Garmin Instinct watch question?

[Curt]

I just recently purchased a new Garmin Instinct watch.  My plan is to mate it with my Astro 430 to enhance my dog tracking ability while we're hunting.  My problem is that the watch has a heart rate monitor sensor built into the back of the watch.  It's default position is auto, meaning it's on whenever the watch is on.  This is an issue for me because I have a cardiac pacemaker and am not supposed to be wearing a heart monitor.  My question is, if I turn off the heart monitor sensor (there is a setting for that)will that impact the dog tracking ability of the watch?

I realize this question is out there a little, just thought someone on here may have this watch and have some insight.

[NJ_Springer]

The wrist heart rate monitor is an optical monitor hence no electrical activity and is safe to wear and use with a pacemaker. If you’re still worried there is a way to turn it off. Check on Garmin website for instructions 

[NJ_Springer]

https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/instinct/EN-US/GUID-358696A6-F98D-4772-8507-AF73499DB129.html

 

Hope the link works

 

[Curt]

2 hours ago, NJ_Springer said:

The wrist heart rate monitor is an optical monitor hence no electrical activity and is safe to wear and use with a pacemaker. If you’re still worried there is a way to turn it off. Check on Garmin website for instructions 

Thank you, I appreciate your input.  Garmin does place a warning to pacemaker users in the quick start owners manual of the watch so I plan to use it with the heart rate monitor shut off just in case.  Sometimes when you disable one electronic function in a device that interferes with another function and that's what I'm interested in determining.  Whether or not the dog tracking function works properly with the heart rate sensor turned off.  I know it's a long shot that anyone on here would have experience with this exact issue but I guess it can't hurt to ask.  I have an email in to Garmin to see what they have to say but it's the weekend.

[NJ_Springer]

The pacemaker warning is really meant for the heart rate monitor strap that goes across the chest. You can ask your cardiologist too, I’m sure they will say the wrist optical heart rate sensor is fine. It emits light to read pulse and not electrical activity like the chest strap monitor does. Plus wearing the wrist sensor provides a lot of useful health info.

 

I don’t think by shutting off the wrist monitor it will affect the dog tracking function. I have the Fenix 5x and when I use the chest strap monitor for certain activities the wrist sensor is automatically set off, and I have not noticed any change in other functions 

[Curt]

7 minutes ago, NJ_Springer said:

The pacemaker warning is really meant for the heart rate monitor strap that goes across the chest. You can ask your cardiologist too, I’m sure they will say the wrist optical heart rate sensor is fine. It emits light to read pulse and not electrical activity like the chest strap monitor does. Plus wearing the wrist sensor provides a lot of useful health info.

 

I don’t think by shutting off the wrist monitor it will affect the dog tracking function. I have the Fenix 5x and when I use the chest strap monitor for certain activities the wrist sensor is automatically set off, and I have not noticed any change in other functions 

Thanks, that's good information, hope the Instinct works the same way.

[airmedic1]

The wrist based heart rate monitor will not effect your pacer AICD.  It’s not the same platform, but if you are worried, turn it off.  It won’t affect the dog tracking.

[readgriff]

Does the Instinct watch have golf courses loaded on it like the Fenix models?