Smart Watches

[Gary0747]

Anybody try any of the so called smart watches out there for flying?  Some are really cheap that supposedly monitor oxygen, blood pressure and heart rate etc?  

[Hank]

I'd be more likely to pay a significant portion of an AMU for a smart watch if it wasn't dependent upon having a cell phone in the vicinity in order to function.

[EricJ]

I've had a smart watch with heart rate monitoring and blood pressure monitoring for a while.   The BP function, as one would expect is not very accurate and I stopped using it entirely.   The heart rate monitor is sensitive to vibration in that if I'm driving and the road is making the steering wheel buzz it'll set off the high heart rate alarm.   It does this at really odd and random times and so that makes it unreliable in recording high rate events.

The redeeming fun things that it does is estimate how many hours of deep and light sleep you got.   That's kinda fun, I think, and seems reasonably accurate.    It also has a kcal estimator that does go up with activity, so you can kind of loosely benchmark things that way.

As one might expect, they are not precision instruments and have some significant limitations.   I'm sure the technology will get better, but short of having a pneumatic cuff I don't know how anything will make an accurate BP measurement.   Mine does not have O2 saturation but it would be good to compare one that has it with a pulse ox meter.

[201Mooniac]

I just got an Apple Watch 6, it has a pulse oxymeter so I wanted to try it out.  It can work without the phone nearby but you do need an iPhone to set it up.  I'm not sure how well it will work at altitude but I'll try it out on my next flight.  The heart rate and rhythm monitoring seem to work fairly well.  I'm also going to try a few aviation apps that are available for it.

[PJClark]

Ticwatch pro 2020.  $245 on Amazon, runs pure Google OS so you can find tons of watch faces including this one you can customize 

That just looks cool.  I mostly use the thing to count steps, but it does do heart rate, sleep, other fitness, music, messages, Google pay, and the other usual stuff.  This kept me from spending $1200 on a D2 Delta though...

[RobertGary1]

8 hours ago, Hank said:

I'd be more likely to pay a significant portion of an AMU for a smart watch if it wasn't dependent upon having a cell phone in the vicinity in order to function.

I don’t think my Apple Watch requires my cell phone. If I forget my cellphone my apps still work and I can make/receive calls and texts fine. 
 

-Robert

[McMooney]

Mainly due to better battery life, the Garmin watches have been perfect for us.  We tend to get a weeks worth of usage between charges  even with pretty heavy use.

along with flying, we track daily workouts, sleep quality, heart rate, steps, calories, blah blah blah.

I wear the D2 Charlie while my wife rocks the Fenix 5s; essentially the same watch with different software.

If you don't need aviation maps, i'd recommend the Fenix due to it being a good deal cheaper.  also the new one has pulse ox.

The IWatches ended up in the back of the drawer after about 2 mos,  having to charge daily just doesnt' work for us.

 

Edited September 24, 2020 by McMooney

[carusoam]

1) The more recent Iwatches have become more independent from their iPhones...
2) Garmin makes a nice GPS watch, and one specific for aviation...

3) Apple’s intention, is to be as close to a medical device as possible, without making the claim... to avoid the FDA red tape.. HR, O2, heart rhythm? they were even going To try to measure glucose reliably...

Would have been nice to have when I had one of those medical emergencies.... 

4) I use a Fitbit...

• for about 0.1amu...
• the HR version collects all my heart rate data for my runs... About 12mi each week...
• Detects when I’m not as well as I think... resting heart rate drifts higher, noticeably... With a cold...
• +1 for keeping track of hours slept... not enough sleep, I don’t go flying... (tough getting old...)

5) Check you battery life and recharge times... the older versions were terrible...

Best regards,

-a-

[Papogator24]

8 hours ago, EricJ said:

The redeeming fun things that it does is estimate how many hours of deep and light sleep you got.   That's kinda fun, I think, and seems reasonably accurate.   

 

When do you charge your watch if you're sleeping with it? How long does it take to get a full charge? 

