The Mini S does not directly have the ability to capture heart rate data, but... there are some easy ways to work around this and get combined heart rate data (including from a chest-worn heart rate strap) along with your GPS data from your Mini S inside your analytics.
Below we describe how to get the most accurate position data from your Racebox Mini S along with heart rate data that must be collected from a GPS watch or heart rate strap connected to a GPS watch.
(Optional) use a chest-worn heart rate strap like the Garmin Dual HRM, or the Polar H10 for highest accuracy
The following applies to all of the GPS watch types referenced in this article.
Follow your GPS watch manufacturer's guide to pairing the watch with a chest-worn heart rate strap. If you have a heart rate strap connected to your watch, the data from the heart rate strap always overrides the heart rate data from the reading on your wrist coming from the bottom sensors of your watch. This is an easy step on all watches we've tested and the accuracy is really good!
Using Apple Watch (iOS only) along with your Racebox Mini S
First, see the note above about using a chest-worn heart rate strap. Follow these steps to combine the heart rate data from your Apple Watch with the GPS data from your Mini S. The important steps to get correct are the last two... the others are loose suggestions and can be done in any way or sequence.
- Start any workout on your Apple Watch (I use "Traditional Strength Training"). Ideally you would use a workout type that doesn't track GPS since this unnecessarily drains the battery quicker on your watch. GPS data from this workout is discarded.
- Start recording on your Mini S (I use Smart Mode)
- Go ride (you can do just one session or any number of sessions)
- IMPORANT: end the workout on your Apple Watch first
- IMPORTANT: end recording on your Mini S second
Once your sync (downloading from the Racebox Mini S) completes you'll see your lap times and your heart rate data combined in one view (including for all other analytics screens in the app).
Using any Garmin or Polar GPS watch with your Racebox Mini S
First, see the note above about using a chest-worn heart rate strap. Follow these steps to combine the heart rate data from your Garmin or Polar GPS watch with the GPS data from your Mini S. The important steps to get correct are the last two.
- Start a GPS activity or workout on your watch (I use whatever my watch wants to call mountain biking). Note, it must be a workout type that records GPS (even though the GPS data will be discarded later), and it must be a non-motorsport type activity if you are using a Garmin watch. So any kind of running or mountain biking activity will work.
- Start recording on your Mini S (I use Smart Mode)
- Go ride (you can do just one session or any number of sessions)
- IMPORANT: end the workout on your GPS Watch first and sync it to your Garmin or Polar app
- IMPORTANT: end recording on your Mini S second
Once your sync (downloading from the Racebox Mini S) completes you'll see your lap times and your heart rate data combined in one view (including for all other analytics screens in the app).
Using just a heart rate strap
Note, this does not work, you must also have a GPS watch.