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Hi everyone just down loaded the app what do I do next I’m newb type 1 want to try out a patch not sure what to do next
Spike Testflight
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porl69
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Hi, what patch are you going to be trying out?? I presume its the Freestyle Libre??
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I’m really not sure this is all new to me I have been reading u all have been using one and just need help to set mine up
porl69
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I am not familiar with "Spike TestFlight" app.
I have used the LibreLink app with my Libre patch.
This is very easy to use and provides a good insight and overview of what the Libre reports.
Bear in mind
- the Libre is typically about 15 minutes behind finger prick tests
- the professional advice is Libre should not be used for BG level to calculate insulin doses from because it may not be accurate. I know some people use it for this but it is not the advice I was given and I found the Libre to vary between 0.5 and 3 mmol/l compared to my finger prick test
- the huge benefit of the Libre is the trends. There are two parts to this - the arrows showing what is going on now and a longer term view which shows what happens most days.
I have used the LibreLink app with my Libre patch.
This is very easy to use and provides a good insight and overview of what the Libre reports.
Bear in mind
- the Libre is typically about 15 minutes behind finger prick tests
- the professional advice is Libre should not be used for BG level to calculate insulin doses from because it may not be accurate. I know some people use it for this but it is not the advice I was given and I found the Libre to vary between 0.5 and 3 mmol/l compared to my finger prick test
- the huge benefit of the Libre is the trends. There are two parts to this - the arrows showing what is going on now and a longer term view which shows what happens most days.
porl69
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Right got you. I use the LibreLink app on my phone.
You install the sensor (instructions in the box and on YouTube) and scan the sensor with your phone (app opend up
)
What smartphone do you have?
You install the sensor (instructions in the box and on YouTube) and scan the sensor with your phone (app opend up
)What smartphone do you have?
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Right got you. I use the LibreLink app on my phone.
You install the sensor (instructions in the box and on YouTube) and scan the sensor with your phone (app opend up
What smartphone do you have?
I phone
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Right got you. I use the LibreLink app on my phone.
You install the sensor (instructions in the box and on YouTube) and scan the sensor with your phone (app opend up
What smartphone do you have?
Thanks
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porl69
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Its the ability to scan the sensor with the inbuilt NFC.
Just had a quick look on the Spike website and it is saying any Iphone 4S and upwards. BUT I am 90% sure Iphones below 7 can't read the sensor due to the Near Field Communication?
Just had a quick look on the Spike website and it is saying any Iphone 4S and upwards. BUT I am 90% sure Iphones below 7 can't read the sensor due to the Near Field Communication?
Hi, BrixtonType1, I'll tag @Mel dCP as she uses Spike, along with a MiaoMiao transmitter and libre.
The arrangement is you'll have the libre sensor on your arm, then you put a separate transmitter on top of it, either a blucon from Ambrosia Systems for £65 to £100, or a MiaoMiao for about £150, and then the transmitter sends the 5 minute readings to Spike.
If you just want to manually scan the sensor with the phone instead of using a transmitter to do it automatically, I'm not sure Spike can be used for that - it was designed to be used with a transmitter, not for manual scanning.
porl69
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@Scott-C I did think it was for scanning as well. BUT I may be wrong. Saying that if it will work with the Iphone 4S then it wont be able to scan.
@BrixtonType1 ignore my posts.....I could be VERY wrong about the Spike app being able to scan SORRY
@BrixtonType1 ignore my posts.....I could be VERY wrong about the Spike app being able to scan SORRY
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porl69
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LooperCat
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Evening all! Forgive me if you know all this, but we might get people searching the thread for this information, so I’m being thorough!
The Libre season alone needs the Abbott scanner or iPhone 7 or above to scan it directly, due to the NFC chip in the phone.
Spike, downloaded as a beta test app here (because it’s not officially sanctioned as a medical app by the NHS or FDA) via TestFlight (in the App Store) is what you need on iPhone in order to collect the signal from the (also unofficial) transmitters, MiaoMiao (which I have) and Nightrider (which @Scott-C uses). Android phones use Glimp or xdrip+ to do the same thing. Spike works on iPhones 5 and above (I can’t download TestFlight on my old 4) because it doesn’t scan the Libre directly.
