BEST Battery Back-up Option for

[DJSTEVEZ]

Hi. I just lost power for 1 night and couldn't use my CPAP. It was H E L L !!!
I have a PR System One REMstar AUTO 560 w/ Humidifier which I understand can be powered by DC directly.

In my research of the different product offerings I've seen a lot of talk about maximum efficiency coming from not needing to use a inverter/converter.
If I understand things correctly, using my CPAP machine utilizing DC directly qualifies as that.

Given this, what are the most optimal options for Battery Back-up systems for my CPAP machine?
I'm thinking I only need 2 nights 12 to 16 hours worth of use without a charge, inclusive of the humidifier but no heated hose.
The OmniCharge 20 (20400 mAh) seems like a decent option & a reasonable price at $249...especially given it's additional applications.

Thoughts? THANX! -Best, Steve

[Goofproof]

Most of what you need to know.
viewtopic/t114012/Choosing-a-Battery.html Jim

[CapnLoki]

...
Given this, what are the most optimal options for Battery Back-up systems for my CPAP machine?
I'm thinking I only need 2 nights 12 to 16 hours worth of use without a charge, inclusive of the humidifier but no heated hose.
The OmniCharge 20 (20400 mAh) seems like a decent option & a reasonable price at $249...especially given it's additional applications.
...

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the OmniCharge 20 would not be a good choice for you. The "20400 mAh" spec is bogus - the significant spec, buried on their web site, is 73 Watt-Hours, which is equivalent to 6 Amp-hours at 12 Volts. Your pump, without humidity, uses about 4 amp-hours a night at pressure 10, maybe 6 AH at 16. Unless you use very low pressure, you probably can't go two nights with that pack, even without humidity.

If you add humidity, the load at least doubles, and can be much higher depending on settings and ambient humidity. In other words, it would only last a few hours. And this is all assuming you use the 12V cord and not the power supply and inverter.

If you read the thread linked to in my signature, (and kindly provided by Goofproof) you'll find near the bottom of the first page (the 14th post?) a study of power usage for your machine with various humidifier settings. The post before that details my home backup system that provides 35 amp-hours (or more if you get a larger battery) for a bit over $100. The primary downside of this of system is that the battery is heavy, but this is not a problem for a home backup system.

[DJSTEVEZ]

Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.
You didn't bust my bubble, you saved me from making a mistake and wasting money.

I've read more than several of your posts. I admire your knowledge.
I think the system you've put together is awesome. I was looking for a consumer friendly, right out-of-the-box solution. Maybe something that served multiple purposes.
Is there anything you can recommend?
There's been some impressive posts on YouTube about the DieHard's Platinum Portable Power 1150. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z11arnAhw7M

Thank you for reading my post. I look forward to your suggestions. Best, -Stephen

[CapnLoki]

Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.
You didn't bust my bubble, you saved me from making a mistake and wasting money.

I've read more than several of your posts. I admire your knowledge.
I think the system you've put together is awesome. I was looking for a consumer friendly, right out-of-the-box solution. Maybe something that served multiple purposes.
Is there anything you can recommend?
There's been some impressive posts on YouTube about the DieHard's Platinum Portable Power 1150. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z11arnAhw7M

Thank you for reading my post. I look forward to your suggestions. Best, -Stephen

The problem is that jumpstarters like the Diehard have a battery like the AGM I recommend but only 18 to 22 amp-hours, or about half the power.

There is the Goal Zero Yeti 400 which has 33 Amp-hours for $450. Of course, when you open it up, you find the same battery that my system has for about 1/4 the price.
https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-Portab ... B00D5RVMAM

My approach has a few loose wires and no bells or whistles, but it does give you the basic bang for the buck!

[tonesss]

For what it’s worth, I have just spent 6 nights camping with my Airsense auto. This included running the humidifier albeit at a low level.
A little heavy and cumbersome, but I bought a 105 Amp hour battery and box and I used both a ResMed DC converter and also a 200 watt pure sine wave inverter. (3 nights each).
I tested the battery upon returning and was still full of charge.
Probably a little over kill for your needs, but it certainly adds a lot of versatility.


