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(More customer reviews)I can't believe how stupid i was to purchase the Polar FT80 without researching any reviews of this product. Now that i've learned my lesson thanks to Amazon, no more purchases without first checking Amazon reviews.
My previous Polar HR monitor was an Accurex. I had this for nearly 20 years and it was flawless, but is not Mac compatible and finally the serial port transmitter stopped working. Time for a new unit! The Polar marketing literature on the FT80 makes it look so cool and functional.But the FT80 is really another story.
The display is extremely difficult to read, and in fact impossible to read in many lighting conditions. It is a low contrast negative display and it does not have a "brightness" adjustment. Can you believe it!?! Who would design such a thing. So you are screwed if you want to brighten up the very dim dingy yellow green graphics (that's right, they are not white as every picture would indicate!!!) Every picture i have seen of the FT80 marketing literature, and from Polars web site, shows this unit as bright white numbers and graphics. Nothing could be further from the truth! The display can't be read UNLESS you are in a very well lit room or sunlight.
AND then in well lit rooms or sunlight, you have to contend with the immense glare from the face of the polished plate glass. Really, you are screwed in either direction.
When I called Polar to ask if there was a way to adjust the brightness, the rep was curt and said the information was on their web site. To her defense, she must be very tired of handling they myriad of calls each day of complaints about this product display.
Then a few calls later, i finally received the instructions to enter into the diagnostic mode. Believe me when i say the keypress sequence is so tricky, that you will literally have to try over and over for an hour to get the "timing" of it just right so that you can even enter into the diagnostic mode...but a little determination you will succeed. I digress!
In the diagnostic mode you can adjust the LCD contrast. All this does is change the BLACK background to less black. This does nothing for the already near impossible to read display and actually makes it more difficult to read. After talking to Polar again, i learn that the factory has optimized the display settings before they send it to you. The moral of this frustrating experience is "don't waste your time trying to adjust the contrast as it will only frustrate you more".
What Polar forgot to design in was a "brightness" control. What really upsets me is Polar's marketing literature which has obviously "tweaked the product photos of the display" to indicate a beautiful bright white graphic display. Anybody ever hear of truth in advertising? BUYER BEWARE. Polar's direct sales are final sales and can not be returned. Although, I will try as the advertising pictures and literature is dishonest!
I rely on Polars superior product performance. Imagine your on a run and trying to stay within various HR limits, and then the HR data goes all screwy and chaotic - loosing transmission, then wrong HR, then settling down back to what you would expect. How could the transmitter be all screwed up in the FT80 - but apparently it is.
The G1 - can't begin to describe how disappointed I am in this performance or difficulty of use to get even a signal. It's not what you would expect in a GPS so please research the features carefully before you purchase the G1. It appears to my shock to only provide "average" speed and distance...huh? There does not appear to be any mapping, or terrain, or area covered with the details of routes and speed, no way points - nothing!
The "user" manual that comes with the FT80 is hardly "useful" and not worth the paper its printed on. It's very sparse on the exact steps and explanations of features. There are so many features of the FT80 and website interaction that are not documented, that it will leave you researching and making calls for days on end until you get it figured out.
I still believe in Polars superior products overall, but the FT80 is a waste of money and time.
Sadly, the unit is near un-useable due to the display alone, not to mention the erratic behavior and poor GPS integration -- anybody want to purchase my "new" FT80G1? Its your for a song!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Polar FT80G1 Heart Rate Monitor Watch with GPS- Size XXXL Chest Transmitter 42-62 Inches
If there's one word to describe people who train seriously for athletics, it's dedication. And if there's one heart rate monitor that's dedicated to helping you achieve maximum workout efficiency, it's the Polar FT80G1. The FT80G1--which comes with a G1 GPS sensor that measures your speed and distance during outdoor sports--starts by checking your daily condition, and then guiding you to the ideal training intensity for your age and fitness level. Knowing your heart rate not only helps you reach your personal fitness goal, but also improves your physical condition in general, as it's vitally important to train at the appropriate intensity level. If you exercise too hard, you may quit before you reach the real benefit, but if you work out too leisurely, you'll struggle to lose weight at all. The FT80G1 helps overcome these problems by encouraging you to map out a complete fitness routine
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