The MiaoMiao and nightrider transmitters sit on the Libre sensor and “ping’ it every five minutes using the same signal that the official scanner and phone app use. They then send the data to your phone via Bluetooth and Spike uses a similar, but slightly different algorithm to process the data to give you a value. When you connect to Spike with a new sensor, it asks for a blood glucose reading so it can calibrate against it - giving it a huge advantage over the official app and scanner, as Libre is factory calibrated and isn’t always very close to a blood reading (taking the 15 minute lag of a sensor reading into account, as it measures interstitial fluid, the juice between the cells). I calibrate mine every morning and at bedtime.
So once Spike is connected (very simple to set up), it plots the five minute readings, plus any on demand ones you choose to do, on a graph, similar to the scanner and Libre app. In the settings, you can choose your BG range, and set alarms to go off when you go low, high, falling or rising fast - and for certain times of day. For example, I have all the alarms switched on at night - but just the “urgent low” one during the day. You can also have the data pushed to a variety of smart watches, I use an old Pebble Steel I got for £26 on eBay.
One feature of Spike I find really useful is the full screen mode - I use my phone with it active as a nightlight on a stand on my bedside table while it’s charging. Basically it displays a massive number with a trend arrow that even my blurry eyes can make out!
You can also install Spike on other devices on the same WiFi network and they’ll also display the values. If you want to get really nerdy, you can set up a Nightscout account, and anyone with an internet connection and your personal secret code can see your numbers - it’s quite an involved process but I managed it with zero programming knowledge. It’s especially useful for me, as I’m home alone a lot, so my husband can keep half an eye on me when we’re apart. I wanted him to have that capability because I’ve just started using a pump, and wasn’t sure if I’d be having lots of hypos. We’ve set his up so an alarm goes off if I drop to 3mmol, and if I don’t answer when he phones to check on me, he can call for help. We’ve not needed to do that, but it’s very reassuring to know I have that safety net.
Hope this helps
The Libre season alone needs the Abbott scanner or iPhone 7 or above to scan it directly, due to the NFC chip in the phone.
Spike, downloaded as a beta test app here (because it’s not officially sanctioned as a medical app by the NHS or FDA) via TestFlight (in the App Store) is what you need on iPhone in order to collect the signal from the (also unofficial) transmitters, MiaoMiao (which I have) and Nightrider (which @Scott-C uses). Android phones use Glimp or xdrip+ to do the same thing. Spike works on iPhones 5 and above (I can’t download TestFlight on my old 4) because it doesn’t scan the Libre directly.
The MiaoMiao and nightrider transmitters sit on the Libre sensor and “ping’ it every five minutes using the same signal that the official scanner and phone app use. They then send the data to your phone via Bluetooth and Spike uses a similar, but slightly different algorithm to process the data to give you a value. When you connect to Spike with a new sensor, it asks for a blood glucose reading so it can calibrate against it - giving it a huge advantage over the official app and scanner, as Libre is factory calibrated and isn’t always very close to a blood reading (taking the 15 minute lag of a sensor reading into account, as it measures interstitial fluid, the juice between the cells). I calibrate mine every morning and at bedtime.
So once Spike is connected (very simple to set up), it plots the five minute readings, plus any on demand ones you choose to do, on a graph, similar to the scanner and Libre app. In the settings, you can choose your BG range, and set alarms to go off when you go low, high, falling or rising fast - and for certain times of day. For example, I have all the alarms switched on at night - but just the “urgent low” one during the day. You can also have the data pushed to a variety of smart watches, I use an old Pebble Steel I got for £26 on eBay.
One feature of Spike I find really useful is the full screen mode - I use my phone with it active as a nightlight on a stand on my bedside table while it’s charging. Basically it displays a massive number with a trend arrow that even my blurry eyes can make out!
You can also install Spike on other devices on the same WiFi network and they’ll also display the values. If you want to get really nerdy, you can set up a Nightscout account, and anyone with an internet connection and your personal secret code can see your numbers - it’s quite an involved process but I managed it with zero programming knowledge. It’s especially useful for me, as I’m home alone a lot, so my husband can keep half an eye on me when we’re apart. I wanted him to have that capability because I’ve just started using a pump, and wasn’t sure if I’d be having lots of hypos. We’ve set his up so an alarm goes off if I drop to 3mmol, and if I don’t answer when he phones to check on me, he can call for help. We’ve not needed to do that, but it’s very reassuring to know I have that safety net.
Hope this helps
