Hi Philip. You can use electrode gel for better conductivity. However, some of our users have reported electrode gel could be slippery thus causing the strap to slip down while recording. We would not recommend the use of electrode gel for very rigorous activities and would suggest you use water.

Try the gel used for TENS machines. Easily obtainable and not expensive.

In my experience a “poor signal” message can be fixed by cleaning the metal contacts between the HRM pod and the strap. Specifically, I use contact cleaner and fix just one press stud at a time, which I then rotate to clean the surfaces. Contact cleaner may not be required, but it’s there that the problem manifests rather than between strap and chest.