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 Polar RS800sd Heart Rate Monitor Watch By: Polar Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 14 More Information Polar RS800  On: 2008-06-19This product is excellent i have been used Polar for more than 10 years, i have the GPS and the foot sensor, as i practice mountain bike, i had some doubts because i have read in Amazon the products is not very good, but i took the risk and no regret, the only issue is the Polar software is excellent but do not have manual, only the help files and this is the only reason they do not have 5 stars. It works for me  On: 2008-05-01I have had my RS800SD for almost a year now, and I love it. Measuring cadence has helped my running more than anything else I have done. This is the main reason that I chose it over GPS units. I took ten minutes off of my half marathon time using it for training. I have had GPS units in the past, but found that they were not as accurate as the footpod in terms of distance (when calibrated) or altitude. I was within a hundredth of a mile of my treadmill readout on a recent 5K. Heart rate is accurate as well. I found battery life to be adequate for my purposes. I changed them recently just because it seemed about time to do so, but had about 50 hours of running in on the batteries before doing so. I love the unit and it has been a great training help. The triumph of form over function  On: 2008-02-21Ive been a Polar HR monitor owner since the mid 90s starting with 710i, then 625x, followed by the 725x, and now the RS800SD. I consider myself a serious competitive runner and have been so for over 30 years. Polar introduced me to heart rate monitoring as key component to performance improvement with the book "Training, Lactate, Pulse rate" by Janssen, which is no longer offered by them and may not be published anymore. I have had my VO2, HR curve, and lactate threshold measured in a lab several times over the past few years. I have used this product now for almost a full year and my review will focus on what does all this functionality do to help me improve my running vs some of the other reviews here which seem enamored with purported functionality without connecting the dots for useful training feedback. The bottom line: This is their flagship product, top of the line and top dollar but Polar seems to have chosen marketing (a shiny sexy small form factor watch with apparently lots of new functions) over solid engineering, useful software functionality, and product reliability. If you already own a 625x or 725x model there is little reason to upgrade as this is an "unfinished product" The good: 1. Small form factor for watch and footpod 2. Improvement in ergonomics --- buttons and watch face are easier to use 3. More memory --- you can record longer than earlier models at the 1 second rate 4. Running stride length has been added. The bad: 1. The footpod and HR strap via blue tooth does not seem any more accurate than previous non-blue tooth models and maybe less so regarding footpod functions. HR measurement seems as accurate as earlier models. 2. Software (Polar Pro Trainer 5) has new functions which are questionable at best and misleading at worst -- namely the running "index" function which on a scale of 30 to 76 purports to give you the sum of all calculations with a number which roughly correlates with expected future performance (running times) on various races such as a 5K through a marathon. 3. Customer Service. I was told at first that the inability to record temperature on the watch was a bug in the software. Later was told that the watch could not record temperature (correct). Also was given an excuse as to why temperature was no longer recorded by the watch (users body temperature --- hah! --- it worked well enough on earlier models). And regarding the index calculation, I was never given the algorithm which could at least help me understand what type of math it was doing (it is a mystery to me and the algorithm seems biased to reward you with a higher index score for a lower heart rate and slow time vs a slightly higher heart rate and faster time). Instead I was given a platitude; "It is worth to remember that in addition to good Running Index, maximal running performance demands good preparation, optimal running conditions, speed endurance and guts. Training quantity and quality have an affect as well as natural talent. The RunningIndex gives a value measured in current circumstances." I especially like the "guts" comment --- really happy about that as I dont know how Ive gotten by over the past 30 years beating people without "guts" The ugly: 1. Incomprehensible design decision to modify the altimeter sensor holes from recessed (previous polar models) to flush on the bottom of the watch resulting in erroneous readings as soon as you start to sweat (yes you read that right -- sweat) and thus rendering the altimeter function of the watch largely useless unless the watch is worn in such a way (flopping on wrist or strapped to clothing) to preclude the sensor holes from clogging with sweat from your wrist. 2. Software. Looks real nice until you try to modify data. Say you got erroneous distance reading on your last run and you want to easily fix it. You wont be able to. No simple function to correct the total distance of a run and have that correction evenly applied to entire run. This undermines the whole point of exercise comparison within the software. If you go out on two identical runs but the distance recorded by the watch varies by a few tenths of a mile there will be no easy way to correct the data. 3. Temperature. Previous models recorded temperature as a data point whenever you took a lap marker or finished the run. This model does neither requiring you to manually enter the temperature into the software. 4. The running index calculation does not take into consideration temperature (AMAZING! since the book noted at the beginning of this review showed clearly that there is a positive correlation between high temperatures and higher heart rates --- you work harder to cool youself). The lack of temperature calculation (an identical run can have HR vary by 10 BPM based upon temperature) seriously undermines the usefulness of the running index function. 