[Nick Pilotte]

I’m an Apple Watch user here.  I charge mine for a couple hours each evening after I get kids in bed and put it on after I shower. I sleep with it on and it is my alarm clock. I have a Series 1, but if the blood O2 is accurate on the 6 I’ll likely upgrade in the spring.  For me, it’s a watch that gives some convenience if I don’t have my phone on me when someone emails, calls, or texts; with a few other bits as a bonus.  It’s not perfect, but neither is a Garmin because they don’t seem to be seamlessly integrated with Apple, nor is my heavy stainless dive watch (not naming brands) that I still wear occasionally.  

[carusoam]

A modern Fitbit goes about one week on a charge...

Before that final day, you will get an email or text that reminds you... and you have a day or two to take care of it...  All of these devices are pretty easy to find out how much charge they are carrying...

Charging daily during shower time is more than enough time to keep it charged...

Since I’m collecting sleep data, I’m always interested in keeping things alive so it doesn’t croak during the night... or start a run with no juice in the tank...

Going on the road requires planning... Spare charging devices or batteries in key places... or a tech to go kit... helps...
 

The ultimate in needless, but really cool electrical devices... wireless ear buds... They sense when you are using them, and when you stop... they even measure HR too...

PP thoughts only, not a tech guru...

Best regards,

-a-

[aviatoreb]

I really like my watch thats just a watch and I never need to charge and I pretty much never take off my wrist.

I wish there were some smart watch thing that was just a O2sat monitoring thing that just did that and nothing else and was not very big and just leave in the airplane and use it just for that.  Or maybe even an O2Sat smart ring thing.  That just fun time tests my O2sat, alarms if it is bad, and otherwise does nothing else.

[carusoam]

Erik,

ever watch your O2 saturation levels while Bicycling?

The Iwatch might be interesting for that...

If you are pushing hard, you might be heart rate limited... which probably shows up as a low O2 number...

I ran into trouble keeping specialized watches charged for the day I wanted to use them... the first Garmin GPS watch was terrible... the GPS chip used a ton of electricity... and took a long time to charge...

 

Oddly, my Fitbit became my every day watch... counting flights of stairs was a bonus... My dress watches have all gone to the dusty shelf...

Best regards,

-a-

[McMooney]

Our garmin watches take about an hour to go from dead to fully charged.  Wish they werent so expensive I’d really like to upgrade to one with o2.

Oh yea. Integration with my bicycle cadence sensors is awesome. 
The find  my phone feature is indispensable 

Edited September 24, 2020 by McMooney

[EricJ]

3 hours ago, Papogator24 said:

When do you charge your watch if you're sleeping with it? How long does it take to get a full charge? 

Mine only needs a charge every three or four days and only takes about a little while to charge (I think between fifteen minutes and an hour, I've never timed it).   It's easy to just pop it on the charger for a bit during the day.

Edited September 24, 2020 by EricJ

[ZuluZulu]

13 hours ago, Hank said:

I'd be more likely to pay a significant portion of an AMU for a smart watch if it wasn't dependent upon having a cell phone in the vicinity in order to function.

Cellular versions of the Apple Watch have been available since 2017.  It's a cheap add-on to your cellular plan (I think $10/mo) that will continue to provide connectivity to your watch even if you leave your phone at home.  Anywhere your phone would work, the watch will work.

[aviatoreb]

Hmmmm..... something like this looks useful for pilots if it is accurate.

It has an alarm.  It continuously monitors vitality measurements including O2 sat,   Its cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Oximeter-Monitor-CONTEC-CMS50F-Software/dp/B084M1ZZMY/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=sp02+wrist+alarm&qid=1600998685&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-6

[1964-M20E]

Well when Mickey's little had is on the 3 and the big hand is on the 12 it's 3 o'clock.  Smart enough for me.

 

 

[Hank]

41 minutes ago, 1964-M20E said:

Well when Mickey's little had is on the 3 and the big hand is on the 12 it's 3 o'clock.  Smart enough for me.

 

 

What is Mickey sitting on? It looks like something I've seen before somewhere . . . .  

[GeeBee]

This may sound weird, but in 2010 I stopped wearing a watch as a remembrance. I found I don't miss it. I have not bought another. My phone is more than enough. If I need to do something at a particular time I set an alarm. It is amazing however how accurate your internal clock remains. I am usually am only off by a minute or two. I also found not wearing a watch to be unbelievably liberating. Try it for two weeks!

