Z1 travel machine

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pinkyjane15
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Z1 travel machine

Post by pinkyjane15 » Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:04 am

I'm looking to buy a travel machine. Has anyone had experience with the original Z1 and do you like it?

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by chunkyfrog » Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:12 am

You can check the reviews by actual users.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/z1-aut ... chine.html
To see the reviews, click on the yellow stars.
This is the auto machine. The single pressure machine is considerably less costly.
My travel machine is the Intellipap Autoadjust, since it runs off straight 12 volt DC current,
and the treatment algorithm is reasonably close to my "good" machine.

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pinkyjane15
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Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by pinkyjane15 » Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:30 am

Thanks. I was looking at the Z1 -the original, less expensive one. I read the reviews, but wanted to check the forum too.

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by chunkyfrog » Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:50 am

Only a few users here, as far as I know.
Since I don't expect to do much flying, I was not tempted to take the trade-offs
many deal with in exchange for the extra space in a carry-on.
(Noise, no ramp, no humidification, etc.)
On a side note, NEVER check your cpap. It is a free bag, anyway,
and other people BREAK things all the time.

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TangledHose
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Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by TangledHose » Tue Jul 28, 2015 12:44 pm

I have fairly extensive experience with both the Z1, the Z1 Auto, and the Transcend line of machines.

The Z1 has some nice features, the primary benefit being the small size for packing and travel, and I like having the controls (buttons) on the machine so that you can change therapy pressure and ramp feature from the machine directly without having to connect to a computer to do so.

The HUGE drawback with the Z1 is the excessive, and I mean excessive!, inhale/exhale noise that the user experiences on every breath, its so annoying that the only way I would be able to sleep with it would be to knock myself out with drugs to the point that I would pass out despite the racket being transmitted through the hose to the mask. HDM knows that they have a huge problem with this issue to the extent that they went out of their way to produce an accessory device in an attempt to muffle the turbulent air from the diminutive turbine used in the machine. They recently came out with a muffler called the Q-Tube..........it doesn't work......Epic Fail !!!

I tried the Q-Tube last night, and it did little or nothing to reduce the Darth Vader noise issue........each and every breath is so amplified that sleep is impossible and the pitch changes between inhale and exhale which makes it even worse. I ended up switching back to my home machine after an hour so I could get some sleep.

The one solution that I have found to this issue was to purchase an F&P HC-150 stand-alone humidifier. When using this humidifier inline between the Z1 and the hose it does reduce the Darth Vader effect to the point that sleep is possible, it won't totally eliminate the noise, but it reduces it so much that the user can get used to it and actually sleep.

When I travel on my motorcycle trips and take the Z1 I have to also pack the HC-150 humidifier tub, without the heater plate, just the tub alone to act as the muffler. This defeats the whole purpose of the small size of the Z1 as the HC-150 tub is about the size of a standard softball, or in essence, the same size as the Z1, just in a different shape, so it's like packing two Z1 machines for a trip.

In addition to this issue HDM customer support is basically non-existent, and frankly I would not be surprised at all if this company ceases to exist in the future as soon as their investor funding dries up.

The Transcend is slightly larger, and not as good a shape for packing, but still smaller than a standard home machine and does not suffer from the Darth Vader effect to the extent that the Z1 does. I can get used to, and sleep well with the Transcend although it does have the inhale/exhale issue as well, just no where near as bad as the Z1. I can sleep with the Transcend without packing any type of inline muffler such as the HC-150 tub, so although the Transcend is slightly larger than the Z1 it is in reality easier for me to pack because I don't need to include any muffler accessory. The Transcend must be connected to a computer in order to change therapy pressure settings or ramp setting which is a pain.......I wish I could combine the best features of both these machines and end up with the perfect travel device, but that's just a dream.

After my experience with the two Z1 machines that I have owned, I doubt I would ever bother to replace my current Z1 Auto with another unit from HDM, and I just can't get myself to recommend either Z1 machine to anyone that is looking for a recommendation. On the other hand I do feel like I could recommend the Transcend machine with the caveat that it is noisier to use than a standard home machine, but a user can get used to the noise level on the Transcend after one or two nights use.

I agree with ChunkyFrog...............if you have packing space for a smaller home unit such as the Intellipap then by all means travel with it instead of one of these miniature travel machines, there are just too many drawbacks with the little travel units at this point to make them worthwhile unless you are severely limited with packing space as I am when I pack for a motorcycle trip. There are some instances when the space requirement trumps the drawbacks with these machines, but if you can get by packing your standard home machine you will surely sleep better.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Simplus Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Also own F&P Icon Auto for backup and travel; and a Transcend when packing space is limited
Last edited by TangledHose on Tue Jul 28, 2015 4:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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eleong2
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Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by eleong2 » Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:40 pm

TangledHose wrote:I have fairly extensive experience with both the Z1, the Z1 Auto, and the Transcend line of machines.

