# Insight handset battery issues



## trophywench (Dec 24, 2015)

It appears I have killed my handset battery dead, it is now a late battery, has shuffled off this mortal coil etc etc all because I haven't plugged it in and recharged it every flipping night of its life.  (Well - ooops - but why the hell does it need to have a battery that needs that much attention?  Surely to God all the info it stores, all the configurations and calculations, can't be that much more than a fully loaded all singing and dancing Smartphone?  Is it the Bluetooth?  Can't be because the Combo batteries always lasted ages really.  It's bats)  Anyway they were quite OK and are sending me another.  (Battery)

So - you most certainly DO have to charge it every 24 hours (not necessarily overnight) even though the battery bar doesn't appear to have moved, otherwise you shorten the battery's lifespan.  However - their normal lifespan is apparently only roughly 30 months (two and a half years) anyway - so you should expect it to go at some point in any case before the pump is due for replacement.  Now - that's something I hadn't heard before !

I asked about charging off 12v - yes - just need the adaptor to have an output of at least 5 Volts and 0.5 Amps.  It seems that our adaptor - via which we have successfully charged various types of phone, and various types of laptop, tablet etc as long as their charging cables have a fullsize USB plug that goes in the full size USB socket on the adaptor - is incompatible with the handset for some reason only known to its Taiwanese (or whatever nationality it happens to be!) self.  So - we'd better get a new one.    

Finally - the 360 degree software - it is only compatible with Win 7 or 8.  They are hoping a Win 10 version will be available 'early next year'.  Personally I shan't hold my breath, they were  promising the launch of the Insight in the same time frame for several years before it eventually did make an appearance, weren't they ?   (Still no plans to make it compatible with anything to do with apples though.)


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## everydayupsanddowns (Dec 27, 2015)

Sorry to hear about your dud battery TW. Thanks for the updates and info - very useful.


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## Maryanne29 (Dec 27, 2015)

When I got mine I was advised to charge it when it was low - every two or three days, which I do. When I said I might do it more to make sure it never went flat I was told to definitely not do this as, like a smartphone battery that is topped up too often the battery would not last long. This has worked for me so far.


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## trophywench (Dec 27, 2015)

I've been told the absolute opposite by Roche - so I'll do what Roche have said, Maryanne.


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## Maryanne29 (Dec 28, 2015)

The different instructions make me laugh! I was also told by Roche - I'll check this out again when I have my pump appointment in January as my pump nurse was the Roche rep who came and set me up with my pump, but now she works for the NHS.


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## trophywench (Dec 28, 2015)

After the Insight came onto the market, apparently quite a lot of people had the same problem as me, Maryanne - because they had apparently already issued the instructions they gave me.  I dunno who they issued them to though - or perhaps I was even told but there's a lot to take in even having had the Combo for years before - and my own DSN who did the handover when I got it wasn't exactly fully conversant with it so I did a lot of my learning myself afterwards. LOL


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## Phil65 (Jan 2, 2016)

Mmmm, I only charge when I get the warning of a low battery, maybe I should leave it charging on my bedside table at night?


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## Maryanne29 (Jan 2, 2016)

I'd check it out first Phil.


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## trophywench (Jan 3, 2016)

I wish you would Phil (check with Roche I mean) seeing as it appears Maryanne was told the opposite to me!


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## Pumper_Sue (Jan 3, 2016)

trophywench said:


> I wish you would Phil (check with Roche I mean) seeing as it appears Maryanne was told the opposite to me!


What does the manual that came with the pump say?


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## trophywench (Jan 3, 2016)

Not the pump battery Sue - the handset (meter) battery.  It says

Allowing the battery to fully drain reduces the ability of
the battery to hold its charge. It is suggested to
recharge the battery on a regular basis, for example
once every day. Keeping the meter plugged in to charge
does not harm the battery.

A blood glucose test cannot be
performed while the meter is plugged in.​


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## trophywench (Jan 3, 2016)

I copied and pasted, tried to shorten the lines etc and it wouldn't let me.


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## Pumper_Sue (Jan 3, 2016)

I have a lithium rechargeable in my smartphone and it says to preserve life to let it drain completely every 30 charges.
So do you have different batteries for each?


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## trophywench (Jan 3, 2016)

Yes - Lithium AA battery for the pump, rechargeable for the handset.  I had been doing exactly that with the handset, the smartphone thing, letting it go flat (took approx. a week when I first had it) but that shortened to less than a day when I rang Roche to complain - as you might or might not know - I didn't have the ruddy thing until May 2015 anyway - so that was ridiculous !

