Buggish: "We found your Charge HR" but still get error "Bluetooth issues" on Droid Turbo

Rebooted phone several times, restarted FitBit app several times, finally tried rebooting the FitBit itself (hold down button for several seconds while plugged in) which seems to finally work.

Symptom: FitBit no longer synced with phone. Thought maybe I had to re-pair the device, I removed the device. When re-pairing, I continually received the error "Bluetooth issues" "if you see this message for the first time..." Occasionally, I was able to get the app to show "We found your Charge HR" but would still popup the Bluetooth issues error box.


Solution: Called tech support, explained the situation, and they were able to cover a replacement under the warranty. Which was really nice since I didn't think there was warranty. The experience was positive although I really wanted to know what was wrong with my current one.

So far, I am not exactly sure what the fix is as I cannot replicate the issue. It appears restarting the Fitbit fixes this problem. But may also include restarting phone and app. Restarting app fixed the problem of pairing as it appears to only work on the initial attempt. If I retry then the FitBit appears to no longer attempt to pair even though it says it is searching. The FitBit is definitely in some sort of off-mode during this time as the steps are not registered either. That is about all the information I think is relevant.

Fitbit ChargeHR (2 months)

I've been wearing my Fitbit for just under 2 months.

The Fitbit website does track the number of times you hit certain goals (ie 5k steps, 10k steps, etc.). I'm not sure if this is new since my last post, but most likely I just didn't notice since I use my phone to check most of the stats. So, that is pretty cool.

Another ask was to compete with other types, and Fitbit does have their data available to download so this is possible if someone developed such an interface with other devices.

I have been on an exercise tear, averaging about 20k steps per day so I have been crushing my challenges for a pretty long time. I think this may have discouraged some of the bottom steppers or "more"-competitive people. I would really like some challenge that would help encourage people to move more. I try to get people to go out more, but "unfortunately" that also means that I'm out more thus getting more steps too.

Sadly, I could not come up with any good ideas that would motivate people. The best idea I could come up with is some challenge based on improvement from the previous week. Or maybe some sort of handicap, like they would get 1.5 step points per step.

I have forgotten to take off my Fitbit a couple times when I showered. It did get soaked for a second or two. I have had no problems at all.

It is not comfortable to wear while playing volleyball, but is still playable. I prefer not to wear the Fitbit. I've only tried a couple times. It does not really impact my actual play... just uncomfortable when I bump.

Overall, I am still quite satisfied with my Fitbit. It has pushed me to be more active.


Reference
http://douglastclee.blogspot.com/2016/07/fitbit-chargehr-two-week-impression.html
http://douglastclee.blogspot.com/2016/06/fitbit-chargehr-first-impression.html

Fitbit ChargeHR (two-week impression)

Comfort/Style

I seem to keep changing where I lock the band. Is it natural for my wrist to change sizes? The largest problem is trying to get the watch to sit about an inch under my wrist where it gets the best heart rate accuracy. Otherwise, comfort is fine with the usual discomfort of a watch.

Accuracy

Heart Rate does not seem to be very accurate (comparing with treadmill's heart rate) when running. Rest heart rate seems quite reliable. I'm not sure about the average resting heart rate which seems a little low. My current heart rate is around 74 bpm (measured with fingers on the inside part of my wrist with a time watch for a minute), the watch shows 73, but the phone app shows 65 bpm. Maybe writing a blog gives me the increased rate.

Steps are quite accurate. The elevation can be tricked when pumping your arm in the car. I don't care much for distance so I have not been monitoring the accuracy of distance. Since I do a lot of walking in place or treadmill, I do not expect it to be extremely accurate.

Mobile App

Not as impressed as I thought it would be but is functional. My favorite component is the sleep log. It has some bug with finding Facebook friends (Motorola Turbo) even though it is connected and can post achievements to FB. 

Web Service

This is much more useful than the mobile app. It provides a much more detailed report of the same status provided on the mobile phone.

Competing/Accomplishments

Adding people to challenges is easy. Seems that steps are the only metrics available to compete against. 

Accomplishments are very standard with different metrics to be accomplishments. There are two types, one for one-time single-day goals and the other is one-time lifetime goals.

Asks

It would be nice if Fitbit could track the number of times that I hit certain accomplishments, like 20 days of 10k steps, 5 days of 5k steps, etc. Same with steps.

Would be nice if it could be configured to compete with other people with other pedometer devices or step-tracking devices.

Reference

http://douglastclee.blogspot.com/2016/06/fitbit-chargehr-first-impression.html
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/Target-Heart-Rates_UCM_434341_Article.jsp#.V4EbTbgrKUk

Fitbit ChargeHR (first impression)

I have finally succumbed to popularity of the FitBit. Up to this point, I have been using Google Fit on my phone which can be kind of hassle to carry while running.

Why FitBit?

Why FitBit over the other brands? Mostly because my circle of influence use FitBit. That was basically the only factor with the assumption that the top smart-pedometers have similar features. I do like the ability to track how much activity I have during the day.

The price has been keeping me from buying FitBit. Is it worth $120+? This will have to wait to see.

I decided to go with the HR because I am curious about my heart rate history but more for the sleep tracker.

Setup

Setup is easy. Install the app on the phone. Follow instructions. This took 15 minutes.

Comfort/Style

It's simple but stylish enough for my needs. The band is comfortable and wears like a watch. I kind of wish the button was on the other side (or I suppose I could also wish I was left-handed). It would be cooler still if I could just tap the screen.

Accuracy

I did not do not super scientific test for this. My test is just an approximate accuracy with Google Fit. I check how many steps before an activity, then check the steps after an activity. I know Google Fit is not completely accurate due to the way it sits in my pocket (which I keep in the front pocket of baggy shorts). Overall, the steps were pretty aligned. Over 500 steps, FitBit registered 8 more steps than Google Fit. With over 7000 steps, Fitbit was around 50 more steps.

I typically run on the treadmill, so I have done some tests with the heart rate monitor. Most of the time, they seem to match within 1-2 bpm. When the FitBit does not sit very securely on my write, the readings could be off by quite a bit, the difference around 20 bpm (treadmill reading 140 bpm). I do not know the accuracy of the treadmill, so I cannot say what those numbers really mean.

More importantly, the numbers go up with I feel my heart rate going up and down when I'm resting. For me this is good enough to track. Especially since the target bpm is an estimate anyways. As long as it is consistent, I mostly just want to watch my efficiency increase as I get more fit.

I've worn it for two nights of sleep. I find it interesting how often I move around while I sleep and how consistent I am. I seem to move around almost every hour. Unfortunately, I haven't been getting a lot of sleep due to work.

Reporting

Looks nice. There is a charge for the fancier reports. The basic reports are standard and has more than Google Fit.

Overall

I'm pretty satisfied with the FitBit.