My smart watch and Cpap make sure i dont peg it in the night. within 5 mins of disconnecting the results are sent to my phone.

Smart watch sounds more like something I could manage.  I used to wear a normal watch everyday pre-pandemic.  (Stopped during lockdown and never bothered since).  I'd only need a basic one though, not a proper Fitbit.  There were probably several on offer for Black Friday lol!

19 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Smart watch sounds more like something I could manage.  I used to wear a normal watch everyday pre-pandemic.  (Stopped during lockdown and never bothered since).  I'd only need a basic one though, not a proper Fitbit.  There were probably several on offer for Black Friday lol!

If you only intend to use it for time and monitor your HR there are some cheap deals about.

aliexpress, geekbuying etc the list is endless only issue is taking it off to recharge

4 minutes ago, Wino said:

If you only intend to use it for time and monitor your HR there are some cheap deals about.

what mobile have you, there are heart beat apps, many free

18 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

what mobile have you, there are heart beat apps, many free

Don't use my phone as not allowed on the shop floor at work and I don't take it out with me on any activities. 

I use an old fitbit 2 for work (broke 3 straps already) and either a Garmin 220 or a 225 depending on what activity I'm doing.

12 hours ago, Wino said:

Don't use my phone as...I don't take it out with me on any activities. 

What if there's an emergency while you're out alone?   I do agree though, would prefer something standalone rather than something I'd need my phone for.  I can see there are some on ebay for less than a tenner brand new, the quality on those must be awful.  Any branded budget models you'd recommend?

After last night's discussion, I got the finger oximeter out again...  To my surprise, it seemed to work fine, gave a reading of 70bpm.  (10pm, sat down watching TV).  Tried it again this morning and no reading displayed!  I guess that either means I'm dead in the morning, which would explain a lot, or that it doesn't work in cold weather?

10 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

What if there's an emergency while you're out alone?   I do agree though, would prefer something standalone rather than something I'd need my phone for.  I can see there are some on ebay for less than a tenner brand new, the quality on those must be awful.  Any branded budget models you'd recommend?

After last night's discussion, I got the finger oximeter out again...  To my surprise, it seemed to work fine, gave a reading of 70bpm.  (10pm, sat down watching TV).  Tried it again this morning and no reading displayed!  I guess that either means I'm dead in the morning, which would explain a lot, or that it doesn't work in cold weather?

I have live tracking activated on the Garmin watch. I know beforehand what distance, pace and route which also gives me a good idea how long it should take. Ie, 20/30/45 minutes or longer depending on what I'm doing. So any longer than 10 minutes of planned activity the the Mrs can see where I am and come and pick me up if needed.

Regardless of which brand you choose it will need an app on your phone or laptop, Garmin in particular as it needs the odd software update every so often, perhaps one every 18 months via their Garmin express site.

Theres an abundance of used ones on ebay so can be pretty much picked up relatively cheap. It really depends on what you want it for and more importantly what you like as some can be bulky like the Forerunner 225 as it has HR built in so no need for a chest strap but is almost twice the thickness of the Forerunner 220 but that does require a strap for HR. 

Both of the ones mentioned are older watches, IIRC I only bought the 225 as the chest strap on the 220 was uncomfortable for the Mrs to use for obvious reasons and plus if the watch is shared between activities it actually can screw up the data (running related metrics).

For what you're probably using it for, steps, time and Hr then something like a Fitbit or similar would be more suitable.

 

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

What if there's an emergency while you're out alone?   I do agree though, would prefer something standalone rather than something I'd need my phone for.  I can see there are some on ebay for less than a tenner brand new, the quality on those must be awful.  Any branded budget models you'd recommend?

After last night's discussion, I got the finger oximeter out again...  To my surprise, it seemed to work fine, gave a reading of 70bpm.  (10pm, sat down watching TV).  Tried it again this morning and no reading displayed!  I guess that either means I'm dead in the morning, which would explain a lot, or that it doesn't work in cold weather?

from memory i use one that cost £6.00 from geekbuying, has rubber straps which are replaceable but in 5 years its still going strong. reads anytime day or night and links to the app on my phone. As an aside they use a pulse oximeter to test remotely for sleep apnea which i have, and the Darth vader mask at night haha

Reading through the way this thread has been going the last few days, it's miraculous that any of us are still around!😀

3 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

After last night's discussion, I got the finger oximeter out again...  To my surprise, it seemed to work fine, gave a reading of 70bpm.  (10pm, sat down watching TV).  Tried it again this morning and no reading displayed!  I guess that either means I'm dead in the morning, which would explain a lot, or that it doesn't work in cold weather?

That's nothing to worry about Tom. When my mother had Covid the Doctor that visited several times had a lot of trouble getting any reading from her even with his professional Oximeter. It always took several goes.

I also have a cheap one myself and when I use it often get readings of between 92 and 99 for O2 on different fingers in the same session. The pulse rate is always accurate though because I have checked it.

