Time to upgrade, looking for advice/info.

[Appalachian]

Im having to upgrade from my trusty old remstar, its 15 years old (HOW OLD IS IT ???) and still working great, just cant get info from the card to down load for my D.O.T. health cert, want to stay with resmed or respironic brands, will be used in a 18 wheeler .

All advice/opinions appreciated.

[palerider]

I'm just curious why people asking this question never read the dozens of other identical threads first...

[TedVPAP]

Im having to upgrade from my trusty old remstar, its 15 years old (HOW OLD IS IT ???) and still working great, just cant get info from the card to down load for my D.O.T. health cert, want to stay with resmed or respironic brands, will be used in a 18 wheeler .

All advice/opinions appreciated.

You said it will be used in a 18 wheeler. Does that mean that it needs to run on DC power? If so, what voltage?

[Appalachian]

Pale rider: Ive read quite a bit before posting my question, done the home work before hand, didnt see what I was looking for.

Tedvpvap: I have a power inverter (which seems to be the death of 2 heaters,but cpap has done fine) and have 12volt cigarette lighter outlets in my bunk, so do have choices.

Am going to call to see what the ppeople at cpap.com have to say about the remstar 60 series pro, seems like it shou;d do fine, gets outstanding reviews.

Thanks for advice and comments.

[Julie]

The 60 series Pro gives no useful data.

[Pugsy]

The PR System One 60 series Pro is a full data machine.
Don't know what Julie was thinking with her statement about it not offering useful data.
Model 260 offers nothing but hours of use...but model 460, which is what the PR S1 Pro is, is a full data machine.
Only drawback to the Pro is it doesn't have auto adjusting (apap mode) capabilities but if someone doesn't need or want apap mode and they want to save some money it would be a good option.
It will give you the necessary information for DOT satisfaction and more.

It will work with your APU and easily works with a cigarette adapter off battery if you want it to.

My husband drives a truck and if your truck has an APU...and will run TV, coffee pot, microwave, computer....you could even use a ResMed machine.
If the APU craps out...you can still do the battery with cigarette lighter thing since Respironics will run easily off direct DC power.
ResMeds take a special (and pricey) converter to do the cigarette lighter thing.

[palerider]

ResMeds take a special (and pricey) converter to do the cigarette lighter thing.

But it's worth it.

In the overall scheme of things, 70-80$ isn't much, especially when compared to the prices of anything related to trucking.

[Pugsy]

But it's worth it.

In the overall scheme of things, 70-80$ isn't much, especially when compared to the prices of anything related to trucking.

Yeah I agree it's worth it but if the guy is happy with the PR S1 Pro...and doesn't want to spend the extra money for the ResMed and the converter thingy...it's his choice.

My job isn't to make the decisions for a person. My job is only to offer the options and explain any pros and cons and then the person gets to decide how they want to spend their money.

Oh...while trucking prices might seem high...what the driver gets paid sucks the big green weenie. If he is lucky enough to get a decent 40 cent per mile wage...that's 200 miles or maybe 3 to 4 hours of driving depending on traffic and truck being governed or not.
They are only allowed to drive for 10 hours (maybe 11) so at the most maybe 600 miles a day and that's on a good day.
My husband has had days where he didn't get to drive 200 miles because of whatever might happen...slow loading and unloading...traffic accidents...weather...waiting for the damn dispatcher to actually send him a load so he ends up sitting twiddling his thumbs half the day and using up half of the 10 hours he is allowed to drive. They get screwed often.

[JimW159]

Perhaps I am misunderstanding the thread, but isn't the logical choice between the DreamStation (of whatever ilk), or ResMed AirSense 10 (also of whatever version)?
If so, the discussion of voltage is still valid, but other factors come in to play, I would think. Of additional factors, I would include:
1) Real estate - without knowing how much space and of what configuration the bunk has for xPAP, I would think the size of the AS10 would give it a point or two
2) Complexity in physical setup - having used both DreamStation (for a month or so) and an AS10 (for the past year and a half), my impression was that the AS10 traveled better because the integrated humidifier minimized the complexity of physical setup.
3) Operational behavior - the OP has been using a Respironics product for more than 15 years, it seems - without knowing what algorithmic and response differences there are between the RemStar he is used to and the DreamStation, he may well adapt to the behavior pattern of the DreamStar easier. On the other hand though, given the ability to choose between the response patterns of the AS10, he might also find it preferable.
4) How time is managed - perhaps of minimal importance, but given he may be in multiple time zones in a week, I don't know if the timing patterns of the two machines (GMT base for DS and Noon in a chosen time zone for AS10) would complicate easily interpreting the data. Would it?
5) Altitude - From day to day, who knows at what altitude the units will be used? Are there any known differences between the two machines in their adjustment to altitude and its comfort impact on the user?

[Pugsy]

5) Altitude - From day to day, who knows at what altitude the units will be used? Are there any known differences between the two machines in their adjustment to altitude and its comfort impact on the user?

Not enough difference to matter. Both brands will auto adjust for altitude up to around 8500 feet and above that you get what you get but in most situations a non issue. I have used a Respironics machine at 13 K feet and got same results as I got at my home level altitude which I think is around 1 K I think.

4) How time is managed - perhaps of minimal importance, but given he may be in multiple time zones in a week, I don't know if the timing patterns of the two machines (GMT base for DS and Noon in a chosen time zone for AS10) would complicate easily interpreting the data. Would it?