The Z1 has some nice features, the primary benefit being the small size for packing and travel, and I like having the controls (buttons) on the machine so that you can change therapy pressure and ramp feature from the machine directly without having to connect to a computer to do so.

The HUGE drawback with the Z1 is the excessive, and I mean excessive!, inhale/exhale noise that the user experiences on every breath, its so annoying that the only way I would be able to sleep with it would be to knock myself out with drugs to the point that I would pass out despite the racket being transmitted through the hose to the mask. HDM knows that they have a huge problem with this issue to the extent that they went out of their way to produce an accessory device in an attempt to muffle the turbulent air from the diminutive turbine used in the machine. They recently came out with a muffler called the Q-Tube..........it doesn't work......Epic Fail !!!

I tried the Q-Tube last night, and it did little or nothing to reduce the Darth Vader noise issue........each and every breath is so amplified that sleep is impossible and the pitch changes between inhale and exhale which makes it even worse. I ended up switching back to my home machine after an hour so I could get some sleep.

The one solution that I have found to this issue was to purchase an F&P HC-150 stand-alone humidifier. When using this humidifier inline between the Z1 and the hose it does reduce the Darth Vader effect to the point that sleep is possible, it won't totally eliminate the noise, but it reduces it so much that the user can get used to it and actually sleep.

When I travel on my motorcycle trips and take the Z1 I have to also pack the HC-150 humidifier tub, without the heater plate, just the tub alone to act as the muffler. This defeats the whole purpose of the small size of the Z1 as the HC-150 tub is about the size of a standard softball, or in essence, the same size as the Z1, just in a different shape, so it's like packing two Z1 machines for a trip.

In addition to this issue HDM customer support is basically non-existent, and frankly I would not be surprised at all if this company ceases to exist in the future as soon as their investor funding dries up.

The Transcend is slightly larger, and not as good a shape for packing, but still smaller than a standard home machine and does not suffer from the Darth Vader effect to the extent that the Z1 does. I can get used to, and sleep well with the Transcend although it does have the inhale/exhale issue as well, just no where near as bad as the Z1. I can sleep with the Transcend without packing any type of inline muffler such as the HC-150 tub, so although the Transcend is slightly larger than the Z1 it is in reality easier for me to pack because I don't need to include any muffler accessory. The Transcend must be connected to a computer in order to change therapy pressure settings or ramp setting which is a pain.......I wish I could combine the best features of both these machines and end up with the perfect travel device, but that's just a dream.

After my experience with the two Z1 machines that I have owned, I doubt I would ever bother to replace my current Z1 Auto with another unit from HDM, and I just can't get myself to recommend either Z1 machine to anyone that is looking for a recommendation. On the other hand I do feel like I could recommend the Transcend machine with the caveat that it is noisier to use than a standard home machine, but a user can get used to the noise level on the Transcend after one or two nights use.

I agree with ChunkyFrog...............if you have packing space for a smaller home unit such as the Intelipap then by all means travel with it instead of one of these miniature travel machines, there are just too many drawbacks with the little travel units at this point to make them worthwhile unless you are severely limited with packing space as I am when I pack for a motorcycle trip. There are some instances when the space requirement trumps the drawbacks with these machines, but if you can get by packing your standard home machine you will surely sleep better.
I am curious, have you tried the Q-Tube with the Transcend? That's if you still have the Transcend machine. Some people might be interested to see if Q-Tube works with other machines. I currently have a Transcend EZEX CPAP and I made a little muffler using a 3.5 oz plastic cosmetic jar and two cpap hose couplers. It works really well on the "Darth Vader" issue, and its fairly small in size. Its almost as quiet as my PRS1 cpap machine (with a humidifier).

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TangledHose
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Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by TangledHose » Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:25 pm

Eleong,

I do have the Transcend machine, I will hook up the Q-Tube to it tonight and let you know. On the Z1 the Q-Tube made just a slight reduction in noise, but so little it really didn't make much difference with or without it, was still unacceptably noisy in reference to the Darth Vader issue.

I will report back tomorrow on how much it changes the issue on the Transcend (auto). However as I mentioned above the Transcend is not anywhere close to as noisy as the Z1; I have no problem sleeping with the Transcend as it is out of the box although it is louder than a standard size machine.

I am also going to experiment with an inline bacterial filter on the Z1 as well and I think I may have found a smaller pass-over humidifier tub than theHC-150, will keep you posted.

