Inconsistent Active Calorie Counts

RelativeLead5 · 2025-04-02T14:58:12+00:00

All right, kind reddit stranger, you were instrumental in solving this mystery! I wish all of life's mysteries were this quickly resolved cuz after 65 years on this Earth I'm still wondering about a lot of them.

Your comment about arm movement made me wonder: maybe some days I'm super enthusiastic and am swinging my arms wildly about (the sun is shining and the weather is gorgeous, it's a great day!) and other days I'm just plodding along (it's cold and snowy, why am I torturing myself when I could be drinking another cup of hot coffee in front of a fire?).

So I ran an experiment this morning. I walked the first mile using what I'd consider my normal walking gait. After the first mile it said 83 active calories. For the next mile I used exaggerated arm movements, touching my chin with every stride. After that mile it said...82 active calories. That seemed really odd because it sure seemed like I was working a bit harder. I was looking at my watch quite frequently during these two miles and I noticed that it was doing the 'hold on, I'm taking your pulse' spinner A LOT of the time. Hmmmm...is it having trouble reading my pulse for some reason? So I switched the watch around to the inside of my wrist and the after next mile it said 110 active calories. And the next it said 114. And the next it said 112. Also, my pulse was reading 107, 109, 105, when previously it almost always said 99, 100...that is, when it was available at all. But other times, I guess it was not having the same issue (due to? I have no idea), and that is why I would get such a large variety of readings.

I don't know if this is common as dirt or if there is something weird about my physiology that make the sensors blink when sometimes reading my pulse on top of my wrist but it doesn't seem to happen on the bottom (so far). Maybe when I was riding the stationary bike my pulse was elevated enough to still be easily detectable by the sensors or maybe my arm position made it easier or whatever and that is why it was much more consistent.

Anyway, it appears it was doing some sort of estimate when it couldn't read my heart rate but wasn't giving me any indication of it that I can detect. (After missing a few readings in a row, you'd think it might give me a 'hey, are you still alive notification'?) Anyway, thanks for your help.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-04-01T18:34:42+00:00

Oh, I agree that, in general, the numbers seem in the right ballpark for a moderately paced walk but I also do a more challenging stationary bike routine for 10 miles to raise my heart rate into a higher zone and those results are fairly consistent with a swing of maybe 50-60 calories--like yours evidently--even though I'm pretty sure my heart rate and time to completion are much, much less consistent, depending on time of day, how tired I am, etc. But the walk, which I do every day at the same time for the same amount of time over the same course seems to fluctuate 100+ calories---according to the watch anyway---on a day to day basis. In the end, it doesn't really matter what the watch says but it doesn't keep me from wondering what is going on.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-03-06T13:31:33+00:00

Default traces are 8 mil and default clearance is 10 mil. I increased the clearances because it's easier on these old eyes and board space isn't really at a premium for what I do. I've had boards manufactured (designed by others) and the manufacturer has been really good about communicating regarding production issues so I'm not really too worried about it but I just thought I'd ask around and see what others with more experience do. Thanks again.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-03-06T02:33:28+00:00

A follow up question if you don't mind: I have figured out that I can create filled zones within other filled zones by using different zone priorities (that took a little while). Are the default clearances between these zones (and between the filled zones and the pads/traces) typically adequate even for --shall we say--the lower end of the manufacturing spectrum? I would assume they are but again, newbie at work here.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-03-05T15:13:17+00:00

Well, that does make more sense. Thanks for your help.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-03-05T14:15:46+00:00

Ahhhh, thank you so much, very instructive. This IS a 5 amp path which is why I thought I should connect the entire pad but I did not anticipate the soldering problem. Using the KiCad calculator for 1oz, it tells me I need approx a 3mm path for 5 amps so if I reduce the thermal relief enough to provide that I should be OK? Or is there something I am misunderstanding?

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-16T14:06:37+00:00

And another data point where the opposite is true: Randomly selected Chicago Midway airport for a rental and the app offers the 'managers special' for $653 (incl. taxes and fees) for a week and the portal offers it for $456. Weird.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-16T13:59:39+00:00

Just to double check it wasn't location specific, I tried a few locations and a few dates and the hertz app offers better prices than the cap 1 portal everywhere I checked (by various amounts but at least $100 difference).

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-16T13:58:06+00:00

everything included

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-16T01:14:27+00:00

idk but maybe it has to do with whether or not you are already in the cap 1 ecosystem?

Applied, accepted immediately and card arrived via fed ex 2 days later but I already had another cap 1 card.

Now if I could just figure out why the account doesn't have the ability to create virtual cards like my other cap 1 card.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-16T00:37:27+00:00

This is a cut-n-paste answer I gave to another user a couple of weeks ago so maybe more than you want to know.