5. No way to tell software about different running conditions for a given distance and have that taken into consideration on the index calculation. Five miles run on a track are treated the same as five miles run on sandy roads or trails. So when you go into the comparison graphs which purportedly allow you to see at a glance trends in your running, you cannot account for different conditions on runs. Neither different temperatures or different running surfaces are considered on calculations. This seriously undermines the usefulness of comparing weeks worth of training runs in order to come up with a performance trajectory and let you know are you ready for that next race. Until this product I rarely even considered any other HR monitoring tool. Polar may not have made "pretty" watches, but they worked. They made tools for athletes interested in maximizing their performance. The marketing department has apparently taken over the company from the engineers. The company may have "jumped the shark" with this watch and software. I hope Im wrong and Polar surprises with its next watch. It needs to actually delivers useful functions for serious athletes and not take away functions offered from previous models (temperature and an altimeter which works reliably). And if they are going to go to the trouble of providing a number which tells all --- the index number --- then they better explain how that number is calculated and provide the user with the ability to modify the formula (temperature and surface conditions to start with) in order to meet variable conditions if their engineers and exercise physiologist have not already thought of everything. And keep the marketing department out of product design until functions are firmly set and dont represent a two steps forward, two steps back design as we see with this model. Nice option for runners On: 2007-09-08I already owned most of suunto and polar heart monitors. The RS800SD is the one of my favorites. It has nice options of screens and it is very light. It seems not so robust as the 625x or 725x (I owned both). As some colleagues wrotes seems to me also that the S3 pod is not so accurated as the S1 but is lighter. I also own the RS400, if you are not looking for the running index, it comes with the S1 and coded transmitter that is easier find find spare parts (also once is a little bit darker than RS800 I prefer the looking). The main issue with Polar is the Irda interface. I already bought one Irda connector (universal non polar) that is working very well with the S725X but it is not with RS800 or RS400. Now I ordered the original Polar connector but once I use the windons Vista I am expecting problems (based on users reviews). Polar should pick an easier system suc as wired connection or bluetooth. Last point, the RS products are not designed for multi sport (biking for example) Poor initial quality, working well now  On: 2007-09-06First, a brief summary: As you will read below, I have had significant problems with the initial quality and reliability of this product. However, my experience with Polar customer service has been excellent. They have promptly fixed every problem I have run into (I have just ran into more than I expect for a product of this price). I now have a functioning watch (and hope it will stay that way). When the watch is working, this is a fantastic product that offers a level of performance that you wont find anywhere else. Yes, its a bigger watch than your Timex Ironman, but its quite a bit smaller than any comparable systems (I have also owned the Polar 625x, and have some experience with the Garmin 205). Now the details of my review. First, the painful experience I have had just getting a working watch into my hands: 1. My first RS800SD I received had a slight rattle inside it when shaken. I verified that the rattle was not coming from any part of the watch band; the rattle appeared to be emanating from the red OK button (when I held the OK button down and shook the watch, the rattle was diminished or non-existent). I called a sales associate at the place of purchase to ask him about this, and he could not give me a definitive answer as to whether this was expected or not, but he suggested I return it for replacement, which I did. 2. The second watch I received (I verified that the watch was replaced; serial numbers were different) exhibited the same rattling. After calling many authorized Polar service centers, I received multiple answers as to the cause of the rattling. Some technicians told me that it was expected and was just the nature of the design of the OK button; others told me that this was probably indicative of a defect, but that they had never heard of it happening before; and others could not give an answer to my question. I finally spoke with service technician at the Polar service center in NY who informed me that he was aware of this problem. There apparently was a particular manufactured lot of RS800SDs which had a problem with a loose main button spring (hence my having received two of them with the same rattling problem) and that I needed to send in the watch to Polar for repair under warranty. I will mention that from the time I received my second watch from the original place of purchase to the time I sent the second watch back in to Polar for repair, I used the watch on one 1-hour run. I will also mention that, for a product this expensive with a known manufacturing defect, I wouldnt expect to have to pay shipping to send it back for repair, but I did (Polar paid for shipping back to me). 