Battery power packs for camping

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Amenite

Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by Amenite » Tue Aug 19, 2014 3:30 am

Peter Rissel wrote:...

Has anyone out there perhaps still got an S8 DC-12 Converter?

If not, can someone please help me with the circuit diagram with Parts List so I can maybe have one built?
Found one for sale at http:// www. britishsnoring . co . uk
£68.00 + shipping.
(remove the spaces in URL - I can't post a proper link as a guest)

Otherwise couldn't you use an inverter of some kind with your battery and plug in to that like it's a normal outlet? Like I said earlier I stumbled into the Philips PRS1 by accident, I'm glad I did due to this 24V power thing with Resmed.

Guest

Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by Guest » Tue Aug 19, 2014 6:41 am

Just saw this on Amazon $37
UpBright® New Car DC Adapter For Resmed S8 Series CPAP Filters Machines 33942 Elite Escape, Resmed DC-12 Converter, 33942 S-8 All and Vantage, S8 AutoSet Series II, S8 Vantage, S8 Escape, S8 CPAP VPAP AUTO, S8 Escape II Elite II Power Supply Cord Charger Cable PS

Guest

Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by Guest » Tue Aug 19, 2014 6:55 am

Peter Rissel wrote:Hi All,

I live in South Africa where Mains Power is intermittent to say the least; mostly our local Authorities practice load-shedding at night when Big Business is off-line. This of course has a huge impact on myself and others with Sleep Apnea.

This leads me to this Thread Re: Camping

I need to permanently connect my S8 to a deep cycle battery

I have an Autoset Spirit S8 (modern for our Region; discontinued for you 1st Worlders)

I need an S8 DC-12 Converter but Resmed does not sell them anymore (too old) cpap . com has discontinued them as well (probably due to Resmed)

Has anyone out there perhaps still got an S8 DC-12 Converter?

If not, can someone please help me with the circuit diagram with Parts List so I can maybe have one built?
I have never had a resmed but think the s8 was a 12v machine. If you search this forum there should be info on which wire goes to the center pin (that is the hard part). I know it is just the opposite of the respironics.

kevin1
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Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 7:25 pm

Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by kevin1 » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:21 am

none wrote:I've had the PowerAdd Pilot Pro for a couple of weeks now. It will run my PR 460 for four eight-hour nights before recharging. I also bought a universal car charger to charge it while riding my motorcycle if I go camping.
Getting ready to go camping again with my cub scout in a month or so and thought I would check back on this. The PowerAdd seems to be working at a reasonable price. I will give it a try.

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lido14

Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by lido14 » Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:35 pm

I just got a used Everest 2 on craigslist with a battery this afternoon, etc.

I think in combination with my 12 volt Owell 266 the 2 batteries can get me 6-7 nights without recharging them so I can go on longer backpacks which I think will be really nice. Combined weight with the 2 batteries and the cpap unit will be about 10 pounds
The power add on would nicely complement the respironics system 1 cpap unit I have but not the Everest because of the unique power adapter the Everest uses unfortunately.

For the price of the Everest ($100.00) maybe I should have just picked up the power add on ($130 ish) because of its light weight and use that with my existing battery and the respironics cpap which is not much bigger than the Everest 2 cpap unit alone to get the additional days on the trail

buyers remorse...I can always buy the add on and have mega battery flexibility.....

Sleepy Duck

Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by Sleepy Duck » Mon Sep 15, 2014 6:42 pm

Sleepy Duck wrote:Thanks all for the reply's. I order the ResMed converter this morning. Will be anxious to give it a try once it arrives. I have a 350 amp battery booster and plan to try it with that before I spring for a different battery pack.


I have used the ResMed Converter with the 350 battery booster on my S-9 twice now. Both nights I got just under 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep before the battery ran out of juice. I used the S-9 without the heater and humidity tank. I plan try the converter with a 600 amp battery booster in a couple of weeks, thinking that I may get more time with a larger amp booster. But I am happy with the results using the 350 amp booster and the ResMed 12 volt to 24 volt converter.

game padre
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Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:07 am

Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by game padre » Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:14 am

This is a great thread.

