Long Term Use of Travel CPAP

[GuppyDRV]

I own several machines including the DreamStation GO which I've had for around 15 months. I've had occasion to use it continuously for as long as a month. I find it works great and produces identical results to my DreamStation home unit. I'm a bit of anomaly in that I don't use humidification on any machine so have no issue with the GO not having a humidifier. I really can't tell a difference with regard to noise level between the travel and home machines. From a travel standpoint the Go packs small and has no associated power brick.

I'm happy with my purchase.

GuppyDRV

[ShoshTrvls]

First, let me preface this by saying that I've only been at this CPAP game for 6 months.

For the first two months, I had only the Z1 (there's a variety of reasons for that, none of which are really relevant) and it pretty much did what I needed it to do -- allowed me to sleep through the night and wake up feeling good. There is noise from the mask (not the machine), but personally I find it to be more hypnotic than bothersome, and my bedmate was not disturbed by it (especially when compared to the snoring!). I also liked the ability to control the unit and get the essential data on my cell phone, allowing me to keep the actual machine put away in my nightstand. And I never felt the need to have a humidifier; indeed, I didn't even use the little HME unit.

Eventually, I bought myself an S9 Autoset, which is now my daily machine 5 days/week, while still using the Z1 on Friday and Saturday nights as I'm usually away on the weekends. The S9 is definitely quieter, but not by all that much. And while I do appreciate the additional data points I get from it, but I also miss the bluetooth connectivity. (I understand that newer machines have this, but I don't feel the need to spend the money to upgrade to the S10).

Interestingly, I note that my average pressure reading is a bit higher on the S9 (about 10) than the Z1 (about 8), although I am achieving the same AHI numbers, more or less (between .5 and 1.5).

[Fats Drywaller]

Just for clarification: The Resmed A10 (S10) can't do Bluetooth (so you're not missing that by not having the latest machine). It has a cellular transceiver that transmits compliance data to Resmed, and DMEs pick up the data from there, but it but can't communicate with a phone. The Philips Dreamstation does have Bluetooth.

The Resmed Myair app depends on the compliance data having been previously transmitted to Resmed over the cellular link and made available on a web site. Myair doesn't talk to the CPAP machine directly. From what folks here have said, apparently Myair doesn't tell you anything that you can't learn from the A10's display if you scroll around (including the long-term averages).

[ShoshTrvls]

Thanks, that’s good to know.  I just assumed that since it had transmission capabilities  there would be “an app for that.“

[Fats Drywaller]

Oops, I was forgetting that the Myair database saves all of the daily numbers individually, not just as statistical conglomerates, so it can show a graph over time, which the A10 itself can't do.  I guess that's good for folks who want that intermediate step between the simple display and Sleepyhead.

Now, what I want is a hardware interface between the A10's SD-card slot and my HP Prime so the Prime can collect all of the data in real time.

(OK, just kidding)

[pholynyk]

Now there's an interesting project, although it would probably be easier with a Raspberry Pi as an intermediate. The GPIO pins could connect to an SD card breakout plugged into an SD card extender (b/c the breakout won't fit into the AS10 slot). Then the Raspberry Pi could emulate an SD card, read the data, and use its WiFi to send it on to your 'big' computer...

Basically just a Simple Matter of Programming ™

Once you understand the SD protocol, and the FAT file stuff, and... and... 

[TopDog]

I did about 5 years with a ResMed S9 Autoset and bought an Airmini for travel. I slept so much better with the Airmini that I kept using it full time at home. I love not having to screw with distilled water and all of that crap. And when you ran out of water over night, it was awful.

I've been using it for almost a year now.

There are a couple of issues - the humidifier disk housing is noisy as everyone knows. And the hose is very light but very slippery and it tends to slide around on me. The worst effect of this is that the humidifier housing ends up pressed up against my face - uncomfortable and increases noise significantly. Sometimes the hose slides off the bed - obviously not ideal.

I'm using the P10 nasal pillow mask. (Are there any new options for masks fir the Airmini?)

[Fats Drywaller]

I'm using the P10 nasal pillow mask. (Are there any new options for masks fir the Airmini?)

I don't know whether this is obsolete by now, but the Resmed product page says only F20 (either Airfit or Airtouch), N20, and "P10 for Airmini".  One gotcha, according to the user's guide, is that HumidX isn't for the full-face masks: "The HumidX and HumidX Plus can be used with the N20 connector for Airmini and Airfit P10 for Airmini only."

The HumidX expense would be a deal-killer for me if I wanted humidifcation: the discs are $8 to $10 each.  (How long does one of those typically last? Apparently the maximum is 30 days, according to the UG.)  IRL I don't need the humidifier, but I can't imagine that most people would want to do without it.

To me, the DS Go has a number of advantages on paper, even though I'm a fan of Resmed's algorithms and would prefer those.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

the Z1: The Yugo of CPAP machines

That right there's funny.  I don't care who you are.

[Fats Drywaller]

the Z1: The Yugo of CPAP machines

That right there's funny.  I don't care who you are.

Um, yeah, I thought so ... but actually, if you'll remember, you used it before I did, in the thread "HDM Z1 Auto?" (December 2016):

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...#pid185883

Last year I was reading up on the Z1, in the process of deciding never to buy one because it's obviously a lemon, and that phrase stuck in my mind as being the best way to summarize the thing.

I could also rant for a few paragraphs about how silly the company name "HDM" is.  Maybe later.