Ionic HRM Issues?

[EROD1018]

Is there something wrong with my Ionic HRM? My heart? Both? Neither? I'm approaching 40. I consider myself an above average runner. I run about 30-35 miles per week in a mixture of long slow runs, fast intervals, threshold runs, etc.  PRs are 5:03 1M, 18:15 5K, 38:40 10K, and 1:29 1/2 Mar.  I recently started using my Ionic for HR Zone training up and I'm suspect of the data it is providing.  For starters, even on a non-100% effort run, it's recording a MHR of anywhere from 202-208 consistently from run to run.  I know age predicted formulas aren't entirely accurate but is it realistic for a 40 yr old to have a MHR over 20bpms than predicted? I've also noticed that even my "slow, easy runs" put me right in the peak zone with average HR of over 180 BPM.  Furthermore, for some reason, halfway through my runs, my HR just seems to drop 20+ BPMs and then stay there for the rest of the run even though I made no significant change to pace or effort. Today I did a  5x1000m interval session on the treadmill and started out with a 1M warm up at between 15 and 10min/mi.  Even the very slow 10:00min/mi warmup put my HR over 190 but then as soon as I started my first interval at 6:19min/mi it suddenly dropped to the mid-160s and stayed there until my recovery period (3min jog).  Same thing across the other 4 intervals.  Makes no sense that an interval where i'm going 85-90% max effort gives me a HR of 165 but a very slow jog warm up gives me a 190+ HR.  I terminated my session with a 1M cool down at the same 10:00min/mil pace as the warmup and now all of a sudden my HR stay fairly constant in the 130 range.  This type of data is consistent across ALL runs.  Starts out all the way near max and just stays there and all of a sudden drops to a more believable number. Is this normal? Is my Ionic giving bad data?

[EROD1018]

Three more runs trying to get this supposedly high-tech fitness watch to give me reliable HR data and no use. It's one thing for a HRM to be off 3-5 BPM but when it's off by over 25 and inconsistent, then it's worthless as a training device. Finally broke down and asked my friend to borrow her Garmin Forerunner and chest strap HRM.  She thought it was gross but she gave it up after I promised I'd buy her a protein shake next time we ran together LOL. Whatever. Wore both watches on my tempo run this morning. Started out with a 1M warm-up at a 9:15 pace.  Then slowly sped up to my target pace of 6:50 over the next mile and a half. Stayed at/around my target pace for 3 miles then dialed it back to 8:00 for my 1M cool down.  Got home and downloaded the data into the Fitbit and Garmin apps respectively.  Surprise surprise. Ionic HRM recorded a max HRM of 204....on the warmup nonetheless...before crashing back down to near zero before finally settling down at the mid-180s for an average HR of 186 BPM for the entire run.  Garmin chest strap HRM (which are considered far more accurate) showed a slow rise up to about 125 during the warm-up then a slow climb up to the mid 150s as I neared my target pace.  Hit a max of 164 BPM during a hill, against the wind but then stayed relatively stable in the 150s for an average of 152 for the entire run.  Pace and distance data was fairly consistent between both watches so not gonna trash the Ionic too bad.  It's still a decent watch but if Fitbit wants to actually MAKE the Ionic into a respectable running watch and not just MARKET it as such, it really needs to up it's game on the wrist mounted HRM if it's not going to make its own chest strapped HRM or allow third party ones to synch with its watches.  Especially if Garmin or some of the other established running brands have offerings with similar or better features and way better hardware/software at the same price point.  I have not issue paying the Garmin price point for a Fitbit if their devices actually worked as advertised instead of just being glorified pedometers with a touchscreen...which is nothing to brag about either with how unresponsive it seems to be at times.