Workaround for no numbers showing up on the Dexcom
I found a little workaround for when no numbers show up on my Dex, even though it is within range of my sensor, so I thought I'd share (I searched and did not see anything like this already posted here).
Occasionally, for no apparent reason, I get the "Out of Range Antenna" icon in the upper right of my Dex, even though my Dex is within range (usually it's in my pants pocket). There is no number because of this apparent disconnect, however I found a way to get at the current number:
1. Click the OK button
2. Arrow down to "Enter BG" and hit OK again as if you are entering a new BG number
The number shown by default there when you do this is your current BG number!
IMPORTANT:
3. Hit the RED button on the right to exit (DO NOT hit OK or it will actually enter this BG number for you as if you pin pricked to get it, and you don't want to do that here)
A moment or two upon exiting and going back to the graph, the normal antenna appears in the lower right, and the number shown you via the workaround is shown in the upper right as your current BG level.
This seems to work every time for me, though YMMV.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael McClure on -
You bet.
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Permalink Reply by Lorraine on -
This is interesting. I've noticed this, but thought it was just the last bg that it had recorded. You have found that not to be the case?
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Permalink Reply by Michael McClure on
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>> the last bg that it had recorded
As in the last one it recorded before it went on the blink? I can't go back in time to check on that on the unit itself, so not completely sure. All I know is that if I get the Out of Range Antenna, then I have no number, but if I follow the process above, I get a number. Perhaps I am just kick-starting the Dex to reconnect. In any case, thereafter I get a number and am back on track.
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Permalink Reply by Isaac on -
But Michael, every time I do get an out of range, when the Dex is close, it is only for one reading anyway.
It will always read the next reading.
So, is it possible that your trick does not really do anything?
And Dex is close enough to read the next transmission anyway?
Isaac
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Permalink Reply by Michael McClure on
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Mine checks out for a while, certainly more than one reading sometimes. When I look at the dots, it appears it can disconnect for what look like 15 or 20 minutes sometimes. If I follow the above process, I get back on track pretty quickly (see my reply to Lorraine, above).
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Permalink Reply by smileandnod on -
Mine has done this too. The gap in dots shows that it's about 15 or 20 minutes. I usually have mine in my pocket also.
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Permalink Reply by TrueTheory on
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Nice one!
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Permalink Reply by MegaMinxX on -
I recently discovered the same thing. I think it's showing the last number that it had 'calculated' before going out of range. If you go to the 1 hour screen, you can get an idea of how many 'dots' are missing, and how long ago the last reading was. Each dot is 5 minutes apart when none are missing.
In my case, I discovered it when I really did want to enter a BG ! I knew that it had 'alerted' me to enter BG, but it was a while before I got to it. After doing the meter check, I picked up the dexcom, and saw it was out of range. But decided to enter it anyway, and was surprised !
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Permalink Reply by Michael McClure on
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That's quite possible. As mentioned earlier, I may just be kickstarting the Dex. But, it seems to work as the numbers don't really deviate a heckuva lot from that initial number after it gets rolling again. You might imagine that if you were at 115 the last time it registered a number, but ascending, that you might be much higher later when it reconnects. I am not seeing that: if it shows 115 via the process above, the next number is usually pretty close to that initial number for me.
It's all quite inexact in any case. I just thought this might help folks if they see that out of range antenna a lot.
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Permalink Reply by jims on
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This is excellent comment and articles.
I also use the approach suggested and find it helps but not always.
I have found many times some idiot interferor-trasmitter/servor is hammering my receiver/trasmitter as I walk out of my condo across street and I will see link recover immediately.
When I catch the creep causing this interference I will have their equipment and butt arrested for interfering with my medical condition.
Funny part is I do not see this nonsense when in my metal car and when driving up 395 behind the mountains in california.
I always move if I am having problems. If the steps recommended using bg key here do not hook back up in 5 minutes, I immediately move a few thousand feet out of my condo and unit re-hooks up without any more hastle.
Last sunday in am, I was resetting my sensor after less than 7 days and kept getting the dread ???. I went up between the valleys of the mountains on the coast here in california and the unit ran thru 2 hour re-init without incident. Funny how the crap surfaced on the 7 day running zone sitting in my condo.
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What sort of equipment/technology do you think is interfering with your receiver? I also live in Southern California.
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