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NightscoutUploaders

Patrick Drews edited this page Aug 21, 2014 · 4 revisions

WikiWhat upload devices work best?NightscoutUploaders

Nightscout Uploader

A NightscoutUploader is a device which:

  • supports USB OTG
  • internet connectivity - type does not matter, can be through data plan or wifi
  • runs Android app

If your device is not listed, do a Google search " USB OTG" to research if it works. Most phones do not support USB OTG. Read the discussions carefully as some devices will require the device to be rooted and a new "kernel" to be installed.

Search example: moto g usb otg

Phones

All of these phones are assumed to have USB OTG out of the box, unless otherwise noted in the comments.

Phone Size Cost Comments More
MOTO G Medium $100-$200 Not rooted, ~12 hours on full charge details
LG G2 Large $400 Not rooted, ~13 hours on full charge
Droid MAXX Large ? Long battery life! * Wireless charging.
Droid Razr M Large $150 Original Android code was developed for this device.
Droid Mini Small ? Wireless Charging works while uploading CGM data.
Xperia Ray Small $250 Two users are having problems.
Galaxy S4 Large ? Not rooted, ~13 hours on full charge
Galaxy S3 Large ? Can charge it overnight while it still uploads with a Y cord. Source
Galaxy Note 2 X-Large $300 Reported working on the forum.
Galaxy Victory Medium ? Reported working on the forum on FreedomPop.
Nexus 5 Large ? Cannot upload and wireless charge simultaneously.
Xperia U ST25 Small $120-$150 GSM phone recommended by Valarm CEO. details

This is a summary of the details found in this spreadsheet.

Tablets

Tablet Size Cost Comments
RCA 7" $69 Power is supplied by separate port, both power and the Dexcom can be connected at the same time! Available at Walmart.
Visual Land 7" $79-$99 Can leave on power cord.
Lenovo Mix 2 8" - 11" ?
Nexus 7 7" $229-$349 Cannot upload and wireless charge simultaneously.
Nexus 10 10" $399-$499 Charging and OTG ports are separate, both can be used simultaneously

This is a summary of the details found in this spreadsheet.

TV Set Top Boxes

These are fairly small devices which need to be hooked up to a TV while you set it up the first time. Afterwards they are compact devices without screens that just need power to run.

Device Cost Comments More
G-Box Midnight MX2 $80-$120
Tronsmart MK808B $40
Tronsmart Mk908II $70 Recommended by Valarm CEO. Details

Device Specific Tips & Tricks

Here are some device specific tips and tricks members of the CGM in the Cloud Facebook Group has shared!

Moto G (Motorola)

  • The Boost Mobile Moto G, can be activated on the Ting network (reference), but not FreedomPop (reference). Buy it at Walmart, Target, Best Buy etc, and tell them you do not want to activate it in the store. Do not open the box just in case the activation does not work, so you can take it back to Walmart. The number you need for activation is on the outside of the box! Or, just go to Ting.com and select the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) link and you will enter the ESN/MEID number to find out if the phone is eligible.
  • Official page

Mk908II

I ... recommend that you and the very cool Nightscout CGM project (my XXX and XXXXXX both have diabetes) have a look at the Android TV stick devices, like the MK908II (that's really the best one we've found) - this thing is $69 and is basically a 'headless' Android tablet. Just plug it into any computer monitor or TV with HDMI, add a mouse via USB or bluetooth, and blam, you have a fully functional Android device with built-in WiFi and a dedicated, full-size USB port, PLUS a second OTG-USB port, AND a dedicated power plug. And it keeps working if you unplug the TV. We and some of our customers use these things for simple/unattended monitoring (of water wells, vineyards, incubators, etc) and they work fine, as long as you don't try to attach a USB hub and a bunch of sensors, then they get wonky.

Best regards, Lorenzo Gonzalez CEO / Software Architect www.valarm.net

Sony Xperia U ST25

I was reading the Nightscout "Quick-Start" guide and the recommended devices and noticed that a "dedicated" Android device is recommended. For this purpose (and especially where WiFi is not a great or reliable option) we can highly recommend the Sony Xperia 'U' ST25a (ST25i is the international version). These small Android phones typically ship with Android 2.2, but are easily upgraded to 4.0.4 with an official, Sony-published update. Once upgraded to 4.0.4, they are OTG-capable, work well with our OTG+Charging Y-cable, and perhaps best of all, are readily available for $120 or less (the last one we bought was only $99, brand new).

Here's our writeup on this phone, our favorite device for remote/mobile monitoring (links for official update are near the bottom): http://www.valarm.net/blog/sony-xperia-u-st25i/

Best regards, Lorenzo Gonzalez CEO / Software Architect