Ascensia Contour

[xMenace]

Anyone ever tried one of these? I picked up a free one tonight. Minimed will be bringing out a version next year to interact with the pumps, so I thought I'd get a head start.

My initial thoughts are neutral. It's a nice small meter, but you'd think that if they wanted to drive home the smallness, which they do, they'd put their strips in economical sized containers. The farkin barrel is nearly as big as the meter! It takes about the same amount of blood as my BD, and is much more sensitive to blood quantity. The first comparison I did was somewhat close: AC=7.5 & BD=8.2. I will be parrallel testing for these 100 strips or so. The first test was E-2! Pffft.

The features are a little nicer like a memory of 480 results vs. about 25. The "automatically compensates for interferences" intrigues me. I wonder what that's about. Anyway, it costs me nothing.

http://www.ascensia.ca/eng/prodserv/products/contour/index.asp

[Penny]

I have 2, but no pump.:( I carry one in my purse, but they have an average of 10 points difference between the 2....don't know what that means.) I like it better than any of the other 3 I have. I like not having to code and even though it takes 15 seconds, I don't mind. I like the "sticker" better than any others I have tried.

[jimbob]

contour no, but I did have the breeze when it was called the dex. I put that thing through heck and back and it kept ticking, until i dropped it into the sand at the beach and it just wouldn't slide to pop the new strip up. (this was when the 10 disc strips were manually ejected by puching the slide up to get a new strip) I'm sure it would have still worked if it could slide. never had inaccuracy issues or anything and like I said it was very durable. Not sure if this helps or not but that's my 2 cents on nothing!

[Coop33]

The Contour was the first meter that I used. I think mine was an older model though. I have no major complaints about it. It does take longer to kick out a reading, but I can afford to lose 10 seconds here and there. The only reason I went with the OneTouch meters was because my insurance seems to prefer them, i.e. the strips are cheaper. My readings were similar to what I was getting from the Ultra2 and UltraSmart.

[ProjectZero]

My first meter was the newer (5 sec) Contour-- given to me by my old provider. I also have the older (all blue, 10 or was it 15 sec?) Contour, picked up free after rebate.

Later received one more of the newer model from Bayer direct via their web form.

I'm now using the OneTouch meters purely because of insurance costs-- my current insurance has a lower co-pay for the OneTouch strips than the Contour and I get more strips ($19 for 200 vs $30 for 100).

Anyways, being that it was my first meter, it recorded my first self-tested fasting BG -- 177.

As for the size of the strip container-- I think the reason it's that size is to accommodate the normally supplied 50 strips (they use the same size container for the trial 5 or 10 strips, probably to save costs). The container is slightly larger than the one for OneTouch Ultra strips-- but Lifescan distributes them in canisters of 25.

[superemt]

I use the Accu-Chek Aviva but have a Contour. I really like it except for two things: no 7, 14 or 30 day average, just 14, and that E-2! If you put the strip in the blood sample down to the skin, it doesn't seem to want to work. If I put the strip just into the sample and let it wick it up, it works fine. Just takes a little practice. Overall, a very good meter, I think. I just like the Aviva better. Also the computer program for the Contour just seemed way too complicated for me -- maybe that's just me!:)

[ladytaz]

I've got a couple of them [by the way Penny, you can get a NEW model [5 second testing] for FREE from the Bayer site!! I just got myself one, arrived day before yesterday]. I don't use it regularly or anything, I have it more for a back up. What I DON'T like about it, is that it doesn't have a USB cable, it uses the old serial [DB9] connector. eW

I also don't really care for the winGlucofacts software. But, if I'm ever in a pinch with my Ultra2 or UltraSmart, I know I can use the Contour. It's readings are pretty close to the OneTouches. [I still find OneTouch meters to be the MOST accurate of the one's that I've tried] I'm with ya on the HUGE test strip barrel size, John! WTF is up with that??

As far as strip cost, most of the big name meters test strips are all compareble in cost [from the pharmacies anyway]. I usually find better prices on eBay for the OneTouch test strips, than I can find on any of the other test strips, most of the time.