A non issue really in terms of overall hours of use reported and needed for DOT compliance. It's hours of use within a 24 hour period no matter what the clock says for when it was used or when the "Noon" thing takes into effect. In terms of the software reports themselves...they are going to look weird no matter what because no matter what you do with the machine clock (ResMed) or not be able to do with the Respironics then end result is going to look weird but it all evens itself out in terms of usage within the 24 hour reporting period.
No matter which brand...the software reports are going to be screwed up looking.
And we can't keep changing the clock on a ResMed anyway...it goes forward great but doesn't go backwards so great and it really isn't a big deal if the software report times look weird.

3) Operational behavior - the OP has been using a Respironics product for more than 15 years, it seems - without knowing what algorithmic and response differences there are between the RemStar he is used to and the DreamStation, he may well adapt to the behavior pattern of the DreamStar easier. On the other hand though, given the ability to choose between the response patterns of the AS10, he might also find it preferable.

We don't know which Respironics machine he has been using the past 15 years. At 15 years...I am betting a fixed pressure machine.
If it's a fixed pressure machine then the operational differences or differences in algorithm don't really come into play because he never used auto algorithm. With fixed there is no "response" difference because fixed doesn't respond...it just blows air per the selected setting.
A ResMed fixed machine is going to blow air just like a Respironics fixed machine with the exception of the difference in the way exhale relief is handled.
He didn't mention auto adjusting apap...So I didn't go there to explain the different responses between the 2 brands.
If he had I would have suggested that he stick with the brand he has been using for the past 15 years unless he just really wanted to experiment with something new. Some people like to experiment..some don't. Some people's bodies don't like it when we go changing the routine.
When in doubt...don't change unless the person really wants to try something new.

1) Real estate - without knowing how much space and of what configuration the bunk has for xPAP, I would think the size of the AS10 would give it a point or two

Perhaps...but for all we know he may not even be using a humidifier and doesn't want or need one and a new PR S1 machine without humidifier is actually going to take up less space than the AirSense with integrated humidifier.
Anything chosen now even with the humidifier is going to take up less real estate than the old Remstar takes up.

Having been inside one of these big rigs and seen the setup area available for cpap...it's not likely going to be a deal maker or breaker in terms of real estate used. I suspect the machine will go on the floor when in use so ample room for whatever brand. There's really not much other choice for where to put it except the floor unless someone actually builds a different shelf. The floor is the most logical choice. Anything else would involve the machine being higher than the mattress unless he has a sleeper with 2 bunks and he uses the top bunk and most truck drivers will avoid the top bunk like the plague. It's barely sufficient for a small child.

I got the impression that the OP was looking for something that would give him the data needed for DOT compliance proving and didn't cost so much.
That's why he was looking at the discontinued PR S1 Pro model. It will do what his old machine likely did and doesn't cost as much as the new models. Now if he wants to go fancier and/or discuss the apap mode models...we can explain further.

[JimW159]

I got the impression that the OP was looking for something that would give him the data needed for DOT compliance proving and didn't cost so much.
That's why he was looking at the discontinued PR S1 Pro model. It will do what his old machine likely did and doesn't cost as much as the new models. Now if he wants to go fancier and/or discuss the apap mode models...we can explain further.

In your estimate, would a Respironics System One 550P be considered an upgrade? If so, I recall some discussion of some the System One models having serious longevity issues - do you recall what they were or even if they existed? What would be the lowest hours used to be seen as problematical? I ask this because I have one he can have for the cost of shipping only (and, given he is a trucker, for free if he gets into the Tampa FL area), but I don't know the hours on it. I used it for a time when I was looking for an auto unit. (of course the OP can let me know, I am only asking Pugsy for her opinion about where the unit would fit in her interpretation of the OP's questions)

[Pugsy]

In your estimate, would a Respironics System One 550P be considered an upgrade? If so, I recall some discussion of some the System One models having serious longevity issues - do you recall what they were or even if they existed? What would be the lowest hours used to be seen as problematical? I ask this because I have one he can have for the cost of shipping only (and, given he is a trucker, for free if he gets into the Tampa FL area), but I don't know the hours on it. I used it for a time when I was looking for an auto unit. (of course the OP can let me know, I am only asking Pugsy for her opinion about where the unit would fit in her interpretation of the OP's questions)

By all means...it most likely would be a very decent upgrade from the 15 year old probably no data but hours of use cpap that he has now.
As to the life of the 50 series machines...the biggest problem with them was with the humidifier hardware connection thing in the blower. It seemed to over heat but it didn't happen to all 50 series machines. It's fixable if it happens and might not even happen. There's even a thread here with pictures explaining how to fix it. If he isn't using a humidifier...a non issue anyway.
As to the hours...heck if it has less than 5,000 hours it probably still has many hours of life left on it...they can go 10 to 15 K easily.
Could it up and die next month...sure...but then so can a brand new machine.
Free for cost of postage...a helluva deal even if it has some hours on it and it sounds like the hours probably aren't all that high anyway.

The only real negative when comparing the 550 to the 460 PR S1 Pro is the lack of heated hose capability with the 550...and I guarantee he isn't using a heated hose now because the 60 series machines were the first to have integrated heated hoses in the Respironics models. He won't miss what he never had.

He might be thrilled to get a free machine that would be a definite upgrade even if it has some hours on it.
Plus it has apap mode and if he wants to play with it we can explain how it works...but he may not even be interested. It's like 2 machines in one...can't beat that.