Regarding the smart watches, I was given a Fitbit one and wore it to my exercise classes and found that it underestimated my Heart rate mostly. There was one track that involved a lot of press ups just after the running track and according to my Fitbit my Heart rate went down to about 80 when doing the press ups, which was nonsense.

5 minutes ago, Tizer said:

I also have a cheap one myself and when I use it often get readings of between 92 and 99 for O2 on different fingers in the same session....

I've had my oximeter for years (before they were fashionable), it cost £4 inc P&P. At the peak of lockdown, they were selling for £50! LOL 

1 minute ago, StephenFord said:

I've had my oximeter for years (before they were fashionable), it cost £4 inc P&P. At the peak of lockdown, they were selling for £50! LOL 

Yeah, I was ahead of the game also and I got one early for a reasonable price.

5 minutes ago, Tizer said:

Yeah, I was ahead of the game also and I got one early for a reasonable price.

Out of interest, just checked Ebay, you can still buy them now for about £4, great little gadget for the price! Also checked infra red forehead thermometers, now back to £6 instead of again, lockdown price of £50! The pandemic was good for many sellers!

2 hours ago, Wino said:

Theres an abundance of used ones on ebay so can be pretty much picked up relatively cheap. It really depends on what you want it for and more importantly what you like as some can be bulky like the Forerunner 225 as it has HR built in so no need for a chest strap but is almost twice the thickness of the Forerunner 220 but that does require a strap for HR. 

For what you're probably using it for, steps, time and Hr then something like a Fitbit or similar would be more suitable.

Thanks David.  I didn't realise there was so much to consider! 

I'm happy to buy a new one.  Budget anything up to £100.  Don't want an additional chest strap.  Quite like the look of the FitBit V3, very clear and simple, though it might be a bit too chunky in real life.  Especially if I try it overnight.  I see there are thinner Fitbit's though they may be more difficult to read.

Main purpose would be heart rate monitoring as I'm sure something odd is going on there.  Steps, distance and calories burnt would all be useful.  Body temp could also be useful as I seem unable to control that now.  Spent most of summer unable to move due to heat and am now shivering for much of the day despite it barely being winter yet.

 

2 hours ago, Jimpster said:

from memory i use one that cost £6.00 from geekbuying, has rubber straps which are replaceable but in 5 years its still going strong. reads anytime day or night and links to the app on my phone.

Had a look on that site but it's all geek to me.   Which brand is yours?  If they're still available for ~£6 I could be tempted to try one and see whether I'd get much use from it before buying a more expensive one.

34 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Thanks David.  I didn't realise there was so much to consider! 

I'm happy to buy a new one.  Budget anything up to £100.  Don't want an additional chest strap.  Quite like the look of the FitBit V3, very clear and simple, though it might be a bit too chunky in real life.  Especially if I try it overnight.  I see there are thinner Fitbit's though they may be more difficult to read.

Main purpose would be heart rate monitoring as I'm sure something odd is going on there.  Steps, distance and calories burnt would all be useful.  Body temp could also be useful as I seem unable to control that now.  Spent most of summer unable to move due to heat and am now shivering for much of the day despite it barely being winter yet.

 

Had a look on that site but it's all geek to me.   Which brand is yours?  If they're still available for ~£6 I could be tempted to try one and see whether I'd get much use from it before buying a more expensive one.

Try a cheapie you may like it, i've found it must be worn fairly tight to get a good reading, and very hairy wrists can also hamper it unless like many you wear it on the inside of your wrist. Cant remember the make will have a look and come back.

“You are what you eat”!All the above health markers are good practice to monitor but the underpinning  marker is controlling your blood sugar.Once you have achieved that -other health markers will improve.

just to add, many are pre-diabetic and don’t know.

39 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Thanks David.  I didn't realise there was so much to consider! 

I'm happy to buy a new one.  Budget anything up to £100.  Don't want an additional chest strap.  Quite like the look of the FitBit V3, very clear and simple, though it might be a bit too chunky in real life.  Especially if I try it overnight.  I see there are thinner Fitbit's though they may be more difficult to read.

Main purpose would be heart rate monitoring as I'm sure something odd is going on there.  Steps, distance and calories burnt would all be useful.  Body temp could also be useful as I seem unable to control that now.  Spent most of summer unable to move due to heat and am now shivering for much of the day despite it barely being winter yet.

 

Had a look on that site but it's all geek to me.   Which brand is yours?  If they're still available for ~£6 I could be tempted to try one and see whether I'd get much use from it before buying a more expensive one.

If it's a more traditional type of watch your after a quick google 

Sekonda Mens 45mm Smart Watch with Heart Rate and Sleep Monitor, Daily Activity, Sports, Music, Weather & Message Functions, with Rubber Strap. https://amzn.eu/d/eyc7dgc

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000390549201.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.1cbf40aa2hDywQ&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id"%3A"10000001595284889"}&pdp_npi=2%40dis!GBP!7.79!5.14!!!!!%402100bb5116697324136712931eb9ca!10000001595284889!sea&curPageLogUid=sk0GQfMGgiPI that similar to mine and for a fiver it neither here nor there. I use mine via android if you use iphone then ive no idea lol

21 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

very hairy wrists can also hamper it

Well there's one thing I won't have to worry about... 

