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Looking for heart rate monitor with altimeter and downloadable info to a mac

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  1. #1

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    Looking for heart rate monitor with altimeter and downloadable info to a mac

    This may not exist, but I previously had a POLAR AXN 500 watch, which was perfect and exactly what I need. And still need, but the POLAR is now incompatible with the mac (the infrared download interface was a pain at the best of times, but pretty much out-dated now).

    So I am looking for a replacement, but all the polar watches are now GPS and I DO NOT want GPS because it means charging of batteries. What I want is a watch that lasts for months (years) on one battery - not something that lasts 8 hours!

    Key features required:
    * Heart rate monitor
    * Altimeter
    * Mac Download of info
    * No extra battery required

    If it has a compass and tells the time, so much the better.

    Been goggling but still struggling to come up with anything that actually matches the functionality of my existing Polar. Any suggestions?


  2. #2

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    MovingIn07 likes this.

  3. #3

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    I am starting to wonder if I might be better off with an altimeter watch that I can download data from plus an alternative heart rate monitor device. But then the height and the heart-rate would not appear together on the trace


  4. #4

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    So what is the issue with the infrared thing?
    The watch comes with a USB infrared device you plug into you mac and the software isn't supported?

    Just curious


  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by pkboy:
    So what is the issue with the infrared thing?
    The watch comes with a USB infrared device you plug into you mac and the software isn't supported?

    Just curious
    It doesn't come with an infrared USB device. It assumes use of one on the computer (if you recall, they were common 5 years ago, but are not now).

  6. #6

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    Oh. Maybe get an USB IR receiver?

    Sorry if you've already looked into this solution.


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by pkboy:
    Oh. Maybe get an USB IR receiver?

    Sorry if you've already looked into this solution.
    I had one of those on my windows laptop but I tried 2 without getting either to work on the mac.

    It's also hard to buy the compatible heart rate transmitter straps now. I got one in Gigasport at the weekend but have yet to confirm it really is compatible.
    Last edited by MovingIn07; 06-03-2013 at 01:57 PM.