Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Colin Worth
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Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:09 am

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by Colin Worth » Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:19 pm

Did a little more research. The manual for the transcend auto says the it needs a Somnetics PSA2 universal power supply or a Somnetics BAT4 or BAT8. I looked those up, and the PSA2 specs say it outputs 19V. On the other hand the BAT4 and BAT8 are batteries output 14.4V. Weirdly, the power supply I have says PSA2 on it, but says it outputs 18V, not 19V.

So, looks like the Transcend can handle a range of voltages. I don't know enough about electronics to know if this all makes sense. Love all the info in this forum, though. Thanks,

Colin

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CapnLoki
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Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by CapnLoki » Thu Sep 03, 2015 8:28 am

Colin Worth wrote:Did a little more research. The manual for the transcend auto says the it needs a Somnetics PSA2 universal power supply or a Somnetics BAT4 or BAT8. I looked those up, and the PSA2 specs say it outputs 19V. On the other hand the BAT4 and BAT8 are batteries output 14.4V. Weirdly, the power supply I have says PSA2 on it, but says it outputs 18V, not 19V.

So, looks like the Transcend can handle a range of voltages. I don't know enough about electronics to know if this all makes sense. Love all the info in this forum, though. Thanks,

Colin
14.4 Volts is the "natural" output of 4 Lithium-ion batteries in series. To charge this, you need about 19 Volts, which is why so many laptops use a 19 volt charger. Since Somnetics uses the same power supply for running the pump and charging, it has to accommodate a range. Inside the pump, the electronics are probably actually running as 12 Volts or less but the actual pump motor might be happier with a bit more.

_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: Quattro™ Air Full Face Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Pressure 9-20, average ~9.5; often use battery power while off-grid
Hark, how hard he fetches breath . . .  Act II, Scene IV, King Henry IV Part I, William Shakespeare
Choosing a Battery thread: http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t1140 ... ttery.html

Colin Worth
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Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:09 am

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by Colin Worth » Fri Feb 12, 2016 1:06 pm

Great info, thanks.

So, I've had this battery/pap combo for about six months now, and used it on a couple of trips. It reduces the carrying wait and bulk for my cpap by quite a lot, which I love.

I have had a couple of issues with the Transcend, though. About a month after I got it, the pressure sensor in the cpap died, causing it to put out maximum pressure all the time. At first, I thought this was an issue with using it with the battery, or then that maybe damage had been caused by that, but hopefully it doesn't seem like that was the case. The procedure for getting it fixed was painless and free, but took about a month. Everything has worked fine since, except now the unit does not hold together properly - it's not falling apart, but the joints that holds the outer shell together aren't working right, so the top and bottom are always separated by about half an inch, so it feels like it's falling apart. This has made me question how well designed a product this really is mechanically, though you can't fault the weight, size, or performance, when it works.

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by ChicagoGranny » Sat Feb 13, 2016 8:44 am

Colin Worth wrote:This has made me question how well designed a product this really is mechanically, though you can't fault the weight, size, or performance, when it works.
I would be interested to know how you chose the Transcend. It's size/weight is not so much different from a good Philips or ResMed APAP.

c_BOSS
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Joined: Tue May 17, 2016 8:33 pm

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by c_BOSS » Mon May 30, 2016 3:45 am

Hi guys!! I'm really happy to see I am not the only PAP Backpacker around here... I've been unable to go for years and now that I have my PAP I was very upset at the prospect of not ever going again!!! I just wanted to share the joke Ive been telling my backpacking family (they do NOT see the humor). I find it quite entertaining, so here goes!

Coming from a family of Mount Rainier conquerors, there has always been this talk about how amazing it would be to do the Everest thing. Now that I have the PAP i tell them I hate to discourage them but, Ive spent ten years at the top of Mount Everest, and the whole hypoxia thing up there really isnt that much fun.. I chuckle just typing this

RichInBunlyGoodness
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Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:31 pm
Location: Madison WI

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by RichInBunlyGoodness » Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:39 am

Hey there. I'm signed up for RAGBRAI in late July and was planning to sleep in my tent with my cpap. There is just so much info in this thread and others that I can't possibly wade through it all.

Could someone please verify this for me. I want to carry the least amount of weight possible. I normally use the Resmed S9 with humidifier and the Climateline hose. I also have a converntional unheated hose as well that I can use to save power. In July in Iowa, I won't need the humidifier or the climateline. I also have the Qi Infinity 34,200 Powergrid. If I purchase the Resmed DC Converter, can I then use the Qi with the Resmed? Is that all I need for a lighweight travel solution? If so, that isn't much more to carry than the travel cpap machines. I would be able to carry the Qi in my saddlebag and top it off whenever I pass a power source.

