PM3 Monitor memory

[chicagoal]

Hi all. I just bought an 'original' Model D c. 2004 for my son. Good condition, no rust, drag factor checks out. It has the PM3 monitor, which he may want to upgrade from. But for the time being I think the PM3 will be okay. I have a question about the memory. The old manual says that workouts can be saved on a logcard, and transferred to a computer via the USB card, but without a logcard inserted, workouts will be saved internally. How many workouts will it save internally? And can they be transferred via the USB cable without a logcard present? The manual is worded to suggest not but that seems unlikely. Thanks!
Son moved out for his first post-college job about a year ago. He was putting in some serious meters on my erg so I've had my eye out for him for a while. I hope we're going to have a training partner relationship.

[Carl Watts]

Hi, For the PM3 internal memory, It saves 10 workouts IIRC and then begins to starts to overwrite the oldest.

The logcard doesn't need to come out of the PM3, you can connect the PM3 buy a USB printer cable to the PC then extract the results by using the free Concept 2 utility you can download.

The PM3 probably has really old firmware and that can be updated as well.

The logcard is good for about a year of recording and then you can format it in the PM3 and start again.

You need to setup either a distance or a time for a row to get it to record reliably in the internal memory.

[Tsnor]

..The old manual says that workouts can be saved on a logcard, and transferred to a computer via the USB card, but without a logcard inserted, workouts will be saved internally.

An alternative approach to saving the workout data is
1. Get a USB printer cable with OTG function ($10 or less)
2. Connect an android device to the PM3 with the cable
3. Run ERGDATA on the android device. See more data while rowing, sync with the concept2 log, get per stroke data if you want it.
4. Once your data is in the Concept2 log you can download it to spreadsheets, automatically push it to strava, garmin etc and view simple a data presentation (season totals, graphs of stoke rate, etc) using a browser interface. Concept2 log is also how you earn a free C2 1M meter T-shirt, etc. C2 does not care that you are not the original owner.

Same cable can be used to update firmware.

Note, any printer cable can be used for C2 Utility, but to run Ergdata you need a cable that has OTG capability.

[chicagoal]

Thanks guys. Son has an iPhone so Android is not likely. But if the PM3 will save 10 workouts and he can then transfer them to his MacBook with the C2 Utility that'll likely do for now. I have a spare old printer (USB A to USB B I think) cable I'll give him. Firmware on the PM3 is almost certainly out of date but maybe that won't matter.

[Citroen]

So you're cutting off your nose to spite your face for $6.50.

Get a LogCard you won't regret it.
https://shop.concept2.com/accessories/2 ... gcard.html

[Carl Watts]

Depending on how old the PM3 is the log card may or may not work anyway. The contacts oxidise and just get a bit of crud on them from just years of exposure to various atmospheric conditions. The switch that detects the card can have the same problem and doesn't go short when the card is inserted. I have to give those contacts a flickover with a fibreglass rework pen to ensure they are clean. Unless it's a post 2008 PM3 I probably would not bother trying a card in it.

it's probably time to toss the older PM3s now anyway they give all sorts of problems including faulty readouts of pace due to corrosion caused by that supercap leaking. The PM5 is a great monitor there is no going back after you have used one.

[chicagoal]

So you're cutting off your nose to spite your face for $6.50.

Get a LogCard you won't regret it.
https://shop.concept2.com/accessories/2 ... gcard.html

A bit harsh, isn't it? The rower is for my son, so he'll decide if he wants to stick with the PM3 or upgrade. When he was living with us, I don't think he was tracking his workouts, so maybe he won't care. I was tempted to put in an order for a log card, also a refurb kit, but really it's all up to him.

[Tsnor]

...Son has an iPhone so Android is not likely. ...

iPhone cables are really hard to find to connect to the pm3, so you're correct -- forget that.

If your son has a Kindle table (anything but a paperwhite) he can use that to host ErgData -- that's what I do.

Think you have the right approach here -- let your son figure it out.