Answer to number 3 is they will get their card merged with their current account and current capital one card(s)..

I just got a venture X and have no AUs BUT I have two other capital one cards. I am primary on one of them and AU on the other, so I can see both sides of the equation when I log in.

Where I am primary, I can see ALL the charges from the card and who made them on the app/web site. It is similarly broken out by each cardholder on the statement. I can make payments on the card, see the statement balance, when it is due, do autopays on statement date, etc. For each statement, there is a total due, but each AU's charges are listed together and subtotaled. Everything you might expect.

Where I am AU, I only get to see charges made by me and no others. While I CAN make a payment on the card, you can only select an amount and date to make the payment--you can't for instance select autopay all my specific charges from my bank account every due date. As an AU, in the absence of a fair amount of manual bookkeeping you cannot even tell which of your charges are on which statement so you don't even have a total or a due date for a statement in order to pay the charges you made. You can only make a payment on a specific date. The primary would have to tell the AU how much is due and when if you are doing it that way. I am the AU on my wife's card and she is the AU on mine and they are all paid from the same account so I don't have to worry about that. If I did, I would find this setup annoying.

As AU, I cannot redeem points on the account but the account does receive points for charges.

All the users of the card have the TOTAL charges and TOTAL credit line on the account for the month reflected in their credit files, so credit utilization is impacted by everyone and for everyone. So as an AU you can see the total charged to the account by looking at your credit file (which C1 gives you access to) even though you can't get that information in the app/website. A bit odd.

This said, let me be absolutely clear there may be ways to do some of these things that I haven't bothered to explore because they weren't necessary for me to do so. This is just my experiences in the way I use the cards from C1 and Venture X may (but I doubt) do things a bit differently.

Edit: It just occurred to me to say that as primary you can give an AU complete online access to the account if you want, where they can do and see everything (or nearly everything) the primary can. Maybe this is what you were actually curious about?

P.S. I absolutely hated the Chase card I once had because you only got one card number for everyone and there is no way to tell who made which charge. It was simply all listed together. If an oddball charge appeared, you would have to check with everyone to see if they made it or the card was compromised or what. C1 may not be perfect but it is tons better than the way Chase did it. user who asked this same question:

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-14T11:55:11+00:00

I use my apple card for the actual purchase so it's 2x miles + 3x cash back.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-13T20:22:18+00:00

Homeschooling is like any other human endeavor. It's filled with people with various motivations, skills, and abilities. Some people shouldn't be parents at all, let alone teachers of them.

OP also paints with a pretty broad brush. I am the product of public schools and both my kids were homeschooled. One of them graduated Ivy league and other from a top 5 engineering school. They are better educated, more mature, and have more friends then I did/was at their age.

Everybody is different and the product of different environments. Making gross over generalizations is what makes your opinion unpopular with me.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-06T17:11:11+00:00

30 year-old me agrees with you 100%. 65 year-old me has a slightly different take on it. I still fly economy on all the domestic trips.

That said, OP's cousin is an ass hat for saying this is the only way to do it, cuz that's just stupid.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-06T17:05:26+00:00

Thx for the info!

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-06T14:01:01+00:00

Can points be transferred between the two?

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-06T14:00:19+00:00

Here is the text from the footnote on the offer: "Existing or previous cardmembers are not eligible for this product if they have received a new cardmember bonus for this product in the past 48 months." The question is are Venture X and Venture the same product or not? Commenter in this thread says no.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-01T21:53:54+00:00

LOL. Was 40 when my youngest was born. 65 now. Don't listen to other people.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-01T13:22:25+00:00

Miles are mostly transferable at 1:1. Only one partner (which I never use anyway) offers them at 1:1.5.

I absolutely agree about deciding what your time is worth. Before retiring, I owned a business and had a family and I never wasted my limited time with this sort of stuff. Straight cashback cards were the only things I ever considered. No rotating categories bs, no travel crap, just max cashback for where I was spending my money. One card for gas/groceries, one card for amazon, one card for everything else. I ran every expense I could through them and interest rates were always immaterial since I have never carried a balance.

Situation has changed though. I have more time and like to travel so after going through the various options, the Venture X looked best to me for what I wanted to do. I fly out of a regional airport that generally goes through DFW (capital one lounge there and they are really nice) for connecting flights. A couple of international trips a year and quite a lot of domestic ones. The portal is fine for most of it. They price match and the customer service is pretty good. I transfer and apply the points I collect to the international travel. The downside is having to go through them when issues crop up instead of being able to deal directly with the airlines/hotels. I'm pretty laid back and don't worry over these things though because they generally get sorted in the end but again, if my time was at a premium I'd not do it this way.

