There goes my Everest 2 ....

[Dazed and Confused]

"CPAPs or BiPAPs requiring inverters reduce the power time even more."

What does this phrase mean to you?

Here's another site:

Use of a sine wave inverter, DC converter or heated humidification will reduce the expected run time.
http://www.batterypowersolutions.net/Our_Products.shtml

and another...

** When an inverter is included in series with the battery and the machine, battery life time will be reduced by approximately 1/2 due to power usage by the inverter itself.
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machine/resme ... er-options

[archangle]

"CPAPs or BiPAPs requiring inverters reduce the power time even more."

What does this phrase mean to you?

and another...

** When an inverter is included in series with the battery and the machine, battery life time will be reduced by approximately 1/2 due to power usage by the inverter itself.
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machine/resme ... er-options

That's not the statements you quoted earlier.

The DC-DC converter is not an inverter. The above two statements are comparing running a CPAP using an inverter and a DC-AC power supply to directly powering a CPAP from DC. It's converting DC to AC, then AC back to DC with two separate devices.

Use of a sine wave inverter, DC converter or heated humidification will reduce the expected run time.
http://www.batterypowersolutions.net/Our_Products.shtml

That statement does sort of say what you're saying, but the part about DC converters makes no sense. Reduced run time compared to what? It's comparing running an S9 through the DC-DC converter to running the S9 on what?

More relevant would be the DC current draw of the S9 on its converter vs. the IntelliPAP on its DC cable. Different machines may draw drastically different amounts of power. My S9 appears to draw about 10W without humidifier, and about 30W with humidifier. ResMed publishes the current consumption of their CPAP machines including the DC-DC converter. You can check it out and see how long it will run with a particular battery. Find the same data for your IntelliPAP and compare.

If you look at cpap.com at this page, https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... -pack.html, you get about the same lifetime for an S9 vs. IntelliPAP at the same pressure on that battery. I tried 14.

The DC-DC converter will have some efficiency factor. I wouldn't be surprised if it was 90% or better. That would cost you about 10% of your battery life vs. a theoretical "straight DC" connection.

The S9 converter does cost more than the cable for the IntelliPAP or the PRS1 machines.

However, you've already bought your CPAP, haven't you? I hope you have good luck with it.

[Dazed and Confused]

[quote="Dazed and Confused"]@archangle -

Estimated Run Times. Please see the "Machine Pressure and Battery Performance" feature below to estimate the battery run time for your machine at your pressure setting. Using a heated humidifier on a 12volt battery power source will significantly reduce the amount of power provided. In most cases, usage is reduced to less than half the estimated operational time. CPAPs or BiPAPs requiring inverters reduce the power time even more.

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machine/CPAP. ... lipap.html

The battery you linked weighs 13lbs. The one I bought weighs 2.5lbs. I could carry almost 5 times the batteries to equal the same weight = aprox 65.5 hours of use.
26lbs (2 Resperionics batteries) will producedaprox: 55.62 hours of use.

With the s9 Autoset the website calculator produces this info:
25.61 hrs (Battery Weight 12 Lbs.) *
* These times are estimates, we do not guarantee hours of operation
** When an inverter is included in series with the battery and the machine, battery life time will be reduced by approximately 1/2 due to power usage by the inverter itself.

Same battery with Intellipap Auto the website calculator produces this info:
Respironics Battery Pack 27.81 hrs (Battery Weight 12 Lbs.) *
CPAP.com Battery Pack 13.11 hrs (Battery Weight 2.5 Lbs.) *
* These times are estimates, we do not guarantee hours of operation
** When an inverter is included in series with the battery and the machine, battery life time will be reduced by approximately 1/2 due to power usage by the inverter itself.

The s9 requires a different quality of power:
The DC Converter 24V/90W For S9 Machines is required to use the following machines with DC power directly from a battery:
S9 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine

Intellipap Auto:
Electrical Requirements 100 - 240 AC, 12volt DC

Inverter or converter - I believe both will lower the utility of a battery. I could be wrong. Please provide factual information to correct me if you have it.

