# Pumps and radio frequencies...



## Sugarbum (Nov 25, 2009)

Stick with me here...its another weird one from me I'm afraid!

On my Medtronic device I have the radio frequency transmission switched on to receive the results from my contour link and also for downloading to Carelink and my home laptop. I dont use sensors.

Well, today I went to a practical exercise on threat management (and hostage negotiation- which was proper fun but nothing to do with my question!) and I was told that at a minimal distance of 13 metres you must switch your radio completely off. This is to stop radio frequency triggering bombs, or any harming device, but specifically those set to detonate when people are deployed to disarm them.

I was finding all this really interesting until I remembered I was wearing a transmitting device with RF with unknown range!!!  In this situation the base station does not live talk to tell you to switch off, but leaving yourself on the net to receive a transmission is the same risk of trigger. So, am I a risk with my pump also?

According to the manual, field strengths from fixed base stations (like what I use at work) cannot be accurately measured, so can this??

I find it all slightly bizarre, any thoughts on RF anyone? The pump doesnt have a safe 'in-flight' mode and suggests you turn it off so I am guessing it has a larg-ish range??

I know there are some proper BOFFS here, show yourselves please!  I'd be interested on your thoughts x


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## rachelha (Nov 25, 2009)

sorry if I have got this wrong - they suggest you turn your pump off on a flight???  How does that work if it is a long haul flight?


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## Mand (Nov 26, 2009)

Interesting one, Lou! I hope someone is able to give you some feedback on this. It's a bit worrying! xx


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## Patricia (Nov 26, 2009)

Oh lord -- no pump on a long-haul? Surely not! Oh, but maybe it's the transmitter...okay, slow here...I guess what this means is that you can't use the 'contour to pump' frequency. Presumably you could turn this feature off and go to manual?

?


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## tracey w (Nov 26, 2009)

rachelha said:


> sorry if I have got this wrong - they suggest you turn your pump off on a flight???  How does that work if it is a long haul flight?



yes I have to turn off the bluetooth on a flight, but can use it manually, not sure what the radio stuff is all about, afraid Lou lost me in al that


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## tracey w (Nov 26, 2009)

Patricia said:


> Oh lord -- no pump on a long-haul? Surely not! Oh, but maybe it's the transmitter...okay, slow here...I guess what this means is that you can't use the 'contour to pump' frequency. Presumably you could turn this feature off and go to manual?
> 
> ?



If its the same as mine yes. i had to switch off bluetooth on the flight for my holiday recently, but used the pump manually instead of wirelessley (sp?)


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## tracey w (Nov 26, 2009)

Sugarbum said:


> Stick with me here...its another weird one from me I'm afraid!
> 
> On my Medtronic device I have the radio frequency transmission switched on to receive the results from my contour link and also for downloading to Carelink and my home laptop. I dont use sensors.
> 
> ...



Lou, you have baffled me with all this he eh, what is your job again, secret agent? 

Is this why every time i walk past something at work (retail store), the alarm beeps, like when they leave a tag on something and you beep going out, am I making any sense whatsoever here


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## Sugarbum (Nov 26, 2009)

tracey w said:


> Lou, you have baffled me with all this he eh, what is your job again, secret agent?
> 
> Is this why every time I walk past something at work (retail store), the alarm beeps, like when they leave a tag on something and you beep going out, am I making any sense whatsoever here



NO TRACEY THAT IS CALLED SHOPLIFTING!!!!!

Is that beeping in retail stores something that started only since you got your pump?

My understanding was they were magnets? Not on RF, but I dont know. I would have thought so as store security must be using RF radios in most cases....

I think I first got paranoid about this kind of thing when I started in the pump group and one of the girls said she wouldnt wear her pump clipped in her bra because it was to close to her heart and she didnt believe it wasnt harmless, a bit like when everyone first started using mobile phones....

Tom (I think?) told me that there are now serving police officers with type 1 diabetes. I think that is a reasonably new thing, but I wonder if any of them might have pumps and what (if any?) guidelines they have about this kind of thing?


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## Tezzz (Nov 26, 2009)

Sugarbum said:


> Stick with me here...its another weird one from me I'm afraid!
> 
> On my Medtronic device I have the radio frequency transmission switched on to receive the results from my contour link and also for downloading to Carelink and my home laptop. I dont use sensors.
> 
> ...



