I have been on OmniPod 5 for years, and I recently switched from Dexcom G6 to G7. Each time I start a new sensor, I can Pair with my iPhone 15 Pro with no trouble, but trying to get the sensor to Pair with my OmniPod 5 Controller takes HOURS. I have to switch to Manual Mode, load the sensor number and serial number sometimes more than once, and then just wait, putting up with the “no sensor found” alerts for hours.
For those of you who use the OM5 and the G7, how does this work for you? Do you use a controller and get good results with the pairing? Do you use your iPhone as the controller for the OM5 also, and does that make pairing with the G7 easier? Does anyone with the OM5 and G7 have any suggestions I might try?
This does not directly answer your question, but it might be a solution. Why not switch to the Omnipod 5 iPhone app instead of using the Omnipod 5 controller?
I have thought of switching to the iPhone app, but if I lose my phone or it gets damaged, then I am without BOTH the controller and the Dexcom app. I know that with the way technology is going, I probably will have to change to the app eventually, but I did not think I was ready to do that yet. That is an option, though. Thanks for the response.
I don’t think the Omnipod controller pairs to the G7 does it? Anyway, the controller can’t pair to the 'pod if your smartphone is paired to the 'pod and only one “smartphone” can pair to the G7 at once. From the Insulet iPhone FAQ (emphasis added):
After you’ve successfully completed First Time Setup and transitioned to your iPhone, we recommend powering off your Controller and storing it as a back up device as needed. You can’t use more than one device to control your Omnipod 5 Pod at a time.
The 'pod pairs to the G7 (or G6) as a controller (so it can’t be used with the Dexcom controller). This allows a “smartphone” to connect. In this context the Omnipod controller and the iPhone are both smartphones, albeit one Android and the other iOS but that doesn’t matter so far as the G7 is concerned.
You can pair a “smartwatch” to the G7.
Even though three devices can be connected to the G7 they have to know what type of devices they are (because they have to say that when they connect) and only the first connection is quick. On Android (as the Omnipod Controller is if it does connect as a smartphone, though I don’t know why it would bother) using xDrip+ the second connection takes forever; I no longer even try, I connect xDrip+ first then let the Dexcom receiver (my backup) take its time.
Thanks for the response, John. I am not trying to control the Pod with more than one device. Right now, I use the Insulet Controller to control the Pod, and I use the Dexcom app on my iPhone 15 Pro to control the G7. My problem is that the Pod Controller needs to get sensor readings from the G7 to control my blood glucose and to calculate my bolus needs at mealtime. The Controller searches for the new sensor, even after I manually input the new sensor’s ID number and SN. That should not take more than 35 minutes, but my Controller takes hours to finally find it. My iPhone Dexcom app has no problem connecting to the sensor after warm-up (even though the first 24 hours are sometimes wildly inaccurate). My problem is that the Controller, which DOES control the Pod, takes forever to finally receive the sensor readings from the G7.
I also have an Apple watch, and with the first few G7s I tried, I had it pair directly with the watch. I finally gave up on that because the watch (Series 10/ watchOS Version 11.6.1) would have “signal loss” three to four times a day. It was not worth the hassle.
I just am frustrated that the Controller takes so long to “find” the G7 signal, and I was wondering if I should just give up the Controller and go to just the iPhone to control the Pods. I still am a bit nervous to do that, but I know going back to the G6 is not the answer as it eventually will be discontinued.
I don’t know about the O5 controller UI but I do know that the Omnipod itself connects directly to the G7. Once this is set up no controller is required, neither the Omnipod one nor the Omnipod app. The controller/app is just required to communicate information to the O5 about transmitter pairing, sensor changes boluses and maybe other control stuff.
The Omnipod has to complete the pairing step with each G7 sensor using the pairing code (the 4-digit number on the package); that’s all it needs. With the G6 it only needed to do that for a new transmitter, which only happened every 90 days.
So long as you only use the Omnipod Controller to control the Omnipod (and don’t use the Dexcom Controller - it won’t work at all) three connections are possible; the Omnipod-G7 connection (which must exist), the G7-Smartphone connection and the G7-Smartwatch connection both of which are optional.
The first connection happens fast, so connect the Omnipod, using the controller first. If you have issues with that connection check G7 placement. There should be instructions about good G7 placement relative to the Omnipod. The Omnipod is communicating directly with the CGM sensor so it’s easy to get into a poor transmission/dropped reading situation; the signals cannot pass very far through our bodies. Since the G6 and G7 have different placement requirements (abdomen vs back of arm) that’s a potential cause of different signal problems.
The transmitters (both G6 and G7, I don’t know about the Libre) seem to switch off between every transmission; i.e. they are only on for a few seconds every 5 minutes. However this does not seem to happen before the first connection of the G7.
I pre-soak the G7; I put a new one on at least 30 minutes before I change to using it. This means there’s no gap in readings. Since the G7 lasts 10.5 days I assume it works to put the new G7 in at 10 hours, wait a couple of hours, then tell the Omnipod to swap (via the controller). So long as nothing else has been connected yet this should be fast but it doesn’t necessarily matter; your iPhone is still connected to the previous G7 so it keeps reporting BG and maybe the O5 maintains that connection too until the new G7 connection is established (the seems like a good design to me.)
If this doesn’t work then certainly talk to Insulet; the first connection to a G7 is invariably fast. It’s possible that there is some issue with using the G7 app on the iPhone along with the controller but customer service should know and if it works after a while I think it’s probably just the “second connection” issue.