So, I can only conclude it must be a different type of battery or something.  I do know that if you accidentally try to charge your smartphone through the Roche transformer (that you plug into the mains, then your phone into that, to charge it) that it instantly sucks out all the remaining charge from the phone - cos Pete did it accidentally one night when I first had it, to his !  He instantly plugged the right one in and recharged it, and it's been OK since so hopefully it's all OK.  Plugging the handset into the phone charger OTOH, does absolutely zilch so I can only assume the handset requires a far different amount of electric current than does a phone.


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## Sally71 (Jan 3, 2016)

Most rechargeable batteries last longer overall if you run them down as low as possible each time, not necessarily until it dies completely, but at least until it's asking you to plug in the charger (usually less than 15%). So I have to say that is extremely odd advice!!  I have had exactly the opposite problem to you with my sat nav, because I had it plugged it in all the time and almost never allowed the battery to run down at all (because I only use the thing on long journeys when the battery wouldn't last long enough anyway) it very quickly lost its ability to hold any charge and now won't even stay on long enough to program the destination unless you have external power connected.

Either you are unlucky and have a dud one, or Roche have some very peculiar batteries!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 4, 2016)

I saw something on TV recently (which I *think* was on QI) which related to rechargeable batteries and a big booming klaxon for Alan Davies. Essentially they were suggesting that the new Lithium Ion (LiIon) batteries do not have the same 'ghost charge' problems as older rechargeable technologies. It was suggested that you could charge at any point within the charge cycle without creating any problems or shortening battery life, and that much of the full-discharge advice was outdated, even though it persists.

Certainly many of the devices I have which remain plugged in (eg electric toothbrush, cordless phone) suggest running the battery down to near empty every 6 months or so, but I find that very hard to remember to do and don;t really bother.

I suppose it's quite possible that you would get different advice from different tech-support people depending on what they *believed* generally about batteries rather than anything specific to the batteries in the Insight handset.

Makes it very hard to unpick all this eh!


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## curlygirl (Jan 4, 2016)

When I started using an Insight pump and handset in April I was advised to charge the handset overnight every night, but as I prefer to have it by my bed so that I can use during the night as necessary to test I did not do this. As this is the opposite of 'usual' battery advice of fully draining the battery with phones etc, so I thought this would be ok anyway.
When I then got several 'Electronic Error' messages on the handset (for anyone who has had one they will know the one - it sounds like a loud klaxon and shuts the handset down for about 5 minutes) I called Roche. The person there said that these were probably being caused by not following the charging instructions and allowing the battery to run down too low. Since then I have charged the handset 3 times a week-I put a reminder on my phone so that I do it on those days each week, and so far, this seems to be ok. The battery goes to just under half full on the display by the time it is due to be charged again and then shows full after a couple of hours plugged in.
Curlygirl


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## trophywench (Jan 4, 2016)

Yes - actually Mike, on the other forum someone in Canada said exactly the same about the newer batteries.

But anyway - Curlygirl has just confirmed that the Roche info which I was given is correct - since she's had precisely the same problem for precisely the same reason!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 4, 2016)

trophywench said:


> Yes - actually Mike, on the other forum someone in Canada said exactly the same about the newer batteries.
> 
> But anyway - Curlygirl has just confirmed that the Roche info which I was given is correct - since she's had precisely the same problem for precisely the same reason!



What foxes me about this is why you should supposedly *need* to charge every day. A you say... the Combo had all the bluetoothiness and was quite happy on AAs. And why they didn't choose a different (less fragile) battery/charging solution, especially since if I understand right you can't actually *use* the darned thing when it's charging! All the reghargeable Diabetes gizmos I've got (Libre/Contour Next USB) get charged when batteries are near empty.

Tis a bit odd from over here in Medtronic land!


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## trophywench (Jan 4, 2016)

Tis a bit odd here in Roche land too Mike, but there you go, they probably thought they'd be a jump ahead with new technology or something - or maybe it's the norm in Switzerland anyway?


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## Redkite (Jan 5, 2016)

Just catching up and seen this thread - I'm frankly astonished that the latest model of Roche's pump should be so restrictive - how would one manage if camping or trekking and no access to electricity for this daily charging nonsense?  Whoever thought this was an improvement on the previous iteration of the pump is a fool!  Sounds like they wanted it to be more like a smartphone or something.....


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## Sally71 (Jan 5, 2016)

Redkite said:


> Just catching up and seen this thread - I'm frankly astonished that the latest model of Roche's pump should be so restrictive - how would one manage if camping or trekking and no access to electricity for this daily charging nonsense?  Whoever thought this was an improvement on the previous iteration of the pump is a fool!  Sounds like they wanted it to be more like a smartphone or something.....



