I DID IT! I DECIDED! AND I ORDERED......

[apneaicinisrael]

The CL2. Well, I surprised even myself. Was sure I would do the Aura. But there you go. Somehow, the idea of chopping off an elbow sat better with me than rubber bands and chopping off lock boxes. So we'll see. There is always "next mask"!

I also ordered the mirage inlet tube and swivel assembly. But they don't sell hacksaws on cpap.com

Will post again once I get the stuff and try it out. Still loving my Breeze for comfort, but keep getting little sores. So I need a break.

Best regards,
AII

[Darth Vader Look]

I also ordered the mirage inlet tube and swivel assembly. But they don't sell hacksaws on cpap.com

Maybe Respironics should include a saw in the CL2 package just for this purpose of cutting off the elbow .

[Bellcrest]

The CL2.
I also ordered the mirage inlet tube and swivel assembly. But they don't sell hacksaws on cpap.com
AII

Hope you have better luck getting the inlet tube than I did. cpap.com would not ship it to me because I am not in the US. I did however find it elsewhere.

Hope you like your CL2 as much as I like mine, but aura, is my current favourite at this point.

[Guest]

Yeah, i absolutely agree with you

[Sleepless on LI]

Forgive me for bringing this up, but there are still some people who do not have to hack apart and deconstruct every mask they get, or order a mask with those intentions in mind. Just because there are some members who do that does not make it something that is a "given" for everyone. There is no such thing as a "given" when it comes to cpap. And just because some people can't use the Aura without the rubber bands, or dislike the CL2 with the elbow and end up hacking it off, that doesn't mean it is going to be that way for everyone. It MAY, but it's not a "given" to assume before ordering.

I hope it hasn't come down to this site causing members to believe this. Yes, there are certain situations when adjustments are warranted or can be necessary to make a mask usable, but it isn't always the case. I guess it just rubs me a bit wrong to read that people are now ordering things with deconstruction in mind before they even give the poor thing a try out of the box. Sometimes it's just not necessary to do anything at all to a good interface, but it seems to be influencing the decisions of some members as to what to order and that is not good, IMHO. I felt bad that AII ended up ordering a CL2 because he/she felt it would be easier to hack off an elbow than to totally deconstruct the entire interface. Personally, I think the Aura far outshines the CL2 regardless. But now he/she ordered the CL2 because the "repairs" to it sound easier to do.

I use the Aura NOT deconstructed and adore it. Maybe AII would have, too, if he/she didn't feel he/she was going to have to be involved in a major deconstruction project once it arrived. I hope we're not giving off the wrong message in our efforts to help fellow sufferers.

[dsm]

Lori,

Hi hows things

Re the trend to re-engineering masks. I can understand people wanting to do it. I have done it myself & will publish a set of photos showing how I (*for me*) took an off-the-shelf Adams Circuit mask & assembled it differently to the provided instructions plus added a part obtained from a hose fittings supplier, as my way of getting the best value from this mask.

I did try it as delivered but due to an odd coincidence, it seems I acquired the prototype for the mask & found I liked it better than the later model so I reversed one major change (an angle piece that repositioned the pod under the nose) & added a 2nd hose swivel to further eliminate the annoying twisting some nasal pillows masks are prone to including the Adams Circuit.

It is my humble opinion that the Adams Circuit is the easiest nasal pillows mask to adjust as the headgear is all soft. Not like the Breeze which is a PITN (pain-in-the-nostrils) when any pressure is put on the hard central support that runs over my head. The swift which is great providing one doesn't try sleeping on the hose side, the nasalaire which doesn't seem to fit & stay in place that well. I still have to try a Swift I have plus a SNAPP that I recently obtained.

I do agree with you that it is best if people try the mask as is then decide to hack it based their own experience and the info available here.

Cheers

DSM

PS Spring must be showing its presence in your area by now
How is the weather ?

[Guest]

I have to agree with Sleepless on this issue. I don't think it is the manufacturers best interest to design a mask that has to be "re-constructed". Everyone's face and head is a little different in this world. Did you know that's why they had to change the label in baseball caps to read "one size fits most"? Yup, I am sure there are a ton of people out there on baseballcaptalk.com that have posted how they had re-designed their ill-fitting ball cap. But, seriously though. In fairness to both sides; some folks have to tweak things to make em fit, and other folks like Sleepless and myself are happy with the product right out of the box. I think the forum here is a great place for ideas, and if you are having a problem, there are some possible solutions posted, but a person doesn't have to assume they will have a bad experience with a mask before they even give it a chance.
There's my 2 cents for the night. Rest well all!

[Sleepless on LI]

DSM,

First off, "PITN" made me laugh. I usually refer to things such as this as PITA's (sure you can figure that one out yourself).