I have a Phillips Respironics System One A-Flex, set at 12.5, no humidifier.

I am headed on an international overnight flight on Weds. I bought 2 PowerAdd 32000s, and they both don't work. The machine powers on, and then when I push "therapy," it blows for a split second, and then powers off.

Is this a voltage problem with *both* batteries? I'm just using the cable provided in the PowerAdd 32000 -- do I need a different cable? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Guest

Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by Guest » Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:43 am

game padre wrote: I'm just using the cable provided in the PowerAdd 32000 -- do I need a different cable?
Not having seen the cable provided with the PowerAdd 32000 I would ask is it heavy enuff to carry the start up current which I think is 5A? Also have the batteries been charged for at least 1-2 days?

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raftergirl
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Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by raftergirl » Sun Sep 21, 2014 1:42 pm

I just returned from an 8 day river rafting trip in Idaho. 100% off the grid for 8 nights. I used my cpap without any problems using the following system.....
Respironics Remstar System One Auto A-Flex 60 series. Used without the humidifier & heated hose.
Pressure setting 15/17
Power supply - Werker 12V20A batteries. Took 4 of them. Weight of 4 batteries = 52 lb. Not a problem for me as I'm rowing my 14 foot raft. Batteries were kept in one of my dry boxes. Cpap machine was kept in a Pelican 1300 case with customized foam insert for maximum protection. Each battery weighs 13 lb. and although they aren't bulky, they could smash a toe easily if dropped. I used a small tote bag to carry the battery into camp from the raft.
Cables - Respironics brand shielded DC cable and 12V battery cables. I used the Respironics brand to avoid any warranty issues. I also brought a simple battery tester with three lights (red, yellow, green). All three light up when the battery is fully charged.

Results - I got 2-3 nights off each battery with two lights still showing on each battery with the tester. Set-up in my tent was easy. I sleep on a roll-a-cot, and set the machine up on the floor, sitting on the opened up Pelican case lid. This way it was sitting on the padded inside of the lid and didn't move around at all. I ran the hose up inside my sleeping bag and it provided a decent amount of warmth to the hose. I tried a Respironics insulated hose cover the first night and that was a big fail. It just kept the air in the hose cold. No humidifier was ok but not optimal. I got a bit of a chapped dry nose, but being in the sun & wind all day on the raft also contributed to the chapped nose. Not a huge problem. I slept great. Best camp sleep in a long time. Energy level and focus to row the raft much improved over my last week long trip before I was diagnosed with OSA. When I got home, I downloaded my data and was pleasantly surprised.....AHI 1 or below every night, with minimal leaks. Yipeeeeee.

I just started doing some kayak touring, so I'll be looking at lighter battery options. Maybe Solar recharging? The smaller Li Ion batteries & solar panels are pretty pricey though.

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CapnLoki
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Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by CapnLoki » Sun Sep 21, 2014 5:33 pm

raftergirl wrote: Power supply - Werker 12V20A batteries. Took 4 of them. Weight of 4 batteries = 52 lb. ...

Results - I got 2-3 nights off each battery with two lights still showing on each battery with the tester.
I'm glad you found a system that will work for you but I was a bit surprised you got four separate batteries, especially since you imply that they are all carried together. If they were carried out separately it would make more sense, if if they're together, a single larger battery would work a lot better and be cheaper. With one battery you won't run one down in the middle of the night and have to switch; actually you'd be able to get many nights without going below 20% and the odds are it would stay a lot healthier. And assuming you have a large charger, the large battery will accept a charge 4 times faster. The downside of course is that a 50 pound battery will be a pain to carry around.

BTW, I use four golf cart batteries to make one large bank. You could do the same, but you should do it when the batteries are fairly new and evenly matched.

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Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine
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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: Battery power packs for camping

Post by Guest » Sun Sep 21, 2014 6:05 pm

Give the girl some credit. What she did met her needs. I think it was pretty clever and well planned out.
There is more than one way to skin a cat.