3. I received my third RS800SD promptly from Polar and the rattling problem was solved. I did notice that the paperwork said that the watch case was repaired/replaced, which I expected, and the battery was replaced since it had tested as weak or flat, which I did not expect, since I had only used the watch on one 1-hour run (and never used the heart rate monitor). But the repaired watch seemed to work and I used it for two runs, during which I used the altimeter and stride sensor, but still did not yet use the heart rate monitor. The watch worked fine for a couple of weeks, but then one morning the screen was blank. I tried pushing all four side buttons to reset the watch, which led to the full screen of various figures/digits. I then pushed the OK button (the final step in resetting the watch), which just caused the screen to go blank again. After talking to technical support, I was asked to send it in again for repair. Thankfully, I did not have to pay shipping this time. 4. I again received the watch promptly in return from Polar, this time with some documentation indicating that they had replaced the entire watch. The problem on the previous watch was described as "high power consuption" (I wish they had looked into this a little deeper the first time, instead of just replacing the battery). Since I now had my old heart rate/stride sensors and my new watch, I had to re-"teach" the sensors to talk to the new watch. This appeared to be easy enough, but once the watch indicated that I had successfully taught the sensors, the watch failed to find the stride sensor when I started an exercise (this was never a problem on any of the previously repaired/replaced watches I have had). After more discussion with a Polar service rep, I learned of a second technique (found nowhere in the documentation) of helping the watch to find the sensors. So I then had a work-around (though entirely undocumented), but it was many more steps than I had to go through previously, and it concerned me that the new watch with the old sensors does not behave the same as the old watch with the old sensors. However, I then saw other posts on this site (or comments to posts) which recemmended additional tips (some documented, some not): a) ensure that the footpod battery fits sungly in the footpod by inserting a small strip of paper around the rim of the battery holder, b) ensure that the small gold-colored batter contact in the footpod is bend sufficiently to guaranty a good connection to the battery, c) take a little extra care in installing the battery to ensure that the footpod battery holder is snugly held in place by the grooves in the footpod, d) attach the footpod to my shoe exactly as instructed in the documentation, by inserting the clip under the laces, THEN tightening the laces, THEN snapping the pod in place, e) wear the footpod a little higher on the show (closer to the ankle as opposed to the toes) Recommendations a) through c) resulted in the watch being able to find the footpod automatically (at least the last few times I have tried it). Recommendations d) and e) seemed to improve accuracy of distance/pace measurements and reduce noise, particularly on downhills or at faster paces. So, when the watch IS working as it should, here are my observations. 1. The altimeter seems to be right on, as I compare watch data from a run in the mountains to topo maps. 2. The stride sensor is quite accurate, at least for my needs. I do almost all my running on uneven trails in the mountains, and in such a scenario I expect lower accuracy in speed/distance than on a uniform surface like a track. For the runs I do, total ascent is as important a number as miles run. I calibrated the stride sensor on the track and found that pre-calibration, the stride sensor was >96% accurate, as measured. Post-calibration, it was within 99% accuracy (my calibration and measurement route was 1200 on the track). It is pretty cool to be on a run and put forth an almost inperceptible additional effort, and see your measured pace go up by 5 seconds a mile. One thing I did notice is that when running down steep downhills, the speed/distance measurements get quite erratic. This is probably due in part to my poor downhill running style and the consequent pounding my feet make. Taking certain steps (see above) improves this significantly, though. I have not yet had the chance to calibrate the stride sensor on runs in the mountains. When I do, I will measure it against a distance wheel and update my review to include the results. 2.b. The physical design of the footpod is fantastic. One of the reasons I decided to upgrade from the 625X to the RS800SD is because of the smaller, lighter footpod. To me, the 625X footpod was just large and heavy enough to notice. Not so with the RS800 stride sensor. I have not used the foot pod with the Addidas shoes inside which you can place the foot pod, so I have only used the pod strapped to the top of my shoe. The other reason that I upgraded to the RS800 is that it will not get confused with other similar computers around, which was a problem with the 625x. However as indicated in #4 above, I have had some trouble with communication between the food pod and the watch (only when I tried using my new watch with my original stride sensor), so there may be a few bugs that need to be worked out, or at the very least the documenation is incomplete. 3. I dont have a good way of making a statement on the accuracy of the heart rate monitor, but I will say that I havent had any trouble with getting it to communicate with the watch (old or new replaced watch). In agreement with other reviews I have read, it is certainly the most comfortable chest-strap-style heart rate monitor I have experienced. It reads very consistent heart rates...almost no noise at all. 4. The user interface on the watch itself is quite good and fairly intuitive (with the exception of the weeks I had the 625X, which I eventually sent in for an upgrade to the rs800, I am a new Polar user). I am admittedly somewhat technically savvy, but am not a complete gadgets geek. The documentation I would give 6 stars out of ten. What it did cover, it covered clearly with a few minor exceptions, but there are a number of things that were completely ommitted (such as steps, built in to the watch, to take if you are having difficulty establishing communication between the watch and sensors). 