replacing the battery in a polar heart rate monitor

PeteinSQ
PeteinSQ Posts: 2,292
edited December 2013 in Workshop
Can this be done by a regular jewlers shop? I think it is the "watch" unit which needs a new battery rather than the transmitter which would need to be replaced entirely.

Thanks.
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Comments

  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    I've changed the battery in the transmitter. Still doesn't work very well.
  • GavH
    GavH Posts: 933
    If its a sealed heart rate monitor belt, the battery can be replaced for a fee by Polar. What kind of HRM is it? I've replaced the battery myself on my old Polar ProTrainer simply by unscrewing the back and taking the battery out. Certainly not something you need to give a jeweller £10 for.
  • PeteinSQ
    PeteinSQ Posts: 2,292
    Well I don't think it is the belt that has the problem just the watch. It has four small screws in the back and I think I could probably unscrew it and get a new battery from somewhere.

    I just wondered if there was a reason not to do this? Like maybe they use their own proprietory battery design or something.
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  • GavH
    GavH Posts: 933
    Pete sounds exactly like mine. Small cross headed screwdriver will remove the caseback and inside you'll find a rubber gasket which seals the internal part. It'll be a standard CR type watch battery. Just remember which way the +ive side is (up or down) before you remove it!
    I'm assuming there is no warranty left on the watch as doing this will almost certainly invalidate it. On the other hand I doubt flat batteries are covered under warranty anyway.
  • TCBLUE
    TCBLUE Posts: 30
    Bloody polar are a pain in the neck to change the batteries you are supposed to send them back to polar for a battery change i tried to change mine and buggered up the watch will never buy polar again now use garmin a lot easier for battery changes
  • TCBLUE
    TCBLUE Posts: 30
    Bloody polar are a pain in the neck to change the batteries you are supposed to send them back to polar for a battery change i tried to change mine and buggered up the watch will never buy polar again now use garmin a lot easier for battery changes
  • shaw8670
    shaw8670 Posts: 264
    My polar F5 battery has been changed DIY twice. there is funny wee retaining clip which is difficult to replace properly. I would recomend taking the back off then taking a digital photo of the battery in situ as an aide memoire.
    Greetings from the wet and windy North west
  • shaw8670
    shaw8670 Posts: 264
    My polar F5 battery has been changed DIY twice. there is funny wee retaining clip which is difficult to replace properly. I would recomend taking the back off then taking a digital photo of the battery in situ as an aide memoire.
    Greetings from the wet and windy North west
  • singlespeedexplosif
    singlespeedexplosif Posts: 1,564
    it's a doddle, I've changed 4 so far. As long as you're not a numpty and put the little rubber seal back properly, it should be absolutely fine.
  • PeteinSQ
    PeteinSQ Posts: 2,292
    Thanks everyone, I'll get a small screwdriver and have a go at it.

    I haven't used the thing for over a year but I've finally put my bike on the turno trainer for midweek training and without a heart rate monitor it seems a bit impossible to know what you're doing.
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  • Sirius631
    Sirius631 Posts: 991
    I've had an issue with my CS200cad ever since the first time I changed the battery. From that point on the unit intermittantly emitted a crackling sound, even when in stand-by, and it chewed its way through batteries. I guess that ther is a short circuit somewhere. I've retired this unit in favour of a CS100, as I didn't want to waste all the detectors I have on different bikes, and I didn't want to go to the expense of a CS200 again incase I swap to power training.
    To err is human, but to make a real balls up takes a super computer.
  • jamespiggot
    jamespiggot Posts: 69
    I tried changing the battery on my polar F11 HRM watch and totally screwed it up, it was not a job even a jeweller could do IMHO.

    I got sick of paying Polar over twenty quid to change a battery, plus you have no HRM for several days while it is being changed.