What I've seen of it the handset certainly looks more like a smartphone...
We are due for new pump next summer and unfortunately daughter has already decided that she wants to stay with Roche, mainly because being able to do everything on the handset and not have to get pump out from under her clothes at all is massively important to her, she still really struggles with self-consciousness issues.  I'd have another Combo in an instant, but I very much doubt there will be any still available by then 
That's a good point about camping, not that we go very often but if we do end up getting an Insight next I shall have to remember to ask the rep that question!


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## trophywench (Jan 5, 2016)

If you go camping in your car just plug it into the cig lighter. If not - or in any case cos they are so portable and obviously easier to use in a tent  - get one of the up to date battery charging pack gizmos you can now get and use that instead.  I asked about that cos we spend months at a time abroad in our Moho off EHU, since we have two ruddy gurt solar panels on the roof to recharge both the hab batteries and the residue into the vehicle battery.  We also favour Moho aires rather than campsites so EHU is far rarer than on a campsite.  In the UK we use a lot of CLs and CSs, ditto.

It is a lot different from the Combo, you do FAR more via the handset only, eg TBRs.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 5, 2016)

Tee hee @trophywench  you have slipped in to forum abbreviations from a completely different world.

I'm pretty sure EHU must be Electric Hook Up, but I'm afraid you;ve lost me with CLs and CSs


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## Annette (Jan 5, 2016)

CL-certificated location. CS-certificated site. The first run (or rather administered,run by their owners) by caravan club,the second by camping and caravanning club. Both are smaller sites that have been certificated to be up to club standards but often dont have hook-ups (EHU) and other facilities  (showers for example).


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## trophywench (Jan 5, 2016)

They are small campsites Mike and only licensed for up to 5 units at a time, Certified Locations (CL) is what the Caravan Club call them and Certified Sites (CS) is the Camping & C'van Club nomenclature for the same thing.  EHU does stand for elec hook up and is common parlance all over the camping fraternity - whatever you happen to camp in!

An Aire - Aire de Stationnement de Camping Cars - Stellplatz in Germany, other names in other European countries is what it says - like a carpark but specifically for actually camping on (which is banned in 'normal' car parks - you can neither sleep nor cook on them but shush, we have been known to make a cuppa on a carpark notwithstanding that!  Mind you - we've been known to do that when in cars when we're on the way to somewhere with tent and all the junk on board) but without fancy facilities - sometimes they are free or a very small charge, like €6 a night instead of eg €36 on a proper campsite.  Idea is to bring passing trade to the local area, be that Disneyland Paris/the Puy du Fou or a town like Niort or Narbonne.  Also at beauty spots - beaches and lakes, or ski resorts etc. where you just don't want to pay several arms and legs for a sanitary block, swimming pool and kids playground, onsite restaurant etc. that you have no intention of using or desire to look at!  A lot have fresh water and wc cassette emptying/waste water disposal on site (as all CS and CLs have to in the UK) and some don't.

It is a totally different mindset again to tent or caravan camping! (or indeed having a Moho, but only ever staying on 'proper' campsites)  In the UK, many pubs are now providing facilities for overnighting Moho visitors, very often free for one night if you eat in the pub.


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## Lynn Davies (Jan 5, 2016)

TW! For the first time here I understood a whole post! Fellow moho'er here. 

DH retires in a whole 21 days so come June we will be heading south for the tunnel and then 2 months wherever the wheels take us


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## Maryanne29 (Jan 5, 2016)

I'll carry on charging mine when it's almost flat as this is working ok. I haven't had any electrical errors at all. If the nurse tells me differently when I ask her next week then I'll go with her advice. I guess we all have to do what works for us and our gadgets.


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## trophywench (Jan 5, 2016)

Lynn - what with my and my husband's current reliance on the NHS, we've spent less time sur le continong in the last year than we did when we were both fit and at work!  Ruddy Tesco vouchers will be out of date soon LOL (for the Tesco tunnel, as it's called in our house)


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## Lynn Davies (Jan 6, 2016)

Tesco tunnel 

I'm waiting for February to get my vouchers as I am a pound short of 30 quids worth of vouchers and that will probably be the last time mr t pays for most of our tunnel fare!

I'm registered on motorhome fun but lurk mostly. I use ukcampsite from when we were campers.


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## trophywench (Jan 7, 2016)

Lurkings fine!  Do you still have access to all the technical info as a lurker though?


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