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hydro was out...used generator for CPAP
#11
RE: hydro was out...used generator for CPAP
(07-27-2012, 12:28 PM)PaulaO2 Wrote: Depends on the battery and it's charge capacity.
We discussed this in the camping thread and the 'be prepared' thread. I think one guy could get 5 nights out of the battery situation he had.
If I can find my volt meter, I'll do a test with the battery I've got. I know the meter is around here somewhere....

If you can get even a couple nights out of the car battery and still be able to start the car it would be great for car traveling. Even if you're staying at a campground for several days you could always use the car for a side trip every other day or so to charge the battery back up.

As for the connector, my vehicle has a cigarette lighter that works when the ignition is turned on, plus dedicated cigarette lighter socket that is always on. All I would need is a plug to go in the cigarette lighter socket (cannibalize from a cheap cell phone charger), and a socket to go into the CPAP, which can probably be found at Radio Shack or equivalent. The tricky part is figuring out which wire is the positive and which is the negative. Figuring out the cigarette lighter wire is easy with a meter, but the wire going into my CPAP is solid round with no way to tell which wire is which.
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#12
RE: hydro was out...used generator for CPAP
I have several deep cycle batteries, clips that end in a "lighter" socket, and a converter (inverter?) that goes from 12v to 110v. I use it with my laptop when traveling but just use the outlet in the truck vs the battery of course.

You'd have more use out of a deep cycle than a car battery. During bad weather events (and for most of the winter), I keep a trickle charger on one of my deep cycle batteries so it is good to go. The battery is also sealed so there's little risk of it leaking or fume-ing.
PaulaO

Take a deep breath and count to zen.




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#13
RE: hydro was out...used generator for CPAP
(07-27-2012, 10:24 AM)Sleepster Wrote: Do they have a 12-volt DC jack? If so, I could just plug my CPAP machine directly into that, skipping the inverter, transformers, and converter.

I would not do that because it would bypass the stabilising effect of the inverter and regulator.

The issue with small motor-generator sets is that minor hiccups in the running of the motor causes voltage surges. The electronic inverter regulates that fairly well.

(In a past life I had an electronics repair company that saw a lot of TV/VCR/Microwave ovens and computers that were brought to me for repair after generator glitches from the older style -non-inverter - gensets..)
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#14
RE: hydro was out...used generator for CPAP
I think if I was just bound and determined to go camping I would just go to a campground with electricity. There are plenty of them out there. When I was a kid we camped and hiked all over the southwest USA. Today, roughing it is bad room service!
As always, YMMV! You do not have to agree or disagree, I am not a professional so my mental meanderings are simply recollections of things from my own life.

PRS1 - Auto - A-Flex x2 - 12.50 - 20 - Humid x2 - Swift FX
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#15
RE: hydro was out...used generator for CPAP
S9 machines are reasonably tolerant of "weird" AC waveforms that some generators put out. As are PRS1 machines. This includes the humidifier.

S8 humidifiers may be damaged by the "MSW" waveforms some generators put out, according to ResMed. I suspect older Respironics humidifiers may be similarly susceptible, but don't have any info direct from the manufacturer.

S9 machines require a DC-DC converter that ResMed sells to run off of 12V DC.
Get the free OSCAR CPAP software here.
Useful links.
Click here for information on the main alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check it yourself.
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#16
RE: hydro was out...used generator for CPAP
(07-29-2012, 01:45 AM)archangle Wrote: S9 machines are reasonably tolerant of "weird" AC waveforms that some generators put out. As are PRS1 machines. This includes the humidifier.

S8 humidifiers may be damaged by the "MSW" waveforms some generators put out, according to ResMed. I suspect older Respironics humidifiers may be similarly susceptible, but don't have any info direct from the manufacturer.

S9 machines require a DC-DC converter that ResMed sells to run off of 12V DC.

Thanks so much for the info...think I will get that converter. Living in the country, our hydro goes out 4 or 5 times each winter...sometimes for 2 or 3 days in a row.
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#17
RE: hydro was out...used generator for CPAP
(07-29-2012, 10:45 AM)kitley Wrote: Thanks so much for the info...think I will get that converter. Living in the country, our hydro goes out 4 or 5 times each winter...sometimes for 2 or 3 days in a row.

Converter plus DC is probably safer and more efficient than battery plus inverter.

Get the free OSCAR CPAP software here.
Useful links.
Click here for information on the main alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check it yourself.
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#18
RE: hydro was out...used generator for CPAP
(07-29-2012, 03:02 PM)archangle Wrote: Converter plus DC is probably safer and more efficient than battery plus inverter.


Yep, that's why I got mine - works well... you can read my review here:

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...-old-forum

Grin
SuperSleeper
Apnea Board Administrator
www.ApneaBoard.com


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#19
RE: hydro was out...used generator for CPAP
(07-29-2012, 06:51 PM)SuperSleeper Wrote:
(07-29-2012, 03:02 PM)archangle Wrote: Converter plus DC is probably safer and more efficient than battery plus inverter.


Yep, that's why I got mine - works well... you can read my review here:

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...-old-forum

Grin

Thanks so much...I will check it out!
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