# Dexcom sensor restarts: microwave trick and 2-hour restart **URL:** \ **Category:** C/GM\ **Tags:** dexcom\ **Created:** [May 1, 2018, 11:53pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975 "2018-05-01T23:53:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ClaudnDaye](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/claudndaye/32/5_2.png) [@ClaudnDaye](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/ClaudnDaye)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/61 "2018-06-13T16:03:38Z")
The 2 hours is up and it’s time to calibrate, but with question marks on the phone, no calibration is going to ‘take’. Maybe just wait for the question marks to disappear? Today IS the 14th day the sensor has been on, so it certainly could be coincidence that the ‘no dots’ is starting to happen, but because we had been having zero interruptions thus far up through this morning, I thought I could get by with starting a new session and getting a few more days out of it…maybe it’s just that time. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ClaudnDaye](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/claudndaye/32/5_2.png) [@ClaudnDaye](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/ClaudnDaye)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/62 "2018-06-13T16:11:26Z")
So this just happened. lol. ![IMG-1566](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fudiabetes/original/2X/6/615a1ef968ad188319256f90a6f8332d7e5fecde.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![TiaG](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/tiag/32/594_2.png) [@TiaG](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/TiaG)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/63 "2018-06-13T16:16:32Z")
You can calibrate with question marks – sometimes it just helps it reset, we’ve found. Or maybe it’s random chance the numbers reappear? ---
**Author:** ![ClaudnDaye](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/claudndaye/32/5_2.png) [@ClaudnDaye](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/ClaudnDaye)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/64 "2018-06-13T16:18:17Z")
No, if we calibrate with question marks it does nothing…it still ends up being “question marks” after calibration. Is that just us? aka - calibrating doesn’t make it suddenly start working…whatever the question marks are just has to resolve itself for us. ---
**Author:** ![TiaG](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/tiag/32/594_2.png) [@TiaG](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/TiaG)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 4:30pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/65 "2018-06-13T16:30:54Z")
haha, there’s so much magic fairy dust involved in Dexcom-whispering. Trying to get the best numbers, trying to avoid ???, how to restart – it’s all filled with rumor and folklore. ---
**Author:** ![CatLady](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/catlady/32/36_2.png) [@CatLady](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/CatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/66 "2018-09-26T15:01:38Z")
So I tried this…and realized too late that since I never use the receiver, the receiver was not paired to the transmitter…and there wasn’t time to “pair new”. Sigh… ---
**Author:** ![TiaG](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/tiag/32/594_2.png) [@TiaG](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/TiaG)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 3:22pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/67 "2018-09-26T15:22:31Z")
try it next week! it really does work 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![glitzabetes](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/glitzabetes/32/4287_2.png) [@glitzabetes](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/glitzabetes)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/68 "2018-09-26T15:51:11Z")
> [@elver](#): > > I ordered a Farraday bag so I can try this with my Tandem pump and phone. Either way, I will post the results. I know you posted this a while ago but did you end up trying this? I have been curious if this method would work with the tslim as the receiver! ---
**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:** [September 26, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/69 "2018-09-26T16:23:01Z")
> [@glitzabetes](#): > > I know you posted this a while ago but did you end up trying this? I have been curious if this method would work with the tslim as the receiver! This trick is much more challenging if you are using the Tandem! _(I have done this a few times to test it, but I don’t generally do this because being without the Dexcom for 2 hours is really no big deal to me.)_ But if doing it, I could easily put my Dexcom receiver away for a couple of hours while it is doing the warmup, and just use my phone as normal. But if your receiver is also your pump, that means you need to either have your pump in a microwave or Faraday bag, or your phone. Seems like either of those is more difficult than just putting the Dexcom receiver away, right? ---
**Author:** ![elver](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/elver/32/8772_2.png) [@elver](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/elver)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/70 "2018-09-26T17:01:13Z")
@glitzabetes it does! Thanks for asking. 👍 ---
**Author:** ![glitzabetes](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/glitzabetes/32/4287_2.png) [@glitzabetes](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/glitzabetes)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 7:16am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/71 "2018-09-27T07:16:49Z")
> [@Eric](#): > > But if your receiver is also your pump, that means you need to either have your pump in a microwave or Faraday bag, or your phone. Seems like either of those is more difficult than just putting the Dexcom receiver away, right? It is not quite as nice as using the receiver but if I was reasonably confident I wouldn’t need to bolus for 2 hours, it doesn’t seem that annoying to put the pump in a Faraday bag. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2018, 1:35pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/72 "2018-09-27T13:35:12Z")
Yeah, I guess disconnecting it and putting it in there wouldn’t be too bad. And if you had to, you could use a syringe or pen. Sure, that all makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![glitzabetes](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/glitzabetes/32/4287_2.png) [@glitzabetes](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/glitzabetes)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/73 "2018-09-27T14:54:21Z")
Would you have to disconnect? It seems like if you were using a Faraday bag [like this one](https://www.amazon.com/MONOJOY-Blocking-Antitheft-Protection-Security/dp/B077SFPGNY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1538059011&sr=8-4&keywords=faraday+bag) you may be able to snake the tubing out of it since it has a velcro closure. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2018, 3:07pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/74 "2018-09-27T15:07:41Z")
Yeah, I guess that would work. As long as you don’t forget and accidentally take it out! 😀 ---
**Author:** ![ClaudnDaye](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/claudndaye/32/5_2.png) [@ClaudnDaye](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/ClaudnDaye)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2018, 3:15am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/75 "2018-10-08T03:15:08Z")
We do it all the time now. We don’t cut it to close in time either… Only 2 hours and five minutes are required but we do it as soon as we get the first message… So 6 or 8 hours early. It’s easier to to that for us than hope we “remember” to do it 2.5 hours out. ---
**Author:** ![T1Allison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T1Allison](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/T1Allison)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 2:13pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/76 "2019-01-30T14:13:23Z")
I just did a Faraday restart on my G5 sensor. I realized that I’ve switched transmitters since the last time I used my old G4 receiver for this trick. I was a little concerned about being able to pair a new transmitter on it AND restart it AND get it in the Faraday wallet in between data points…but I appear to have had no issue. I waited for a fresh data point on my iPhone app, I ended the session on my old G4 receiver, I entered my new transmitter ID, I started a new session on the G4 receiver, and then I put it in the Faraday wallet. If it does give me any hiccups, I’ll report back. ---
**Author:** ![T1Allison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T1Allison](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/T1Allison)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 6:03pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975/77 "2019-01-30T18:03:21Z")
Okay, so it did end up working but it was a bit convoluted and took about 3 hours. 1. After a fresh data point on my phone, I ended the session on my G4 receiver. I entered the new transmitter id. Then I started a new session and put it in the Faraday wallet. 2. After about 20-30 minutes, my G4 receiver vibrated at me. After a fresh data point on my phone, I opened the Faraday wallet and saw that the G4 receiver said “Transmitter Not Found”. 3. Not knowing what else to do, I put my phone in the Faraday wallet to keep it from realizing that the G4 was in the process of pairing with my transmitter. I was afraid it would force my hand into losing the uninterrupted data for the restart. This step might not have been necessary. 4. Once the G4 receiver paired with my new transmitter, it started showing my data from my current session. I.E. The session restart had been nullified. I then elected to end the session on my G4 receiver, restart the sensor, and then put the G4 receiver back in the Faraday wallet for the two hour start up. My phone continued to show data as planned. I’m up and running again. This is a one-off scenario but I still found it interesting. [Previous page](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/dexcom-sensor-restarts-microwave-trick-and-2-hour-restart/3975.md?page=3)