S8 auto with humidifier VS PB420E w Humid.

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:08 am

OK, it took me 3 days to get through to my DME, but this DME is actually courteous once I get through. Turns out they just had a layoff there. Which is the trend in the world...sigh...

Anyway, I was going to order a PB420E to replace my ailing Remstar Auto. But the customer service person mentioned that the S8 is NOW becoming available in AUTO, along with the humidifier and it is indeed in the same packaging as the S8 Escape straight CPAP. They can either order the 420E and have it shipped immediately or the S8-auto with humidifier could be a 2-4 week wait, which is not a problem for me to wait.

I was not expecting THIS dilema! So.....based on previous experience with PB versus the S series, or maybe the S8 so far, does anyone have a gut feel or any thoughts on which to choose?

Since nose surgery, my pressure is only 6-10cm, so c-flex is NOT something I care about. I DO care about something lightweight and small for travel, and reliability and NOISE. And i do want to pull basic data off the machine.

It does JUST occur to me that the S8 will still need an extra bulky power supply for the heated hose for travel.

any opinions?

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:13 am

I hate to addendum my own post but......

I also found out the S8 AUTO with humidifier will weigh a total of 4.4 pounds.

Does anyone know what the PB420E WITH humidifier weighs?

They both are rated at 1.5 pounds without humidifier and seem to spread that out in about the same volume but different dimensions between the two, from what I can figure.

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:42 am

I'll try to remember to weigh my 420E with humidifier tonight and let you know.

For what it is worth, the new S8 looks really interesting, but I'd be concerned about the following:

1) Will the humidifier be available when the S8 is launched or, months later?

2) Will the S8 use the same algorithm as the Spirit? If so, does the Spirit algorithm work for you? If it is a new algorithm in the S8, will it work for you?

If I was offered the opportunity to trial a S8, I'd do it in a flash. If I was selecting a new machine that was going to be my only machine, I don't know if I would take a risk on a brand new, may-still-have-some-bugs-to-work-out machine without something tried & true to fall back on.

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:01 pm

good suggestions WS!
I wish I had a DME that allowed trials of machines, but all they carry as "stock" is the Remstar line, and I already have that.
So indeed its a shot in the dark and buying new product is definitely a risk of EITHER getting the latest that research and development can give us, or the latest bugs.

PB420E has the extra sensor line(both its plus side and minus side) and tried and true algorithms.

I just did some digging in the specs and it appears the S8w/ Hum. is about 1 pound more than the 420E with Hum. and about 1.41 pound less than my current Remstar w/ Hum. (i.e. I lose 2.3 pounds carrying weight going with the 420E)

some maybe interesting comparisons

PB420E
machine: 1.75 lb, 5.6x2.9x7.7, 125 cubic inches
humidifier: 1.76 lb, 6.7x3.7x11
total weight: 3.51 lb

S8 (assume Auto is same)
machine: 2.9lb, 4.6x6.5x5.7, 170.4 cubic inches
humidifier: 1.5 lb, 4.6x6.7x8.3
total weight: 4.4 lb

Remstar Auto
machine: 3.96 lb, 9.45x6.69x4.72, 298.4 cubic inches
humidifier: 1.85 lb, 13.25x6.69x6.84
total weight: 5.81 lb

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:55 pm

I just got off the phone wth a cpap.com person who said it would be 3-6 or 8 months before they got resmed auto escape s-8. She did say she was new, but was verifying info as she gave it to me. Huh.
She also said -in her opinion- that the 420 was more user friendly.

john57b · Post by **john57b** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:57 pm

The new S8 algorithm may have gone with some changes with the new exhale relief program but this is not confirmed. The small difference in weight or size as compare to the PB is not something I would be concern about in my traveling. I would be concern more with what machine will give me the best treament. Since I currently uses older spirit model I have very good treatment I would look at the new ResMed machine more closely since I would bet that it would be a good machine.
I never had a issue with pressure runaway and the ResLink is showing me that the pressure does decrease in the last half hour of sleep and continues while I wake up. Right now I trying to get my AHI index to go below 1 on a more consistent basics.
For me getting a backup auto CPAP and it would still be a shot in the dark for me getting the PB machine anyway.

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 4:15 pm

My hard to get hold of, but helpful, DME did some more checking and the more she pushes the Resmed rep, the farther out the date seems to get for actual delivery of the S8 Auto. NOW she is hearing 4-6 weeks, instead of 2-4, and since i work in engineering, I am starting to feel that might be a fuzzy date and could bump even further if they hit ANY production glitches.
So I am going with "bird in the hand" and getting the PB420E which should be ready in a week or two. I figure I could too easily lose or change jobs in 6+ weeks and then have lost or changed insurance by then anyway, in this economy.

More spec comparison, according to my DME's research:
At 10cm pressure
420e = 31 Db noise level.
S8= 30-31 Db

Can anyone actually measure a 420E on the integrated humidifier?
My DME was told the TOTAL height for the 420E is 3.7 inches WITH humidifier which is VERY different than the 6.6 inches I came up with elsewhere.