-----------------------------------------

Just spoke with CPAP.com.

The battery for the s9 is actually 13lbs.
An inverter is used to power the lithium ion battery from an automobile. This is less efficient when compared with AC charging by aprox. 50%
The inverter is also used if one uses the humidifier (Intellipap - I didn't ask on the s9) reducing battery utility by aprox 50%
The DC converter will lower utility hours of use in the battery, though not as much as an inverter.
CPAP.com (apparently) does not have a smaller (2.5lb) battery for the s9

-----------------------------------------

Spoke with CPAP again to clarify. The called Intellipap too to make sure.
No inverter is required to run their machine with the humidifier - though the energy used heating the water will cut into the time of the charge.

[Dazed and Confused]

Thought I'd follow up after my first night with the Intellipap.

The machine is slightly larger in volume compared with my Everest 2. But has no power brick, which is nice.
The reservoir seems to hold more water, and has twice the heat settings - this is a plus.
Very little condensation (rainout) with humidifier set @ 3 room temp about 64º.

Operation very simple, (I used straight CPAP to start) just put the mask on and breathe.
I also added a chin strap, which felt more constraining, but kept my nasal mask in place better.

The machine is DEAD quiet. It operates so unobtrusively I awoke several times thinking it was not running - but it was.
The relief on exhale is so sweet, it may even wear me out less, provide better sleep
I awoke with a clearer head. Not completely refreshed, but very encouraging! (Light at end of tunnel )
I'm excited, and looking forward to sleep and life ahead. Wish I had bought this unit years ago! What a waste of my life

I'll add more to this as it becomes apparent. Maybe it will help others.

btw - Couldn't be happier with CPAP.com . First rate company!

[Slartybartfast]

"Friends don't let friends by crappy CPAP machines."

Glad the Intellipap works for you. I like mine a lot, and given the price difference between a cruddy machine and the Intellipap, and the Intellipap and the top-tier machines, I think DeVilbiss has priced their machine very reasonably. Lots of features for your money and more customizable than any other machine that I know of.

Now that you've slept on it, you didn't mention it, but something that bugged me was the way it was set up right out of the box. The i-rounding and e-rounding settings can be changed to give a smoother transition between exhale and inhale. As it comes from the manufacturer, I think each is set to zero, which made the inhale-exhale transition pretty sharp and mechanical feeling. I adjusted both the I-rounding (inspiration) and e-rounding (expiration) to "3" and that did the trick for me.

And you mentioned relief on exhale. Don't know whether your old machine had expiratory pressure relief. If it didn't you're in for a treat. The EPR can be set to either 1, 2, or 3, corresponding to a pressure reduction of 1, 2, or 3 inches of water while you exhale. That makes it feel much less like you're blowing up balloons. Since you're already accustomed to an older, simpler machine, maybe it's not an issue.

[Burkebang]

It's very nice to hear that you are so satisfied and that it's working so well for you

Now, to REALLY blow your mind, try these settings:
Mode to Autoadjust, max pressure to 15, min pressure to 5, Smartflex to 3, I and E round to 3.

I think you'll love it and get the best therapy you have ever had

Be sure to post your grapfs, we love looking at graphs

[Dazed and Confused]

It's very nice to hear that you are so satisfied and that it's working so well for you

Now, to REALLY blow your mind, try these settings:
Mode to Autoadjust, max pressure to 15, min pressure to 5, Smartflex to 3, I and E round to 3.

I think you'll love it and get the best therapy you have ever had

Be sure to post your grapfs, we love looking at graphs

Thank you, Burkebang.

