Omniloop setup questions

Finally biting the bullet and ordered my RileyLink, iPhone SE and will do the virtual mac on my laptop.

Here’s my current setup:

Dexcom G6 / Omnipod (original). Dex is read on my Galaxy S10+ by Xdrip+ which pushes to my nightscout site and to my huwawei 2 watch.

My question is this: Should I l just use Dexcom on the iPhone and leave the rest as is, or is it better to connect nightscout to the iPhone?

And if I leave as is, would I even need a cell data plan? I have some WiFi in parts of my work and at home.

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Good for you!

You should definitely have Dexcom on the iPhone so that Loop can work with Dexcom bg data directly, without the need for internet access. You do not need cell data plan on the iPhone. I’d still recommend you have Loop talk to Nightscout so that it can upload its data (insulin delivery and carbs entered) whenever you are on WiFi. Loop neither reads nor writes bg data to Nightscout, so it won’t interfere with your existing setup.

I should say I use only iPhone, which runs Loop, Dexcom, and everything else I need, so I do not know if it is possible to simultaneously use xDrip on an Android phone and Dexcom on an iPhone. I think this should work, but I just do not know for sure. I’d find it inconvenient to carry two smart phones around.

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See end of this thread: Sony Smart Watch 3 and iPhone in Tandem (simultaneous connection) - #51 by docslotnick

It seems Dexcom App on iPhone and xDrip+ on Android will not work concurrently, but will work if you disable Bluetooth on one of the devices. I’m interested in using xDrip+ SW3 smartwatch as standalone, but only during runs, switching back to iPhone when not running. I haven’t tried this yet, but it would be convenient just to get BGs on standalone watch during exercise (and know when I potentially go low and require a carb) and not have to carry iPhone and RL since I typically use a ZB during exercise anyway.

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Trying, you seem to be similar in setup to me (2 phones). How do you have your stuff set up?

I’m getting confused with all the options and trying to figure out the most optimal way to do this.

If I leave my Android as is (Xdrip+ with data connection going to Nightscout, Huwawei 2 watch as receiver only but fails over to collector in the rare case when it is not near my phone, Nightscout at work in a browser window), what would I have to do on the iPhone? Would I even need a data connection?

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Unfortunately, I don’t think you can connect more then one device to the Dexcom transmitter via the iPhone app. So it is either xDrip+ on Android, or Dexcom app on iPhone. I chose Dexcom app on iPhone since it can be support offline communication with Loop, which I prioritize.

I am still interested in using the standalone watch though as the transmitter collector for long runs/exercise. I will test this out in the next few days. However, currently, I just use xDrip+ with “Nightscout Follower” as the hardware source. Using this prevents duplicate entries in Nightscout, since Loop already sends all treatments and BGs to Nightscout. To prevent duplicate entries, you’ll need to disable UPLOAD to Nightscout in the xDrip+ app.

See the end of this thread related to using xDrip concurrently with iPhone Dexcom app:

Hello Fellow Looper!

I just started with my 16 year old son this week. I would love to know how it is going and your thoughts, tips and tricks! We seem to have a good basal rate but go much higher than before when bolusing for food. We have lowered his carb ratio by five but wonder if it doesn’t have more to do with ISF.
Still such a Newbie, sigh :slight_smile:

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I am also new to Loop with OmniPod. I’ve been using it for 1+ months. Many users do find that their pre-loop settings need to be changed for Loop, and fine-tuning is a continual process.

Your particular issue could be due to ISF and you may need to reduce it to tell Loop you need more insulin. If Loop is giving you zero basal for long periods or you are experiencing rollercoaster then you really need to test your ISF to be sure it is accurate as possible. There are other possible causes for this, too, such as the absorption rate you choose for the meal, as well as the DIA setting.

Have you tried Autotune? If you have a Nightscout site setup already, you can run Autotune on your Nightscout data. It will analyze your data and give you your recommended basal, I:C, and ISF. You can use this to see if your current settings are in the ball park.

In my case, my settings have stayed fairly constant but I do tweak them depending on what I am experiencing. This is easier for me to do since I am doing it for myself, not someone else, as you are for your son. But yes, it does require persistence!

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@Sunny meet @Trying… Trying, Sunny. I’m trying to help the good people find the good people. :heart:

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Thank you for the advise. When we did our build we did something wrong with the Nightscout set up and all the info is bunched on one side of the screen and our CGM is not coming through. My son is currently at a friends cabin so we can’t fix it until he comes back tomorrow. we do have Tidepool working so I have been watching him there , just need to refresh each time. I am looking forward to running Autotune to gain more insight and our next move will be to lower the ISF. He does seem to shoot straight from food and then doesn’t come down, which is new. He is using the icons for food absorption and chose the DIA setting recommend when we did the build. I have to admit I don’t understand the DIA very well. I new it would be a lot of front end work to see the gain after. Luckily, I am a teacher that has the summer to devote to it.

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Hmm, I don’t know what you mean about the NS info being bunched. I’ve not seen that before. But if data is not being displayed, it is typically due to the ENABLE variable settings in the Config Settings at your Heroku or Azure admin page. My ENABLE is set to:

delta direction upbat timeago devicestatus upbat maker profile careportal boluscalc food rawbg iob cob bwp cage sage iage basal bgipump bridge loop bridge override

There are also several new variables that should be defined in Config Settings specifically for Loop if you are using the JoJo branch. I prefer the JoJo branch over the omnidev testing branch as JoJo provides the Overrides allowing users to create their own temp basal overrides. This is really useful for exercise or anytime you would normally use a temp.