My DME's claim on dimensions WITH humidifier:
420E: 3.7x6.7x11 inches, 3.2 pounds total
S8: 4.6x6.7x8.3 inches , 4.4 pounds total

I have a feeling either machine will be a darn good setup, once they are both actually available as Autos.

My enthusiasm for this topic MIGHT back down now, since I am most likely locked into what I am getting for a few more years now. It will be a bit of comfort to have a backup machine.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 4:24 pm

WillSucceed wrote:

If I was selecting a new machine that was going to be my only machine, I don't know if I would take a risk on a brand new, may-still-have-some-bugs-to-work-out machine without something tried & true to fall back on.

That would be my feeling, too. It's not like the S8 will even save weight, as it's a bit heavier than the 420E...the "tried and true".

Personally, I like the flat shape of the 420E. Very easy to put the hand around when picking it up.

Thinking back on when I tried a ResMed Spirit, the balloon-ish domed top of the ResMed Spirit made it more awkward to pick up compared to, say, the rectangular flat top REMstar auto. Looks like ResMed continued that puffy domed top design in the S8.

UKnowWhatInSeattle · Post by **UKnowWhatInSeattle** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 6:23 pm

Snorque,

My 420e + H20 is 11" long, 6.4" wide, 4.7" tall according to my Teledyne Post engineer's scale. Measure twice, cut once. I don't have a No Springs Honest Weight scale to measure its weight, but them there's the dee-mentions. You're probably knitting a tea cozy for it, aren't you?

Jim

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 6:34 pm

The 420E, heater platform and tank weigh a little under 3.5 pounds. This does not include the power cords and the hose.

christinequilts · Post by **christinequilts** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:17 pm

rested gal wrote: Personally, I like the flat shape of the 420E. Very easy to put the hand around when picking it up.

Thinking back on when I tried a ResMed Spirit, the balloon-ish domed top of the ResMed Spirit made it more awkward to pick up compared to, say, the rectangular flat top REMstar auto. Looks like ResMed continued that puffy domed top design in the S8.

RG- I got to see/handle a S8 yesterday at my DME. It is so cute and tiny- it looks like a toy (Barbie Doll suitecase?) and literally can sit in the palm of your hand (of course anything looks small next to that hospital grade Quantum PSV/ST that weighed 25+ pounds I started with 2 years ago). There is a carry handle that pops up on top which is a nice touch but almost added to the toyishness to me. They didn't have a humidifier on on display so I don't know how it looks with that added. It wasn't very tall either- I could easily grab it with one hand.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 8:20 pm

rested gal wrote:Thinking back on when I tried a ResMed Spirit, the balloon-ish domed top of the ResMed Spirit made it more awkward to pick up compared to, say, the rectangular flat top REMstar auto. Looks like ResMed continued that puffy domed top design in the S8.

The main thing I like about the ResMed Spirit design while a bit odd at first is very practical. Both the S7 and the S8 have a built in carry handles unlike the Respironics Remstar which uses a slot for the fingers and the hand and it is not a very good grip for the machine. The ResMed designers does seems to approach things a little bit different and later find to be very practical and the user interface was very easy to get used in the long run and and less annoying that some of the other designs. The Puritan Bennett does have the advantage of being a brickl like in size.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 9:46 pm

It is so cute and tiny- it looks like a toy (Barbie Doll suitecase?)

LOL, christine! What a precious description! Love it! Your description, that is. Dunno about the machine since I luv autos. hehheh.

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 10:12 pm

Thanks for the ACTUAL measurement for the height of the 420E with humidifier, which oddly falls almost exactly between the two "estimated" heights.

I must admit it was a VERY tough decision to go with the tried and true PB420E versus the S8-A Barbie CPAP.

If my job/benefits situation was more stable, and the Auto-S8 was a bit more locked in on a sooner date, and the algorithms of the Auto-S8 were a bit more of a sure thing, I likely would have gone with the S8-A. If you look at the volume of the S8-A WITH humidifier compared to the 420E, it looks pretty darn good being a few inches shorter for the S8-A.

Also the noise thing is still an unknown. Both are RATED for 31 db. The 420E seems to be somewhat inconsistent on noise from machine to machine. The S8 CPAP has at least one report of being "dead silent" from a user, but then my original Remstar Pro straight CPAP was dead silent compared to my Remstar Auto noisy whiner, so the S8 is really not at all indicactive of the S8-A nioise level.

So I went with the Bird In the Hand. Maybe by my next machine they will have it all worked out.....

JudyAnn · Post by **JudyAnn** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:38 am

Does anyone know if this new S8 Auto by ResMed will have a heated hose?

Judy

S8 auto with humidifier VS PB420E w Humid.

S8 auto with humidifier VS PB420E w Humid.

weight comparison?

S8 vs 420E stats

Barbie's Playhouse CPAP