G6 to be discontinued

@Aronld
Sorry, they’re already spoken for. I forgot to delete…

@jim26 I have the same problem with my first Tandem, now my backup pump. Since I can’t update the software it won’t use the G7 and will eventually just be a dumb pump without any Dexcom link. I’ll still have to keep it as my backup, but without Control IQ. So I will delay my switch to G7 as long as possible. At least I don’t have to be a beta-tester while they adjust the Bluetooth settings and whatever else.

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I attended the JDRF conference in DC last Saturday. While 95% of the event was obviously intended for kids (hence the J in the name), I discussed my use of the G6 with a Dexcom rep at their table and asked both Dexcom’s plans to discontinue the G6 and the Bluetooth connectivity issues the G7 has been reported to have. His response was while Dexcom itself and many distributors were pushing transition to the G7, it was unlikely Dexcom would discontinue the G6 very soon due to the number of Omnipod Dash and T2 users who could not use the G7. He indicated T2 use of G7 wasn’t authorized by FDA (though I’ve checked the Dexcom website which says it is). He was surprised that Loop users could use the G7 with Dash pods, but he also thought Loop was much more complicated to build than I related (he was unaware of the GitHub web build capability). I also took the opportunity to ask for Dexcom to better educate their tech services folks, relating the phone call I got from one that said the G6 couldn’t be used on a upper-arm, yet Dexcom’s own video showed a lady putting it there. He admitted he used his outer upper thigh!

I also got to meet face-to-face with the Insulet rep that provided my initial Dash training 2+ years ago! Good to be able to put a face with the name…

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Apologies to all, I forgot to address the G7’s Bluetooth connectivity issue. The Dexcom rep I spoke with said Dexcom actually switched out the Bluetooth chip they were using internal to the G7 to increase it’s reliability, he was aware of the conjecture regarding size and antennae placement, but they found the chip used is what has made the difference to lessen connectivity problems AND it addressed compatibility with Tandem Tslim (not sure how that works as I thought BT was BT). Anyway, he confirmed the underlined LBL numbers denote the different products.

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My opinion is that the Bluetooth receiver in the Tandem pump is less sensitive. My pump will loss Dexcom G6 data when my the iPhone can still get it across the room.

Tandem likes to be positioned closer to the Dexcom. I understand this is an issue with the OmniPod OM needing to be line of sight between pump and sensor.

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@CarlosLuis In fact, the rep commented on the “line of sight” issue with the G7’s BT. I’ve read some reports of some folks having issues with a G7 on one side of the body and the pump on the other. While I usually keep my phone on my person (I’m an old belt clip holster guy, I despise it being in a pocket), I’m fortunate that my G6 stays connected to my phone even if my phone is downstairs and I’m upstairs or in separate rooms on the same floor of the house…I’ve been fairly impressed at the distances with “some” barrier (floors/walls) though I’m sure the type construction is impacting (not sure if the speaks well for my floor and walls or not). My experience, along with the various reports of others, is probably part of the reason I haven’t switched to the G7 as yet!

More to follow as “The World Turns…”

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I had more with the G6; I seemed to get more dropouts at night. It may be that xDrip+ has changed its alerting so it just vibrates now rather than screams for lost signal but I believe I saw better line-of-sight with G7 before that.

With the G7 I discovered recently that I could have my 'phone in the bedroom and take a shower on the floor below (immediately below the bedroom) without any loss of signal. This is in a concrete (with rebar) house. A few years back in the same house I asked about the rebar spacing and the general opinion was that it was around 15cm which I thought would block bluetooth/wifi and the wifi never worked very well while the family had it; the 4G cell service gives much better coverage.

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@jbowler You live in a faraday cage?! :stuck_out_tongue: If you don’t mind my asking, where are you actually? Your connectivity speaks well for the devices!

We lived in Izmir, Turkey, for a couple years in the 80’s. Construction was interesting to watch. We saw everything from a modern cement mixer to sidewalk mixing and literally bucket-full/shovel-full up scaffolding to a 7th floor! We wondered about electrical wiring. I kiddingly told the wife they chiseled a channel up/across the walls/ceilings; then one day saw a guy in the new apartment building next door with a hammer/chisel cut a channel into the finish plaster from an outlet to a 1x6 piece of wood embedded in the ceiling, then “re-coat” the wiring into the channel! Hey, it worked, just be careful how much weight you hang from it!

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Back in the day I attended a few seminars about the 1990 earthquake that devastated Turkey. One of the main takeaways was that the concrete was nowhere near as strong as necessary over there…which is why many of the concrete buildings collapsed in the EQ. Photos of the damage from the 2023 EQ show that the Turks have not improved their concrete construction since you witnessed it in the 80’s. It does not matter how much rebar is in the wall if the concrete is weak.

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ive used the g7 since 5 or 6/23, and never had any line of sight issues…the only time i ever heard of that was with the o5(so it had to be g6 line of sight issues)…occasionally i have inserted the g7 too high on the arm or too low, trying to have the omnipod and g7 on the same arm, but dexcom replaced them and i stuck to the tried and true tricep area…the g7 signal is a little weaker, but it is a 10 or 11 day battery vs a 100 day g6 battery, so that is expected…my insurance is fortunate to treat the dexcom the same as test strips, so i prefer the g7 one pharmaceutical co-pay instead of the g6 2 co-pays, which very few users seem to comment on

That’s why I specifically asked about 150cm, but I did say 6" to my wife who then had to translate it as she was the only other english speaker there. I suspect the answer may have been lost in translation.

I also suspect the rebar spacing will have been greater and that it won’t have been welded and probably not even have been tied together except as required for the pour. This is in Taipei more than 40 years ago. My father in law was familiar with construction having done it previously and I’m certain the construction will have been done according to the locally accepted practices. However the building had only three stories at the start; last new year we were effectively sleeping on the old roof :slight_smile:

Slumberland bed springs are, unfortunately, somewhat closer spaced and do, I’m pretty certain, block bluetooth.

Ho ho. My family’s house has 2 core US 120V (so in fact 240V) wiring with Absolutely No Grounding. I checked, several times; we wanted to get hot water to the second floor while we were there. We got it, the guy came, he nailed wire to the wall (three core; neutral plus two live in US terms, neutral not connected) and we got hot water to the second floor.

Lucky guy. Last time I did that in the UK a chisel did not cut it; stupid damp proofing. I can explain but it’s off topic.

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Off topic, but can’t resist… You’d be surprised how many areas in the US wouldn’t meet codes.

In Calif they were pretty strict and if they were out inspecting one thing and saw something at a neighbors they would get nailed. They had programs to encourage people to turn in people for city or code violations.

Unless it’s a larger scale building, tract, business etc, where I live now, things (just about anything) are thrown up and no one cares. Unless you’ve moved here recently and don’t know better lol…

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