Goodbye

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As far as battery power Respironics is 12 V and can use other batteries. With the DreamStation you do need the DC cable. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dre ... -cord.html
Here is a thread that addresses the battery. viewtopic/t115751/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1 ... 2#p1118532

Buddy0329 wrote:Are there any sources for discounted masks ?

Not really. At least not like what you were probably thinking.
Sometimes Amazon depending on the mask. Sometimes you can find enough replacement parts on EBay and build your own mask and save some money.

You might look at cpap.com, our forum host, though. While they are usually less costly than the DME prices they aren't dirt cheap either but what they do offer is return insurance...sometimes it's free insurance and sometimes for a small fee.
That way if you do buy a mask and end up hating it you have some recourse to get your money back so you can try another mask. If you opt to do that be sure to read up on exactly what is involved with the return insurance...they will even send you a prepaid shipping label. Also if you use cpap.com and it's a Respironics mask and you see "call for pricing" be sure to call because the price is cheaper. Most of these mask manufacturers require that online sellers only post the MSRP. ResMed won't even allow discounts from that MSRP...at least Respironics allows a discount if you call to place the order.

There was a low income thing where all they asked was a $20 (I think) donation but I don't know what all is involved with it nor do I remember where that website was. Didn't save the link.
It was mentioned in a post here at the forum just the other day.

Sorry I can't help with the battery or travel bag question.
I do know that what you want the battery for is real important...like are you camping off the grid or wanting to use the battery during airplane flight. You might clarify what you want the battery to do.
Also there are tons of threads about cpap battery use and which ones work best for whatever situation. You can use the forum search function for "battery" and get a lot of reading material.
Forum member CapnLoki is a good source for battery information. You might look up his posts.

Buddy0329 wrote:Travel bags: any discrete bags I can use for car and air travel that can also carry a laptop or other gear?

You can carry the cpap any way you choose. Discretion? Is not needed unless you are ashamed for some reason.

For air travel the cpap doesn't count against carry-on anywhere to or from a US destination. It is a medical device and must be identified as such at the TSA checkpoint. Each airport can have a different process for it but the cpaps are well known and not normally a problem unless it has bomb residue on it. You may carry things used on the cpap in this bag but can run into trouble (in theory) if there are things which are not exempt such as a toothbrush or definitely a laptop inside this exempt bag.

I use and recommend a carryon size suitcase with wheels like you see flight attendants use. It is not recommended to check your cpap, medicine, or anything else you do not want damaged or lost for even one day while away from home. Of course it is always recommended to also carryon a change of underwear, toothbrush, etc. in another bag or purse. You can use a bungy cord to hold a laptop or other carryon bag on top of this suitcase if you have a long walk between gates.

Buddy0329 wrote:Travel: Respironcs has their own battery that they charge >$500. Excuse me? What about something like the Goal Zero Sherpa 100?

While I am not up specifically on the Goal Zero you can use almost any battery that will last you the nite. Keep in mind the lighter weight batteries will be more costly. Either resmed or respironics will need a separate DC power cord but the resmed cord is more costly.
Then it comes down to home use for power outages, mobile use for camping or boating or air travel which can be more complicated as it is up to each airline to allow or not allow use on their aircraft.

How large a battery can also depend on what your pressure settings are - the higher pressures use more amps, etc.

Suffice it to say that getting a working battery setup for home will be a bit easier than trying to have something that you can use in any & every situation, so start small.

HTH

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Do you need to use a humidifier? The humidifier is a power hungry monster and will drain your battery significantly. Also the pressure used will make a difference in power consumption.

Read some of CapnLoki's posts. He explains what you need to look for in a battery in terms of how long it will last much better than I can.
search.php?author_id=67433&sr=posts

and start with this first
viewtopic/t114012/Choosing-a-Battery.html
and maybe this
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=114012&p=1118532#p1118532
and maybe this
viewtopic.php?t=102179

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I mention the humidifier use because for some people it's pretty important that they have the added moisture but some people don't seem to need it. This is something you will have to figure out because humidity needs are highly personalized and what works for us might not work well for you.

Later on down the road you can experiment one night and turn the humidifier off and see how the nose does without much moisture. You can keep water in the chamber and get a little moisture and we call that passover humidity. Some moisture is picked up as the air moves over the water but with the humidifier turned off no heat is added and it's the heat that makes the water warm up and release more moisture into the air.
If your nose doesn't like the lack of added moisture it will let you know with some allergy like symptoms...itchy nose, congestion, drainage, sinus pressure, etc.

Also when using a battery turn off a heated hose if you are using one or use a non heated hose to save on the battery.

Buddy0329 wrote:As for the battery, I'm not looking to go camping or off grid, but instead wanted something that could cover me if we lost power for a night (or two or three?), as well as something that may help when in a hotel or visiting family where a AC outlet may not be conveniently near the bed.

It would be much easier to carry an extension cord and a variety of AC outlet adapters and power strip than a battery when traveling. These should fit into the carry style case w/o a problem.

A battery for home you can do more research here but there are a number of ways to go about the UPS style you are looking for from building you own battery setup to what one guy here was using his car jump starter. While he took quite a ribbing here he did claim success. Not knowing your ability level, you should search for battery options - you will get plenty of ideas.

Sounds like you've got a level head.

Buddy0329 wrote:Travel: Respironcs has their own battery that they charge >$500. Excuse me? What about something like the Goal Zero Sherpa 100?

As others have noted, check out my posts about batteries. The best battery for you depends a lot on how you want to use it.

The Sherpa 100 is (seemingly) good quality but is quite overpriced at $300 for 8 Amp-hours. This capacity is the lithium limit for airline travel so you will find a number of packs of this size, starting at about $100. They provide about one to two night's power, without humidity. If weight is not an issue, an 8 AH AGM (sealed lead-acid) battery that weighs about 5 pounds can be had for about $15, and affordable solutions with larger batteries including cables and charger shouldn't cost more than $200.