Getting HR data from a garmin watch

General Discussion
1

Hey all,

I’m fairly new to Zwift and I’ve been having troubles to get my HR data from my Garmin Vivoactive 3 watch onto zwift. Actually, I’m not even sure its possible with my current setup.

My gear:

  • Win8.1 laptop, with no bluetooth and no ant+
  • Wahoo kickr core 2018 with bluetooth and ant+
  • Huawei Nova phone with bluetooth
  • Garmin Vivoactive 3 watch with bluetooth

Currently, i connect my trainer to my phone via the zwift companion app with bluetooth.
The zwift companion app then communicates via wifi with my laptop where Zwift is running.

Now, all thats left is to get my HR data from my watch, to my phone via bluetooth, and then via wifi to my laptop. Now I’m wondering:

  • Can the zwift companion app pick this HR signal up via bluetooth?
  • Do I somehow need to let my watch communicate with Garmon Connect app, and pair garmin connect with Zwift?

Thanks in advance!

2

You will need to put your Fenix 3 into HR Broadcast mode, as described here.

https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/fenix3/EN-US/GUID-D8D363C2-0690-48D4-95E2-A3557E7D53C2.html

3

Alan, I have tried to broadcast HR from my watch (via bluetooth and ant+), but the zwift companion app does not pick the bluetooth signal up, and my wahoo trainer does not pair via ant+…
The garmin connect app picks it up though (but does not communicate with zwift companion as far as i notice).

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4

Another thing is that the Garmin watch only broadcast in ANT+ so you would need an ANT+ dongle in your PC.

Or you could get a duel band HRM like the Wahoo Tickr.

Using ANT+ for Zwift will make your setup much more robust, BLE can be flaky.

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5

Paul, are you sure Garmin (garmin vivoactive 3 watch) only broadcasts in ANT+?
To the garmin connect app on my phone, it certainly sends live HR data via bluetooth (since my phone has no ANT+).

I’m indeed considering buying some extra gear, but I have a feeling that it should be possible with all my current gear…

6

Yes, it only broadcast HRM in ANT+, it does use BLE to connect to the Garmin Connect app on your phone though.

7

Paul, so the only thing of my current gear that could pick the signal up is my wahoo kickr trainer itself. And then it should cast it again in bluetooth to my phone… but i guess that’s not possible? :frowning:

Or if the garmin connect app could communicate with zwift companion…

8

You cannot use the Kickr or the Garmin Connect app to bridge the watch HR to Zwift.

Your best bet is to get an ANT+ dongle, they are fairly cheap and you will end up with a more robust setup in the end.

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9

Paul beat me to it. As I was going to mention an ANT+ dongle.

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10

I resisted this notion at first, but eventually picked up a Garmin refurb USB dongle, and glad I did… ANT+ broadcasts to my Edge and my mbp running zwift simultaneoulsy. Love it.

11

Put the settings to broadcast mode on the watch and zwift then picks it up as a strap