S9P OHR only correct when swiping to HR page

[Patrick Rx]

Hi,
I noticed that the 24/7 HR measurement (when actually not moving e.g. sitting in office) went worse since the 2.18.18 update.
When sitting in my office and swiping to the HR page, it usually displays values around 80 or 90, only changing after some seconds to display the real value of around 60.
So, in fact, the S9P peak measures correctly, but only when actively swiping to the HR page. It is annoying because according to the overview of the watch and in SA my HR never drops below 80.
I am aware that the watch displays the average HR in 24min intervalls, but e.g. when sitting in a meeting of around 2 hours the average should be around 50-60 (not 80-90)
I already did a soft reset but nothing changed.
I think it is some software issue because the measurement, if triggered, is correct.
Any idea what to do?

[surfboomerang]

@patrick-rx It seems the OHR sensor takes some time to settle. It always starts higher for me and then gradually drops to the right value. After that it is quite consistent and accurate.

I don’t use the 24/7 recording, but if that value is based on the first few seconds I can imagine the value is always too high.

[Patrick Rx]

@surfboomerang according to suunto support and the manual the value is an average of a 24min timeslot. When staying on the HR page it displays the currwnt HR. The graph also shows the hr value on a basis of the 24min slots.
Yesterday I sat around for 2 hours and noted that the average value was around 80 (during more than 1 hour) when not swiping to the HR page. When paying attention and regularly swiping to thw HR page, the average value displayed in the graph (or app) was correct.

[Richard Thygesen]

@patrick-rx I have noticed the same. For me the difference is probably because of having the watch lose on the arm.

[Giacomo Laffranchini]

@patrick-rx I noticed that, after the update, I now have better readings at night during sleep (I am referring to the reading recorded in the SA). However, both the readings from the HR page as well as the one recorder in the SA during that day ( not during an activity) are tendentially very high. Generally 1.5 times the true value.

I am also wondering whether the watch corrects HR reading based upon data from the accelerometer/gyroscope. I never noticed this before; however, I see that while seating at the desk doing HR measurement, if I move my arm sideways (without any wrist flection and without shaking the watch up and down) the BPM readings skyrocket (e.g., 90-120 bpm). I know that some other brand use data from sensors to validate reading from OHR and potentially correct.

As for the first value you see in the HR page, I was told that the first value that you read when you enter in the HR page on the watch is an historical value from the last measurement. However as the watch boots the sensor and make the reading you should have more accurate values.

I did soft and hard reset, but things did not change for me. It helped (very marginally) using a nylon strap with Velcro (to have a more custom tightness). Additionally, if you have skinny arms, it helped me wearing the watch above my extensor muscle as the surface there is more regular and the OHR seems to get to a reasonable reading faster. However, I do realize that the above might be due to my anatomy and may not apply to others.

I wonder what technical reasons (besides battery life) prevents Suunto form having an “always on” HR reading (i.e., 1 second recording) and plotted in the SA. I guess some of the issue above would inherently be addressed because the watch would not have to turn OHR on and wait to settle. Probably I care too much about “health tracking”

[jmoneygrip]

I think mine is doing the same thing:

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0FYpue4TAblT8Xueqwy887LSw

[Dimitrios Kanellopoulos]

I have reported this issue let’s wait on Suunto

[Patrick Rx]

@giacomo-laffranchini I also noticed that the night measurement improved but not the measurement during the day.
It would be interesting how the 24/7 (with the average of 24mins) really works and how many values are taken in this timeframe. Some more options like a real 1 second recording as you mentioned would be great for people who care more than others about the health tracking. I think for such a premium watch you can expect a little bit more than the quality of current readings, which are very low standard (hr 24/7 and during activity, resources)

[Giacomo Laffranchini]

@patrick-rx At this point I don’t know exactly what to think.
Lately I have been thinking whether it is worth sending the watch to Suunto for inspection and (if it is an HW issue) service. Obviously if this issue is due to the FW, sending the watch for repair would not make any difference.

[jmoneygrip]

@giacomo-laffranchini
I’d venture it’s software related & not hardware, so personally I’d not send it in unless you’re positive it’s a hardware problem. I was very displeased with software issues on my Spartan Ultra but after several firmware iterations it became very accurate & stable so I would advise to let them know what you’re experiencing & have patience.

[Giacomo Laffranchini]

@jmoneygrip Thanks for the suggestion. I did talk with tech support and I was told the issue was reported. Times will tell, I guess.