5. The software that came with the watch is decent. As of this writing, I havent had the chance to really delve into it (since I have only had a working watch for about 2.5 weeks since I initially bought the watch 3 months ago) beyond its basic features. As is true of other portions of this review, I will update this as I learn and experience more. A word of advice, though: dont buy the Polar branded IR adapter. You can get the same thing without the Polar logo at many places for 1/3 the price. 6. The watch itself is an fairly decent industrial design. I would have preferred an option other than silver, since the watchs size makes it stand out enough as it is, but Im not that particular on those kind of things. It took a little getting used to to use a watch this big as an "everyday" watch, but I do so occasionally now. I like the keylock feature and the sleep mode. Those were good additions. Like I mentioned before, if your watch rattles, particularly the red button, send it back to Polar. This is a known defect. If you just return it to the place you bought it, you may (as I did) receive another watch with the same defect. 7. When working properly, this watch gives you a LOT of data. So much, in fact, that it takes some discipline to remind yourself not to spend the whole run looking at pace, distance, HR, ascent, elevation, stride length, etc., and to instead just enjoy the run and peruse the data afterwards. 8. Yes, the thing is expensive. But you do have to pay for high performance. I would just expect better quality/reliability from such a price. Fortunately I have gotten good response from Polar customer service, and I now have a complete system that seems to be working. My fingers are crossed. In summary, the jury is still out on this one. My better judgement says that I should have waited for the second edition of this watch so that they could get the bugs worked out. As I have noted, I have had a pretty rotten intial experience with quality and reliability of this product, but Ive had a positive experience with Polars response to my problems. I am still hopeful that I have finally gotten all the bugs worked out, as this product has shown great promise when it is working as it should. If it would have worked out of the box like it is now, I would give this product 5 stars, even considering the high price. If I were to rate Polar customer service independently of my poor experiences with the product it self, I would give them 4.5 stars. All things considered, Im giving it 3 stars now. If I can get six months of uninterupted reliable performance (and after a chance to evaluate battery life), Ill bump the rating up, and chalk my experience up to a few consecutive spouts of bad luck. Polar RS800SD "League of it's Own" On: 2007-08-16I recently traded up from the Polar RS200SD to the RS800SD and I must say I really like this running computer. If you are a serious runner that likes to analyze what you are doing then you cant beat this system. Beings I have been a Polar fan and used there products the RS800SD was very easy to set up and calibrate. Even if its the first time owning a Polar it is very easy to follow along during the programming steps. I have read several reviews where people said this system was a big waste but I totally disagree. Any system you buy will not be 100% accurate and you need to realize that when buying. If you take the time and calibrate this unit you can get it really close to 100%. When compared to a Garmin GPS I believe they are just as or even more accurate but you get so many more features. It is just a matter of preference and what you are willing to spend. All I can say is I have and always will be a Polar fan and I highly recommend the RS800SD if you can afford it. If you dont need all the bells and whistles that the 800 gives you then take a good look at the RS200SD. Like I said I had that one prior to the 800 and I never had a problem with it for over two years except for maybe two reboots. Rick Polar Fan Forever! Only those who will risk going too far can possibly know how far they can go. Polar or Garmin? On: 2007-08-01I bought the RS800sd and a Garmin Forerunner 305. I thought that I wanted the RS800sd but I found the Forerunner for about half the cost so I decided to try them both out. Ill be keeping the Garmin and putting the Polar on ebay. I went on runs wearing both to have an accurate comparison. Before trying them out, I thought Polar would have the edge because of its reputation with heart monitors. It turns out that both units show exactly the same results. Both units let you somewhat configure the display. The Garmin still has the edge here since it has a larger display and is easier to read. You can view more information as well. The deal with that is the Polar is, basically, normal watch size. The Garmin is pretty big, and I thought I might have an issue with its bulk. I was wrong about that too as it actually fits really well. You can actually tell time with the Polar (and not with the Garmin) so keep that in mind if you really need a clock. As far as timers go, thats pretty much a wash. I do like the lap timer on the Garmin a lot though. The Garmin has the edge in computing distance. It is very accurate and doesnt require any calibration. However, the Polar is still impressive and was pretty close with no calibration and even closer after calibration. In contrast, Ive also used the Nike+ footpod and that thing was waaaaay off, even after repeated calibration. The Garmin also has the edge in ease of use. Its just more intuitive. I also like how it comes with a USB docking/charging station. It makes uploading the run data to your computer easy. I really dont like the IR interface that the Polar uses. If you do buy the Polar, keep in mind that they overcharge you for their IR adapter. They will charge you $60 for something that you can get for about $15. The only difference will be the price. Each unit has some features that the other doesnt. The Polar has a cadence feature that can be useful to evaluate your runs. There are also a few index values it will calculate for you. The Garmin keeps track of your route and maps it out on your computer. Both are quality