looking for real time heart rate monitoring on PC

[Robr]

I've been looking for something like this that's compatible
with Polar HRMs (I have a Stairmaster 4400PT) and today
stumbled upon this: http://www.amazon.com/Suunto-Heart-Rate-T-
raining-Combo/dp/B000H1H000

But the software looks sort of half-assed. I was wondering if
anyone knew of any other real-time PC HRM software. Polar
only seems to have PC interfaces that allow you to download
data from an HRM receiver, nothing to actually allow you to
use your PC as a receiver and display data in real time as
you exercise.

Thanks!

[Steve Frei]

"robr" <rrothberg@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1172256676.759527.35960@s48g2000cws.googlegroups.com...
> I've been looking for something like this that's compatible
> with Polar HRMs (I have a Stairmaster 4400PT) and today
> stumbled upon this: http://www.amazon.com/Suunto-Heart-Rate-
> -Training-Combo/dp/B000H1H000
>
> But the software looks sort of half-assed. I was wondering
> if anyone knew of any other real-time PC HRM software. Polar
> only seems to have PC interfaces that allow you to download
> data from an HRM receiver, nothing to actually allow you to
> use your PC as a receiver and display data in real time as
> you exercise.
>
> Thanks!

I'd think that a PC would be less than ideal. Although most
PC operating systems multi-task, it still seems possible
that a PC could miss some real time data unless it was
using something along the lines of an add-in card with
on-board memory that would function as a buffer if the PC
software couldn't accept new input for a period of time. I
assume the "pod" in the item you linked to provides this
functionality. Perhaps a modern PC's USB bus is up to the
task; I couldn't say but a technical newsgroup might be
able to provide some answers.

-S- http://www.kbnj.com