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Dexcom G5 Newbie

adam_abach

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, have now had the G5 for a week. I got it as a test after asking my doctor, so so far no cost to me. But I wanted to try it. And boy, I'm impressed in most ways. The graphs, I look at them many times per day, I learn so much. And I've tested many things like how much a unit of Novorapid affects me, how much an apple affects me, now I know why I sometimes wake up early I get low during the night, etc. etc. I can only recommend it.

But, there's always a but, would I like to wear this for the rest of my life? Yes and no. Yes, because I'm sure it'll improve my control, my HbAc1 etc, I might live without problems longer. Strong argument! So what's against it? Cost is one, but it has to come down, right? Then there's wearing the sensor and sender. So far I've not really noticed that much, but it does ruin my bare-chest-modelling career ;-). But what annoys me the most is that I use an Android product that Dexcom has not approved, so I have to use an old iPhone5 I had, so right now I have to carry two phones everywhere. major annoyance. I actually thought I could buy an Android Smart Watch and it would pick up the Bluetooth signal and make the graphs and warnings. That would be ideal for me. But no, the watch feeds of the smartphone, not as an individual. Not smart. I don't suppose anybody knows of a watch-type solution?

If you have a chance to test this, even paying for a 3 mth or 4 week trial, I think it's worth it, you learn so much about how you react to sugar, insulin, time of day, exercise, something you can use even if you discontinue using the Dexcom G5

Any other experiences?
 
I'm on day 20 of my first sensor,very impressed with the system so far.

I never even entertained the Dexcom software (don't even have an iPhone mind...), but opted straight for xDrip+ - which according to those experienced with the G5, is far superior. xDrip+ also integrates with Nightscout which is awesome as well.

I'd recommend you give xDrip+ a go, it works with Android so no need to cart two phones about anymore. Nightscout is optional but I'd highly recommend it, as you can view your BG from any device that has a browser. I like to throw my trends up on my second monitor at my desktop, or on my notebook in the corner of the living room.

Nightscout xDrip+ APK download - https://jamorham.github.io/

Nightscout info - http://www.nightscout.info/

Overall I'm very impressed with the system. My only criticism is that I'm finding compression lows to be a bit of an issue of late, but that may be because I'm approaching the 3 week mark with my sensor. It's only when I lie on it, so it's not really a huge problem - but does make for strange overnight trends.
 
Thanks GrantGam. As I just skimmed it, it can't fullfill my #1 wish, skipping the phone and go straight to the watch, right?
 
adam_abach said:
Thanks GrantGam. As I just skimmed it, it can't fullfill my #1 wish, skipping the phone and go straight to the watch, right?
Click to expand...
Pretty sure you can load a very basic version of xDrip+ (current real-time info, but no option to view history, etc) straight on to an Android Wear watch and view your trends with no phone

I'm almost positive I've read that somewhere, but don't have a smartwatch so haven't tried it. I'm sure if you try a Google you'll find something.
 
To point me in the right direction, can anybody name apps for android that receives signals from Dexcom G5? Thanks!
 
I guess you did, read it again, and have now the xdrip+ on my BB. But I can't get it to read the Dexcom G5. I know that on a BB, this is probably new areas, I guess I need to find someone more into the SW finesses than the diabetes itself. Anyone out there? A forum I could participate in?
So close now...
 
Blackberry phone? Is that what the acronym BB means? Do they even run on Android OS?
 
I have BlackBerry Classic, they run most Android Apps, not an Android OS. Later BlackBerrys run Android OS, but still not approved by Dexcom
 
adam_abach said:
I have BlackBerry Classic, they run most Android Apps, not an Android OS. Later BlackBerrys run Android OS, but still not approved by Dexcom
Click to expand...
Whether xDrip+ will run with your Dexcom I can't answer.

What happens when you try and pair with your transmitter? I'm assuming it's connected to a sensor and connected to you?

If the Blackberry is even compatible, you'll need to "forget" the transmitter from the official Dexcom app before you start trying with the Blackberry. Even though the official app is currently running on a different phone, you might still have issues. Only guesswork I'm afraid though...
 
I'm not sure how well xDrip+ will run on the Blackberry classic, given it requires native access to the Bluetooth stack, and is designed with the Android Native bluetooth stack in mind. If it works, you're in, but I have to admit that I'd be rather surprised if it did.
 
And I don't even know what a bluetooth stack is! What I don know is that I can see the Dexcom and another line in the Bluetooth list but I can't pair any of them. In that list (stack?) I also see my car radios, and they pair automatically when I start the car, never a problem
 
Yes, but the Blackberry OS is "Android compatible" not "Android", so the pieces of it that interact with the device hardware are different. As a result, there's a major probability that the way the operating system talks to the hardware differs from the way the app is designed to work, and as a result, it can't connect.

The best advice is to get a proper Android phone.
 
Hi again.
Have probably given up on this, because Dexcom G5 on Blackberry Classic would probably be a world first, and I don't have the IT skills to fix or maintain, and of course these data are not just a funny app, it's our lives, right? So, also thinking about it when playing tennis yesterday, maybe a watch would be a better solution for me. A bit of a shame, because I'm a bit of a watch geek, loving my 3 different Breitlings, so they will of course have to give up the place on my wrist to a smartwatch. But health goes before looks/hobbies, right?

So any Dexcom G5 users out there, looking at the graphs/data on a smartwatch, not via a phone? Can I use any Android smartwatch, and thereby just buy the one I think looks best? A nice round face looking like a conventional watch would be my preference. Something like the picture attached would be nice.
About non-Dexcom functions on smartwatches, do they work via a phone or stand alone?

As you can read, any info on this will help me. Thanks!
 

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Not trying to be funny, but if you have three Breitlings then buying a real Android phone (as @tim2000s) suggested - is not out of the picture.

Once you have a phone that runs xDrip+ and connect it to your Dexcom, you can enable Wear integration at set the watch as a collector. That means when your phone is out of range, the watch takes over receiving the BT signal and displaying your results. So enable the feature and leave your phone at home...
 
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Well, I'm not made of money, I've saved up and bought a Breitling watch approx every 10 years, one of the used. And yes, I could afford to buy an android phone, but I'm a die hard BlackBerry fan, there's a few of us left

So we're back to I need to see the info without a phone. Simplicity...;-)
 
I don't believe there's any way round it other than to buy a compatible phone. You're looking for an answer that doesn't exist (certainly without being able to program).

Buy a cheap compatible Android, set it up with your sensor/transmitter and then stuff the phone in a drawer. You don't need to replace your Blackberry with a phone you don't want, but you will need the Android phone to pair your watch with the transmitter.
 
@adam_abach - This.

If you want to use it on a Blackberry, go join the Nightscout group and write the code. There is no solution for it at the moment because Blackberry OS has historically been as locked down as iOS and basically, no-one uses it anymore, even Blackberry. It's your choice really, but I don't think this is the right forum for getting anything resolved. You'd need to go to the xDrip+ developers directly, and I'm fairly sure how high up the priority list it will come too.
 
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