What's the deal with CB dual hormone ovulation prediction kits?

[FarmerWantsABaby]

Ok so I've been using the Clear Blue dual hormone ovulation prediction kit for the past two months... and I am really confused!
I started last month (possibly post ovulation now in hindsight) and received a blank circle for my first test, then a flashing smiley face every day right up to the day AF came.
I have been using it this month from the day AF stopped, received another blank circle, and now a flashing smiley face every day again!! I am now on day 11 of my cycle and apparently I'm not due to ovulate until 15th according to one app, and 27th according to another!
Does anyone know anything about these ovulation tests?
To add more to the confusion, my cheapie OP strips don't show any double lines to indicate ovulation at all!! They are driving me mad, I might give up on them all soon!

You will always get a blank circle on the first test of a cycle as it's reading your baseline. It's also pretty common to get flashing smileys for a while, CB digital gives a flashy when it detects a surge in (either Estrogen or progesterone I forget which) which rises before your LH surge, whereas the cheapies are single hormone LH detectors only.

Your actual LH surge can also be over really quickly within a matter of hours so it could be that you're missing it. From personal experience I get my strongest LH peak between 2pm-5pm, so if I tested with first morning wee I'd miss it.

With your cheapie tests you should start to see them (slowly) get darker. You could also be a late ovulator!

Thanks @CooperLooper
I'm thinking maybe I'm naturally high is whatever hormone it's detecting because technically I have never received a "no ovulation" induction if it's the case that you always get a blank circle at the beginning of each cycle. I used the cheapies for 3 months straight and never received a dark line. I had a faded line a few times but that's all! I'm on cycle #7 of TTC and I'm starting to get really disheartened. Especially when I just found out my mum took fertility medication to conceive me and my two siblings.
I have a blood test booked for 29th to check ovulation, thyroid etc etc because I'm starting to worry.
I'm temping every day this month and charting on Kindara along with checking CM to try and get a grasp of what's going on.
I'm starting to run out of sticks for my CB OPK and I'm debating whether to buy more or not 🤔

I don't bother with the CB ones, I use cheapie sticks alongside BBT tracking - are you finding any temp spikes in your BBT?

@CooperLooper I had been really unwell last month so my temps were all over the place and it was hard to track. So far this month I've been between 36C-36.6C so I suppose only time will tell over the next week or two 🤷🏼‍♀️
I couldn't cope with the stress of those cheapies anymore so I only started temping in December.

It's a nightmare isn't it, we spend years avoiding pregnancies and then when we want to get pregnant it's a complicated and confusing struggle!

@CooperLooper so true!! I spent YEARS avoiding it. Now I want nothing more than to get a BFP! And some ladies are just so lucky 🍀 I'm looking forward to my blood tests on 29th as they will either rule out or flag up any problems. Hopefully rule out! 🤞🏻