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[CapnLoki]

For what it’s worth, I have just spent 6 nights camping with my Airsense auto. This included running the humidifier albeit at a low level.
A little heavy and cumbersome, but I bought a 105 Amp hour battery and box and I used both a ResMed DC converter and also a 200 watt pure sine wave inverter. (3 nights each).
I tested the battery upon returning and was still full of charge.
Probably a little over kill for your needs, but it certainly adds a lot of versatility. ...

Sounds like you have a good solution for you. A few points - the drain on the battery for 6 night is at least 4 Amp-hours a night for the pump, plus a minimum of 2 AH just to heat the water to where it can begin to humidify (add 2 more for the lowest setting), plus any time using the inverter is adding some. So the total for six nights is probably around 30-50 amp-hours. So while the battery may have plenty of life, it is not quite "full." At half charge it may still be reading 12 volts.

The humidifier on newer machines senses the ambient relative humidity, so as the temperature falls at night towards the dew point (and thus the humidity goes up), the humidifier may not turn on at all.

[On the virge]

"I have a PR System One REMstar AUTO 560 w/ Humidifier which I understand can be powered by DC directly."

I have the same equipment. I use the POWERADD Pilot Pro battery for backup and travel. For me this works well because I discovered that I did not need the humidifier. After two years of using the system as acquired, I assumed I needed the humidifier. I removed the humidifier and gave it a try. To my surprise, I slept well. I get 2-3 nights on a full charge and I am satisfied. My wife, on the other hand, would prefer to sleep without her CPAP rather than sleep without the humidifier. So the question you have to ask yourself is "do you need the humidifier?"

Good luck.

[JeNeRonflePlus]

Hi there,
I read quite a few of your posts but I'm not sure I found what I need for my Resmed Air10 Elite.
I'm preparing a canoe-camping trip down a river (first time since I got my CPAP). I'm looking for a battery that would be light, compact, powerful enough for two 6 to 7 hour nights' sleep, preferably without overpaying for capacity and weight I won't need. I can sleep without the humidifier.
Would anyone have a suggestion ?

Thanks !

Danny

[CapnLoki]

I read quite a few of your posts but I'm not sure I found what I need for my Resmed Air10 Elite.
I'm preparing a canoe-camping trip down a river (first time since I got my CPAP). I'm looking for a battery that would be light, compact, powerful enough for two 6 to 7 hour nights' sleep, preferably without overpaying for capacity and weight I won't need. I can sleep without the humidifier.
Would anyone have a suggestion ?

It would help bit to know the pressure setting for your pump. Assuming "10" your pump will use about 5 Amp-hours a night, or 10 amp-hours for 2 8-hour nights. If you go with a basic, cheap AGM battery, you'll want a 14 amp-hour which should weigh about 9 pounds and cost under $40. If you actually sleep only 6-7 hours, you could push this to a 10 amp-hour battery you get it down to 6 pounds and under $30, understanding that the battery might die during the second morning and in fact might be damaged by running that low. At the price, you might consider it disposable.

You shouldn't need humidity if you're camping next to water, and you won't be able to carry a battery big enough to power a humidifier! You will need the 12-24 volt converter from ResMed. There is a third party version of the converter that weighs less (mentioned in a thread recently) - I can't vouch for it but it may be worth a try.

The alternative is a Lithium battery. These packs are listed in "watt-hours" - your need is a bit over 100 watt-hours which is the FAA limit so you might be able to get by with one targeting the overnight flight market - there have been several mentioned here for about $140 or less. The price is falling, so there could be good deals. You'll have to get a matching 12 volt "cigarette socket," and of course the ResMed converter. There is the risk of problems with the cpap - startup load can cause it to fail to start, or restart during the night, so make sure its tested.

The last option is a pack targeting cpaps (as sold by our sponsors and others). These should work fine, but the cost is higher, over $200 but I think you can get a matching light weight converter.

An AGM battery can be charged with any automobile charger - I like the BatteryTender line which starts at under $25 and comes with most of the cables. There might be a bit of work to put the right connectors on the terminal - any shop that does auto electrics could help. Most of the lithium packs will come with their own charger.