What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
fbrownstein
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What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

Post by fbrownstein » Mon Apr 24, 2023 12:46 pm

I do not do well without using cpap very night. Anybody have suggestions on a cpap battery to using for overnight flights to and from Europe. I have an Resmed s9 for travel which is small and compact without the humidifier.

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JOinPA
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Re: What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

Post by JOinPA » Mon Apr 24, 2023 6:53 pm

I don't know what the "best" CPAP battery is, but size counts for something, so the Medistrom batteries are very light, will work for a night (maybe two) but they are very expensive. About $340. Without heated humidifier and tubing many say it will go for 2 nights. Those come with chargers and cords for your CPAP machine.

I had a TalentCell LiFePO4 battery that I used for radio use, and ran my ResMed AirMini off of it for 3 nights and judging by the bars I had on the built in meter, I bet it would have run for a week, but it's also 7 lbs, so not so travel friendly. 24 AH. But I had to get a Noco Genius 2 charger and an attachment for a female 12v DC car cigarette lighter receptacle and a 12v DC charger for the AirMini. But with a 6AH LiFePO4 battery and those accessories you could get a workable solution for about half the price of a Medistrom.

The Medistrom is not a "better" battery, it's just lighter, sleeker, and has all the attachments you need to get a night or two out of your machine. Less sleek more parts, you could cobble something together that works just as well for half the price. It depends on how you define best. Sleek and small, or a little bulkier with more parts for less money. Both work well.

If you travel frequently I think the Medistrom wins on convenience. I know I could sleep for a week on my battery while camping without worrying about charging it. I don't need a battery for travel use much though, I just take the AirMini and run it off the wall outlet at hotels. If you want to use it on the flights, the Medistrom is likey your best bet.

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Initial diagnosis = severe, current stats (03/29/23): weight 220 lbs, Airsense 10 w/P10 & ClimateLineAir tubing, Climate and tube temp = Auto, Pressure min/max = 10-15, ramp = off, EPR = 1

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RogerSC
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Re: What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

Post by RogerSC » Mon Apr 24, 2023 7:17 pm

JOinPA wrote:
Mon Apr 24, 2023 6:53 pm
I had a TalentCell LiFePO4 battery that I used for radio use, and ran my ResMed AirMini off of it for 3 nights and judging by the bars I had on the built in meter, I bet it would have run for a week, but it's also 7 lbs, so not so travel friendly. 24 AH. But I had to get a Noco Genius 2 charger and an attachment for a female 12v DC car cigarette lighter receptacle and a 12v DC charger for the AirMini. But with a 6AH LiFePO4 battery and those accessories you could get a workable solution for about half the price of a Medistrom.
Which TalentCell LiFePO4 battery? Do you have a model number? Is it the TalentCell 12V 24Ah LiFePO4 Battery Pack LF4040, or a different one? There seem to be more than one of these available from TalentCell.

Thanks for suggestion.

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JOinPA
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Re: What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

Post by JOinPA » Tue Apr 25, 2023 5:00 am

This is my setup for volunteer radio work off-grid, and now that I've tested it, probably good for a week for camping. Too big and heavy for an airplane use. But I think LiFePO4 batteries are the way to go. Medistrom is not a special battery, per se, but the fact that it charges with many CPAP chargers and has the cable to plug into the CPAP unit make that particularly good for airplane travel. But I think any LiFePO4 battery will work with any CPAP machine if you have a female car adapter and the 12v adapter for your CPAP.

Yes, mine is the 24AH. Probably good for a week (at least 5 days) with the AirMini on a full charge. I suspect the 6AH batteries would be good for a couple days, maybe three.

Charger:
https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GENIUS2-Ful ... s9dHJ1ZQ==

Battery:
https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-Recha ... hsnus-%27t


This model is a nice in-between my big one and the Medistrom at $63 and has the handy little charge remaining gauge. You have to add one of those Noco Genius 2 Chargers, this does not have the charging circuitry built in like the Medistrom, but if you don't mind using the car plug thingy (maybe there is a power supply for the AirMini that plugs into one of this model's output ports, I don't know), but you'd still be well under half the price of a Medistrom. It's convenience/size vs price, but all these Chinese batteries are pretty high quality and work well.

https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-LiFeP ... 57&sr=1-20

P.S. Have to get to work, but a cursory search leads me to believe there is a cable that will plug into one of those 12v DC out ports in that smaller battery, eliminating the need for the car charger adapters. Would be a pretty good system.

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Initial diagnosis = severe, current stats (03/29/23): weight 220 lbs, Airsense 10 w/P10 & ClimateLineAir tubing, Climate and tube temp = Auto, Pressure min/max = 10-15, ramp = off, EPR = 1

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JOinPA
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Re: What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

Post by JOinPA » Sun May 07, 2023 5:06 pm

I am going to see how long I could camp with that big battery by using my AirMini this week.

I used to have a Medistrom, but it died after using it for 3 years as a UPS, and it's too expensive for that short lifespan, so I did not replace it. My thinking is it's very expensive because it provides the 24V output the CPAP needs with enough line conditioning that it works plugging the CPAP right into it.

I wanted to try something smaller and cheaper, though, so I got a 12V LiFEPO4 6AH battery, with the lighter socket female dongle for it here:

https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-LiFeP ... 13d670b6bc

and

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094XLP7ST?ps ... ct_details

Image
Image

I already had a 12V to 24V converter for the AirMini, here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW8T24GD?ps ... ct_details

Image

Those three items cost me about $113. I've found a converter like that for the AirSense 10 that has a DC5521 male connector instead of the cigarette lighter plug and would eliminate that connection and plug right into the batter, but I cannot find one for the AirMini.