units, and I initially thought I would prefer the Polar, but after trying both out, I decided the Garmin is the better choice. RS800sd great watch that motivates me to run On: 2007-04-29Im amazed at the number of problems other reviewers are claiming to have with this watch. I have it since last Christmas and got it as a present. This is probably the best watch for running training there currentky is on the market. Bear with me and read further to learn why I believe this. When I got mine RS800sd I was ready to go out and run the same night (well I ran the next morning in sub-zero temperature and really enjoyed the run). Since then I have used this watch to plan, train adn successfully complete my first 10k race and today Im just few hours away from running my first half marathon. I have been using this watch for over 3 and half months and Im very happy with it. Before this watch I had Polar S625X with S1 foot pod (I still keep it for triathlon training) and Polar S120. I used one of the basic Nike HRMs, but I have returned it after a week as it was too basic for my needs. Now back to the RS800sd and the things that I really like: 1. Ability to design your own training plan in the Polar software, upload it to the watch and trace my progress in both the watch and the software on my PC. The training run could be fairly complex and have various target HR zones and pace. I love this feature for combined interval runs or tempo/interval runs. 2. Great and very acurate HR reading. The HR strap is the most comfortable one I ever used - it is fabric not plastic and that is very nice especially for long runs. 3. Very acurate distance reading on both treadmill and outside. It took me a while to figure out how to set the calibration factor for individual exercises. Before I figured that out my readings were around 10% off - maybe explanation of some problems other reviewers claimed to have. And no this watch is not less acurate that Nike+ sensor. I use both most of the time and the watch is maximum of 0.2 mi off on a 10 mi run on a treadmill whereas the Nike+ sensor is easily 1.5 - 2 mi off (even after repeated calibration). 4. I like that I can lock the watch and still switch on the backlight when I need it. This prevents me from accidentally switching on the run mode which could happen quite easily with the big red button on the watch face. I practically do not take the watch off the whole day - it goes nicely with my office wardrobe, during running and even during the night I do not take it off. I have alarm in reach all the time and the lock prevents me from starting a run even when I sleep. 5. I love the ability to configure the information shown on individual displays for the run. I re-configured the default settings to see only the data Im interested in. Great feature if you need different setup of the screen for your run. 6. Uploading to the PC is a breeze and the Polar software is fairly good (I still miss some features and better customization of graphs as you can see in the text later) 7. I use the watch together with trainingpeaks site and love the way it helps me keep track of my training. I recommend everyone to look at the RS400 model as you may find it good enough for your need and save youself some money. RS200 could be an alternative as well. I still own the S625X with S1 sensor and the watch is less acurate than RS800sd especially in interval training. But the acuracy is good enough for most long distance running. If you do not do much track or treadmill interval training you may be happy with the 625 model. Few things Polar could improve on this watch: 1. Documentation - it is very short and not as good as documentation I got with other Polar products. I wonder why this great product with many functions comes with very basic manual. I can see that some people may have problems with the watch if the manual is short on discussing details. 2. Polar software - it could be improved in terms of what it helps you monitor. I would not mind additional features to monitor how many miles i logged on the pair of shoes I use, ability to see my planned heart rate in the recorded results of the exercise (it should be easy to produce - hey I have the training plan and the exercise result how difficult is it to overlay one over another). I think I can come up with few more improvements, but there is no major problem with the software. I just wish it would do some more things for me (something trainingpeaks site offers me). Overall Im very happy with this watch and recommend it to every serious runner (even non-professional like me). Electronic JUNK. DO NOT BUY!  On: 2007-04-21Ive gotten years of trouble free service from a Polar S610i, and when I saw the specs for the RS800sd, I was blown away. I take long, strenuous hikes in the mountains as well as run, and I wanted something that could calculate WORK - distance and altitude change per time, and correlate it with my heart rate. I never got a chance to find out. Within ONE DAY the electronics in this piece of junk just crapped out. The watch started beeping at random times, or when Id swing my arm fast. Then, the buttons stopped working. Following the factory reset procedure of holding ALL buttons until the screen displays all digits, I was supposed to be able then to press any button, and set the time. No joy; after the hard reset procedure, the watch just stayed stuck on the reset screen. After about 5 minutes, it then beeps and show some random time of day, and the buttons still dont work. Im a geek, and to this geek these are simply BAD electronics. So bad thay can die within 24 hours. Also beware: Polar has made the red "Enter" button on this watch stick out so far, and so "hair trigger" that you effectively CANNOT wear this watch for everyday use (say when traveling, to avoid taking TWO watches). Even the cuff of a long-sleeve shirt will trigger that button, and the watch thinks you started a run. Stay away from this thing. Its a design failure With this watch, I can't wait for my next run On: 2007-02-23Ive previously owned the Timex Bodylink System with GPS. Ive been looking to change to a footpod system because of problems with GPS interference (tall buildings, trees, clouds, and the like). The Polar RS800sd with the S3 sensor has been an answer to that prayer. The HRM is nearly flawless, and S3 sensor has been extremely accurate and consistent. Ive calibrated it three times on a track and have gotten a calibration factor of around .994 each time! You need to have an IR sensor to get full functionality of the watch. But now, Im using the ProTrainer software to track fitness and progress of my running performance using the Polar Running Index. This is cool feature that comes with the S3 sensor and an awesome training tool. Ive had a couple of problems that have all been solved by reading the manual. 