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Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Simplus Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Also own F&P Icon Auto for backup and travel; and a Transcend when packing space is limited
Link to Sleepyhead:
http://sleepfiles.com/SH2/

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by chunkyfrog » Tue Jul 28, 2015 4:20 pm

The Intellipap gives a heckuva bang for your buck.
No power brick for AC power and the optional 12VDC cord will plug into your car.
It is nearly as quiet as the "big two" units, and operation is effective and comfortable
enough that quite a few people have one as their primary machine.
The best thing of all--MADE IN USA.

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TangledHose
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Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by TangledHose » Tue Jul 28, 2015 4:26 pm

Eleong2,

Got home a bit early today so I just spent about an hour testing the two machines (Z1 Auto, Transcend Auto) side by side, with same mask, same standard six foot hose to mask with the HME heat/moisture cartridge in place between hose and mask, same pressure both machines. I tested both with and without the new HDM Q-Tube, and then I also tested both with the F&P HC-150 humidifier tub only - no water to see the difference in effectiveness at reducing the inhale/exhale noise experienced by the user at the mask.

Image

In the picture is the Z1 Auto, the Transcend Auto, the HDM Q-Tube with its short slime-line hose attached, and the F&P HC-150 tub with its associated short standard diameter connecting hose.

My Findings:

The Z1 without the Q-Tube was the loudest Darth Vader inhale/exhale effect

The Z1 with the Q-Tube installed was basically the same as without - if I were to be generous here I might say the Q-Tube yielded a 5% reduction in perceived breathing noise, but that would be VERY generous

One interesting finding was that when I used the Q-Tube with the larger diameter F&P hose connector (pictured attached to the HC-150 tub) instead of the Q-Tube kit supplied shorter slimline tube I seemed to think the noise reduction was slightly better with the standard diameter hose connection instead of their supplied slimline hose (interesting)

The Transcend findings were exactly the same with the Q-Tube in that the Q-Tube maybe only reduced the noise slightly, in both cases with the Z1 and the Transcend the difference with the Q-Tube was so slight it really is almost not noticeable at all........this was very disappointing because based on forum user "bill-e's" remarks with the prototype Q-Tube I had the impression that the Q-Tube would be much more effective. I want to point out also that "bill-e" was a former employee of HDM and still has ties with the CEO of the company, so from now on I will disregard his comments on the Z1 as I feel his opinion is strongly biased, I don't make that comment recklessly, but it is an issue that should be kept in mind when reading his posts concerning the Z1, in my personal opinion he has misrepresented the product in his posts.

I did a further test with both machines with the F&P HC-150 humidifier tub in place of the Q-Tube on both machines, the results were remarkable, with what I would estimate at an 80% to 90% reduction in perceived inhale/exhale noise. The difference on both machines was like night and day!

One other note, testing the Z1 Auto side-by-side with the Transcend Auto.........the Transcend noise was somewhat less noticeable than that of the Z1, but was still evident non-the-less. I did notice that the Transcend noise is a deeper, less whinny noise and was not as noticeable on exhale and I think that is why I can use the Transcend without a muffler and still get to sleep. The Z1 noise was higher pitched and more turbine whine in both the exhale and inhale with a marked pitch change between exhale and inhale that was not present in the Transcend.

Also the Transcend is much nicer to breath with initially with no delay or lag in pressure relief like the Z1 has. I have noticed that the Z1 will settle down and become easier to breath on after a few moments as it either catches up with your breathing rhythm or your breathing settles down to the Z1, but at any rate the Transcend has none of the pressure relief issues that the Z1 demonstrates on initial few breathes - the Transcend breathes more like a standard home unit such as a Resmed or Resperonics.

The Z1 is smaller, and has the controls on the machine so no need to hook to computer to adjust settings, and the back lit LCD display on the Z1 is a bonus, you can see the current pressure and other information on the screen. Too bad the Transcend isn't as good a size and shape for packing and doesn't have display and controls on the machine, if it had those components it would be the hands down winner. As I said earlier I would like to take the nice breathe-ability of The Transcend and combine it with the screen and controls of the Z1 to have the perfect small travel machine!!!

Image

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Simplus Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Also own F&P Icon Auto for backup and travel; and a Transcend when packing space is limited
Link to Sleepyhead:
http://sleepfiles.com/SH2/

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TangledHose
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Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by TangledHose » Tue Jul 28, 2015 5:13 pm

Eleong2,

To demonstrate how utterly disappointed I am in the Q-Tube performance I would be MORE than happy to send you the Q-Tube Kit with slimline hose connector and spare replacement foam liner, with manual, in the mail. I will send it to you so you can perform an assessment of your own and report back with your findings to the fine people here on cpaptalk free of charge and free shipping (assuming your are in the lower 48). If you, or anyone else with a Transcend or Z1 in the contiguous states that has not already ordered a Q-Tube that is interested in this, I will send you mine, just send me a PM with your mailing information and I will gladly send you my Q-Tube that has less than one hour use on it.