Anyway, I got about 11.5 hours of running the AirMini on that rig, and for the price that's not bad. The Medistrom is $340, and much sleeker, but it's got a reputation for powering for "almost" 2 full nights, and there are a lot of reviewers who say it dies fairly quickly. Time it will power drops fast and at some point won't take a charger. I think the cheaper LiFePO4 batteries are a better value, unless you really need the sleek and lightweight battery to use on a plane.

I will experiment with this batter I used for radio work and see how long that will power, the AirMini. I'm betting about a full week. But it's definitely too heavy for use on a plane, or even on a motorcycle camping trip. For car camping, it will likely be great. I will report back how long I get on a charge. $129, but you do need the NoCo Genius 2 charger for it and the 12V/24V converter for the CPAP.

https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-Recha ... 109&sr=1-2

Image

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Initial diagnosis = severe, current stats (03/29/23): weight 220 lbs, Airsense 10 w/P10 & ClimateLineAir tubing, Climate and tube temp = Auto, Pressure min/max = 10-15, ramp = off, EPR = 1

Laos Film Director
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Re: What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

Post by Laos Film Director » Sun May 07, 2023 11:51 pm

fbrownstein wrote:
Mon Apr 24, 2023 12:46 pm
I do not do well without using cpap very night. Anybody have suggestions on a cpap battery to using for overnight flights to and from Europe. I have an Resmed s9 for travel which is small and compact without the humidifier.
I appreciate the useful info other people's replies. I reread your question and want to mention that most overnight flights to Europe should have an electrical outlet near the seat. You can plug in, no battery needed. If you are in doubt ask your airline.

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chunkyfrog
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Re: What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

Post by chunkyfrog » Mon May 08, 2023 9:26 pm

Laos Film Director wrote:
Sun May 07, 2023 11:51 pm
fbrownstein wrote:
Mon Apr 24, 2023 12:46 pm
I do not do well without using cpap very night. Anybody have suggestions on a cpap battery to using for overnight flights to and from Europe. I have an Resmed s9 for travel which is small and compact without the humidifier.
I appreciate the useful info other people's replies. I reread your question and want to mention that most overnight flights to Europe should have an electrical outlet near the seat. You can plug in, no battery needed. If you are in doubt ask your airline.
And many airlines get really bent if you use THEIR power to run a medical device.
It might have something to do with liability.
You can ask ahead of time---and get the answer in writing. (To rebuke uncooperative cabin crew)

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stevenal
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Re: What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

Post by stevenal » Wed May 10, 2023 1:16 pm

Two trips to Europe so far, and I've used the seat outlet for my CPAP on all four transatlantic legs. No bending occurred in my presence.
AirSence 10 Autoset, Dreamstation 2 backup, Swift FX, Z1 for travel.

zoomzoom
Posts: 134
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 7:39 pm

Re: What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

Post by zoomzoom » Tue Jul 11, 2023 5:43 pm

JOinPA wrote:
Sun May 07, 2023 5:06 pm
I am going to see how long I could camp with that big battery by using my AirMini this week.

I used to have a Medistrom, but it died after using it for 3 years as a UPS, and it's too expensive for that short lifespan, so I did not replace it. My thinking is it's very expensive because it provides the 24V output the CPAP needs with enough line conditioning that it works plugging the CPAP right into it.

I wanted to try something smaller and cheaper, though, so I got a 12V LiFEPO4 6AH battery, with the lighter socket female dongle for it here:

https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-LiFeP ... 13d670b6bc

and

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094XLP7ST?ps ... ct_details

Image
Image

I already had a 12V to 24V converter for the AirMini, here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW8T24GD?ps ... ct_details

Image

Those three items cost me about $113. I've found a converter like that for the AirSense 10 that has a DC5521 male connector instead of the cigarette lighter plug and would eliminate that connection and plug right into the batter, but I cannot find one for the AirMini.

Anyway, I got about 11.5 hours of running the AirMini on that rig, and for the price that's not bad. The Medistrom is $340, and much sleeker, but it's got a reputation for powering for "almost" 2 full nights, and there are a lot of reviewers who say it dies fairly quickly. Time it will power drops fast and at some point won't take a charger. I think the cheaper LiFePO4 batteries are a better value, unless you really need the sleek and lightweight battery to use on a plane.

I will experiment with this batter I used for radio work and see how long that will power, the AirMini. I'm betting about a full week. But it's definitely too heavy for use on a plane, or even on a motorcycle camping trip. For car camping, it will likely be great. I will report back how long I get on a charge. $129, but you do need the NoCo Genius 2 charger for it and the 12V/24V converter for the CPAP.

https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-Recha ... 109&sr=1-2

Image
Little confused--which cable would I need to buy for a resmed 10 to use with that battery pack?

hiker
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:34 pm

Re: What is the best CPAP Battery for Travel

Post by hiker » Tue Dec 05, 2023 1:12 pm

I think you need both cables to go with the first battery, the 2nd one he mentions what he would need but doesn't show the actual cables for it.

You need a cable that plugs into the battery, and the converter, the converter has a plug that fits that CPAP? If you cold find a converter with a plug for the battery and your CPAP that would be ideal.

It is confusing, I bought one battery did not use for awhile because I could not figure out how to use! I think allot of CPAPs make convertors that plug into car sockets , so you just have to wire (or in the first batteries case plug) your battery to a socket

I have this one but not as cheap per Amp (hour?) as that one, I use it on a different CPAP so not sure I could help with cables:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016B ... UTF8&psc=1