Takes a bit of patience to use, but it does work pretty well
First thing you need to do is actually look through the manual. The device is not as user friendly as it could be, so you kind of need to sit down and learn a little bit about it.<br /><br />If you just insert the batteries and start randomly trying to take readings, you'll get a lot of connection errors. If you're going to use the "press it against your skin" method, it works a lot better if you wash your hands (which the manual tells you to do) and whatever part of your body you press the large electrode against. Dry/oily skin prevents it from sensing the electrical pulses from your heart. Washing moistens the area and will give you good readings, (but you don't want dripping wet hands.)<br /><br />The screen resolution is adequate for a casual view of the waveforms, but to REALLY examine them you need to upload the readings to your computer (usb cable provided. Download the Viewer program from their website - don't bother using the disc).  Connection to my PC was straightforward. Plug in the USB, turn the Device on, and open the Viewer.  Click on "Import Device Data." (It will tell you to create an ID. See the manual.)<br /><br />Using the ECG Viewer program you can click on any part of the waveform and a larger view appears in a lower window. I did end up using Microsoft's built in Magnifier to make the whole Viewer program larger, which helped a great deal. You can see and count every block on the strip which is useful for a more thorough analysis, as readings are time-based in milli-seconds. It's not just the shape of the waveforms, but also the space between them that's useful for diagnostic info. Watch some youtube ECG videos made for nurses/students, if you want to learn more. It's not that hard to learn how to interpret a readout. You'll catch on after watching 3 or 4 videos. I find it quite fascinating myself, the ingenuity of being able to tell how well your heart is functioning just by reading electrical impulses.<br /><br />Like most companies, they give you the usual disclaimers about not relying solely on this or diagnosing yourself, to keep the lawyers happy. But this little gadget can indeed tell you enough about your heart (after you learn how to read it) to make an informed decision to see a cardiologist, but of course you should have regular physical exams anyway when you're middle aged. It's not some devious plot to make you give doctors your money. Things really do go wrong with our bodies after a number of decades go by, especially if you smoke, drink, don't exercise, and don't eat right.<br /><br />It's also not a bad idea to pick up a digital blood pressure device. They are fairly cheap and easy to use. Omron seems to be the top brand, but there are plenty of choices. Read reviews.<br /><br />It takes only a few minutes a day to collect readings, which you can store on your smartphone and show your doctor. The readings you take at home can actually be more accurate than at the doctor's office, as you're at a more rested state at home, as opposed to fighting traffic on the drive over there, or rushing to be on time.<br /><br />Sadly, this ECG monitor doesn't have Smartphone storage, but if nothing else, you can email readings to your doctor, or email them to yourself and pull them up on an ipad to show him.
Rating: 5 stars