It may be that the controller does itself connect to the G7 for activation in which case it cannot work at the same time as the G7 smartphone app. It does take several hours of no connection from a particular device (O5 or Dexcom controller, Smartphone, Smartwatch) for the sensor to open up the connection to a new device, longer I believe with the G7 than the G6. That’s certainly something customer service should know about.
You are not telling me anything I do not already know, John. The quote above is where the problem comes in. I manually input the 4-digit number, and the Controller also asks for the 12-digit SN from each sensor. I put both in, and the Controller SHOULD connect within 35 minutes. It does not; the connection takes hours.
One really important thing to know for troubleshooting is that the PDM does not connect to the sensor, the pod pairs with the sensor. The PDM is just sending the two numbers to the pod then asking “are you connected yet?”
Where are you wearing the pod and the G7? Next time you put a pod on imagine its got eyes right above the adhesive and those eyes have to see the G7.
I was double checking my info in the O5 manual and I saw they added an option to scan the QR code on the G7 applicator with the PDM. Try it, you’ll like it.
The pod connects to the G7, not the PDM or phone+app so changing devices wouldn’t help.
The G7 session starts on insertion. Then each new pod has to pair with the sensor. When starting a new pod the PDM/app sends the config to the pod including the sensor codes. Totally different than looping where the phone is the in the middle of all the communication.
I am very aware of the “line of sight” between the sensors and the Pods. Sadly, the Pods last 9 days and the sensors last 10 days, so since I change arms for sensors every 10 days, sometimes the Pods/ sensors are on opposite sides of my body for a day. I do my best to keep the Pods and sensors within that sacred “line of sight,” and since I am not a heavy woman, usually that is not the problem.
I have tried twice now to use the PDM to scan the QR code on the G7 applicator. In both cases, when I choose that option on the PDM, all I get is a blank screen and NO indication of an area on the screen where I can scan the QR code. I would like to try that (and like it!), but I have not found a way to do that with my PDM.
I realize this is not your question, but, from my experience, an Apple Watch will only stay reliably connected to a Dexcom G7 if the G7 is on your stomach. You’d think that sensor and watch both on left arm would work, but, in my experience, it doesn’t. This might reveal something about the “line of site” — even a half turn on the arm is enough to throw it off. Might not work for you, but you could try sensor and pod both on stomach and see if that connection is quicker.
FWIW, I connect my G7s to my iPhone first and to my Mobi second and there’s no delay with making the second (pump) connection . The mobi pairs pretty much as soon as it has the sensor code.
Thanks for the response, Tnyc. I have not tried the G7 on my stomach because Dexcom says it should be worn on the arm, and IF it would happen to fail and I have to call in for replacement, I know that the first question they always ask is, “Where did you have the failed sensor placed?”
The direct-to-watch really is not that important to me since I always have my iPhone with me, so the watch still will display the Dexcom, although it has to come through the phone first. I still can read it on my watch.
If you tell them you are acting with your doctor’s advice, alternate placement seems to be fine with Dexcom. Lots of people put the G6 on their arm when it was supposed to be on the stomach. I realize you don’t care about direct to watch, but it would be interesting to see if it helps with pod communication.
SherryAnn, connection order matters. Connect to the O5 first, wait until the sensor finishes warming up and you get a BG reading on the O5 controller or the app on your phone (however you’re controlling the pod), THEN enter the pairing code into the G7 app or receiver and wait for it to pair.
This should work. I ran into the same problem using the O5 with an xdrip+, and after quite a bit of fruitless internet searching, I figured this out on my own.
Technical detail, the G7 supports 3 bluetooth channels but only one primary “paired” channel, which the O5 requires. Letting it set up first grab this channel, anything after that connected to the G7 will use one of the other channels.
BTW, for Android users that use the 05 and G7, xdrip+ with another app glucodatahandler will get your BG readings on your phone and your Watch OS watch, with much, much MUCH more customization than the Apple watch.
Do you have a reference for that? My impression was that the G7 (and the G6 transmitter) were the bluetooth masters and all 2 or 3 connections were slaves (bluetooth itself supports up to seven slaves).
If that isn’t the case I don’t see how the sensors would work because slaves have to communicate via the master (or maybe there is something new in the networking stuff?)
If the master favours the first slave connection that would explain the second-connection problem as well; my own theory is above and it is supported by the limited evidence I have.
That might help because then the pod itself doesn’t get communications from the PDM. That potentially reduces the load on the pod and allows it to not be interrupted while it connects to the sensor. Anyone who has looked after a dog, or a child, or an elder like me knows how important that is.
I suspect it only helps significantly in the “second connection” case, where something else is already connected to the G7. In that case by my hypothesis the pod has to continuously scan for the G7 wakeup since it does not yet know the start of the five minute interval.
@Dave26 's “primary paired channel” explanation explains this even more so; if the pod is not the first it’s not the primary. The problem I have with the explanation is that Insulet do know how this works and if that were the problem, if the 'pod is permanently disabled (as opposed to just having initial connection problems) they would surely tell people to connect the O5 pod first?
Are you sure about the 9 days? I was under the impression that O5 pods have the same limits as Dash pods, 80 hours (3 1/3 days) but if the O5 lasts for 9 days then it suddenly becomes way more attractive to me; changing the Dash pod every 80 hours (so my changes sync to the G7 changes - 3x80 = 10 days) is still a thing that annoys me.