1) lost s3 sensor. solution: replace the S3 battery, clear the S sensors and reset (teach) on the watch 2) Frozen display. solution: reset the watch (push all buttons for 4 sec, or something like that), re-enter personal info and re-synch with software. 3) Problems connecting with IR sensor. solution: reboot the computer or plug IR sensor into a new USB port. Ive seen no problems with data dropouts or erratic behavior from the S3 sensor or any other unresolved problems in the 3 months Ive owned it. If it works, it is the best running tool out there. Im sorry to hear that others have had problems with the watch and Polars spotty customer service. Im hoping to keep my trouble-free streak alive. With this watch, I can't wait for my next run On: 2007-02-22Ive previously owned the Timex Bodylink System with GPS. Ive been looking to change to a footpod system because of problems with GPS interference (tall buildings, trees, clouds, and the like). The Polar RS800sd with the S3 sensor has been an answer to that prayer. The HRM is nearly flawless, and S3 sensor has been extremely accurate and consistent. Ive calibrated it three times on a track and have gotten a calibration factor of around .994 each time! You need to have an IR sensor to get full functionality of the watch. But now, Im using the ProTrainer software to track fitness and progress of my running performance using the Polar Running Index. This is cool feature that comes with the S3 sensor and an awesome training tool. Ive had a couple of problems that have all been solved by reading the manual. 1) lost s3 sensor. solution: replace the S3 battery, clear the S sensors and reset (teach) on the watch 2) Frozen display. solution: reset the watch (push all buttons for 4 sec, or something like that), re-enter personal info and re-synch with software. 3) Problems connecting with IR sensor. solution: reboot the computer or plug IR sensor into a new USB port. Ive seen no problems with data dropouts or erratic behavior from the S3 sensor or any other unresolved problems in the 3 months Ive owned it. If it works, it is the best running tool out there. Im sorry to hear that others have had problems with the watch and Polars spotty customer service. Im hoping to keep my trouble-free streak alive. Piece of Scrap, back to Nike Triax Elite On: 2007-02-20I was so excited when I see this watch with all the functionalities and options that it has. I live in Qatar in the Middle East and this watch was not available there. I ignored all the bad reviews and I ordered it over the internet and ship to a friend of mine in US and he shipped it to Qatar. Long process but I was so happy that I would use this high tech watch. I read the manual almost three or four times to get everything out of the watch. I calibrated the watch like the manual instructed and began my workout. The watch is perfect regarding different display that you can edit according your needs, and the running index, Polar fitness test, and Polar optimizer. The big problem in this watch is the S3 foot pod. When I run on low speed with steady pace, it is working fine and measuring the speed and cadence correctly. If I increase the speed to 8.5 or 9 Km per hour, the watch begins to give erratic reading up and down for both pace and cadence. If I am running on 9 Km per hour the watch reads 9, 8.5, 7, and sometimes 5.5 and goes up again till 9 Km. Same is happening to cadence, it is very strange that you are running at 11 km per hour and your cadence drops to 60 RPM and goes up again to 95. If the pace is going up and down, it means that the total distance covered is not correct and your running index is not correct either. I cannot rely on a watch like this in my training regime. I sent couple of e-mails to polar support and called them over the phone to solve the problem. They have given me some hints in an e-mail but they did not solve the problem. I tighten the S3 pod very securely so it will not move during the run, but I think the foot pod sometimes loses communication with the watch that is why it gives erratic reading up and down. Polar support did not replace my S3 Pod claiming that they are facing this problem for the first time. I returned the watch today to Amazon before thirty days of use to get a full refund, as I cannot spend $ 520 including the IR from polar for nothing. This watch is useless to me. I am now using my old valuable watch Nike Triax Elite again, although the pace may vary during the run but the variance is very small regarding to polar watch. Please note that may be this watch is defective but I am not taking a risk to get another one from US and waste my time and money with Polar support. May be one day I can buy this the watch after launching it the Middle East, and if it is still defective I will return it back. Think many times before ordering or you can order and test and return it back if defective for full refund. An Excellent New Watch after Returing the First One On: 2007-02-20I got another watch and it is working fine. I had some problems earlier with the cadence but now the watch is working perfectly for me. Some small errors happened in the RR data file where I see my HR max in the first of the run as 583 BPM. This is not a show stopper for me as the original excercise is getting the correct data. You will love the watch and be addicted to running if it works well for