Since Eleong2 has expressed an interest in the Q-Tube first I will give him priority on this offer, if he doesn't want to take me up on it, then I will send to the next person in line, but because the Q-Tube is designed for the purpose of reducing the higher noise level on the small travel units I would request that anyone that wants to try this Q-Tube be an owner of either the Z1 or the Transcend..............the Q-Tube, although usable for a standard size machine, was designed and produced specifically to fix an existing noise issue with these very small, high-speed turbine units, not really meant for a standard home machine that does not suffer from the noise issue that these small machines tend to experience.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Simplus Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Also own F&P Icon Auto for backup and travel; and a Transcend when packing space is limited
Link to Sleepyhead:
http://sleepfiles.com/SH2/

eleong2
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 11:44 pm
Location: Southern CA

Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by eleong2 » Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:59 pm

TangledHose wrote:Eleong2,

To demonstrate how utterly disappointed I am in the Q-Tube performance I would be MORE than happy to send you the Q-Tube Kit with slimline hose connector and spare replacement foam liner, with manual, in the mail. I will send it to you so you can perform an assessment of your own and report back with your findings to the fine people here on cpaptalk free of charge and free shipping (assuming your are in the lower 48). If you, or anyone else with a Transcend or Z1 in the contiguous states that has not already ordered a Q-Tube that is interested in this, I will send you mine, just send me a PM with your mailing information and I will gladly send you my Q-Tube that has less than one hour use on it.

Since Eleong2 has expressed an interest in the Q-Tube first I will give him priority on this offer, if he doesn't want to take me up on it, then I will send to the next person in line, but because the Q-Tube is designed for the purpose of reducing the higher noise level on the small travel units I would request that anyone that wants to try this Q-Tube be an owner of either the Z1 or the Transcend..............the Q-Tube, although usable for a standard size machine, was designed and produced specifically to fix an existing noise issue with these very small, high-speed turbine units, not really meant for a standard home machine that does not suffer from the noise issue that these small machines tend to experience.
TangledHose,
I thank you for the offer, but I would like to pass. I was just curious if it would work on a Transcend machine. The little muffler I made works well and doesn't require insert replacement after regular use. I also would like to thank you for your review of the Q-Tube and answering my request to try it with a Transcend.
Ed

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levman
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Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by levman » Thu Aug 06, 2015 9:40 pm

Very disappointing news ... I've been traveling with my Transcend for three years now, 75 to 100 nights a year, and was really hoping the Q-tube would help with the noise. I've learned to deal with it, but the noise is bothersome.

eleong2
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Location: Southern CA

Re: Z1 travel machine

Post by eleong2 » Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:39 am

TangledHose wrote:Eleong2,

To demonstrate how utterly disappointed I am in the Q-Tube performance I would be MORE than happy to send you the Q-Tube Kit with slimline hose connector and spare replacement foam liner, with manual, in the mail. I will send it to you so you can perform an assessment of your own and report back with your findings to the fine people here on cpaptalk free of charge and free shipping (assuming your are in the lower 48). If you, or anyone else with a Transcend or Z1 in the contiguous states that has not already ordered a Q-Tube that is interested in this, I will send you mine, just send me a PM with your mailing information and I will gladly send you my Q-Tube that has less than one hour use on it.

Since Eleong2 has expressed an interest in the Q-Tube first I will give him priority on this offer, if he doesn't want to take me up on it, then I will send to the next person in line, but because the Q-Tube is designed for the purpose of reducing the higher noise level on the small travel units I would request that anyone that wants to try this Q-Tube be an owner of either the Z1 or the Transcend..............the Q-Tube, although usable for a standard size machine, was designed and produced specifically to fix an existing noise issue with these very small, high-speed turbine units, not really meant for a standard home machine that does not suffer from the noise issue that these small machines tend to experience.
Hi TangledHose,
Had a thought, if I sent you the first version of my muffler would you be willing to give it a try with the Z1? I am curious to see how effective it is. I expect the result to be similar to to your standalone humidifier. It works well with my Transcend and Activa LT nasal mask combination. I have since made a slightly smaller version that I am using now.

_________________
Mask: Mirage Activa™ LT Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Travel CPAP machine - Transcend EZEX