Second Machine Advice

I'm exploring the idea of having an extra machine, to set up in the guest room for nights when I'm having trouble sleeping (so I'm not bothering my wife).

It looks like CPAP.com has the slightly updated PRS1 Pro model I'm used to, with humidifier, for a great sale price right now (not much more than a used machine with humidifier from another source I checked into). I'm wondering if I should choose that, or get a different brand just to try something different. Whatever I choose, I want to load the data into Sleepyhead so I can see how I'm doing.

What do you do on nights when you wake and can't go back to sleep right away? Did you choose to get a machine for another room?

It has been a while since I've posted, but I've been here since 2010. By the way, my machine needs are basic. I like quiet. I like to see my data. I don't need CFLEX or heated tubes, just straight CPAP pressure and humidifier set to low. I'm getting good low (or zero) AHI with that set up, although my breath waveforms are not as rounded as might be ideal.

-- SleepyCPAP

SleepyHead works well on both the 450 and 460 models...the 460 is the 60 series model with the heated hose option (along with a couple of other added options) but you need the special patch file to make SleepyHead work with the 60 series machine.

Patch explained here with link to download
viewtopic/t83551/SleepyHead-Series-60-Patch-Avail.html

Thanks Pugsy,
The model that is so inexpensive right now (humidifier included for free) is the older DS450SAutoIQ. That's still an upgrade from my DS450, but the water chambers are still interchangeable so my replacement supplies from DME would not need to change. I would set it to straight CPAP. The Model 60 you mention ends up costing more, and it looks like the water chambers are different. I don't feel I need the heated tube that the 60-series provides, so going with the older model to have a second machine seems o.k. for my needs.

I wonder if Sleepyhead can add the two machines' results on a single night if I load both data cards? So if I start in my bed with one machine, but later move to the guest bed with the other machine will it put it all together? Hmm... I'm way way past compliance checking, so it is not critical, but sometimes I do print a report for my doctor just to show how I'm doing.

SleepyCPAP

Yes Sleepyhead add the data from different cards to the same user. I even mixed S9 and PR1.

I'm a princess I used to have a PR1 550, then I tried the S9 (it toke more than one month to get used to it). Then when I tried again the PR1 I was so miserable unable to sleep with that

If you are like me the kind of person who feels EVERYTHING I suggest you to have 2 machines the same model. I ended up selling the PR1 and bought a second S9. Before that I had 2 PR1 for a while.

Rosie

SleepyCPAP wrote:I wonder if Sleepyhead can add the two machines' results on a single night if I load both data cards? So if I start in my bed with one machine, but later move to the guest bed with the other machine will it put it all together?

2 different machines 2 different nights is not a problem in SleepyHead but I have had problems when trying to have data from 2 machines within the same night.
If that happens just create a new user profile for the second machine.
SH wouldn't let me import data for same night from 2 machines. I got an error message that there was already data for so and so date.

Now different nights..yeah SleepyHead won't care but for 2 machine in the same date...I don't think it will work.

Thank you for the responses.

Rosie, one reason why I use straight pressure (not even CFLEX anymore) is because I don't want any changes disrupting my sleep. I suspect APAP would bother me. Will I get used to slight variations of main room CPAP and guest room CPAP no matter which brand or model? I'm guessing the differences will be no problem, assuming similar masks, because the pressure remains constant.

Pugsy, I see in another posting that the autoIQ function can be reset, but that you've heard this can be done only 5 times. I reset my current PRS1 Pro to zero every night, so that the on-screen display can show me "how I did last night" on the screen (instead of "how I did this week and this month"). I'm not likely to use autoIQ, but I'd hate to have it disabled after just five nights of my reset-to-zero routine, or to not have the reset feature available in the future (I guess if I never use it there would be 30 days, but no resets). Who would know more about this?

-- SleepyCPAP

SleepyCPAP wrote:Pugsy, I see in another posting that the autoIQ function can be reset, but that you've heard this can be done only 5 times. I reset my current PRS1 Pro to zero every night, so that the on-screen display can show me "how I did last night" on the screen (instead of "how I did this week and this month"). I'm not likely to use autoIQ, but I'd hate to have it disabled after just five nights of my reset-to-zero routine, or to not have the reset feature available in the future (I guess if I never use it there would be 30 days, but no resets). Who would know more about this?

The Auto IQ machine is different from the 460 model PR S1 Pro.

