I’ve been using the Blucon Nightrider for about a month and a half and since I think I’ve got it all figured out I am going to list my pros and cons along with the app that I’ve been using with it.
Pros:
It allows you to eliminate the 12 hour warm-up that the Libre has in the US .
It extends the sensor past the full 14 days that you can get in the UK (but only for a few hours) versus the 10 days in the US.
The Spike app that I have mostly been using with it allows me to calibrate the sensor which is good if you are one of those people who have spotty accuracy with the Libre or if you have a funny sensor.
It has alarms.
The Spike App is only a beta app at the moment but they are constantly updating it so it improves all the time.
Cons:
The Blucon is bulky, it makes the Libre sensor a little more than twice the height of just wearing the sensor.
It’s not waterproof.
Because it isn’t sealed I am having one major problem with the Blucon and that is that dust or dead skin cells get into the Blucon and disconnect the battery so I have to remove it from my arm (one handed mind you) , find a coin to open the cover, blow out the dust and then get a SEWING PIN to restart the thing. Unfortunately this seems to frequently happen while I am asleep so I don’t always know that it has disconnected until I wake up in the morning (I turned on the alarm in the spike app that alerts to a low battery this morning so we’ll see if that helps). As a result I haven’t been able to rely on the alarms.
The company is atrociously slow at getting the device shipped out (it took them almost 2 weeks to get it to the post office and they charge you $20-$30 for shipping).
All that being said I still appreciate having the Blucon and I use it 24/7.
If I had realized the MiaoMiao was available in the US when I decided to get an add-on to the Libre I would have tried to get it instead even though it is $100 more because it is waterproof and it lies flat against the side of the sensor so it doesn’t make the sensor so tall. I am thinking about using some sort of lightweight glue? (any suggestions?) to seal the Nightrider shut so that I am not dealing with this very annoying issue. I promised on one of the other Libre topics that I would give an update on the Nightrider so I hope this helps anyone else who is interested in getting one.
Cut a round piece of tegaderm or similar an apply it over the top side of the Blucon. That will make it both water- and dustproof. But you still have to live with bulkiness. Blucon adds on the height, while MiaoMiao adds on the length… both are good but none of them is perfect.
Yeah, I love some stuff about the Night Rider, but the thickness bothers me. For holding it in place, the plastic & elastic holders just didn’t do it for me. Used large bandaids, but they would come off inside my clothes and disconnect. Currently using a 4” wide roll of tegaderm type tape to hold it on and let me shower.
My last fix, hopefully? MiaoMiao on order. Hopefully it arrives before my next sensor change. Will still use the clear tape so it won’t wobble and lose connection, but really looking forward to sleeping without a Hugh lump on my arm, just a small one :).
Also looking forward to recharging it instead of changing batteries. Had a few times when it wouldn’t reconnect without new batteries, but the old batteries were less than 1 week old.
I’m really loving my Spike app. Glad to know someone else is using it
I just received my second Miao Miao (first one was faulty), and it is brilliant. The Spike app is so customisable, the Miao Miao is far more comfortable, and obviously waterproof. I’m actually charging mine currently while wearing it (can’t go far, the cable is only about 50cm long).
I’ve got the Spike app showing on my Apple Watch, so I can see at a glance what’s is happening, and the setup has survived 3 very vigorous aikido classes (with kinesiotape over the top).
I’ve used the BluCon briefly (then lost it🙄), and it worked well, but I was very aware of having something stuck to my arm. Not so with Miao Miao.
I am very very happy with this bit of Diabetes tech😊
I’m new here and wanted to chime in. I use the xdrip app, freestyle libre, waterproof blucon, ticwatch e. I’ve been using arm sleeves, but with summer, they have been very hot and annoying, so I recently discovered soccer shin guard sleeves that only cover the bicep, and it is working much better. Just wanted to add because I haven’t seen anyone post this hack. I also prefer the ticwatch to the asus zenwatch2 or 3 as a collector and display with the xdrip watch faces…seems to work seemless, where I always had trouble with the asus zenwatch if i tried to use it as a collector.
Hi Folks, Would like to share my experience with all the CGM devices.
I tried, Dexcom, Miao Miao and Nightrider blucon. I feel Dexcom was expensive and it was out of my pocket. Then I turned to FreeStyle Libre Sensor which changed my life and saved me from bad night with hypos. Then i ordered MM for my FreeStyle Libre sensor which broke after 8 months of usage. one and only thing i liked it’s rechargeable battery, bad part is it touch the skin, and i had severe rashes on skin.
Then I found Blucon on Facebook which is cost effective, and more comfortable to wear when it doesn’t touch the skin. I have been using it since Dec 2018. Over all my experience with BluCon is quite recommendable.
I have been using FreeStyle for last 1 year 6 months and have been using Bluocn for last 6 months with my libre sensor. I love the both combinations. Also, I love the way they have designed the app. I can connect my blucon with my apple watch without phone. I can get my readings on my apple health also on Nightscout. I can add my insulin, food, medicine, exercise etc. So many options on one platform that’s amazing.
I’m glad you are happy with the blucon2?..I had the blucon 1 and had to stop using it when the us 14 day libre arrived encrypted. I tried the eversense bridge program, and they just barely received approval from Cigna for the procedures, but it worked until the miaomiao2 arrived. I stick with xdrip because I am now used to customized ringtones or movie quotes for predicted low, low, high, etc. Blucon said they are working on customized sounds for high or low, but not predicted low, or persistent high, and haven’t figured out how to allow MP3s yet, although they claim they are working on it…stuck with the miaomiao2 until then…I’m curious if the apple watch shows your glucose constantly on a watchface like xdrip does, or if you have to go to a menu and look for it…I depend on The watchface because I want to glance quickly rather than press Buttons prior to seeing the glucose number…
I love Blucon because of the less connectivity issues. The best thing is their updated alarms. Their Linkblucon app connects with Nightscout also. Overall performance is good. Their follow feature is amazing, anyone can follow the readings from any distance.
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