 

[Nick Pilotte]

12 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

Hmmmm..... something like this looks useful for pilots if it is accurate.

It has an alarm.  It continuously monitors vitality measurements including O2 sat,   Its cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Oximeter-Monitor-CONTEC-CMS50F-Software/dp/B084M1ZZMY/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=sp02+wrist+alarm&qid=1600998685&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-6

I think that does look like it will do what you want.  BUT, I’m already wearing a watch. So I’d have to strap that on as well.  Or, I’d get “the look” from my wife when I strap that on and wear it to a dinner with her.  It’s not a very good looking device to me.  So I’d have to make sure it’s charged and in the plane with me, on my right wrist, or I’d forget it.  So if I’m bringing another device along, would it be a $30 fingertip piece, the one above, or should I get an iWatch that does it all in one?  Yes, the latter is more expensive, but it does have a Mickey Mouse feature too.   Speaking of which, it is close to 17:00 Zulu so it’s almost time for a beer. 

 

Edited September 25, 2020 by Nick Pilotte

[aviatoreb]

17 minutes ago, Nick Pilotte said:

I think that does look like it will do what you want.  BUT, I’m already wearing a watch. So I’d have to strap that on as well.  Or, I’d get “the look” from my wife when I strap that on and wear it to a dinner with her.  It’s not a very good looking device to me.  So I’d have to make sure it’s charged and in the plane with me, on my right wrist, or I’d forget it.  So if I’m bringing another device along, would it be a $30 fingertip piece, the one above, or should I get an iWatch that does it all in one?  Yes, the latter is more expensive, but it does have a Mickey Mouse feature too.   Speaking of which, it is close to 17:00 Zulu so it’s almost time for a beer. 

 

I always liked that Mickey face on an Apple Watch.  I have an old mechanical Seiko Mickey watch which I wear now and then when I am in the mood - since I had a Mickey watch when I was 6 years old and I loved it.

That ugly watch thing I pointed to on Amazon I was not thinking of using as my watch.  I wear a Citizen Titanium eco drive solar powered which always works and I never charge arm I think it looks nice.  It does one thing - it tells time.  Wear and forget.  Left arm.

I am thinking of maybe the Amazon ugly watch to keep in the airplane and just wear it when flying, on my right arm, and then take it off when done flying and leave in airplane.

[Gagarin]

A watch is no good if it can not tell you time reliably all the time, specially in remote areas like Mona island. I had the above Citizen watch for 16 years and never had a problem with it. It charge it battery with ambient light. No AC charging, no winding, no battery replacement, no sunlight required. Perfect for the international traveller. The new models can set time by GPS.

[Nick Pilotte]

24 minutes ago, aviatoreb said:

That ugly watch thing I pointed to on Amazon I was not thinking of using as my watch.  I wear a Citizen Titanium eco drive solar powered which always works and I never charge arm I think it looks nice.  It does one thing - it tells time.  Wear and forget.  Left arm.

You had me really concerned for a minute when I read your initial post.  I thought, “this guy thinks things through, like his gorgeous Mooney.  There’s NO WAY he’d wear that contraption out daily as a watch!”  Glad we (or I) got a laugh about that. I like the Citizen Ti watches.  I have a Seiko Ti watch my wife gave me when I graduated high school, not quite as fancy because we were kids but it’s still a great watch.  But I can’t hang up my phone from it when someone from work calls me on a Saturday morning.

[aviatoreb]

6 minutes ago, Nick Pilotte said:

You had me really concerned for a minute when I read your initial post.  I thought, “this guy thinks things through, like his gorgeous Mooney.  There’s NO WAY he’d wear that contraption out daily as a watch!”  Glad we (or I) got a laugh about that. I like the Citizen Ti watches.  I have a Seiko Ti watch my wife gave me when I graduated high school, not quite as fancy because we were kids but it’s still a great watch.  But I can’t hang up my phone from it when someone from work calls me on a Saturday morning.

Haha - well thank you for the style compliments.  This is what the daily-watch I have for my wrist.   It is a beautiful combination of no-nonsense tough Ti in a stylish package - not too big - lightweight for the materials, and a elegant simplicity of narrowly focused function.  It does one thing and does it well - tells time.  And I never fuss with it or take it off for showers, swim in the lake, etc.