Philips - HeartStart Defibrillator (M5066A) (Rating: 5)

Boys and Girls,

As a lot of us are reaching our senior years, this "Review" may save your life.

This is more a review of a concept rather than a full evaluation of a product. If you read on, you'll understand and if you leave I'll certainly understand.

Up front, I haven't used the product as of yet and hope it won't be on me. Consequently this review is based on hearsay and what little reading I have done.

Last Christmas day, 25th. Dec 2019 (and because of the time difference I expect the date to be different (format) in the States)… I was listening to talk back radio discussing listeners' presents (that morning).
One 70+ year old couple said they bought each other a defibrillator… I echoed with the host, "one each"?… DOH! They then informed us that one was for the normal residence and the other for the holiday house.

Damn, I thought, what a great idea and ordered one on the internet in an instant. I hope I will never have the need to use it or used on me, but if I did I'd be eternally grateful… A friend later smirked and remarked it may not be much use for me… to which I replied… if you needed it, you'd be bloody grateful I had one.

Anyway, it has just arrived in two boxes… one big bugger and one bigger one,
Package delivery Shipping box Wood Flooring Carton


I expected the need for 3 phase 'lectricity… runs off a bloody battery… DOH! But then so do tasers. Needless to say I didn't do any preliminary reading prior to ordering so I had no idea what physical dimensions to expect… The smaller box was the defib' and the big box, the wall cabinet… well now I know (the dimensions).

Firstly I had to make room on the wall, so that ski "champion" (still skiing down that paddock) from the 1980 Australian Grass-Ski Championships had to move places,


Mounted the cabinet on the wall and after drilling the brickwork
Fixture Gas Font Nickel Titanium


nearly got the chance to self-test it. Connected the flashing warning light and siren, and nearly got my second test opportunity when it was activated… louder than the 2 screamers from my home surveillance alarms.
The alarm had its own replaceable battery which can optionally be activated when the door is opened.

Checked out the AED (Automated External Defibrillator),
Rectangle Font Gadget Box Eyewear


(it has not been setup yet as I need to do a bucketload of reading first… and you know about me and reading)…
Plant Wood Vehicle Shade Grass


Put it into the cabinet for show and the picture shoot,
Font Gas Rectangle Personal protective equipment Carmine


Fixture Rectangle Font Gas Signage


and threw up a "cheat sheet" poster in case of emergencies,
Fixture Font Gas Rectangle Signage




and proceeded to do this write up….

Unfortunately not much more can be said before its maiden use other than initialising/setting-up has been imlemented, however, I can say it's already set-up and you'd be none the wiser unless you visited me now, had a cardiac and I couldn't zap you… yet. However, rest assured that once initiallised, it basically walks the user through the motions.

As we get older, consired… it's comes in a pretty Woodpeckers red color… though not aluminium or in a systainer.
It cost $2,195 (Aust) and I'd rather be $2,195 poorer tomorrow, rather than have $2,195 more in my inheritance pot while the benefactors toss dirt on my pine box.

FAIW. My intentions over the next few days is to consider a letter drop to selective members/friends/professionals in the neighborhood… hmmm?