Need help with a heart rate alarms app

Hi there,

I've recently bought Forerunner 745 and got disappointed by the fact that there is a "bad" irregular hear rate alarm feature. Actually, it allows to set a top level starting from 100 bpm only however I really need to set it from 80 (kindly don't ask why).

So now I'm looking for any way / hack to get what I want. I've deployed the Garmin development environment and now trying to create my own app to achive this.

I've already sorted out how to recieve the current heart rate and vibrate the watch if it is greater than 80 bpm. It works fine in the emulator but I don't know how to get it working on the watches in spite of my app is copied to the watches.

In a nutshell, I need a simple background app which monitors my heart rate and start vibrating when it gets > 80 in 24/7.

Can you please give me some architecture ideas how to do it: what kind of app it should be, which methods to use? P.S. I don't need a special watch face, only background mode all the time.

Top Replies

jim_m_58 over 3 years ago +1

The problem with a background service doing this is that it can run at most once every 5 minutes, and for at most, 30 seconds at a time. Wrist heart rate has two modes - 24/7 and activity mode, where activity…
flowstate over 3 years ago in reply to _psx_ +1

_psx_ said:
But it's a simpler solution.

You have to find on watch file where min HR settings (if it isn't in any protected area) is saved than change several time value to find in this file place and…
jim_m_58 over 3 years ago in reply to 5524225 +1

As it's for more than the 745, and is a device not so much a CIQ thing try submitting the idea to Garmin overall:

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/forms/ideas/

All Replies

flocsy🤠 over 3 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

True, but they probably also take into account the time it takes to implement something. And frankly changing a constant in the code is not too difficult even if they have to to test it afterwards.

subra over 3 years ago

Settings of health metrics should have a reasonable scientific background. I think the reason for setting the upper limit of resting HR at 100 bpm is:

"The American Heart Association states the normal resting adult human heart rate is 60–100 bpm. Tachycardia is a high heart rate, defined as above 100 bpm at rest. Bradycardia is a low heart rate, defined as below 60 bpm at rest. When a human sleeps, a heartbeat with rates around 40–50 bpm is common and is considered normal."

en.wikipedia.org/.../Heart_rate

And Garmin always points out that the watches aren't medical devices, to avoid possible compensation for damage to health. So I don't think Garmin will change this limit or make it adjustable.

flocsy🤠 over 3 years ago in reply to subra

this maybe explains why 100 is the default, but not why it can't be set to a lower value

subra over 3 years ago in reply to flocsy🤠

flocsy🤠 said:
this maybe explains why 100 is the default, but not why it can't be set to a lower value

Of course it's easy to change the constant in the program, but

1) The F745 is a Sports & Fitness watch
Garmin about F745: "This GPS running watch is made for runners and triathletes like you who need detailed training stats and on-device workouts plus smartwatch functions."

and the option is called "Abnormal Heart Rate Alert".
www8.garmin.com/.../GUID-A1C8190D-D4D6-4EE4-9B31-87AE009433AA.html

2) The threshold for abnormal heart rate at rest is defined by the AHA at 100 bpm.

3) The F745 isn't approved by the FDA for cardiac event recording.