Machine ate my card!!!

[btesterman]

I have a Resmed S8 Series II. Tuesday I had an early morning appt. with my pulmonologist and without my contacts in (major mistake right there!!!) stuck my card in to get data to take in. Unfortunately, I stuck the card in the wrong slot, the card disappeared (!!!!!) and now the machine won't work. I presume at this point I'll have to send it in to the company to be opened and the card retrieved. Any suggestions before I do that?

[LSAT]

I don't understand. The S8 II only has one slot for cards and the card only goes in 3/4 of the way and stops. Are you using the correct card?

[khauser]

I have a Resmed S8 Series II. Tuesday I had an early morning appt. with my pulmonologist and without my contacts in (major mistake right there!!!) stuck my card in to get data to take in. Unfortunately, I stuck the card in the wrong slot, the card disappeared (!!!!!) and now the machine won't work. I presume at this point I'll have to send it in to the company to be opened and the card retrieved. Any suggestions before I do that?

Ouch.
The only recommended practice would be to do as you said. But if it were me (and mind you, I regularly take things apart to fix them) I would just open it up, fish out the card, make sure everything was connected and put it back together. If you don't have such skills, perhaps you know someone that does?

It's not going to change the cost of fixing the machine, and given the age of your machine I would suggest you replace it anyway.

[btesterman]

Yes, the machine is not new but I love it and ordinarily, it works great. (I did get a new Wisp mask which is sooooo much more comfortable) Where you put the card has a top and bottom section. I stuck it into the bottom, not top. I will put tape over the bottom part of the "slot" so I don't do this trick again. To get into the screws you need a special very long type screwdriver. My husband is at a tool place right now hunting for something that will work. Otherwise, taking it to the local American Home Patient for them to look at. You know it will be $$$$ just to walk in the door. Ugh, ugh, ugh!!! Stupidity reigns!! Well, husband got the screwdriver but it still won't open - something "hidden" holding it...... Wish us luck!!!!

[LSAT]

I'm still confused. Here is a picture of the Resmed S8...Only one card slot.
http://www.resmed.com/us/products/s8_el ... s&sec=true

[torontoCPAPguy]

LSAT, you are going to have to indulge us here. The S8 is a pain in the arse. I still have one and two S9 Auto's. The problem with the S8 is that there is a space on many between the SD ramcard slot and the shell of the unit. I popped my SD card right into the space myself first time I tried to pop it in before bed in the dark.

If you are good with a screwdriver, just haul out the screws, pop off the shell and recover your card. That's what I did. That was years ago and the unit still works fine. The S9 was bought because it is dead quiet.

[archangle]

Yet another reason we should all keep an eye out for a good used machine of the lastest and greatest version when our machine is working.

The new S9 machines have a lot of advantages over the S8. You might want to consider getting an S9 AutoSet or Elite instead of spending a bunch of money fixing the old one.

[Julie]

Autoset yes, Elite no - it only does compliance data apparently.

[billbolton]

Elite no - it only does compliance data apparently.

That would be the "Escape" model. not the "Eiite" model which does indeed provide a wide range of data

Cheers,

Bill

[torontoCPAPguy]

Truth is.... the only thing I can presently think of in terms of major advantages of S9 over S8 is that the S9 series is dead quiet. I got a heated hose and humidifier with mine which I rarely use unless I have a chest cold. Also, you can use a smaller diameter hose with the S9 and it adjusts for the smaller hose vis. a vis. pressure presented.

I kept one of my S8's and it still percolates like a charm. Built in handle for carrying. Built in power supply. Never travel with humidifier so I just stick it in my carry-on marked as medical equipment/life support and they never bother me at the airports. And the S8's are built like a brick.

FWIW.

[btesterman]

I did indeed get the new Resmed S9 as when the old machine was opened up and the card retrieved it would not start up again. I got a rental but new one is being delivered this morning. I had to fight with the DME insurance lady however. My Medicare has been met but not my high deductible secondary (which I will leave as soon as open enrollment starts this month). She wanted me to pay immediately the amount that the secondary wasn't covering plus a monthly rental fee. She couldn't understand that if Medicare pays 80% and I paid the remaining 20% out of pocket I should not have to pay any more. She finally said, "Oh, they have it wrong." So, I am now paying a monthly rental but no 20% out of pocket. IMO someone who does insurance for DME knows exactly the story and was hoping to get lunch money from me. HATE DMEs!!!!!-

As for how the card got inside the machine - I'm embarrassed to tell you. I got up, no contacts in and thought that I'd better stick in my card while I was thinking about (had a 9:00 appt). For some unknown reason (most likely stupidity) I took the cover off the card slot. The card wouldn't go in the top where it is supposed to go (probably at the wrong angle) so, thinking I had it in the wrong slot, I put it underneath. Goodbye card!! I notice the new machine does not open up where the card goes so no chance of me doing it again.

[torontoCPAPguy]

Sorry but it is hard to believe that a PLASTIC chip falling inside would trash the unit. I trust that they left you with the 'trashed unit' as something is just not right here. Have someone that is a tinkerer open it up and reassemble it. There are a few things that can be done to give it a try. Can't imagine why a piece of plastic falling inside would trash it as when I had to open mine up I saw nothing that would kill the machine .... I simply retrieved the plastic chip and put it back together. And it worked straight away. I am thinking that the cover may have a safety interlock that you did not properly engage or something. Oh well.

[archangle]

Sorry but it is hard to believe that a PLASTIC chip falling inside would trash the unit. I trust that they left you with the 'trashed unit' as something is just not right here. Have someone that is a tinkerer open it up and reassemble it. There are a few things that can be done to give it a try. Can't imagine why a piece of plastic falling inside would trash it as when I had to open mine up I saw nothing that would kill the machine .... I simply retrieved the plastic chip and put it back together. And it worked straight away. I am thinking that the cover may have a safety interlock that you did not properly engage or something. Oh well.

S8's have a smart card, not an SD card. There are large metal contacts on the surface that could easily short out something if it lands on a circuit board or exposed leads.