    So was kind of glad that my bungling meant what was a four year old unit could be binned and replaced with a Garmin.
    http://oxfordsportive.com
  • tbiard
    tbiard Posts: 1
    shaw8670 wrote:
    My polar F5 battery has been changed DIY twice. there is funny wee retaining clip which is difficult to replace properly. I would recomend taking the back off then taking a digital photo of the battery in situ as an aide memoire.
    Hi Andrew,
    Did you keep your digital photo of the Polar F5 battery ? I do know how to mount the "funny" wee retaining clip... Thanks in advance.
  • Courage Monsieur
    Courage Monsieur Posts: 534
    I've had the battery in mine changed twice at the jeweller's for about £6. If you have the right screwdriver you could probs do it yourself.

    Anyway, no probs to report and I'd be loathe to send it to Polar for £20 or whatever.

    The jeweller said he could no longer guarantee the waterproofing, but that the first time or two of a change the seal usually holds anyway. Not an issue as I don't got swimming with it etc.

    Cheers
    Paul
  • frauenski
    frauenski Posts: 1
    "Did you keep your digital photo of the Polar F5 battery ? I do know how to mount the "funny" wee retaining clip... Thanks in advance.[/quote]"

    Hi, I have the same issue except i treid to do and now my hrm is all in peices. Did you manage to get the digital photo? fingers crossed....
    Frauenski
    Giant yukon MTB
  • sufferingpete
    sufferingpete Posts: 524
    A word of caution
    Polar will refuse to repair it if the battery has been changed by a non authorised dealer!
    Changed mine on an 725i twice.
    Racing is rubbish you can\'t relax and enjoy it- because some bugger is always trying to get past.
  • ms. x
    ms. x Posts: 1
    greetings,
    i happened to read this thread right before i found a website that not only describes how to remove the battery, but also includes pictures that you can click on to enlarge and see in great detail. the instructions worked for me. good luck!

    http://timlaqua.com/2008/09/how-to-repl ... nitor-hrm/
  • Courage Monsieur
    Courage Monsieur Posts: 534
    Quick update. While my Polar (think it's an old F5) as initially happy with the 2nd battery change done by my local jeweller, the light now no longer works and makes a strange buzzing sound when the button is pressed.

    This isn't an issue but the HR signal also seems to drop very easily now. It's annoying. I'll see how it goes but I may have to think about binning it unless it becomes more reliable.

    What with a new £25 strap and £7 battery I could almost have got a low-end Garmin. Bah!
  • loaded
    loaded Posts: 1
    I am pretty good at fixing things and a friend came round this morning with an F5, in pieces and he couldn't get it back together. After a little fiddling, I checked the net and came across this page, with the link to photos of a different model, which didn't actually help, however, without my own pictures (I didn't have my camera charged and the friend has gone away now) I can offer the following advice with the information in my head still.

    1) The battery goes in with the writing upwards (this is positive polarity and a CR2032 type battery)

    2) When you place the clip upwards on a surface (up is convex, not concave), you will note that it is roughly a hald circle and that there are two ends, one narrow, one wider and each of these has a corresponding notch/slot they slip into around the battery (if you hold the watch up and tilt it, you can find these tiny slots with your eyes, they are under the metal that surrounds the plastic moulding and they are opposite one another on opposite edges of the battery). The narrower end fits near the receiver coil, slips under the metal around the battery (you can just see a notch moulded into the black plastic) and the wider one below it, on the lower part of the watch into a wider notch there. It is easier to slip the clip into the wider notch first, then slide it into the narrow one left to right. The battery should now have the half circle clip obsuring roughly half the battery (the right half) and be secured in place quite tightly.

    Another way to look at it is If you consider the watch as North and South (North being up with the writing the correct way up) then the North side of the battery mounting takes the narrow end and the South side the wider end, with the clip bowing outwards. It won't fit either of the other ways around.

    Good luck! :lol:

    Paul. :lol:
  • Millerjason
    Millerjason Posts: 1
    http://twitter.com/BCMillers/status/407 ... 76/photo/1

    Thanks Paul for the battery clip instructions. I took a pic of the final position but couldn't upload it
    (File size too big)...I posted it on Twitter.

    Thanks,

    Jason

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