Compatibility of chest straps

[graham bowers]

I've just got my first road bike, a used Trek 2.5 H2; it came with a Bontrager Node 1 computer.
To use the heart rate function do I have to use a Bontrager chest strap, or would a Polar one be compatible please?
Graham

 

[Globalti]

I've tried using a Polar chest strap in a gym and it didn't work. Yours might - why not try it?

 

[graham bowers]

I have tried it and couldn't get it to work, but am not sure if its due to a basic incompatibility, or an error on my part. I may be clutching at straws, I admit.
Graham

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Depends how they talk to each other, the most common with gps units it Ant+, but things like phones can use bluetooth.
Looked it up, its Ant+ so any Ant+ sensor should work, I use my Garmin HRM with both my Bryton R20 and Edge 705 (and the sp/cad sensor), once each is paired they pick up the same signal so both record the same data.

 

[graham bowers]

Thanks, the big clue is that it's ANT+. Seems Polar uses a bespoke protocol.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

A quick look shows this as a common transmission on Polar products. 5kHz and 2.4GHz W.I.N.D. transmission not quite sure if its proprietor or not (don't know much about wireless transmission ect.), one HRM certainly uses blue-tooth model H7

 

[graham bowers]

Yes, it looks like recent Polar products use ANT+. My strap is ancient however, I'm often surprised it still works.