I’ve been using the Dexcom G4 since 2012 and an old Medtronic 523 pump since 2013. I’m thinking about switching to the Tslim and Dexcom G6 now, but I have a few questions about data receivers when using the G6 with a Tslim and an Android phone not supported by Dexcom apps.
I’ve read on this site that the new 8G “Firefly” transmitters for the Dexcom G6 do not function with 3rd party apps such as X-drip. Does anyone have first hand experience with this? What about the “Custom Built Dexcom App” that bypasses the check for phone model, but otherwise acts like the standard Dexcom app? (This site is such a great resource for this kind of information - thank you all for sharing your experiences!)
Are there other “second receiver” options people use with the Tslim/G6 combo? I really like to be able to see my data on my desk (or on an arm band while running) at the push of a single button. Data direct to a watch would be ideal, but I’m starting to suspect that will never happen.
My understanding is that if I send Dexcom G6 data to a Tslim pump, I can also send it to a phone or other non-medical device, but not to a Dexcom receiver. Unfortunately, Dexcom doesn’t support my phone or the one I might want next (Moto X4, Pixel 3a).
Where do I see if the transmitter is an 8G or not? I use Xdrip because I also don’t have a supported phone. It is frustrating that the FDA is so particular about the phones. The reason so many apple products are supported is because they all have the same OS for the most part, but different android manufacturers do different modifications to the base version of Android and the FDA feels they are too modified…I find irony in the fact that Dexcom doesn’t support all Pixel devices (which have stock Android) but supports most of the Samsung devices (which run a very heavily modified version of Android).
I haven’t seen one of these myself, but my understanding from other users’ posts is that the new transmitters can be identified by their serial number (printed on the bottom of the transmitter).
Older transmitter serial numbers are of the form 81xxxx or 80xxxx, but the new ones begin with 8Gxxxx.
I don’t recall hearing anything about this before G6. If it’s before that then they are really dragging their heals. FDA could be part of the issue. So many companies over commit only to miss the target due to later than forecast approval.
I’d be very interested in the details. When I say “directly” I mean without a phone as the intermediary. That’s what Dexcom has promised (with Apple Watch), but so far hasn’t delivered.
Xdrip, a much better app than Dexcom, can send Dexcom readings directly to an Android watch. It doesn’t run on IOS. It has to be set up on your phone and then you tell the app to send directly to watch.
But you’re still connecting the watch to a phone running X-Drip. It’s not a direct connection between the watch and the Dexcom transmitter. That’s my definition of “direct” - no phone required. And that’s what Dexcom has been promising but has yet to deliver.
I am not an IT person. All I know is that you first set the app up on your phone. Then you can take the Dexcom readings from your transmitter transmitter and either show them on your phone or your watch. Yes you do need an Android phone to set up the app. Then you don’t need to carry your phone around at all to see your Dexcom readings on your watch.
There’s only one watch that will act as a collector without having to use a phone as an intermediary. It’s a Sony watch that has been out of production for quite some years now, but can still be found relatively cheap on eBay and Amazon. It does connect directly to the Dexcom transmitter.
This is not true about Android watches being able to connect directly to the transmitter. There is only 1 watch that can get Dexcom readings directly from the transmitter and it’s an old Sony smartwstch 3.
The Sony Smartwatch 3 works as a standalone collector without any modifications.
That being said, there are a few others that WILL act as a standalone collector, but you need to update the firmware for them to work as a collector.
I recently got a used SW3 for CHEAP. Guess what, I paired it with my phone, told xdrip to use it as the collector, then waited for it to do the updates. 30 to 45 minutes later (I wasn’t paying attention,) my watch changed the watchface to the xdrip watchface, and it became the collector. SUPER SIMPLE!
Just adding a quick update to my old post for anyone with similar questions:
xDrip on alternative phones and in combination with T:slim:
I’m now using Dexcom G6 and the T:slim. I had xDrip working well on my MotoX4 with a high capture rate for ~6-7 months.
I’ve been starting sensors and transmitters from the T:slim pump and also collecting data on the pump for use with Basal IQ. The one issue I’ve noticed with this setup is that connection and capture rates for xDrip start to decline in the last 2-4 weeks of transmitter life. I suspect signal power may decline when the battery is getting low.
Dexcom data on a phone-independent watch:
A couple weeks ago I got a BlueJay watch (https://bluejay.website/). It’s exactly what I’ve wanted since I started on the Dexcom G4 in 2012! I get my CGM data on my wrist even when my phone is out of range. When the phone is in range, the watch sends data xDrip on the phone (the phone app is still useful for data storage, upload, statistics, settings, etc).
Thank you soooo much to the creators of the BlueJay watch - it’s awesome!