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raftergirl
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Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by raftergirl » Sun Sep 21, 2014 7:10 pm

Carrying a 50 lb. battery up and down over rocks & sand every day to camp (different camp every night) would really suck. The 13 lb. ones are bad enough. 4 individual batteries are also easier to store in the dry box. I do know rafters who carry larger batteries for trips like the Grand Canyon (18-21 days). Our night time temps were 40 degrees or lower, so 4 batteries insured that I wouldn't have one quit on me during the night. I was surprised that one battery gave me three nights, and still showed two lights on the tester like the other ones. We are 100% off the grid, so there's no way to recharge, except maybe with a larger (40-60W) solar charger. Those will still take 8-10 hours of direct sunlight to recharge a 12V battery. We were blessed with sun every day, but it just as easily could have rained all 8 days. This was a pretty simple system that worked without a hitch for me. I recharged all 4 batteries once I got home, and they all charged up without a problem. Now I just have to remember to top them off periodically to keep them good.

I thought long and hard about using the much smaller and lighter Li Ion batteries, but the cost was prohibitive for the length of my trip. I will think about them for weekend kayak touring trips where I can't carry the 12V batteries. I have a few backpacker friends who have had success with them. At lower pressure settings they can get 3-4 nights off one battery. The solar charging option still fascinates me. Power Film makes rollable chargers that are waterproof and sturdy, but they cost at least $400-$500 for the larger sizes. My entire system cost (4 batteries, cables, tester, battery tote) cost $300.

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raftergirl
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Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by raftergirl » Sun Sep 21, 2014 7:22 pm

One other plus to having 4 smaller batteries instead of one large one, is that I can take only the number I need depending on the length of the rafting trip. With the colder night times temps., this was a good try-out trip for the system. On warmer trips, I may be able to get a little bit more run time off the batteries. At least now I know I can count on 2 nights per battery.

The main reason I wanted to post about my system was so that folks who enjoy outdoor activity like me won't give up those activities because of the cpap. I was just diagnosed 7 weeks ago, but I am fortunate that my rafting buddy has been using his cpap on the river for several years. He paved the way for me, so I knew that with a little planning, I could still go rafting and reap the benefits of the cpap. Many outdoor adventures require lots of energy and a clear head to have fun, make good decisions, and stay safe. I saw a big difference in how I felt on this trip as opposed to my trip in June before I knew I had OSA.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has had real life experience with solar charging. That would be really helpful.

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Machine: PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto CPAP Machine
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Amenite

Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by Amenite » Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:43 pm

I got by with a 27 watt foldable solar panel while car camping. I got all the power I needed to keep my battery topped up over 5 nights but I was stationary in mid-summer with full sun most days. Cost for the panel was about $100. With lower wattage panel like this this you can get away without a charge controller. It seems like it would be problematic on the water but nothing you couldn't work out. My setup is posted on page 4 of this thread. The flexible panels are pretty expensive but depending on your latitude and the weather you wouldn't need more than a few square feet of panels to top off your battery more or less.

As for the multiple small battery setup I like that idea. You can wire them up in parallel if you want to use them as a single bank. Would be more convenient charging that way too.

If weight is an issue lithium ion is the solution, except it's alot more $$$ for the same storage capacity than your typical AGM sealed lead acid battery. AGM is the only type of battery I've used so far.

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raftergirl
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Re: Battery power packs for camping

Post by raftergirl » Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:04 am

The price on the Li Ion was what stopped me from getting them. However, I may need to go that direction for kayak touring where size and weight makes a big difference. Thanks for the info on solar. I may get a 20W panel and see how it works. If I could get by with one or two of the Li Ion and recharge via solar consistently, that would make for a sweet system. Or maybe just continue to use the 12V deep cycle AGM batteries, just fewer of them.

_________________
Machine: PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto CPAP Machine
Mask: AirFit™ N10 For Her Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: SleepyHead software