Lou, don't panic. I'm a licensed radio ham so have done the theory.

The reason you have to be a certain distance from any potential receiver is that a strong signal could overload the *tuned circuit* in it. 

The field strength of any RF signal can be measured. All you need is a receiver, detector and a display. Crudely, you would need:

An antenna
A coil and capacitor to make a tuned circuit
A detector (eg a germanium diode) 
A display (a meter). 

I use a home made one for checking my home made transmitters!

The amount of RF your pump radiates out is minimal - we're talking milliwatts. (1000mW to a Watt) Like a bluetooth connection. 10 meter range if that.

Handheld PMR radios and mobile phones radiate far more.  

Tell me the make and model of your pump and I'll dig out the radio specs, and I could calculate the field strengths for you.


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## Patricia (Nov 26, 2009)

This is why I love this forum. Go, brightontez! Fantastic. I'll wait to see what develops!


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## tracey w (Nov 26, 2009)

Lou, you are funny,

I seem to set off the alarms walking round the store and not when i leave, just to clear that up. There is one place in particular I KNOW i set off, but i just ignore it as no one seems to realise its me  I think i may be magnetic


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## Adrienne (Nov 26, 2009)

*Don't panic*

Hi

You DON'T have to turn your pump off on any flight, short or long haul.   You do have to turn the sensor off, though if you use one.   Someone told me you have to actually have to take the transmitter off of the sensor (bit plugged into your butt or wherever you have it) but we never have done.   It is still doing its stuff but it is not transmitting to the pump (may be to other things).    We have been to the USA a few times with sensor attached and Majorca a few times and all be ok.   You have to have the sensor turned off when you walk through the xray machine but you DON'T have to turn the pump off at any time or take it off at any time unless there are huge magnetical things around ie MRI.   

DO NOT EVER TAKE YOUR PUMP EVEN INTO AN MRI ROOM - it will break immediately and you will need a new pump (we found this out by doing it !)


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## Sugarbum (Nov 26, 2009)

brightontez said:


> Lou, don't panic. I'm a licensed radio ham so have done the theory.
> 
> The reason you have to be a certain distance from any potential receiver is that a strong signal could overload the *tuned circuit* in it.
> 
> ...



*GET IN THERE TEZ!!!! * That is why I LOVE this place!!!!

Brilliant reply Tez, thanks for explaining. So the pump has nowhere near the strength of of the out station work radio I use, I am not suprised.

I would love to do a blue peter job and do a home made kit to test the field strengths like you say, but you cant even get a lip gloss into where I work let alone the list you have mentioned!

You have put to rest my fears when you used the word "milliwatts", many thanks. Thanks Tez, and BTW I am very impressed! 



Patricia said:


> This is why I love this forum. Go, brightontez! Fantastic. I'll wait to see what develops!



_I knew it!!!! _ This is why I love this place too!!! "Milliwatts" has put my mind comepletely to rest.



Adrienne said:


> Hi
> 
> DO NOT EVER TAKE YOUR PUMP EVEN INTO AN MRI ROOM - it will break immediately and you will need a new pump (we found this out by doing it !)



Yes, in my last job there was an MRI scanner in the department and I couldnt go into the room. My friend a radiographer tells me she has many things break like this, such a nightmare...


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## am64 (Nov 26, 2009)

wow amazing can you get radio 4


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## Sugarbum (Nov 26, 2009)

am64 said:


> wow amazing can you get radio 4



I imagine the pump of the future will be a phone, sat nav, itunes, touch screen and PDA all in one...perhaps with some insulin in it too


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## am64 (Nov 26, 2009)

does that mean you'll become remote control!


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## Tezzz (Nov 27, 2009)

am64 said:


> wow amazing can you get radio 4



Yes...  Built my first dual band medium and long flavour crystal radio at the age of 10.... Added some transistors and a loudspeaker when I was 11. (Birthday present - they weren't cheap in 1977)

I still enjoy Radio 4 on Long Wave. And VHF and now this new fangled DAB.

If you want to build a crystal set I'll send you a kit.


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## Tezzz (Nov 27, 2009)

am64 said:


> does that mean you'll become remote control!



That's what kids are for! Turning the telly over....


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