Getting rid of the ResMed S9 power brick

[TooGroggy]

I know I'm going to love my newly acquired ResMed S9. But one thing I know I'm going to hate when I travel is the power brick.

Awhile back, I replaced all of the power adapters I used to carry on trips with a single slick adapter from Targus. It uses interchangeable tips to power a range of devices that use up to 90W. It's the size of an iPhone and it works with 110-240 AC or 12V DC. So I can use the same adapter on the plane, in the car and in my hotel room. In fact, I am so hooked that I refuse to buy any electronic gadget that I cannot power it with this adapter.

Of course, I had to make an exception for the CPAP machine. But that doesn't mean I'm going to go along without a fight. So before I break out my multimeter and soldering iron, I would really like to hear from anyone who's thought of, attempted to, or better yet, succeeded at replacing the power brick with something else. Perhaps it will stop me from doing something foolish or give me the confidence to try the same.

[STL Mark]

I would be curious to know the pinout of the power adapter in the S9. If you figure it out PM me. Also if you find a source for the connector that attaches to the back of the machine.

[jlk]

Before you get out your solder iron, use your multimeter and measure the small third pin on the connector, it has 3 volts on it. I assume it is some sort of a "propietary" connector for the S-9. Inside the Brick the wire is labeled "resbus". Several people have searched for the connector, but have not been able to find a source for one. It appears to be the same one for the Respironics bipap as shown at cpap.com. The unit is also operates on 24 volts. I would sure like to get my hands on one of the bipap 12 volt power supplies to test my theory. john

[Breathe Jimbo]

You might void your warranty.

[Slinky]

That freaking power brick on the Respironics PAPs were one of the main reasons I never particularly liked a Respironics PAP regardless how good the therapy they provided was.

When Resmed came out w/the S9 and I learned they had resorted to using a power brick too for the S9s I was really unhappy. Those dang power bricks make me appreciate my S8 all the more. The S9 power brick has really cooled my enthusiasm for an S9 VPAP Auto. I could kinda care less now when and if they do.

[msradar65]

I don't see what the big deal is about the power supply. The same type of power supply powers many other devices that most people use daily. Such as laptop.

It would be nice if there was one less brick. But in reality its not really a big deal. You should see my office and all the bricks that power the basic stuff I use on a daily basis. Add to that my battery back up...now that is BIG brick...darn thing weights 50 lbs!

[TOken]

I don't see what the big deal is about the power supply. The same type of power supply powers many other devices that most people use daily. Such as laptop.

It would be nice if there was one less brick. But in reality its not really a big deal. You should see my office and all the bricks that power the basic stuff I use on a daily basis. Add to that my battery back up...now that is BIG brick...darn thing weights 50 lbs!

For some people it's not an issue, but for others, especially those who travel a lot (like being in one airort or another 3 times a week) the extra weight from the brick, and just carrying extra parts around all of the time can become a big deal.

[Janknitz]

It might be worth your while, if you travel frequently, to get a second machine for travel that does not have the brick. My "thing" with the brick is (beside the weight and bulk) that it's something that could easily be missed and left behind. That turns the rest of your machine into a brick too!

I think the F&P Icon does not have a brick.

[TooGroggy]

3 volts

Well, that's still not a deal breaker. The power adapter I was describing handles two devices at two different voltages simultaneously (e.g., laptop and phone). So assuming I can locate a 24V tip (Apple Powerbook G4 used 24 volts) and a 3V tip (maybe some non-USB powered phone), the adapter can still deliver what the machine needs without extra transformers. It will mean no overnight laptop or phone charging but that's a small price to pay, as far as I'm concerned.

Incidentally, the connector appears similar to a Kycon KPPX-3P:
.
But my plan was to buy an extra ResMed power adapter which, conveniently enough, comes with the exact connector I need

I'm a bit unsettled by the fact that the MedRes power supply doesn't list the exact amperage for each voltage. This is common enough on the cheap Chinese power bricks that common electronics use. I'd have thought the documentation standards for medical devices would be higher.