I'll consider those settings. My regular setting is only 8. Will 15 max be useful for me?
Also one downside, I'd like to see a slightly better manual with the machine. But I'll fool around with it.
Don't expect any graphs for awhile. After I'm feeling better I have a lot of personal things that need attention

[Burkebang]

Since your pressure requirements is only 8, it really makes no difference what your max pressure is. The machine will never go higher than what you actually need. The Autoadjust algorithm is extremely good that way, it's FAR less "hyper" than Resmed and Respironics algorithms. I have my Intellipap set to a max pressure of 20 and looking at the graphs I was seldom over 8 and the highest I can remember seeing was 13, but that was after a very wet night on the pub

On the other hand, if you are having apneas that aren't controlled at 8, the settings I suggest will let you know about it and treat it, so chances are that you'll be feeling EVEN better because of that also.

With your low pressure requirement, a min pressure of 5 is a good place to start and with the Smartflex and roundings set to max, I can promise you the most comfortable and best nights sleep you ever had on CPAP.

I'm a bit jealous of you, because my hospital does not support Devilbiss machines, I'm stuck with Resmed or Respironics machines. The Respironics is ok, but I certainly get the best sleep with my own IntelliPAP.

[Dazed and Confused]

I had a feeling, the auto technology would reign in the pressure to the required amount. Setting a bit higher makes sense - allowing the machine to decide, providing useful data.

If you know anything about the (criminal) US healthcare system, you'll understand that without insurance, I'm on my own. I paid for both my machines out of pocket. More than that, the past three sleep doctors I've seen (the last in 2011) are crap. The last doctor should have recommended a system like this. Instead, when his theory didn't work out, he gave up. I need to write some nice reviews for his practice online.

The amount of feedback and user accessible adjustments really allows us to take care of ourselves in many cases.

Take care, and thank you again!

[Burkebang]

I know enough about the US healthcare system to sympathise deeply. I cannot understand why the US people elect people to govern them that supports a system which gives the best healthcare in the world to the rich and little or no healthcare to the poor and those that need it most. It's ludicrous to me to allow insurance companys to decide who gets treated and who don't, and by that also decide who lives and who dies. An insurance company is only interested in making a buck, so that means they want to get as much money as possible in and pay out as little as possible. That's fine for insuring cars, houses, businesses etc. but it's not the way I would want it when it comes to my health.
I am definatly no socialist politically, but socialised medisin, as in Norway, the UK and most of Europe, is clearly the system that is the most fair and guarantees everybody the right to proper healthcare when we need it. That's very well worth the extra taxes we pay. To see the difference, Michael Moores movie Sicko is well worth a look:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386032/
My fathers uncle went to the US on hollyday many years ago, while there, he had a heart attack. It required immeadiate open chest surgery to survive. He had not bothered getting travel insurance and lost his cabin by the sea and his car and very nearly his house paying the hospital bill.
Sorry for the rant, but as I say, I sympathise deeply. I know it's really not my place to criticise other peoples choices and systems. But I hope I'm allowed to have and voice an oppinion.

Thankfully streight and uncomplicated OSA, as it appears that we both have, can be very successfully treated by ourselves. Automatic machines also lets us see how we are doing from the data and the machine, if not strangled by too narrow pressure ranges, will adapt the treatment as our needs changes. That can save us having to get more sleep studys and treats us better than streight CPAP can.

[Guest]

Burkebang, I value your opinion, and completely agree. I lost a brother (@56 yo) because of no national healthcare. The problem here, many Americans are ignorant, stupid, and easily lead emotionally by large PR campaigns paid for by lobby groups of these large industries (not just health care). They associate healthcare, clean environment or just about anything which gets in the way of their profits with anti-Americanism. Dumb Americans swallow it every time - those that vote anyway.
I'd like to put these CEOs on a small melting iceberg in the middle of the ocean

This interview about war can be used to explain almost any issue:

Göring: Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship.


Gilbert: There is one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars.


Göring: Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.

Thanks for all the great help and info on the machine. I'm looking forward to being a better functioning person again