you. I was so excited when I see this watch with all the functionalities and options that it has. I live in Qatar in the Middle East and this watch was not available there. I ignored all the bad reviews and I ordered it over the internet and ship to a friend of mine in US and he shipped it to Qatar. Long process but I was so happy that I would use this high tech watch. I read the manual almost three or four times to get everything out of the watch. I calibrated the watch like the manual instructed and began my workout. The watch is perfect regarding different display that you can edit according your needs, and the running index, Polar fitness test, and Polar optimizer. The big problem in this watch is the S3 foot pod. When I run on low speed with steady pace, it is working fine and measuring the speed and cadence correctly. If I increase the speed to 8.5 or 9 Km per hour, the watch begins to give erratic reading up and down for both pace and cadence. If I am running on 9 Km per hour the watch reads 9, 8.5, 7, and sometimes 5.5 and goes up again till 9 Km. Same is happening to cadence, it is very strange that you are running at 11 km per hour and your cadence drops to 60 RPM and goes up again to 95. If the pace is going up and down, it means that the total distance covered is not correct and your running index is not correct either. I cannot rely on a watch like this in my training regime. I sent couple of e-mails to polar support and called them over the phone to solve the problem. They have given me some hints in an e-mail but they did not solve the problem. I tighten the S3 pod very securely so it will not move during the run, but I think the foot pod sometimes loses communication with the watch that is why it gives erratic reading up and down. Polar support did not replace my S3 Pod claiming that they are facing this problem for the first time. I returned the watch today to Amazon before thirty days of use to get a full refund, as I cannot spend $ 520 including the IR from polar for nothing. This watch is useless to me. I am now using my old valuable watch Nike Triax Elite again, although the pace may vary during the run but the variance is very small regarding to polar watch. Please note that may be this watch is defective but I am not taking a risk to get another one from US and waste my time and money with Polar support. May be one day I can buy this the watch after launching it the Middle East, and if it is still defective I will return it back. Think many times before ordering or you can order and test and return it back if defective for full refund. Disappointing On: 2007-02-12I purchased the RS800sd and optional infrared data transfer adapter three weeks ago with very high hopes based on Polars product descriptions. I ignored a few negative reviews I had read online, and I now wish I hadnt. Here is a list of the problems I encountered with the RS800sd in the last three weeks: 1. The function "Target Zone" incorrectly showed the heart rate graph above the upper zone limit when my heart rate was still in the target zone. A small detail, but annoying considering the price I paid for this product. 2. On the "Exercise Log" screen, which shows a bar graph with bar heights based on the lengths of recent workouts, the graph started displaying very short bars for long workouts, and a very long bar for one short workout. Obviously it should be the other way around. This feature was working fine before inexplicably starting to malfunction a few days ago. 3. The battery for the speed/distance sensor (foot pod) died after only two weeks--only 3 hours and 20 minutes of workout time. The product literature had promised at least 20 hours of workout time from the foot pod battery. 4. The watch emitted a single beep at random times. At first I thought it must be an hour or half hour chime but the beep never occured at these logical times, just at random times. Very odd. 5. On a few occasions, the watch switched into the heart rate measuring mode by itself as Im sure I did not inadvertently hit the start button. In one instance I set the watch on my dresser in normal watch mode and came back later to find it in heart rate mode searching for the chest transmitter. Strange. 6. Pace data displayed on the watch seemed correct, but when this data was transferred via the infrared adapter to the computer and into the Pro Trainer 5 software, the pace data was wildly off the mark. For example, in one workout I was averaging about 13 minutes per mile, and the software showed my pace for almost every data point in the entire run as approximately 30 minutes per mile--way off--I know Im a slow runner, but I dont think I could run or even walk that slow if I tried! 7. The watch-infrared adapter-Pro Trainer 5 data transfer worked only once. As of a few days ago, I could no longer get the data transfer to work. Through all this I attempted to contact Polar through their website customer service form and again via their listed customer service e-mail address. They never even responded to either of my inquiries. I finally decided Id had it with the RS800sd and Polar and I mailed everything back to the seller for a partial refund today. Overall, the basic functions of the RS800sd worked o.k., but at over $500 (when you add in the infrared adapter), I felt I had a right to expect perfection. This watch promises a lot and has many neat bells and whistles, but because of all the constantly annoying little problems that come up--and the non-existent customer service support--I cannot recommend this product. Im now off to look into other brands of heart rate monitors with hopefully better quality, value and customer service. Great watch bad foot pod - do not buy On: 2007-01-30A friend of mine has the Polar 625X and we have been on many runs together and I have always been very impressed by how accurate it is. When the RS800SD came out I could no longer resist buying one. I really love the watch. The screens are easy to read and the configuration options are fantastic. I especially like the ability to zoom into any of the 2 top lines which is great for running