Mio ALPHA User manual

Complete User Guide

MIO Alpha User Guide 02
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome
03 Getting Started
04 Your MIO Alpha
04 Icons
04 Activating Your MIO Alpha
Using MIO Alpha
05 Wearing Your MIO Alpha
05 Getting Your Heart Rate
06 Setting Your Target Heart Rate
07 Using The Timer
08 Reviewing Your Exercise Session
08 Using MIO Alpha With Your Smartphone
09 Using MIO Alpha With Other Devices
Maintaining Your MIO Alpha
09 Charging The Battery
10 Using Your MIO Alpha In Water
10 Caring For Your MIO Alpha
11 MIO Alpha Specifications
Warranty and Regulations
12 Warranty & Service
13 Refunds & Replacements
13 Register your MIO Alpha
13 Disclaimer
14 Copyright and Trademarks
14 Regulations and Conformity
Have any questions
about your MIO Alpha?
We’re ready to help!
Your complete satisfaction is our goal, so
your feedback is crucial.
If you have any thoughts, questions,
or concerns, just contact our
knowledgeable support team at:
1.877.770.1116
[e-mail]
mioglobal.com/alpha
facebook.com/AlphaHeartRate
twitter.com/AlphaHeartRate

MIO Alpha User Guide 03
WELCOME
Congratulations on your purchase! MIO Alpha is the world’s first performance level, strapless,
continuous heart rate monitor you can wear on your wrist. Alpha uses Bluetooth®Smart
technology to transmit your heart rate data to smartphones and other compatible devices. Take
advantage of a wide range of fitness apps.
Remember to register your MIO Alpha at mioglobal.com/AlphaInfo for full warranty service.
Getting Started
WHAT’S INCLUDED
1. MIO Alpha
1 2 3 4
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.
MIO Alpha provides very accurate heart rate measurements. However, it is not a medical device.
The Alpha watch and USB dongle contain strong magnets that could affect pacemakers and
implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). If you have any concerns, consult your doctor before
using MIO Alpha.
See page 09 for important battery care and battery safety information.
2. USB Charger 3. Quick Start Guide 4. Warranty & Regulations

MIO Alpha User Guide 04
Icons
Battery Indicator
Time
Exercise Mode
Timer
Heart Rate
Activating Your MIO Alpha
1. Remove your MIO Alpha watch from the packaging.
2. Peel off the protective film.
3. Press and hold the SET or +button to activate the watch. The display will turn on and prompt
you to set the time.
4. Press the +button to increase the value of the flashing digit.
5. Press the SET button to confirm the value and move to the next digit.
Set/
Toggle
Optical
Sensor
Timer/+/
HR
USB Dongle
Contact Pads
Sensor LEDs
Your MIO Alpha

MIO Alpha User Guide 05
USING MIO ALPHA
Wearing Your MIO Alpha
To use the heart rate monitor on your MIO Alpha watch, you must:
• Fasten the watch snugly so the optical sensor on the back of the watch makes tight contact
with your skin. The tighter you can wear the watch, the better.
• Wear the watch above—not on—your wrist bone; wear it higher on the forearm when using
Alpha as a heart rate monitor, especially if you have a small wrist.
• Alpha’s performance is optimized with greater blood flow. Exercise for a few minutes to increase
your blood flow before turning on the heart rate monitor.
When you’re not using the heart rate monitor, you can wear MIO Alpha like any watch.
Getting Your Heart Rate
You can view your heart rate and use the heart rate monitor when you put MIO Alpha in
EXERCISE mode. You must be wearing Alpha for it to read and display your heart rate. The heart
rate may take a few extra seconds to stabilize while your body is adjusting to the physical activity;
we recommend wearing your MIO Alpha during the warm up stage of your workout.
TURNING ON EXERCISE MODE
1. Fasten MIO Alpha tightly on your arm above your wrist bone.
2. Press and hold the HR button until the watch beeps and the display says FIND.
3. Hold your arm fairly still until the watch beeps again and displays your heart rate.
Note: It takes a few seconds for your heart rate to register. The icon flashes when Alpha
finds your heart rate.
If you don’t get a heart rate but the watch face shows , please refer to Troubleshooting on
page 6.
DURING EXERCISE MODE
• Press the SET button twice to peek at the time. The time will be displayed for 3 seconds before
returning to your heart rate.
• If Alpha loses your pulse it will beep quickly 4 times and display . You may need to adjust
Alpha’s position on your wrist.
TURNING OFF EXERCISE MODE
1. Press and hold the HR button until the watch beeps and the display says QUIT or END.