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CapnLoki
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Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by CapnLoki » Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:21 pm

RichInBunlyGoodness wrote:...
Could someone please verify this for me. I want to carry the least amount of weight possible. I normally use the Resmed S9 with humidifier and the Climateline hose. I also have a converntional unheated hose as well that I can use to save power. In July in Iowa, I won't need the humidifier or the climateline. I also have the Qi Infinity 34,200 Powergrid. If I purchase the Resmed DC Converter, can I then use the Qi with the Resmed? Is that all I need for a lighweight travel solution? If so, that isn't much more to carry than the travel cpap machines. I would be able to carry the Qi in my saddlebag and top it off whenever I pass a power source.
Going without humidifier or heated hose is required if you want to keep the weight down. Using the 12-24V DC Converter also helps a lot. That should use about 5 Amp-Hours at 12 Volts (at a pressure of about 10), which is close to any other full featured CPAP, and not too far from the small travel CPAPs. The problem is the battery pack. First, I should say that I have no experience with this pack. It should work but you'll have to try it out to be sure. However, there are several others with similar specs and they all have the same problem: the "34,200 mAh" does not say what voltage it is measured at. If that was at 12 Volts it would be a formidable amount of charge. Unfortunately, its at 3.6 volts, so the charge it can provide at 12 volts is under 10 Amp-hours. In other words, it probably would not last two nights. Since the RAGBRAI is a week, this means recharging almost every day. The web site doesn't provide the charging info, but I'd guess 2 hours minimum for a partial charge, 5 hours to get near full, and overnight to really top it off. In other words, you can't recharge this while you're grabbing a quick lunch at a diner. There are no magic bullets here - Weight = Power in the battery world and Lithium Polymer is as light as you''re going find right now. You might have to carry several packs, or perhaps there is a support vehicle that can charge the pack during the day.

_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: Quattro™ Air Full Face Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Pressure 9-20, average ~9.5; often use battery power while off-grid
Hark, how hard he fetches breath . . .  Act II, Scene IV, King Henry IV Part I, William Shakespeare
Choosing a Battery thread: http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t1140 ... ttery.html

Guest

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by Guest » Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:35 pm

CapnLoki wrote:
RichInBunlyGoodness wrote:...
Could someone please verify this for me. I want to carry the least amount of weight possible. I normally use the Resmed S9 with humidifier and the Climateline hose. I also have a converntional unheated hose as well that I can use to save power. In July in Iowa, I won't need the humidifier or the climateline. I also have the Qi Infinity 34,200 Powergrid. If I purchase the Resmed DC Converter, can I then use the Qi with the Resmed? Is that all I need for a lighweight travel solution? If so, that isn't much more to carry than the travel cpap machines. I would be able to carry the Qi in my saddlebag and top it off whenever I pass a power source.
Going without humidifier or heated hose is required if you want to keep the weight down. Using the 12-24V DC Converter also helps a lot. That should use about 5 Amp-Hours at 12 Volts (at a pressure of about 10), which is close to any other full featured CPAP, and not too far from the small travel CPAPs. The problem is the battery pack. First, I should say that I have no experience with this pack. It should work but you'll have to try it out to be sure. However, there are several others with similar specs and they all have the same problem: the "34,200 mAh" does not say what voltage it is measured at. If that was at 12 Volts it would be a formidable amount of charge. Unfortunately, its at 3.6 volts, so the charge it can provide at 12 volts is under 10 Amp-hours. In other words, it probably would not last two nights. Since the RAGBRAI is a week, this means recharging almost every day. The web site doesn't provide the charging info, but I'd guess 2 hours minimum for a partial charge, 5 hours to get near full, and overnight to really top it off. In other words, you can't recharge this while you're grabbing a quick lunch at a diner. There are no magic bullets here - Weight = Power in the battery world and Lithium Polymer is as light as you''re going find right now. You might have to carry several packs, or perhaps there is a support vehicle that can charge the pack during the day.
I'm aware that I won't get two nights from one charge. Hopefully I will get to know someone on a club with RV support who might be willing to help me with the battery charging.

RichInBunlyGoodness
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:31 pm
Location: Madison WI

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by RichInBunlyGoodness » Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:27 pm

I purchased this converter https://www.cpap.com/productpage/DC-Con ... hines.html, but I don't see how it would work with my Qi Infinity. Did I get the wrong converter? Help! I'm confused.

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CapnLoki
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Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by CapnLoki » Thu Jun 23, 2016 10:54 am

RichInBunlyGoodness wrote:I purchased this converter https://www.cpap.com/productpage/DC-Con ... hines.html, but I don't see how it would work with my Qi Infinity. Did I get the wrong converter? Help! I'm confused.
You'll need a 12V "cigarette lighter" to plug into. Qi might have such an accessory, or Radio Shack perhaps. The ResMed converter should come with an alligator clip socket that could be adapted.

_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: Quattro™ Air Full Face Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Pressure 9-20, average ~9.5; often use battery power while off-grid
Hark, how hard he fetches breath . . .  Act II, Scene IV, King Henry IV Part I, William Shakespeare
Choosing a Battery thread: http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t1140 ... ttery.html

drzman49
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:20 pm

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by drzman49 » Sun Sep 11, 2016 9:36 am

not sure how active this post is currently.
I am looking for a current battery, or alternatives to poweradd, likely lithium polymer, trying to understand what specs the battery must have.

the poweradd 32000 is still available.
I see it has the ability to output 12 volts for my system one.
One user said he used the poweradd at 16 volts, and this worked for his system one machine, but I am wondering if this could harm the machine, since is is designed to input 12 volts. Anyone know?

