Word of caution about traveling with CPAP on planes.

[backdoc]

I just returned from a trip from Los Angeles to London to Johannesburg and back. That's 4 flights of 10-12 hours each.

I have an AutoM that I keep just for traveling and a CPAP.com battery and DC Cable that I've used now for 4 years at least 8 times/year.

10 days before my flight to London/Johannesburg I had done an Los Angeles to Milan and back using my CPAP and battery just fine. I charged my battery up the day before boarding then took off for London.

When I setup my machine/hose/battery for my sleep time the CPAP wouldn't come on. I couldn't see it at the time but I think my fuse had blown inside the DC cable. So, no power across the DC cable to the unit. I flew 4 long haul flights without my machine. Needless to say I was not a happy & rested camper.

And as it turns out the fuse is an obscure 3 Amp 250V that isn't readily available much less at an airport in a foreign country. The last flight from London to Los Angeles was delayed 4 hours on the ground due to a mechanical issue then 10.5 hours for the actual flight, and that was after an 11 Hour flight from Johannesburg and 6 hours in a lounge with ZERO sleep. I was in the very front seat of a 747 with a flat-bed and no sleep. Without the CPAP I snore so badly that I didn't risk alarming the captain that there must have been a mechanical difficulty due to the horrific noise coming from the nose of the airplane. Not to mention the comfort of the other passengers.

Moral of the story:

Look at your setup take apart your DC cable and preemptively purchase a box of the correct fuses to keep in the battery travel case. AND, test your machine/battery before leaving for the airport, which will be part of my new routine.

I sent the following email to CPAP.com from Johannesburg and still have not gotten a response.

Hi,

Could you tell me the model number of the fuse that is in the DC cable that comes with the CPAP.com battery for the Respironics battery kit? My eyes can't make out the fuse number.

I got on my flight to London from LAX and my battery wouldn't power-up my CPAP. After flying two 11 hour flights without my CPAP I was able to make-out that my DC cable fuse was a little brown in the middle. Since an extra fuse didn't come with the kit it didn't occur to me to buy one. Now I'm facing another 2 eleven hour flights back to LAX from Johannesburg without my CPAP because of a fuse. As far as I can surmise there is no place here on safari to get a replacement fuse nor at the airport on the way back through London.

Perhaps an extra fuse would be wise to include in the kit?

[Julie]

Scary story! I'll be going to Australia in May, and plan to take only 1-2 masks (no power supply or machine, because there will be one at the other end I can use), but I'm already not looking forward to the long haul with just a good neck pillow, and hanging around terminals between flights - I don't know how you managed! But you're right about the fiddly fuses - I haven't used the supply in the year since I bought it, but also don't look forward to needing it at some future time.

[backdoc]

I travel with my machine all the time. I've got it down to a "science" and its not that big of a deal to bring it. All long haul airlines will allow you to use your machine on flights you just have to follow their procedures for approval. I used to travel before I was diagnosed and would arrive to my destination feeling like I'd been run over by a truck and angry passengers from my snoring. It is SO worth it to take the machine with you since from Canada to Australia is at least 16 hours? I wouldn't do it without my machine. I fell asleep for a few minutes on the first leg from Los Angeles to London and dreamed that I was being choked to death, go figure.

Scary story! I'll be going to Australia in May, and plan to take only 1-2 masks (no power supply or machine, because there will be one at the other end I can use), but I'm already not looking forward to the long haul with just a good neck pillow, and hanging around terminals between flights - I don't know how you managed! But you're right about the fiddly fuses - I haven't used the supply in the year since I bought it, but also don't look forward to needing it at some future time.

[ChicagoGranny]

I used to travel before I was diagnosed and would arrive to my destination feeling like I'd been run over by a truck and angry passengers from my snoring.

Did anyone on the flights ever warn you that you likely had sleep apnea?

[cosmo]

I would have taken a small wire and jumped the fuse to bypass it. You never watched MacGyver?

[Drowsy Dancer]

The times I've used CPAP inflight so far I've used the airplane's power supply not a battery.

I didn't even know my CPAP machine had fuses in it.

[jdm2857]

I would have taken a small wire and jumped the fuse to bypass it. You never watched MacGyver?

If you try this, you're taking the chance that if something is actually wrong with the equipment, you might actually
experience whatever problem (overheating, damage to the machine) that the fuse was designed to protect.

And since nothing in the battery setup runs at 250 volts, you could have used a fuse with a lower voltage rating.
So a 3 amp 125 volt fuse would have been fine. As long as the voltage rating of the fuse is greater than or equal
to the actual voltage of the circuit, it is good to use.

However, the amp rating should be the same as the original. (In a pinch, you could use a fuse with a slightly higher
amp rating (like maybe 5 amp), but you would lose some protection. This would still be better than using a piece of wire.)

[backdoc]

No but I told a guy at the baggage claim that had intermittently pausing his respirations up to 30 sec at a time and snoring enough to keep the whole 1st class cabin awake for 11 hours that he should get checked.

I used to travel before I was diagnosed and would arrive to my destination feeling like I'd been run over by a truck and angry passengers from my snoring.

Did anyone on the flights ever warn you that you likely had sleep apnea?

[backdoc]

Note to self: "bring small wire instead of fuse."

I would have taken a small wire and jumped the fuse to bypass it. You never watched MacGyver?

[chunkyfrog]

If using a wire, the appropriate gauge and length of fusible link wire ?

[Uncle_Bob]

PR System One 60 Series Machines, the DC cable comes with 2 spare fuses

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/dc-pow ... hines.html

[dkf435]

Probably should have a 5 amp fuse on that, the power adapter is 5 amp.

David

[Drowsy Dancer]

I would have taken a small wire and jumped the fuse to bypass it. You never watched MacGyver?

If you try this, you're taking the chance that if something is actually wrong with the equipment, you might actually
experience whatever problem (overheating, damage to the machine) that the fuse was designed to protect.

And since nothing in the battery setup runs at 250 volts, you could have used a fuse with a lower voltage rating.
So a 3 amp 125 volt fuse would have been fine. As long as the voltage rating of the fuse is greater than or equal
to the actual voltage of the circuit, it is good to use.

However, the amp rating should be the same as the original. (In a pinch, you could use a fuse with a slightly higher
amp rating (like maybe 5 amp), but you would lose some protection. This would still be better than using a piece of wire.)

This seems to be written in English, and I understand the individual words, but this paragraph as a whole is just Greek to me.

Is it advisable to travel with spare fuses? Yes or no?

[fredr500]

[
This seems to be written in English, and I understand the individual words, but this paragraph as a whole is just Greek to me.

Is it advisable to travel with spare fuses? Yes or no?

Yes, I'd take 2. If they both blow you need to get the unit fixed.

[Goofproof]

I would have taken a small wire and jumped the fuse to bypass it. You never watched MacGyver?

MacGyver's repair is to use a tin foil gum wrapper, wrapped around the blown fuse. Of course if it MacGyvered, the unit is no longer protected from amperage overloads. Jim