Travel CPAP

Snoozing Gonzo · Post by **Snoozing Gonzo** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 4:23 pm

I had convinced myself that I needed to start saving for an APAP. Its not that I have a pressing need to change from CPAP, or that I’m verging on being out of pressure control. (After a long experimentation process over the summer I am at, depending on the mask, a 30-day AHI less than 1 with rare errant night at around 2 - 2.5). On the other hand, over the summer I hauled a Remstar Pro around on several trips that included motels, cabins, and even a midnight extension cord run in an Oregon campground to a neighboring camp spot to steal electricity. Soon I will begin several months of business trips by air and I’m leaning toward postponing the APAP in favor of a light weight, small travel CPAP.

I’ve narrowed the choices to the Puritan Bennett 420G w/humidifier and the Aeiomed/Invacare Aura/Everest/Polaris TR w/ humidifier and perhaps battery. As a basic unit, the PB is significantly cheaper but the gap narrows with humidifiers are added to the package. The battery option is interesting but it looks like what is now called the Polaris TR has the edge in that department. I haven’t seen either machine on auctions or at CPAP rebuild business sites. Whatever I do will be a hit to the savings account (insurance isn’t as keen on second machines as I seem to be).

Any suggestions or comments regarding durability, accuracy, compatibility of either machine (or even advisability of this direction) would be appreciated.

Chris

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:48 pm

I have an Aeiomed Everest/invacare Polaris TR (straight cpap) and a PB 420E autopap.

I've not used a battery with the 420E, but I have used the Polaris TR in battery operation on several stormy nights. Works great. 9, 10 or 11 cms pressure take care of me most of the time with my autopaps, so I simply set the Polaris TR on 10 and slept fine.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:30 pm

the new M series Remstars are just as small as the 420x's without the humidifier and also run directly off of 12VDC for RV's if needed.

Snoozing Gonzo · Post by **Snoozing Gonzo** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:41 pm

Thanks!

Chris

sleepinginseattle · Post by **sleepinginseattle** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 1:07 am

I’ve got a RemStar Pro2 with CFLEX and humidifier for home use and a Puritan Bennett GoodKnight 420G for travel. I think the 420G is a great machine for the price and its size and weight are ideal for travel. But it isn't as full-featured as the RemStar and it doesn't operate the same way. The 420G's flow generator delivers the air with a vortex effect that makes a subtle whistling noise. This doesn't bother me much but some of the reviewers on the commercial side of this site don't like it at all! The ramp function is also a little crude. It steps the pressure up in big steps rather than the gradual steps that the RemStar unit uses. No big deal, for an inexpensive travel machine, I can easily accept these tradeoffs.

I have had considerable experience using both RemStar and 420G on 12-volt battery systems. I did a ton of research into battery solutions for both my CPAPs and I'm very wary of lightweight battery solutions for CPAP use. I looked at the Puritan Bennett Rechargeable Portable Battery Pack but felt it would not be a good investment. My primary concern is that discharging a gel, AGM or any wet cell battery below 50% of its capacity will diminish it's ability to recover to a full charge. This, I found, is universal battery wisdom. In my opinion, the Puritan Bennett lacks the capacity to withstand repeated discharge/charge cycles because it cannot have sufficient capacity to stay above (or even near!) this 50% discharged threshold. (Its 8 lbs weight is ample evidence of the batteries capacity; I gauge it at about 8 amp hours.) That means that each nights sleep will tax the batteries ability to recover to a full charge and its useful life will be quickly diminished.

I explored other battery types, NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) and Li-Ion (Lithium Ion), which don't suffer from memory effect but they are far too expensive in the capacities suitable for CPAP use.

One of the greatest challenges for CPAP users considering battery power is determining approximately how much power the machines use. This is measured in amps. The amp draw varies substantially from CPAP to APAP, from brand to brand, and also by the pressure setting. A battery solution that may provide a person two nights sleep might only provide 4 hours sleep to someone else. I do know that for me, the 420G consumes about a third less power than my RemStar, so it makes a pretty good choice for 12 volt use. Like they say on the auto commercials, your mileage may vary.

What my research told me is that if you need battery power; choose a battery solution that has roughly twice the capacity for the expected power consumption. For extended car camping trips with my family and as a home back-up power system, I bought a Lifeline GPL-31T Marine battery constructed with AGM (absorbed glass mat) battery technology. It is durable, spill proof, safe, and will endure twice as many discharge/charge cycles as gel cell batteries. I consider the battery an investment in my health and insurance against extended power outage. This last consideration is a realistic concern in the earthquake prone region where I live. Its 105-amp hour capacity should allow 9 nights sleep (using the 420G) before discharging the battery to 50% capacity and its effective lifespan should exceed 20 years. This isn’t a battery suitable for air travel. It’s big (larger than a car battery) and heavy (70 lbs.).

My second battery system was created to compliment my motorcycle camping adventures. I wanted a robust and compact battery that would power the CPAP for a single night and could be charged on the motorcycle the following day. For this I purchased an Odyssey PC680 AGM battery (17-amp hour capacity). I house it in an impact resistant and waterproof case (Pelican Case) and I created a wiring harness (complete with quick disconnect plugs) and electrical scheme to handle the demands of charging both the starter and auxiliary batteries on the motorcycle. Like the Lifeline battery, the Odyssey is well constructed, safe and extremely durable. Unlike the Lifeline, it is relatively compact. The Pelican case has outside dimensions of 10 5/8" L x 9 11/16" W x 4 7/8" D. The case also has a built-in carrying handle that makes the 16 lbs. system relatively portable.

If I were to choose a battery system for air travel, I’d go with a homemade set-up like my Odyssey battery in a Pelican case. It cost less than the Puritan Bennett system to make and has the reserve capacity to ensure long life for the battery and, if necessary, a second night’s sleep. The weight penalty, in my mind, is justified.

Snoozing Gonzo · Post by **Snoozing Gonzo** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 8:40 am

Thank you Sleepinginseattle. You saved me quite a bit of research and aimed me in in good directions to see if I make a choice that matches my own needs.

Chris

justsharon · Post by **justsharon** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:41 pm

Hey sleepinginseattle,

I just ordered a Pelican case for my traveling with CPAP. It looked like the most sturdy and with the lifetime guarantee, how could I go wrong. I too appreciate all the helpful info on traveling.........thanks for all the input.

Sharon

Travel CPAP

Travel CPAP

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