Post
by D.H. » Sat May 12, 2018 1:51 pm
I have a Phillips Respironics Dream Station Auto CPAP. It’s my fourth machine since 1999; the others were all “bricks.” Here is my review, the good and the bad.
Advantages:
• Automatic means that it will raise the pressure as needed when it senses distress. I think I feel more refreshed than before.
• Good statistics are generated, so you can see how you slept, and make adjustments as needed. In addition, stats are good for your doctor to see how you are doing.
• Machine is very quiet.
• Heated hose is very good, never had rainout despite full setting on humidity.
• Automatic altitude adjustment (good for travel).
• Leak compensation.
• Auto/on and auto/off can be activated and deactivated separately.
• Humidifier is fully integrated, but detachable. It can be replaced/repaired independently of the main unit. It can also be left behind to save space (if you can live without the humidification).
• Humidifier chamber is wide open on top, making it easy to fill, empty, and clean. The unit is sealed when the door over the chamber is closed.
• Puts out the prescribed pressure more precisely than my old machine (yes, I verified this).
Disadvantages:
• Machine is a bit larger than the major competing machine.
• Sometimes, there is a burning smell, especially after a potty break. I’m pretty sure it’s harmless.
• Frequently, the water does not last the whole night. I generally wake up at least once overnight, so I refill it at that time. This might not work for everybody.
• The humidifier door was not closing properly after about eighteen months. The DME replaced the humidifier at no cost to me. There was a viable workaround in the meanwhile, so it was not an emergency.
• Some have complained about the brightness of the display when you turn it off and back on, such as for a potty break. I don’t find this a problem. In fact, I use the light to reattach my mask to the hose.
• The “full” line on the water tank is hard to see.
• The machine is somewhat noisier when used without the humidifier attached.
• The power cord has a proprietary signal, so you cannot use a different cord, even if the voltage, wattage, amperage, and fitting are all identical. This means that if you need a replacement cord (or a spare cord), you have to get the cord specific to Dream Stations. If you want to use a battery (such as for camping and electrical outages), you have to buy an $80 proprietary device to generate this signal.
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| Machine | Mask | |
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| Additional Comments: Auto PAP; 13.5 cmH2O min - 20 cmH2O max |
Jim 
