It sounds like you’re exploring options to monitor your heart rate while using a PM5 rowing machine and want to know where you can view this data from a tracker. Let’s clarify how heart rate monitors and fitness trackers interact with the PM5 and where you can effectively watch your workout metrics.
When connecting a heart rate monitor to a PM5, the PM5 monitor itself becomes a primary display. When you initiate a manual connection on the PM5 panel, it scans for all available heart rate monitors in range. After a short search, it presents a list of detected monitors on its screen. You can then select your heart rate monitor from this list, usually identified by an ID number or protocol. If you are using a heart rate strap like the Polar H10 and have previously configured ErgData to automatically pair with it, the PM5 will prioritize this connection, potentially overlooking other available heart rate monitors.
For individuals using sport watches that offer heart rate broadcasting, such as Garmin models, these devices can also connect to the PM5. Most of these watches allow you to toggle the heart rate broadcast feature on or off, which is useful for battery conservation when not needed. The Garmin Venu series, as suggested by users, is a popular choice. While primarily designed for general fitness tracking, it’s worth testing its effectiveness in accurately capturing heart rate during rowing workouts. It’s a good strategy to continue using your trusted chest strap like the H10 initially to ensure the watch provides comparable heart rate readings for rowing. Keep in mind that the Venu series has been updated, with newer versions like the Venu 2 offering potential improvements in performance and features. For in-depth reviews and comparisons of fitness watches, resources like DC Rainmaker (https://www.dcrainmaker.com/) are highly recommended.
Interestingly, some advanced sport watches, including certain Garmin models, have the capability to prioritize heart rate data from an external chest strap like the H10 over their own optical sensors. This is advantageous as chest straps generally offer more accurate heart rate monitoring, especially during intense activities like rowing. This setup allows you to leverage the precision of your H10 while still integrating the heart rate data into your watch’s fitness ecosystem, such as Garmin Connect or Polar Flow. You could potentially use one Bluetooth channel of the H10 to connect to your watch and the ANT+ or another Bluetooth channel to simultaneously connect to the PM5.
Ultimately, the “tracker” data, in this context your heart rate, can be watched in a few key locations:
- Directly on the PM5 monitor: This provides real-time heart rate data during your rowing session.
- On your Sport Watch (e.g., Garmin Venu): Watches display heart rate during workouts and also record the data for post-workout analysis within their respective apps.
- Within Fitness Apps (e.g., Garmin Connect, Polar Flow, ErgData): These platforms aggregate and display your workout data, including heart rate, providing a comprehensive view of your training sessions.
When deciding on a fitness tracker or heart rate monitoring solution for rowing, consider your primary need – is it real-time data on the PM5, data logging in a watch ecosystem, or both? Sharing your final watch choice and experiences can be valuable for others also navigating these options! And while considering brands, it’s worth noting user experiences with Fitbit. Historically, some users have reported reliability issues with Fitbit devices, although it remains to be seen if Google’s acquisition of Fitbit will influence the brand’s long-term durability and performance.
