Hello friends! I’m actually an old member, but it’s been several years since I logged on. It’s so nice to see some of your familiar faces!!
Briefly… I have had type 1 for 41 years, I use Omnipod, Dexcom G5 and copious exercise to manage my diabetes (or perhaps it uses them to manage me). I’m a ballroom dance teacher by profession, but I used to also be the manager of TuDiabetes
A very specific question brings me here today, and so far I have not found the answer, but I’m CERTAIN it’s here somewhere. Here 'tis: how do you force the G5 to re-use a sensor? Dexcom obviously REALLY doesn’t want us to do this, so they made it appear to be possible, but when one follows the steps it doesn’t work (as I’m sure many of you have also discovered). How do we hack it?
Hi @EmilyC - I’ve reused the sensors ever since I started with the G4 (currently a G5 user). Simply let the session end normally and then push restart (I use the iPhone app, all you need to do is tap the icon(s).
It will take you through the standard 2 hour warmup / calibration, and then you’re set for another week.
There’s no need to remove / re-insert transmitter. I get great life out of the sensors with G5 - my record is 6 week!
Hi Emily–nice to see you! Oh, and yeah, like @Jimi63 says. Just stop the session, then start a “new” session, and wait through the dang warm up. Hope to see more of you!
if u don’t want to go thru a 2 hour warmup on restarts, u can use xDrip on a phone, in addition to the Dexcom receiver. I’m pretty sure you have to use the OB1 collector option rather than the Native G5 collector in order to skip 2 hour warmups on restarts. Actually, I get NEW sensors to start providing data for my xDrip app in under 30 minutes, as u can tell the app when u installed a sensor, so I lie.
@EmilyC Emily! How nice to see you posting! I use the G5 and have followed the steps @Jimi63 mentioned without a problem. I often get 30+ days from my sensor. I started Dexcom with the G4 and was able to restart that one too, with a longer wear time than the seven days. I’m not wild about the G5 transmitters. I feel I have less distance/range with it than with the G4 and the G5 transmitters do not last as long. All that said, I understand the G6 transmitters do not last as long as the G5 and that the sensors have a hard stop. @Jimi63 shared the link as to how to restart G6 sessions.
Otherwise, I hope all is well with you and yours? I’d like to see you around more often, if it is possible? you would be welcomed back by many, with open arms! Take care and write back soon!
Hi, @EmilyC! It looks like you’ve received some good info here. It was good to see your post. By the way, your series of video interviews of various people in the diabetes community was some of the best stuff this site has ever published. I hope you’re otherwise doing well.
I just press start sensor when it stops and don’t remove it etc. if I want to restart. I am using g5 now with the touch screen- I did the same thing with G4. No problems. Due to many irritations I usually change them every week now.
You need to put your receiver into the microwave after you push start (to restart session).
You might wonder why - it’s not to cook (under no circumstances turn microwave on!).
The microwave acts as a Faraday Cage, and attenuates the signals the G5 transmitter sends to the Dexcom receiver. Put a timer on for 2 hours and 5 minutes and don’t open the microwave door until time is up
I use both the phone and receiver to restart sensor without missing two hours of readings.
At least two hours before your sensor ends; stop sensor, start sensor and immediately put receiver in the microwave. Phone will continue giving you readings. After two hours take out receiver and after it finds the transmitter both receiver (and phone) will show it has restarted and give the same readings.
Gee whiz, I don’t have to resort to putting the receiver in a microwave. I run xdrip with “Native Algorithm” unchecked, lie about when I installed the sensor if it has been within two hours, and get the first reading about 15-20 minutes from hitting “Start Sensor”. That’s on the phone. (FYI, I soak sensors for 1 day, so I don’t even lie about the start time, to xdrip–it really has been ~24 hours, so xdrip provides data by the 4th reading which would be 20 minutes)
On the receiver, I simply do a Start Sensor and that will take 2 hours.
After the receiver is getting data, I switch xdrip settings to Native Algorithm so that the readings match the receiver, to save my sanity.