You might void your warranty

I expect that manufacturers consider the warranty void any time someone does something with the equipment that falls outside the specified norm of usage. I wouldn't be surprised if that applied to running the machine from a battery using an inverter. Luckily, since I am not the original purchaser of the machine I'm using, I'm already without warranty coverage. Sure, I still have to worry about frying an expensive piece of equipment. But what fun would life be without a little bit of risk


(this is the motto Make Magazine printed on the T-shirt they sent when they first created the magazine)

I don't see what the big deal is about the power supply

As TOken said, an extra power supply becomes a big deal when you travel. First, there is the extra weight and bulk. Second, it's yet another thing to loose. Third, this one works only on AC. Granted, using a single adapter means that all your devices are dependent on a single point of failure. But even then, I'd rather find myself in a strange town having to replace a Targus adapter than a ResMed one.

get a second machine for travel that does not have the brick

I have a second machine with an internal transformer. No power brick eliminates some of the extra bulk (the electronics of the brick still have to go somewhere) and it does not eliminate the extra weight. And of course, an internal transformer means you'll have to use an inverter to run the machine from DC power which means you end up carrying a different kind of power brick.

[Slinky]

I recently traveled out of state - Michigan to South Carolina. Since I need 02 almost 24 hours a day I needed a way to bring 02 w/me. Even a 3L concentrator was out of the question since there were 5 of us w/the necessary clothes, etc. for a week and obviously enough 02 tanks were out of the question as well. My local DME provider loaned me a Sequal 2 portable concentraor w/a power brick to run the Sequal on electricity and another to charge it w/the car's cigarette lighter. It worked great the first day and first night. BUT - we overnighted in Lexington, KY and I managed to forget the power brick. In SC we were never further than 4 city blocks from anywhere we wanted or needed to be so using the car battery was out of the question. I was fortunate to find a local DME provider who would rent me an 02 concentrator and by spending most of my time sitting quietly on the front porch of my grandson's house I was able to squeak by w/the 4 small 02 tanks we brought in case of emergency. We picked up the Sequal's power brick on our way home spending the night in Lexington again.

Power bricks are a PITA and a step backward for something as crucial as oxygen or xPAP.

[DreamLady]

I travel quite a bit with my cpap. The best way I've found to avoid forgetting the brick is every time I unplug my machine to pack it, THAT is the FIRST thing that goes in the bag. Period. No exceptions. I figure I can't go wrong if I stick to that. Honestly, the entire bag is not nearly as heavy as my laptop! I carried that through an airport exactly once, and said never again.

[Emilia]

That is one of the great things about the DeVilbiss Intellipap....no power brick! YAY!!

[Slinky]

Go ahead, Emilia, rub it in!

[jlk]

You might void your warranty.

If there was internal damage from improper voltage, it surely would.

That freaking power brick on the Respironics PAPs were one of the main reasons I never particularly liked a Respironics PAP regardless how good the therapy they provided was.

When Resmed came out w/the S9 and I learned they had resorted to using a power brick too for the S9s I was really unhappy. Those dang power bricks make me appreciate my S8 all the more. The S9 power brick has really cooled my enthusiasm for an S9 VPAP Auto. I could kinda care less now when and if they do.

My S-8 is the Escape model, I have the dc cord.....don"t like it after using the S-9, no comparison.
TooGroggy, thanks for the name of the connector, gives something to google. john

[msradar65]

I travela good bit and because I have been working from home for years I am just use to packing my necessary bricks! lol I have my laptop, phone, and work stuff in a rolling bag. Again, besides I guess it can be heavy...then again my professional rolling bag I travel with is heavy when empty, hence the wheels. Its still not a big deal.

I actually have power supplies in my bag that stay there all the time...so all I pull is my laptop off my desk. I also pack all my cords FIRST!