PB 420e with HC150

rickbrown1 · Post by **rickbrown1** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:05 pm

Does anyone use these together? I was considering both together but read they aren't a good match. I wanted to quote why in this post but now can't find the site I read this on. Thanks.

J-Mac · Post by **J-Mac** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 2:40 am

Rick,

Can't do it, as far as I can tell. I was just looking to do the same thing when I realized that my Goodknight 420e has that weird little pilot tube that is required for the auto-adjusting feature. And the HC150 has no way to accommodate that pilot line.

Now I would imagine that it is possible to rig something together that would allow for connecting the pilot tubing by bypassing the humidifier with the small tubing, but it wouldn't be easy. And if you mess it up in any way then your auto-adjutments won't happen, making the machine into a regular CPAP machine. Not sure what pressure it would default to if it could not make any adjustments - probably the low end, which is 4 cm/H2O if you haven't set it higher. Or it might just swing up and down without control. I imagine you could get a piece of small tubing that size and run it from the pilot port on the machine and then somehow connect it to the pilot line inside the main tubing at the humidifier bowl outlet, but you'd have to drill a hole in the main tube and make sure it was sealed. Not necessarily safe, as if it wasn't sealed well it could lose pressure or let contaminants in. I wouldn't recommend trying it.

This is one of the disadvantages of this machine. Another is the fact that you are limited to the special tubing that is made for this machine - the one with the small pilot line running inside it. That tubing is always a few dollars more than the standard tubing. Plus, you are limited to just that type. If it's ever out of stock, you can't just say "Well give me the 6 foot tube instead of the 8 foot". You just have to wait for it.

I didn't realize this machine had a pilot line with a small tube inside the regular tube that's required for auto-adjusting when I purchased it. I was using a Respironics Remstar Auto with a heated humidifier and I bought this one for travel - I used to travel fairly often for work, and it was a pain to break down the Remstar each trip and then set it back up when I got home. Unfortunately I became disabled shortly after that and never even get out of the house, let alone travel. Plus there are other machines just as small available now that don't have that stupid pilot line!!

I have an HC150 heated humidifier that is completely wasted now, as I cannot use it with this machine. we'd have to buy the one made just for the GK 420e for $170. And it will be worthless with any other machine when you replace the 420e. I swear it's a racket!!

Jim

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:10 am

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the PB420 humidifier, in fact I really like it, like it better the M series. The machine sits nicely on top of it saving valuable space.

While the HC150 is a nice adjunct humidifier it is still not designed ideally, the hoses should come off with elbows instead of straight up.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:54 am

I use a 420E with the PB humidifier.

From looking at the hc150 pictures, I don't see why you you couldn't use it with a PB420.

All you need to make it feasible is a pressure sensor tube long enough to reach from your hose to the cpap. The PB uses this line to sense the pressure at the mask, so basically, the pressure sensor threads from you mask, out the hose and into the xpap. The line comes out of the a hole in the hose at the side where it connects to the humidifier, and has to be long enough to reach the PB machine.

You can do it in one of the following ways:

Set your PB xpap higher than the humidifier, so you have enough of the pressure sensor dangling out to connect it to the pressure nipple

Or get a longer sensor tube by:

1. Buying the pressure sensor line extension kit from cpap.com https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Purita ... n-Kit.html and using it to extend your sensor line if it's too short

or
2. Asking cpap.com of the they will sell you an 8 ft. long pressure sensor line

or
3. Buying an an 8 ft. long PB hose if you distrust the extension rig, pulling out the sensor line and placing it in you 6 ft. hose instead of the original.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/purita ... r-330.html

O,

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:45 am

I have used this combination for several years, Love it. Just grab the sensor line, and give it a tug.

the sensor line is just O2 tubing which is very cheap and you can add it yourself to most any hose. Use an ice pick or hot tip to create a hole, and pull the line thru. Done it many time, works like a champ.

rickbrown1 · Post by **rickbrown1** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 1:36 pm

Thank you all so much for that information. Now i understand clearly what the issues are and what options I have. Rick

rickbrown1 · Post by **rickbrown1** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:34 am

Followup - I received the HC150 and 420E yesterday (bought them from private parties, 420e only has 16 hours on it). Programmed it as CPAP til I order the Silverlining software (is $99 about the best price including cable?).

The small hose end can be hooked up to the CPAP with the large hose end connected to the humifdifier if the units are placed close to each other. The small hose sticks out of the large one several inches. The small hose must be hooked up or the CPAP errors. I thought I'd be able to run it with standard hose in CPAP mode and just not get the small hose reading, but not the case as far as I can tell.

So I had a much better nights sleep with heated humidifier. It was wonderful except for the rainout - I got 6 hours without waking. But I don't know if that's what woke me - just a slight single gurgle sound with each breath. So I've been reading threads about it. Doesn't seem to be a foolproof solution - or i haven't found it yet.

Rick

tangents · Post by **tangents** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:21 am

Hi Rick,

Rainout has too many variables for there to be one cure-all. Read up, and experiment for yourself. Insulating the hose with fleece is the most popular way, I think. It works for me - I use two layers of fleece for the winter.

I Hope the 420e works out for you. I've been using mine since May 2007, and I really like it. The Silverlining software is really easy to use, too. I bought an extra long phone cord and leave it plugged into my 420e, and leave the cord that comes with the software plugged into my computer. An inexpensive adapter mates the two cords for a quick and easy download.

Good luck,
Cathy

J-Mac · Post by **J-Mac** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 12:53 pm

tangents wrote:...The Silverlining software is really easy to use, too....

Yikes! I am really feeling stupid now!! I had a lot of difficulty with Silverlining. Mostly because - I think - I'm somewhat spoiled with the Respironics Encore Pro software. Encore Pro (I have the full Pro package from when they sold it here; before they had to switch to just the Viewer software).

Encore doesn't require much in the way of setup; it easily spits out very detailed reports without me having had to really do much to it at all. Very graphical in its presentation.

Silverlining, while probably not overly difficult, did look like it would take some significant configuration to get it to put out reports I would use. I did order the GK 420e as primarily a travel machine, I admit, and the for first year or so I had it was only used about a dozen nights while I was on the road. Then, when I became fully disabled I found that I was not sleeping well - only about 3 - 4 hrs a night - and I needed to take short naps during the day. But getting back to the second floor to nap was very painful and so I broke out the GK 420e to use on the first floor when I really needed to nap during the day; I was not using it for overnight sleeping at all.

So because of the specialized usage the GK was getting, I never took the time necessary to learn to use the SL software.

Recently, though, when my Respironics Auto started acting up I switched to the GK full-time, and now I wish I HAD taken the time to learn how to use the software! (Though I still like the Encore reports more than any others I have seen!)

Jim

tangents · Post by **tangents** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:05 pm

Jim - Check your PM's
Cathy

J-Mac · Post by **J-Mac** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:36 pm

tangents wrote:Jim - Check your PM's
Cathy

Thank you. I replied.

Jim