in bad visibility. The software that comes with the watch is very buggy but it does allow you to set up advanced run plans. Unfortunately the new foot pod is nothing like the old S1 in terms of accuracy. My experience with the S1 is that it is within 3% before calibration and 1% after. The new S3 foot pod is not even close to that. I just finished the Miami half marathon and according to the watch this was 12.2 miles. This is a good 0.9 miles off or nearly 7%. My wifes $30 Nike+ was more accurate than this $450 watch. Also the speed it records varies greatly. When you jog in a steady pace it is common to see the graph jump up and down by nearly 2 min/miles. It makes the graphs really difficult to read. I compared this with the 625X which also has this issue but nowhere as bad as the new RS800sd. It would be nice if they offered a simple smoothing option to the curves to make it easier to read. I calibrated the watch according to the instruction manual and I am still getting really bad results. I did a 5.7 mile run on a thread mill at a 9 min/mile pace. The watch showed that I did 4.5 miles. It has mile 2 down as a 18 min/mile pace which is obviously completely wrong. I think that it looses the connection to the foot pod. I have returned mine. Great find...addictive On: 2006-12-06I suspect there are 2 kinds of people whod buy a running watch of the rs-800sd caliber: the first are highly competitive or enthusiastic runners, and the second are gadget freaks who tolerate running and want to measure results. Im the latter, and Ive been having a great time running with this watch. Just seeing the graphs of my performance change over time is motivation enough. Some quick thoughts: 1. Before buying, visit the Polar website and use their "compare" feature to see if you need the 800, 600, or 200 series. With the 800 youre paying a premium for a handful of features you might never notice. 2. The "sd" in the name is misleading. The watch included is the same as with the rs800, but it also includes a stride detection unit that attaches to your shoe. With the shoe sensor, you can glance at the watch and see your pace, stride length, etc. Its totally impressive once you calibrate it. You *can* buy it later if you like. 3. Still, Im finding that despite calibrating the stide sensor, Im getting 3-4% inaccuracy in my measured runs on a treadmill. If I run exactly a mile, it tells me I ran 0.96 to 1.04 miles. Not bad, but on a perfectly flat surface at a constant pace Id expect a little better. 4. I think the stride sensor is a worthy addition, but if youre a fan of Adidas shoes, they make an "Adistar" model with a built in sensor. Its designed for this watch. 5. The heartrate sensor is perfectly accurate in all my tests and the included strap is comfortable and doesnt slip. 6. I havent figured out if its possible to change the volume of the heart-rate warning on the watch, for zone-controlled runs. If I exceed my goal zone during a Central Park jog, it beeps so loudly and continuously that its embarassing to me and annoying to others. Which....makes my heart pound. Ive figured out how to turn the beep off, but thats no good. Id like it softer. Anyway, for those of you who run with iPods, the beep will penetrate your music. 7. The watch communicates with your computer via IR. MOST desktops and SOME laptops do not have infra-red ports. You can use any USB IrDA (search Amazon for it) dongle and you dont have to buy Polars own branded one. However, if you use Windows XP 64-bit edition, good luck finding drivers that work. If you dont know if you use xp-64, you dont, so dont worry about it. 8. The Polar Pro Trainer software that comes with it is intuitive. Great find...addictive On: 2006-12-05I suspect there are 2 kinds of people whod buy a running watch of the rs-800sd caliber: the first are highly competitive or enthusiastic runners, and the second are gadget freaks who tolerate running and want to measure results. Im the latter, and Ive been having a great time running with this watch. Just seeing the graphs of my performance change over time is motivation enough. Some quick thoughts: 1. Before buying, visit the Polar website and use their "compare" feature to see if you need the 800, 600, or 200 series. With the 800 youre paying a premium for a handful of features you might never notice. 2. The "sd" in the name is misleading. The watch included is the same as with the rs800, but it also includes a stride detection unit that attaches to your shoe. With the shoe sensor, you can glance at the watch and see your pace, stride length, etc. Its totally impressive once you calibrate it. You *can* buy it later if you like. 3. Still, Im finding that despite calibrating the stide sensor, Im getting 3-4% inaccuracy in my measured runs on a treadmill. If I run exactly a mile, it tells me I ran 0.96 to 1.04 miles. Not bad, but on a perfectly flat surface at a constant pace Id expect a little better. 4. I think the stride sensor is a worthy addition, but if youre a fan of Adidas shoes, they make an "Adistar" model with a built in sensor. Its designed for this watch. 5. The heartrate sensor is perfectly accurate in all my tests and the included strap is comfortable and doesnt slip. 6. I havent figured out if its possible to change the volume of the heart-rate warning on the watch, for zone-controlled runs. If I exceed my goal zone during a Central Park jog, it beeps so loudly and continuously that its embarassing to me and annoying to others. Which....makes my heart pound. Ive figured out how to turn the beep off, but thats no good. Id like it softer. Anyway, for those of you who run with iPods, the beep will penetrate your music. 7. The watch communicates with your computer via IR. MOST desktops and SOME laptops do not have infra-red ports. You can use any USB IrDA (search Amazon for it) dongle and you dont have to buy Polars own branded one. However, if you use Windows XP 64-bit edition, good luck finding drivers that work. If you dont know if you use xp-64, you dont, so dont worry about it. 8. The Polar Pro Trainer software that comes with it is intuitive. |