MIO Alpha User Guide 06
TROUBLESHOOTING
• You may need to tighten MIO Alpha’s strap and/or move the watch further up your forearm.
• On cold days Alpha’s technology can be impacted. We recommend activating the heart rate
reading while still indoors and, if necessary, wearing a sleeve over Alpha.
• If you are still having trouble, try wearing Alpha on your other wrist.
• Minimize hand movement and extreme bending of the wrist while using Alpha’s continuous
heart rate.
If Alpha cannot detect your heart rate during the FIND period (2 min), it will leave EXERCISE mode
and go back to TIME mode. Please refer to the steps above and try again.
Setting Your Target Heart Rate
To specify your target heart rate zone, your MIO Alpha must be in EXERCISE mode.
Your target heart rate (HR) zone consists of your upper heart rate limit and your lower heart rate
limit. These limits are usually a percentage of your maximum heart rate (MHR). This table shows
some examples:
Exercise Type Lower HR Limit Upper HR Limit
Warm Up 50% of MHR 60% of MHR
Moderate 60% of MHR 70% of MHR
Fitness 70% of MHR 80% of MHR
Training 80% of MHR 90% of MHR
If you don’t know your maximum heart rate or upper and lower heart rate limits, use your preferred
method for calculating them or check with your doctor.
When you start using your Alpha while you exercise, you’ll soon get an idea of your personal heart
rate zone for different levels of activities.
Tip: When you set your target heart rate zone, you will be prompted to set the upper heart rate
first, then the lower heart rate.
TO SET YOUR TARGET HEART RATE ZONE
1. With MIO Alpha in EXERCISE mode, press and hold the SET button until the watch beeps and
the display says SET UP .
2. Press the +button to select the first digit of the heart rate for your desired upper heart rate
limit. The first digit will be a number from 0 to 2.
3. Press the SET button to confirm your choice.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the next two digits of the heart rate, selecting a number between 0
and 9 for each.
When you have set the upper heart rate limit, the display will say LOW . Repeat steps 2 through
4 to set the lower heart rate limit.

MIO Alpha User Guide 07
USING HEART RATE ZONE ALERTS
Your MIO Alpha can notify you by beeping once when you are not exercising in your target heart
rate zone. A double-beep indicates your heart rate is 10 BPM or more outside the target zone. To
use zone alerts, specify your target zone and turn on the timer while you are exercising.
HEART RATE ZONE ALERT LED SIGNALS
With your MIO Alpha in EXERCISE mode and the TIMER on, the LED light below the watch
displays alerts.
Green flash: you are exercising in your target heart rate zone.
Red flash: you are exercising above your upper limit. A red double-flash means your heart rate is
10 BPM or more above the target zone.
Blue flash: you are exercising below your lower limit. A blue double-flash means your heart rate is
10 BPM or more below the target zone.
Using The Timer
Turn on the timer while you are exercising to:
• Track the length of time you have been exercising.
• Turn on heart rate zone alerts.
Your watch must be in EXERCISE mode to use the timer.
TO TURN ON THE TIMER
• With your MIO Alpha in EXERCISE mode, press the TIMER button. The display says START.
• Press the TIMER button to Pause/Resume the TIMER. Once the TIMER is running, the HR Zone
alert will be activated.
TO VIEW THE ELAPSED TIME ON THE TIMER
• From the heart rate display, press the SET button to view the timer. This will make the timer your
default display.
• Press the SET button again to peek at the time. The time will be displayed for 3 seconds before
returning to the timer.
• Press the SET button twice to return to the heart rate display.
TO EXIT FROM TIMER
• Press and hold the TIMER button until the display says END.
Turning off the timer also turns off EXERCISE mode.

