# Changing Batteries in PDM caused POD error? **URL:** \ **Category:** Pump\ **Tags:** omnipod\ **Created:** [May 15, 2018, 7:26pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/changing-batteries-in-pdm-caused-pod-error/4035 "2018-05-15T19:26:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 18
**Author:** ![Eric](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/eric/32/9209_2.png) [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 3:39pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/changing-batteries-in-pdm-caused-pod-error/4035/18 "2019-02-28T15:39:43Z")
> [@T1Allison](#): > > The most annoying part of this for me was the fact that without a functioning PDM, I was without a bg meter until I got home later. I don’t carry a spare meter in my purse. If you can hold the PDM far enough away from your pod so it can’t communicate, or hold it on the opposite side of your body, you can set the PDM clock and still use it for BG tests without _actually_ deactivating the pod. It will tell you that you must deactivate the pod, but you hold it far enough away so it can’t communicate (or better yet, have someone else hold it and press the button). You press the deactivate button. It tries to deactivate but since it can’t communicate with the pod it will tell you (or tell the person pressing the buttons for you) it can’t communicate and then you just choose “discard”. That pod will still be pushing out basal for you. You can’t bolus off it, but everything else with the pod will still be functional. Including extended bolus or temp basals. Try it at home when you have a pod about to expire. Take the pod off, put it in another room, and then remove the PDM batteries and go through the steps. After you are done, go over to the pod and listen to it. You can still hear it clicking, delivering basal. So in that scenario, your pod would still be good for basal, and you’d have your BG meter back. 😃 See this link for details about the deactivating without actually deactivating steps: > [@Having 2 active pods with only 1 PDM](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/having-2-active-pods-with-only-1-pdm/4225): > > I wanted to post how to do this, but first I wanted to describe some possible scenarios why someone might actually want to do this. I would not consider this a standard daily treatment idea. If you do this all the time, you would probably run out of pods. But I want to share it as an idea and also just give an example of thinking outside of the box, which can be very useful for diabetes in general. There are some situations where it might be useful. For example, if you are taking a lot of ins… --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/changing-batteries-in-pdm-caused-pod-error/4035)._