res med dc converter and insurance

Did we get off topic or what?

My insurance company told me that if it was determined to be a medical necessity it would be covered. Hower, in my case, it was not.

If you choose an inverter, you will be spending even more. You could directly connect to dc, prefer the few safeguards provided by the DC-12.

My insurance co. is being a pain in the butt about this too. They are VERY vague on their policy, saying they'll pay for $10,000 for CPAP equipment and supplies/lifetime. I asked "What supplies will you cover??" and they wouldn't give me a straight answer.. Eventually, I've narrowed it down to that they'll pay for 1 mask/year and 1 new hose a year.. but that's it. They won't pay for any sort of battery backup, disinfectant wipes, or new humidifer chambers. Ugh

There is nothing the RESMED converter does that any $25, 12v DC converter cable will not do. RESMED has thrown a wrench into running their machine by having the barrel connector operate on negative polarity. All the perfectly fine 12v converter cables that are reasonably priced will not work with the RESMED S8 models, as the others have positive polarity. I did contact one web based supplier of reasonably priced electronic supplies, and he wrote back that to modify the positive polarity connectors it could "...with some effort, be configured with a negative center output. It might take some shaving down of the connector to get it to fit in backwards." Who wants to do that? After researching I also found that you can get sealed lead 12V batteries that can be charged with DC or AC current for around $80 US. This is the same battery system that is $299 US and up from cpap manufactures. They are using the same universal battery (the cpap companies are not making batteries) - just use the RESMED battery guide PDF file (it's online) to determine the amp hours you need for your pressure and machine and then search the internet for suppliers of sealed lead 12v DC batteries for your needed amp hours. Ask the battery supplier for an outlet cable (cigarette lighter style) and cables to charge the battery from DC and AC sources.

tiber wrote:There is nothing the RESMED converter does that any $25, 12v DC converter cable will not do.

Wrong. This has been covered many times here already, go do some research!

tiber wrote: RESMED has thrown a wrench into running their machine by having the barrel connector operate on negative polarity.

Wrong. There is no convention for polarity on low voltage barrel connectors. Both cente + and centre - are widely used across low voltage DC powered devices on exactly the same type of barrel connectors.

tiber wrote:It might take some shaving down of the connector to get it to fit in backwards." Who wants to do that?

Wrong. There is no need to do that

In response to billbolton's points:

1) many 12v dc to dc converters will shut off to prevent the battery from being depleted when it is low. I know what you state the RESMED converter 'does' but please identify how many less expensive 12v converters do not do the same thing.

2) "Both cente + and centre - are widely used across low voltage DC powered devices on exactly the same type of barrel connectors" Your response suggests that there are any number of manufactures besides RESMED producing 12v dc to dc converters that will fit the S8 series machines. Please don't keep it a secret who they are.

3) Wrong? Well please pass the information along to the PhD and CEO of PowerStream Technology that he does not know his products.

Where I live in Canada the province lends machines to people diagnosed with sleep apnea. I was given a RESMED, but it could have been another. The province also sponsors four support sessions per year for people with sleep apnea. Recently it was about cpap technology and the presenter was head of RESMED sales for the Western region. He mocked an elderly lady in front of the crowd for being so silly as to not buy a RESMED HumidAir humidifier, which in Canada sell for over $300 dollars. It was this event, the price of auxiliary equipment and my lack of success in finding any alternative 12v power cable that has put me off this company. When I can save enough dimes and quarters I am going to return my lender machine to the province and buy a machine from a company of my choosing within the prices I want to spend.