MIO Alpha User Guide 08
Reviewing Your Exercise Session
Your MIO Alpha exercise log shows:
• The length of time of your last exercise session (assuming that the timer was running for your
entire session).
• Your average heart rate during the last exercise session.
• The amount of time you spent in your target heart rate zone in the last exercise session.
TO REVIEW THE STATISTICS FROM YOUR LAST EXERCISE SESSION
1. In TIME mode (with EXERCISE mode off), press the TOGGLE button. The display says LAST
RUN followed by the length of time of your last session.
2. Press the TOGGLE button again. The display says AVG followed by your average heart rate.
3. Press the TOGGLE button again. The display says IN ZONE followed by the amount of time you
spent exercising in your target heart rate zone.
4. Press the TOGGLE button to return to TIME mode.
Note: Once you start the timer, the data from your last exercise will be replaced by the new data.
Using MIO Alpha With Your Smartphone
You can transmit your real-time heart rate data to a wide range of fitness apps on Bluetooth®
Smart Ready or Bluetooth®4.0 smartphones, including iPhone 4s and iPhone 5. For a complete
list of compatible devices please refer to mioglobal.com/AlphaInfo.
Compatible devices will only capture Alpha’s heart rate data in real time. This requires you to have
the device with you while you are tracking your heart rate.
PAIRING WITH SMARTPHONE APPS
1. MIO Alpha must be in EXERCISE mode, reading your heart rate, before pairing.
2. Turn on the Bluetooth function of your phone. You may need to stay 10 metres (30 feet) from
other Bluetooth sensors and devices.
3. Open the fitness app you would like to pair with. Instructions vary for each app, but typically
you add or scan for the heart rate sensor using the app’s Settings or Sensors mode.
Note: You must pair with the app itself; pairing with just the phone will not work. Once you have
paired with an app, it will automatically recognize Alpha each time you use that app.
4. Repeat for each app that you want to pair with.
EXERCISING WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE
• Wear the receiving device on your arm, in your front pocket, or in front of you on a belt or bike
handlebar. Do not position the device behind you (e.g. in a back pocket or backpack).
• The Alpha heart rate calculation is not based on instant R-R interval, and will not work for apps
that require heart rate variability (HRV) data.

MIO Alpha User Guide 09
Using MIO Alpha With Other Devices
PAIRING WITH RECEIVING DEVICES SUCH AS BIKE COMPUTERS
Instructions vary for each device. Follow the instructions for receiving heart rate data from a chest
strap; your device will register the Alpha heart rate sensor.
MAINTAINING YOUR MIO ALPHA
Charging The Battery
Your MIO Alpha contains a rechargeable lithium polymer battery. Follow these instructions and
guidelines to ensure long life for the battery.
If you do not follow these guidelines, the battery life could be shortened and there is the risk of
damage to the watch, risk of fire, risk of electrolyte leaks and chemical burns, and risk of injury.
BATTERY INDICATOR
• The battery indicator in the upper left of the watch face shows three bars when the battery is
fully charged. Each bar represents about 1/3 of the battery’s full charge.
• If you put the watch in EXERCISE mode and the battery charge is below 1/3, the display will say
LOW BATTERY. You can still use the heart rate monitor.
• If you put the watch in EXERCISE mode and the display says NO BATTERY, you must recharge
the battery before using the heart rate monitor again. The watch will automatically return to TIME
mode.
BATTERY LIFE
• The length of time you can use the heart rate monitor while EXERCISE mode is on varies from
8–10 hours.
TO CHARGE THE BATTERY
1. Make sure that the four connection pads on the watch caseback are dry. If not, dry them
with a towel.
2. Plug the USB dongle into the USB port of your computer.
3. Attach the 4 connection pads on the caseback to the 4 connection pads on the dongle. The
magnets in the connection pads will help the two pieces lock into place.
The display will indicate that the battery is charging, and the blue LED will flash.
Tip: When the battery is finished charging, the display will say FULL .

MIO Alpha User Guide 10
BATTERY CARE GUIDELINES
• Recharge the battery at least once every 6 months.
• Do not expose the watch to high temperatures.
• Use the watch in the temperature range of 5°C to 45°C (41°F to 113°F).
• Store the watch in the temperature range of 0°C to 25°C (32°F to 77°F).
• Do not disassemble, puncture, or incinerate the watch or battery.
• If the watch casing breaks and the battery is exposed, keep the battery away from children.
BATTERY REPLACEMENT
• The battery lifetime is about 300 charge cycles. If you charge the battery every week, the
battery should last for 5 years.
• When the battery charge length is obviously shorter than before, visit
mioglobal.com/AlphaInfo to find out how to replace the battery.
• Contact your local recycling authority for information about disposing of the watch and battery.
Using Your MIO Alpha In Water
• The MIO Alpha is water-resistant; you can wear your Alpha while swimming.
Important: Do not press the watch buttons under water.
• The accuracy of the heart rate monitor might be reduced in cold water or if you are using large
arm movements.
• Do not wear your Alpha while diving.
• RF transmission does not work under water.
• After swimming, rinse your Alpha with tap water and dry it with a soft cloth.
Caring For Your MIO Alpha
CLEANING YOUR ALPHA
• Clean the sensor area and connection pads with mild soap and water as needed. If you use
Alpha regularly, weekly cleaning is recommended.
• Do not scratch the sensor area. Protect it from damage.
• Wipe the watch with a damp cloth as needed. Use mild soap to remove oil or dirt.
• Do not expose your watch to strong chemicals such as gasoline, cleaning solvents, acetone,
alcohol, or insect repellents. Chemicals can damage the watch’s seal, case, and finish.
• After swimming, rinse your Alpha with tap water and dry it with a soft cloth.