rickst29
08-29-2006, 04:46 PM
The Dexcom doesn't have replaceable batteries. You have to buy a new Receiver/Display/Controller module every 12 months or so, at $550 each, when the battery wears out.
You can improve your battery life, VERY DRAMATICALLY, by keeping the battery ABOVE 80% charge state all the time. That's just the way these rechargeable batteries work-- if you run them down too far, they'll die a lot faster. So, if you see the "battery needs charging indicator" on the Dexcom, you should plug it in IMMEDIATELY.
Dexcom has told me that the batteries can't be over-charged. (I assume that either the charger module, or a circuit within the Receiver, checks for the output voltage of the batteries and stops pushing in the DC when the batteries have reached "full" voltage--- just like your NiMH or NiCad charger turning on its green "fully charged" indicator). So, the best thing to do is to plug it in for an hour or so every day-- and if you get a lot of alarms, which use a lot of "juice", leave it plugged in for even longer. Don't even wait for the "needs charging" indicator to appear.
You can improve your battery life, VERY DRAMATICALLY, by keeping the battery ABOVE 80% charge state all the time. That's just the way these rechargeable batteries work-- if you run them down too far, they'll die a lot faster. So, if you see the "battery needs charging indicator" on the Dexcom, you should plug it in IMMEDIATELY.
Dexcom has told me that the batteries can't be over-charged. (I assume that either the charger module, or a circuit within the Receiver, checks for the output voltage of the batteries and stops pushing in the DC when the batteries have reached "full" voltage--- just like your NiMH or NiCad charger turning on its green "fully charged" indicator). So, the best thing to do is to plug it in for an hour or so every day-- and if you get a lot of alarms, which use a lot of "juice", leave it plugged in for even longer. Don't even wait for the "needs charging" indicator to appear.