I see alternatives to the poweradd, and am wondering with the machine input wattage and amperage, which type of output the battery must have for amps and watts. I am no electrician, so any guidance would be appreciated.

If this several year old thread is not too active, may start a new thread entitled "battery alternatives for backpacking, hiking, camping, kayaking", since this was started with the poweradd several years ago.
Using respironics system one 760p
or respironics m series auto

amenite
Posts: 477
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2015 7:02 pm

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by amenite » Sun Sep 11, 2016 10:21 am

drzman49 wrote:not sure how active this post is currently.
I am looking for a current battery, or alternatives to poweradd, likely lithium polymer, trying to understand what specs the battery must have. ...
What machine are you using? What is your goal for your battery solution? Backpacking? Camping? Car camping? Air travel? Home use for backup power? With or without humidifier? What is your budget? Unless you need the portability (light weight, compact) of a lithium chemistry battery you might be better off with a lead acid AGM type battery solution which is still portable to some extent, likely less expensive and more flexible capacity in case you want the humidifier.

As far as the specs You're looking for a battery that can output 12V DC. Some of these lithium ion battery packs will output 12V DC but they can't handle the amount of current the motor will draw when it's starting up and/or running.

drzman49
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:20 pm

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by drzman49 » Sun Sep 11, 2016 11:38 am

amenite wrote: What machine are you using? What is your goal for your battery solution? Backpacking? Camping? Car camping? Air travel? Home use for backup power? With or without humidifier? What is your budget? Unless you need the portability (light weight, compact) of a lithium chemistry battery you might be better off with a lead acid AGM type battery solution which is still portable to some extent, likely less expensive and more flexible capacity in case you want the humidifier.

As far as the specs You're looking for a battery that can output 12V DC. Some of these lithium ion battery packs will output 12V DC but they can't handle the amount of current the motor will draw when it's starting up and/or running.
1. system one 760p
2. backpacking, camping, kayaking, need lithium
3. no humidifier, no heated hose, straight up air
4. re "can't handle the amount of current the motor will draw when it's starting up and/or running" the heart of my question.

i.e.,
for a battery pack with a 12 v output, what outputs are required re watts and/or amps? As stated in initial message

"I see alternatives to the poweradd, and am wondering with the machine input wattage and amperage, which type of output the battery must have for amps and watts. I am no electrician, so any guidance would be appreciated. "

I think since poweradd was entered into the market, their are some alternatives at this time.

P.S., I attempted to add my machine to profile that is added to my messages, for some reason not put at the end of my messages as I wanted. Sorry
Using respironics system one 760p
or respironics m series auto

amenite
Posts: 477
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2015 7:02 pm

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by amenite » Sun Sep 11, 2016 12:31 pm

drzman49 wrote: 1. system one 760p
2. backpacking, camping, kayaking, need lithium
3. no humidifier, no heated hose, straight up air
4. re "can't handle the amount of current the motor will draw when it's starting up and/or running" the heart of my question.

i.e.,
for a battery pack with a 12 v output, what outputs are required re watts and/or amps? As stated in initial message

"I see alternatives to the poweradd, and am wondering with the machine input wattage and amperage, which type of output the battery must have for amps and watts. I am no electrician, so any guidance would be appreciated. "

I think since poweradd was entered into the market, their are some alternatives at this time.

P.S., I attempted to add my machine to profile that is added to my messages, for some reason not put at the end of my messages as I wanted. Sorry
I don't have an answer as to what will work with the 760P. I have to assume it will draw more current than my 460 or 560 and that will vary with pressure setting. The only lithium option I've used is a LiFePO4 battery that gave me two full nights on one charge. But this type of lithium battery is rather expensive. Life span is supposed to be longer and very low self discharge which is a bonus if storing. This is one I've used:

https://www.amazon.com/Bioenno-BPP120-R ... rds=bpp120

drzman49
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:20 pm

Re: Backpacking, Hiking and Camping - the PowerAdd Pilot Pro

Post by drzman49 » Sun Sep 11, 2016 12:51 pm

amenite wrote:I don't have an answer as to what will work with the 760P. I have to assume it will draw more current than my 460 or 560 and that will vary with pressure setting. The only lithium option I've used is a LiFePO4 battery that gave me two full nights on one charge. But this type of lithium battery is rather expensive. Life span is supposed to be longer and very low self discharge which is a bonus if storing. This is one I've used:

https://www.amazon.com/Bioenno-BPP120-R ... rds=bpp120
Thanks for the link and thoughts. If I were to explore various options on my own, it would be helpful to know how much current in watts and amps it would need to output into the machine. I think that the 560 may be similar to the 760. What are the draws for the 560, and what type of electrical current would a workable battery be able to output in terms of watts and amps? Anyone?

Thanks!
Using respironics system one 760p
or respironics m series auto