Mio Alpha 2 Heart Monitor setup query

Hello - I have this morning received my Mio Alpha 2 Heart Monitor. I have managed to connect it to my phone, set up details and the heart rate zones etc but I have 2 questions I can’t seem to find via their support. I was wondering if anyone here could help.

1. If I want to see the heart rate display (and coloured flashing light) all the do I need to set it to be ina workout mode? I have selected all day monitoring but it then just seems to show the time.

2. How do I get it to have an audible alert? I have selected it as an option in the app but so far haven’t heard anything.

Any advice and tips on these and anything else like good apps to use etc would be really gratefully received.

Fingers crossed in a rainy Cheshire!

 

If you press and hold down button on the right it will show your heart rate continuously.For other questions I would have to refer you to the manual.

I owned an Alpha 2 but sold it. I found it to be very inaccurate. Tested it for a couple of weeks and compared with Polar H7 chest strap (accurate) and Beurer pulse oximeter (also accurate). Especially if you move around the MIO shows weird random spikes very often. Tried wearing it both left and right, and lower and higer on the wrist. Also it is slow to pick up changes.
Sorry, just my experience. Same goes for apple watch. I have not yet seen a reliable wrist monitor. I expected the Alpha 2 to be just that because of reviews. But it did not deliver. I hope it will work better for you. It measures heart rate with lights going through the skin, so maybe differences in skin thickness / colour will gave a more or less accurate result.

 

Mattie thanks for this. The reviews do suggest high accuracy - which was my reason for choosing it.

I’ve found the manual a little err “vague”on a few things. But I have just managed to work out how to get it to beep by setting it in a timer workout (I think!) And that I’d need to think more carefully about my heart rate zones if I wanted to use that function.

Hmm. I got it at a reduced price (thankfully!) and I’ll have to think about whether I keep it or not. I’ve tried with Fitbit but really wanted something that alerts me when I’m going over the threshold. The mio’s lights are helpful for that.

Thanks very much for taking the time to comment. Very much appreciated

 

You're welcome.
Just see if you can compare it to another device sometimes (if available) when you get weird readings or spikes.
The SP02 meters are not expensive. (around 35 euros)

 

But you don't want to be walking with a weird hospital-looking-thing on your index finger all day, that is why I also went on a search for an accurate wrist monitor.
And than there is chest straps, accurate but uncomfortable and not suitable for all day monitoring...

 

Ha ha. I’m slightly worried that you might be right about this. Despite the reviews.

I’ve got a Fitbit on one wrist and the Mio on another and I’m getting readings as varied as 126 on one and 72 on the other. Hmm maybe they’re messing each other’s readings up ...

I shall continue for the time being and review At the end of the day. But my great white hope of managing my energy by looking at the flashing lights (or being bleeped at when in the danger zone) is starting to look less workable. Because it really does rely on accurate info.

 

Update just in case anyone comes along to look at some point.

Unfortunately, despite high hopes (I loved the idea of coloured lights to help me know where I was on the bpm scale) the Mio Alpha 2 has proved to be pretty useless for me today. It has told me that my heart rate has spanned from 34 to 159. At points it has agreed with a Fitbit I was wearing for comparison- but at other points there was more than 40 bpm difference between the two of them.

I’m quite saddened by this. I had so wanted it to be a better solution for me and I got it at a bargain price. Perhaps I know why . It may not be the model generally but my example. Either way I don’t have the trust I need to rely on it to help with pacing.

Ah well. Back to the drawing board...

 

Hi Alison
I have just had my Alpha 2 delivered this morning and pretty much at the stage you were. How have you got on since have you persevered?

Im currently thinking that even if it is a little inaccurate it is better than nothing.... How have you found it? And have you used an app like strata to view the data at all?
Thanks, Steve