Second, I hope I am not sending out the wrong message. It was not to say, "Don't deconstruct anything to make it better." I know often times we need to tweak, as we refer to it, and make adjustments since the masks are so darn expensive and we can't try before we buy. And it's a beautiful thing to be able to share what works with others so they can benefit from the experiments of others. The rubber band fix from jcarn will always be one of my favorites.

I am just worried when I read a post like AII's wherein this member based their decision on what mask to order according to which fix will be the easiest to perform. That may actually work in reverse for some. If I based my opinion on the Aura or the CL2 that way, I would have been totally incorrect. I sold my CL2 due to not liking it and still use my Aura exclusively. I worry when I think that perhaps all our advice on how to fix masks begins to weigh more heavily on how people choose what to order. I am not, by any means, suggesting that the public airing of these fixes not continue. Just trying to bring us back to realizing that some things do work well for some of us ROOTB and others may need some tweaking, but I wouldn't want anyone to base their ordering preference on what is the easiest deconstruction to perform before they've even seen if the mask will work for them.

I am longwinded, aren't I???

Thanks for your feedback. You are quite the deconstruction expert (machines, mostly...).

[wading thru the muck!]

Lori,

I know exactly where you are coming from. I think many folks put a lot of trust in the advice that is posted here... and rightly so, but I think it needed to be pointed out that even though a few well known members go to great lengths to "salvage" an interface that does not work for them... the majority of users of a particular interface use it as-is.

I too, hate to see folks feel they need to pick an interface based on which one has had the least modifications sugggested here.

[Darth Vader Look]

Lori I agree it would seem like some people are buying masks based on how little work needs to be done to it to get it to work right. But couldn't you extent that sort of thinking to most people giving them credit that they would at the very least try the mask for a few nights first before attempting to re-engineer the thing

Still the fact that someone has gone to this extreme to get the mask to work for them speaks wonders on this forum. Lots of people have masks that just didn't work for them and ended up in the back of a dresser drawer. With posts that go into detail on how to reconstruct masks I'm sure another attempt would be made to resurrect that mask in the back of the drawer to see if the investment made can be utilized in a favourable way. Just one of the benefits of having a forum like this.

[Yoga]

I think it is very difficult to choose the perfect mask - especially when one is first starting out. I think most would certainly try the mask before making modifications. I am grateful to those who figure out modifications that will make a mask useable and sharing them with the rest of us - especially Rested Gal who has contributed the most! Thanks for all your efforts on our behalf, Laura.

Yoga

[Sleepless on LI]

I can only speak for myself and I would never allow deconstruction opportunities, or ease of, to enter into my decision to try a certain mask. I base my decision on if I feel the mask will work for me. I honestly can say, that has never entered into my mind before choosing any mask I've ever owned, and I think I've owned about ten so far.

I truly think ANY mask can be deconstructed, regardless of what type of mask it is. So allowing that to enter into my decision is just not something I'd entertain. And it worries me to think that some people are thinking that way, like they have no hope at all before they try it that it will work. I'm not talking negatively about doing something to a mask that doesn't work after you get it. Not my point at all. I'm just worried that that is now being used as a basis to try one mask over another.

And, yes, I agree, and I would truly hope, that those who do make the decision basing it on "ease of deconstruction" use it for a night or two before they rip the thing apart.

[oldgearhead]

As for the CL2, there are pros and cons associated with the removal of the elbow.

If you have left the elbow in tack, you will find it's a bit difficult to turn from side to side. However, the secret is to move the hose to the side opposite of your nose (or behind you).

The problem with the elbow removed is that much more of the hose movement is transmitted directly to nasal area of the mask, because the buffer provided by the elbow-headgear attachment is now gone.

I would suggest you give the mask a good 10 day trial before removing the elbow..

[Snoozin' Bluezzz]

I haved been guilty of saying "cut the elbow off!" because it made a big difference to me. That being said, I can only trust that the folks reading the forum and making decision of such expense will consider all the alternatives. I am not going to accept responsibility for someone's decision to buy a mask based on any criteria or advice I may have offered. What I have to offer is my personal experience as I report it here. We are all big boys and girls, we got this far in life sorting things out on our own,

If someone decides to buy a mask because of the perception of its ease of modiication, that is their business, not mine. Perhaps they made that decision knowing that after a trial run "out of the box" that would be an easier step to try than wholesale modification of another mask as reported by others. How can I know what their thinking is? I have to trust them.

Just my $.02. I hope everyone will continue to offer what works "for them" and let me decide whether or not it may, or may not, work for me. Please don't choose for me and please don't protect me from myself. I don't need it and I don't think others do either.

SB

[wading thru the muck!]

Please don't choose for me and please don't protect me from myself. I don't need it and I don't think others do either.

I think you are reading to much into the comments offered. Some of us are just concerned when new folks seem to think that interfaces NEED to be modified to make them work.

Not trying to protect or tell anyone what to do... just concerned about folks getting the wrong impression regarding the need. or lack there of, to modify the popular interfaces.