check the VeloNews tech forum. They've had some great discussions in the past about HRMs in general and the 710 in particular.
P.S. if you do get the 710 (or 510), set up your data in the computer first and then download it to the HRM. It's a lot easier & quicker than pushing all the little buttons on the HRM. |
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