I use Tidepool, too, and love it! Yes, it must be refreshed but not a big issue for me, as I only occasionally view it.

Is he doing pre-bolus? You still need to pre-bolus, just like you would pre-loop. None of that changes with Loop. If he is going high maybe you need to ensure he is pre-bolusing a sufficient amount of time to see the BG trend arrow angle down?

So you are probably using the Rapid-Acting Child DIA. That should be fine and will give you 6 hours of DIA if you have not changed the code in xCode.

You also may want to review your Correction Range. Loop could be giving a zero basal if the Correction Range is too high. Just another thing to look at!!

That is great you are teacher!! Lucky you to have the summer off!! Post again if you have any questions or you need help w/ the NS site. I’m not an expert but will try to help where I can.

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You are very kind~ Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I will definitely be checking in you with you again.

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I got my Rileylink Saturday and plan to start Looping tonight!!

Edit: Will be Looping with Omnipod.

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I got mine yesterday 7/1. It took me from 11:30pm until nearly 3 AM to get the software to compile and on my phone. Already ran auto tune so am thinking of using those settings. Almost time for a pod change, and my G6 is past the 10 days and getting flakey so time to change the sensor soon anyway.

Some questions for you Trying:

  1. Did you start with the DexG6 apple app or go strait to the Xdrip+ equivalent for Apple (the name escapes me). What’s the difference between the two?

  2. Do you pre-soak your sensor and if so how long? I’ve heard different opinions, never have, but my day 1 is always totally unreliable for at least 24 hours as are my day 9 when Xdrip resets.

  3. Now that we won’t be using Xdrip+ as collector any more, how do we reset the transmitter like Xdrip+ did automatically on day 9?

Anything else I need to watch out for?

Since I’m off the next 2 days, thinking of at least configuring everything tonight, soaking until morning and starting tomorrow morning. Rileylink is charged and trickle charging as we speak. Iphone SE is fully charged and has the software on it. Getting excited!

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First, congratulations!! You’ve made fantastic progress!

  1. I now use the Dexcom app on the iPhone. You could use Spike, the xDrip equivalent, but it is not officially supported by Loop. Many do use it though, and there is a Loop Jojo branch that supports it. I do still use xDrip+ on my Android but now just for browsing data, as hardware data source is set to Nightscout Follower.
  2. I upgraded from G5 to G6 the same time I started Loop. I never needed to pre-soak the G5, but find I do need to pre-soak the G6. Timing has been inconsistent though since so far I’ve only had one sensor last the full 10 days. When they start to fail, I put on a new sensor to pre-soak, and I usually switch to that new sensor within 12 hours.
  3. I haven’t had to reset a transmitter yet, but Spike supports reset, though I don’t believe it is as automatic as xDrip+ is. I believe Katie created a doc on how to do the reset. I will post the link to it tomorrow when I’m at my computer.
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Spike. That’s right. Couldn’t remember the name. So long as I can still upload to nightscout, I should be fine with the Dexcom.

Yeah, the G6 is hard to get 10 days out of. But when it does work, it works MUCH better than the G5 I’ve noticed, and I love no finger sticks!

If I can get a consistent 10 days out of it, I may just change it every 10 days. I’ve built up a stash from replacements.

Thinking of trying JoJo but thinking I may want to get used to the main first. Or should I just go strait to JoJo?

Anything else you can think of?

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Yes, I agree, G6 is very accurate and less painful. I was really quite surprised at the improvement over G5. If only it would be reasonably stable and last a consistent number of days!

The JoJo branch is mostly the same as the main omnidev test branch. The main diff is the Overrides support. I use this feature daily, so I find it indispensable. If you use temp basals pre-loop, then you will probably want to use Overrides. Hence, go straight to the JoJo branch.

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Been spending the bulk of my day getting things going. My Omnipod and Dexcom needed changing this morning anyway, so worked out perfectly.

Followed everything to a T and it appears to be working EXCEPT I’m not getting any DEXCOM data on heroku. See https://bradsxdrip.herokuapp.com to see what I mean. I followed https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/nightscout/troublehoot/ and even deleted/re-added to make sure un/pw were correct but that didn’t help. Any ideas?

Now I just need to learn how to tweak the actual settings. I’m currently way too high at 214 so just gave myself fake 45 carbs which it recommended a bolus of 10 which is pretty typical. Let’s hope it works.

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Weird. I tried adding my wife as a follower and somehow that seemed to work? I didn’t think follow had anything to do with it, so I’m totally confused. If this is true that follow is required, what if you have no one who wants to follow you or otherwise don’t want anyone to follow you?

I do not think you need anyone to follow you, but you do need to enable “follow” in your Dex app, because that’ss required to have the Dex app upload your glucose data to their Share server, which Nightscout then reads from. It is also possible that Dex system needs some time to get this going, so it could be just a coincidence that it started working once you added a Follower. To answer your direct question, you do not necessarily need anyone else to follow you, you can always follow yourself :wink: .(seriously, just install the follow app, and invite yourself, if that’s really needed, not sure)

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