 

SUMMARY

CDC Finally Releases VAERS Safety Monitoring Analyses For COVID Vaccines

CDC’s VAERS safety signal analysis based on reports from Dec. 14, 2020 – July 29, 2022 for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines shows clear safety signals for death and a range of highly concerning thrombo-embolic, cardiac, neurological, hemorrhagic, hematological, immune-system and menstrual adverse events (AEs) among U.S. adults.

There were 770 different types of adverse events that showed safety signals in ages 18+, of which over 500 (or 2/3) had a larger safety signal than myocarditis/pericarditis.

The CDC analysis shows that the number of serious adverse events reported in less than two years for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines is 5.5 times larger than all serious reports for vaccines given to adults in the US since 2009 (~73,000 vs. ~13,000).

Twice as many mRNA COVID-19 vaccine reports were classified as serious compared to all other vaccines given to adults (11% vs. 5.5%). This meets the CDC definition of a safety signal.

There are 96 safety signals for 12-17 year-olds, which include: myocarditis, pericarditis, Bell’s Palsy, genital ulcerations, high blood pressure and heartrate, menstrual irregularities, cardiac valve incompetencies, pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrhythmias, thromboses, pericardial and pleural effusion, appendicitis and perforated appendix, immune thrombocytopenia, chest pain, increased troponin levels, being in intensive care, and having anticoagulant therapy.

There are 66 safety signals for 5-11 year-olds, which include: myocarditis, pericarditis, ventricular dysfunction and cardiac valve incompetencies, pericardial and pleural effusion, chest pain, appendicitis & appendectomies, Kawasaki’s disease, menstrual irregularities, vitiligo, and vaccine breakthrough infection.

The safety signals cannot be dismissed as due to “stimulated,” exaggerated, fraudulent or otherwise artificially inflated reporting, nor can they be dismissed due to the huge number of COVID vaccines administered. There are several reasons why, but the simplest one is this: the safety signal analysis does not depend on the number of reports, but whether or not some AEs are reported at a higher rate for these vaccines than for other non-COVID vaccines. Other reasons are discussed in the full post below.

In August, 2022, the CDC told the Epoch Times that the results of their safety signal analysis “were generally consistent with EB [Empirical Bayesian] data mining [conducted by the FDA], revealing no additional unexpected safety signals.” So either the FDA’s data mining was consistent with the CDC’s method—meaning they "generally" found the same large number of highly alarming safety signals—or the signals they did find were expected. Or they were lying. We may never know because the FDA has refused to release their data mining results

5 minutes ago, 59bhp said:

SUMMARY

CDC Finally Releases VAERS Safety Monitoring Analyses For COVID Vaccines

It's times like this I sure wish I was smarter! I reckon I understood some of this but certainly not all, and this was only the 'summary'!  Still, nice to see such detail even though I wasn't sure for large chunks what I was reading... 

Vindicated...

Currently there are many exposés being released of how our government handled Covid. Many of us on this forum, (you know who you are) have long held views of the futile nature of lockdowns, the idiotic mandate of mask wearing, the ludicrous rules of visitation rights withdrawn from the sick & elderly, the closing of schools, the squandering of £37,000,000,000 (£37 Billion) on track & trace on a system, even if it had worked, would have been useless against Covid. 

Well, it’s all coming out in the wash now. Our government wasn’t only incompetent; it spun a whole web of lies to cover it up. When they stated they followed the science, as many of us knew, they were not following any science. Persistently asked for scientific proof of the validation of mask wearing, they didn’t release one single report to back it up. When they locked down our children from attending school (causing a generation of mental health issues), they offered no scientific report to back it up. 

I agreed with the first lockdown, gave us breathing space to see what we were dealing with. It was initially calculated the average mortality age was 83, which remains constant to this day. We knew it also effected the vulnerable. We needed to protect the elderly & vulnerable, yet the whole nation was locked up at home for the guts of 2 years.

I am so angry that the minority of us that knew all this were called out as being Covid deniers (we weren’t, most like me were double jabbed, and double boosted). What we were was ‘government action’ sceptics. I’m also now a total mainstream media sceptic as during lockdown, all they asked was why lockdown wasn’t longer, never asking once, why we need it in the 1st place.

I will NEVER forgive them for what they did to our country, destroying a whole generation of us to preventable health issues by shutting down the NHS. We should all be angry at that.

I predicted 6 months ago the outcome of a public enquiry – I stand by that prediction.

 

17 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

I will NEVER forgive them for what they did to our country, destroying a whole generation of us to preventable health issues by shutting down the NHS. We should all be angry at that.

I totally agree. Sadly it will be another 20 or 30 years before the full truth comes out.

NOT just the tories, the rest went along with it so ALL culpable. No point nailing a few to the wall.