How to setup Android watch with mobile data as Collector (using xDrip, Miao Miao, FreeStyle Libre)

Parenting a D-Child Child
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1

Hi,

Hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

My son (who has T1) and I love waterskiing, wakeboarding and having fun in the outdoors. We’re looking to setup a waterproof watch to collect data and post it to Nightscout directly so its available for everyone to receive (mum, friends etc). But we also want it to work over a mobile phone/data connection vs having to have a Wifi connection all the time.

I am sure we are not the only ones keen to set up something like this!

Key requirements

  • Phone to be setup as a receiver/collector with Xdrip+ (and Miao Miao). No need for a mobile phone.
  • Phone to be mobile data capable (e.g. includes a SIM card) so it doesn’t need a wifi connection all the time
  • Phone that is watch proof so you can swim with it (Libre and Miao Miao are already)

Has anyone been able to set this up?
If so, what watch did you use and were there any tricks to the process?

Note: I have Nightscout setup and working great.
Note 2: If you are following this post and don’t have Nightscout setup, brace yourself, and get that working first before attempting the watch would be my advice.

Thanks!! :slight_smile:

2

Realistically, it might be a little early, however, you could try the allcall watch, as it is an android wear with a sim card, which is somewhat rare…over a 2 year period, the phone collection on my ticwatch e has worked a few times, but its very rare, and I would never rely on it solely… the allcall watch does seem to have more memory and a better processor, but ip68 is 30 minutes 1.5m deep, just like the libre, so only 30 minutes at a time, and not deeper than 5 feet…I personally use the eversense, but its not approved for children yet…the ticwatch e2 is approved for 50 meters and unlimited swimming, but it doesn’t have a sim card slot… keep in mind your cellphone company will charge you extra every month for the extra sim card…so the ticwatch e2 might be safer…still limited by the libre and miao miao 1.5 m and 30 minutes… I’ve also heard the libre will not work with salt water…

3

Thanks Roger! very helpful.

Just a few questions if you don’t mind.

  • You mentioned my miao miao is 1.5m* and 30mins. What do you mean by 30mins?
  • Do you swim with the eversense? If so, how do you monitor yourself? Do you just have a waterproof phone nearby?
  • How do you have your ticwatch setup? Do you use it at all?

Hi everyone, (and Roger),

Do any other people have suggestions for CGM monitoring during water sport activities?

How about these ideas?

  1. use a waterproof watch as a collector via bluetooth to Miao Miao (but without mobile data)
    … Is it OK to have BOTH your mobile phone and watch acting as Collectors or will this cause problems? Does xDrip+ even allow you to do this? Or can you setup the watch to just Collect and not publish to Nightscout.

  2. Use a waterproof watch as a scanner (using NFC, just like the Libre device) so you can at least scan yourself while in the water easily.

Cheers, John

  • seems right from my experience, maybe a little further at times, e.g. 3m.
4

Hi @john.mitchell. You are correct that xDrip+ can’t support two collectors. But there is a workaround some people have used.

The xDrip+ dev, JamOrHam has made available a slightly modified version of xDrip+ that allows for two copies of the app to be used independently of each other. Maybe this concept could be used to accomplish what you want.

As far as swimming, the readings might be a bit spotty because BLE does not penetrate water. We have a surfer in the group who ran into this problem.

5

If I swim, surf, snorkel, or scuba, I remove the eversense, usually at a glucose level of 150-180mg/DL to be safe, then reattach for a reading, or when I’m done…eversense is only water resistant to 1 meter like the rest of them, but being able to remove it us what sold me in it…I don’t trust it on in the lake or ocean…afraid I might lose it, or afraid it might not work as well…and all of the Cgms including miao miao have a water limit of 30 minutes…so they only guarantee water submersion for 30 minutes at a time and 1 or 1.5 meters…I always have my ticwatch on me using the Bernard github nightscout setup…but I also have spare chargers in my car as sometimes the battery will only last 12 hours depending on if I use it to skip songs, or notifications like xdrip predicted lows or highs, etc…it took me a little while to set up the nightscout and Alexa skill, but it was well worth it

6

Thanks Roger. Appreciate the advice, and its great to hear you surf and scuba! Keen to get my son into these activities.