Underwhelmed by Spo 7500 oximeter

MrGrumpy · Post by **MrGrumpy** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:54 am

I got my Spo 7500 pulse oximeter with USB cable and software today. I hate to say, I am disappointed in the quality. The construction is shoddy IMO, its delicate...the cord could easily pull out of the socket and Im rough with stuff. I can see me breaking this thing real easily.

Its really cheaply made, I mean really cheap. Looks almost like a toy to me. I would say it will get the job done...for a while til I break it. My DME contact who is a technie on OSA and respiratory equipment told me beforehand that he doesnt like Spo because they break. I can see now what he was talking about.

I dont see where these people are getting off on charging people $499 for this piece of crap. Id say its more worth, oh around maybe $200, at max $250 and thats WITH software and USB. Im sorry, the construction of the cord from the oximter to the index finger thing just doesnt cut it for me. Can you say SHODDY?

Im thinking of returning this thing and going with a Nonin...costs twice as much but probably better construction and will last a lot longer.

Eric

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:05 am

I think you're right, Eric. It's probably best for you to spend twice as much.....send that puppy back.

Gerald

MrGrumpy · Post by **MrGrumpy** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:43 pm

Gerald wrote:I think you're right, Eric. It's probably best for you to spend twice as much.....send that puppy back.

Gerald

The Spo software is really good though...very user friendly. The software is just plain cool. Its just the cord from the oximeter on the wrist to the finger is delicate looking...looks like it could be very easily pulled out or damaged.

Darn...

Hmmmm what should I do? Keep it and be careful or swap it for a Nonin?

Eric

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:51 pm

Well, I used my SPO 7500 for more than 30 nights straight, in a row, no skipped nights and it did just fine. JSkinner used one for quite some time, I believe many nights in a row. (I only use mine occasionally now that I'm on 02 in addition to my CPAP).

Dang! Come to think of it, I SHOULD have used it the last few nights before my bi-level arrived! And then wear it again a few nights w/the bi-level. Now WHY didn't I think of that until now??? Duh! I swear if I had half a brain it would be lonesome.

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:53 pm

Eric.......Since you aren't sure what to do, a "scientific" test might be in order.

You could rig a fish weighing scale to determine just exactly how much force is required to pull the cable out of the wrist unit.....and then run a similar test to see how much force is required to pull the cable out of the finger-cup.

This would be information we'd all like to see.......and then after all "destructive testing" is complete, you could then purchase the high-priced gear.

Gerald

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:59 pm

Gads! DON'T go giving MrGrumpy any ideas!!! My first SPO 7500, the original model not this newer, better one, had the darnedest hard to use On/Off button. And I managed to break it. Heck, what do you expect? I had to use a ball point pen tip to press it On or Off.

SPO was GREAT about replacing it! Despite I was truthful about how I broke it. And Turner Medical told me if SPO didn't replace it, they would. I can't speak highly enough of either company. Eric at SPO support was great about the software questions too.

mbrown · Post by **mbrown** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:32 pm

Will insurance pay for a SPO 7500? I would like to have one to use occasionally with my APAP. What is the going price for this unit?

deerslayer · Post by **deerslayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:45 pm

Gerald wrote:Eric.......Since you aren't sure what to do, a "scientific" test might be in order.

You could rig a fish weighing scale to determine just exactly how much force is required to pull the cable out of the wrist unit.....and then run a similar test to see how much force is required to pull the cable out of the finger-cup.

This would be information we'd all like to see.......and then after all "destructive testing" is complete, you could then purchase the high-priced gear.

Gerald

sounds like a job for those twits on the discovery channel... they could duct tape the spo7500 to a stack of mentos and launch that sucker...good test of durability....or just send it back to China

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:11 pm

Actually....it's made in Israel.....

MrGrumpy · Post by **MrGrumpy** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:19 pm

Gerald wrote:Eric.......Since you aren't sure what to do, a "scientific" test might be in order.

You could rig a fish weighing scale to determine just exactly how much force is required to pull the cable out of the wrist unit.....and then run a similar test to see how much force is required to pull the cable out of the finger-cup.

This would be information we'd all like to see.......and then after all "destructive testing" is complete, you could then purchase the high-priced gear.

Gerald

LOL hahaha...

I am debating keeping it because I like the software, the software is really user friendly. Maybe...

Seriously though, couldnt they make the cord just a bit tougher?

Its like a toy almost...not quite but just so cheap looking. Doesnt look like something that should cost 499 or even 400 dollars.

Ive got a Spo spotchecker oximeter I bought from REI and its more rugged looking than this thing.

I really think Spo should come down on the price about, oh, 250 bucks.

Eric

MrGrumpy · Post by **MrGrumpy** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:23 pm

Slinky wrote:Gads! DON'T go giving MrGrumpy any ideas!!! My first SPO 7500, the original model not this newer, better one, had the darnedest hard to use On/Off button. And I managed to break it. Heck, what do you expect? I had to use a ball point pen tip to press it On or Off.

SPO was GREAT about replacing it! Despite I was truthful about how I broke it. And Turner Medical told me if SPO didn't replace it, they would. I can't speak highly enough of either company. Eric at SPO support was great about the software questions too.

See, you broke it. Thats what my DME tech expert guy told me about them. They break easy. He told me, "well I dont use Spo cause they break, but I used them in hospital settings where they get banged around and people abuse them like crazy. In a home setting, people usually take better care of their stuff so it might be a good deal."

Cant make my mind up...Nonin looks good though.

Eric

MrGrumpy · Post by **MrGrumpy** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:34 pm

oh yeah, the other thing Im leary about with this Spo is the cord thing fits under your index finger, not on top like with other oximeters. For example, in the picture of Nonin's comparable wrist oximeter, the cord goes over the top of the hand connecting to the top of the index finger like this:

http://www.turnermedical.com/Nonin_Wris ... imeter.htm

Where, the Spo goes under the finger like this, easy to get twisted IMO:

http://www.turnermedical.com/SPO_PulseO ... imeter.htm

This Konica oximeter, the cord goes over the top of the hand as well:

http://www.turnermedical.com/konica_min ... imeter.htm

I am debating between the Nonin wristox and the Nonin 8500M sleep package

http://www.turnermedical.com/Nonin_8500 ... imeter.htm

Eric

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:38 pm

Gosh Eric.....Maybe you should send all of your suggestions and research to SPO.......Surely they're anxiously waiting to get all of this scholarly information.

After they spend a few weeks sifting through all of it, I'm sure they'd seriously consider dropping the price to less than half what they get for it now.

As for the cable, after they read your analysis, I'm betting they'll want to change it to something like Romex......and they might even want to sheath the cable with flexible conduit.

That'd darn sure solve their problem!

Gerald

MrGrumpy · Post by **MrGrumpy** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:45 pm

Now Im having trouble getting the stuff to download. It downloaded once earlier today during a test, worked fine. I wore it tonight for about an hour, couldnt sleep, got up, plugged it in and it said nothing was on there recorded. WTF? I am using this software on Vista, not XP, but it seemed to download fine to me when I put the CD in earlier today.

ERRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!

Eric

bigk · Post by **bigk** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:13 am

Eric,

It can be a bit tricky - just create a new study and try again.

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