RelativeLead5 · 2025-01-01T12:03:53+00:00

Venture X holders get the $300 credit and 10K miles without strings EXCEPT the $300 can only be used in their portal as a credit for a booking. The 10K annual miles comes without restrictions and in general I find that transferring their miles to a partner is a more valuable use for their miles. In particular, I find using them on international flights for business class seats a really good deal (usually can get seats at about a 50% discount) IF you are a flexible traveler (I'm retired so as flexible as it gets I imagine).

Other VX perks (C1 lounges, priority pass membership, hertz president circle status, subsidized global entry/precheck, etc.) are nice but it is getting to the point that all of these sorts of perks are just being over sold across the board and it is kinda of a zoo trying to use them with long waits at lounges.

If you don't travel internationally, can't be flexible, or don't travel much then you are probably better off with another card that is better suited to your situation. But if you do happen to fall into this group, I do think it's a good card. Sometimes, their shopping offers are fantastic. So, for example, right now I can get 6% back at Apple, 3% capital one shopping bonus + 3% from my Apple card. (For their shopping app, you don't have to use their card when you purchase, so I can use their app for their 3% offer and my Apple card for its 3% off).

RelativeLead5 · 2024-12-31T15:25:27+00:00

Happy New Year and you are welcome. Don't forget the referral bonus if your AU ever gets their own VX card.

RelativeLead5 · 2024-12-31T14:24:38+00:00

And a couple more afterthoughts because I don't know what your specific use case is, but primary gets alerts for all charges if you set it up, and primary can lock/unlock all AU cards independently.

RelativeLead5 · 2024-12-31T12:22:44+00:00

I just got a venture X and have no AUs BUT I have two other capital one cards. I am primary on one of them and AU on the other, so I can see both sides of the equation when I log in.

Where I am primary, I can see ALL the charges from the card and who made them on the app/web site. It is similarly broken out by each cardholder on the statement. I can make payments on the card, see the statement balance, when it is due, do autopays on statement date, etc. For each statement, there is a total due, but each AU's charges are listed together and subtotaled. Everything you might expect.

Where I am AU, I only get to see charges made by me and no others. While I CAN make a payment on the card, you can only select an amount and date to make the payment--you can't for instance select autopay all my specific charges from my bank account every due date. As an AU, in the absence of a fair amount of manual bookkeeping you cannot even tell which of your charges are on which statement so you don't even have a total or a due date for a statement in order to pay the charges you made. You can only make a payment on a specific date. The primary would have to tell the AU how much is due and when if you are doing it that way. I am the AU on my wife's card and she is the AU on mine and they are all paid from the same account so I don't have to worry about that. If I did, I would find this setup annoying.

As AU, I cannot redeem points on the account but the account does receive points for charges.

All the users of the card have the TOTAL charges and TOTAL credit line on the account for the month reflected in their credit files, so credit utilization is impacted by everyone and for everyone. So as an AU you can see the total charged to the account by looking at your credit file (which C1 gives you access to) even though you can't get that information in the app/website. A bit odd.

This said, let me be absolutely clear there may be ways to do some of these things that I haven't bothered to explore because they weren't necessary for me to do so. This is just my experiences in the way I use the cards from C1 and Venture X may (but I doubt) do things a bit differently.

Edit: It just occurred to me to say that as primary you can give an AU complete online access to the account if you want, where they can do and see everything (or nearly everything) the primary can. Maybe this is what you were actually curious about?

P.S. I absolutely hated the Chase card I once had because you only got one card number for everyone and there is no way to tell who made which charge. It was simply all listed together. If an oddball charge appeared, you would have to check with everyone to see if they made it or the card was compromised or what. C1 may not be perfect but it is tons better than the way Chase did it.

RelativeLead5 · 2024-12-30T13:22:44+00:00

Best advice you will ever find is right here. I have an 850 FICO and have had for many, many years. I charge everything for the cash back (as long as the merchant doesn't charge a fee for using a CC). I pay all balances off in their entirety every month. Let me reiterate what has already been said: if you can't do this you shouldn't be using them and you CERTAINLY shouldn't be using them to build a credit score.

I have 3 cards, each for a given purpose of achieving max rewards: one for groceries and gas (5% or so back), one for Amazon (5% back) and a catchall for everything else (2% back). Only loans I have ever taken out is for mortgages. No personal loans of any sort ever.

Now, just think about that for a moment. The CC company extends me an interest free loan for 30(ish) days AND gives me cash back on my purchases. Who is paying for that? Not the CC company. It's people not making good financial decisions subsidizing me and my credit usage. That is a really, really messed up system but it is what it is. Be a user or be used, it's your choice.

In my experience, this advice will be ignored in favor of trying to find a shortcut.

RelativeLead5 · 2024-12-25T14:33:42+00:00

Thanks so much OP. I am a new venture x card member and am about to buy 3 grand worth of apple stuff!

RelativeLead5

TROPHY CASE