The 5 times thing was told to me by a model 460 user. He said it was included in his paperwork. I have never seen any such documentation in the manuals but the 60 series manuals may have been updated to include this and the manuals I have seen are older.

The Auto IQ machine is the model 450 with the apap trial for 30 days thing that I thought there was not any time limitation to but just a couple of weeks ago I had occasion to try to help someone with that model and we realized that he wasn't the first user of the machine (he got it last August) because there was several months worth of data on the SD card and the machine prior to when he got the machine. When he attempted to do the reset feature (obviously hadn't been done prior to his getting the machine or we wouldn't have seen the old stuff on the reports) he got the AHI successfully reset to 0 but the days for APAP trial which normally would stay 30 days after a reset, stayed at 0. This was the first (and only time) that I heard of the apap trial mode not resetting. But it definitely happened to this guy.

So I don't know for sure if his machine malfunctioned or the 30 day thing has some sort of limit on it.
I know that when the Auto IQ first came out we had several forum members using it and resetting it every 30 days without issue. Those members are no longer active on the forum so I don't know if they still are doing the reset thing with success or not.

Did Respironics get wind of what we were doing and build in some sort of limitation feature in later models? I don't know.
It wouldn't surprise me but I have no proof. All I have is one person who wasn't able to do it.

You can check your machine to see if you still have apap trial of 30 days available to you..doesn't mean you have to use it.
Just switch it over to see what it says.

Other than Respironics tech I don't know of anyone who would know for sure what all is involved with the Auto IQ.
They aren't likely going to offer much help to the patient (they never have in the past).

I don't know what type of insurance you have, but you may be close to a replacement. I was originally prescribed a brick : S8 Escape. When My doc prescribed the S9 Autoset, my S8 became my back up. I have a couple years until replacement, but if I was going to buy a backup, I would check out secondwind.com. They have some gently used machines and the prices seem to be reasonable.

Sheriff

Update: I went ahead and bought a new PR 60 series "Pro" CPAP (DS460TS) with the heated hose humidifier. The purchase process was a pleasure with our hosts at CPAP.com, as always. I've used it for just a couple hours to try it out, sticking with my trusty PRS1 Pro as the main machine. I think the new 60-series is a little quieter, and I wonder if the new filter area changes make it that way (the filter no longer gets limited to the small hole, as there is a ridge to lift it around its full perimeter). The only downside is that the DC cord does not match up, if I want to run on battery during power outages. I will get around to a new cord some day, but there is no rush since my old machine is fine on battery.

Pugsy: the new machine has firmware version 3.02 and so it shows the daily numbers (along with the 7-day and 30-day). That means I don't have to worry about messing with resets each day! I may never use the heated hose, but having that daily data on the screen is worth the "newest and best" purchase to me.

Sherrif: good suggestion for used and open-box returns. I did go look at the site. I got a very good deal through CPAP.com for the new machine though. I paid for it on my own as I calculate the insurance out-of-pocket would be significant on my plan anyway, and I had a bad experience with a local DME when I first started this process trying to do it through insurance years ago (and I was not going to be able to chose my machine either). This CPAP discussion community was a huge help in my decision to walk away from that situation.

-- SleepyCPAP

SleepyCPAP wrote:Pugsy: the new machine has firmware version 3.02 and so it shows the daily numbers (along with the 7-day and 30-day). That means I don't have to worry about messing with resets each day! I may never use the heated hose, but having that daily data on the screen is worth the "newest and best" purchase to me.

Last night I wished I had used my heated hose machine... Temps dropped last night and right now it is window open weather so I had a bit of rain out with my PR S1 750 machine that I have been using lately. Very minor amount though so not a huge negative. I used to have a stand alone heated hose that I used with the 750 but I sold it because I didn't think I would ever need it. Guess I was wrong.

It's good you got the newer firmware so that you can see the daily daily quickly on the machine and not have to do anything to get it. That way no chance of losing the APAP trial ability if you should ever want to use it at some later time.
To my understanding a person gets 5 resets that offer 30 days each of APAP mode. So that's 150 nights of APAP mode by using the reset feature. Should be more than you ever need since you prefer cpap mode anyway.

I also think that the 60 series may be a little more quiet. Funny that you mention different filter placement. You know I have a 660 machine and it has the same sort of filter placement as the 750 machine so it appears that they have changed some features on the even newer machines. I think my 660 is just a bit more quiet than the 750...not that the 750 was loud though. So it appears that they continue to make minor changes to improve function a bit.