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+--- Thread: BWCA camping (/Thread-BWCA-camping)
BWCA camping - jared515 - 03-28-2016
I studied this forums posts on camping and battery options. I will be canoeing for 3-4 days and have read some positive reviews of people using the PowerAdd 32000mAhm battery for 2 nights (yes, I will need 2). I am going to be purchasing a secondary\travel cpap from Supplier #2, and from what I can tell, people have suggested a Respironics. Problem is, there are too many different models and I have no idea which one to get. I need to have a pressure of 16, humidity and temp settings aren't needed. If there's any guidance you can give, please let me know.
RE: BWCA camping - trish6hundred - 03-28-2016
Hi jared515,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Which Respironics machine do you have? If I’m not mistaking, the model number is on the bottom of the unit, just be sure to take out the humidifier tank so you don’t get any water damage when you turn it over to find the model number.
Hang in there for more suggestions and answers to your battery questions.
and much success to you with your CPAP therapy.
RE: BWCA camping - jared515 - 03-29-2016
I don't own a Respironics. My primary machine is a Resmed Airsense 10. Does that mean I shouldn't be looking at a Respironics?
RE: BWCA camping - justMongo - 03-29-2016
Phillips-Respironics (PR) machines have an advantage when using battery because they are 12 Volt machines. ResMed uses 24 Volts.
There have been some real bargains on PR machines because the Dreamstation recently was released.
You can get a PR DS560 System One AUTO CPAP w/ AFLEX from Supplier #2 for $349; which is a steal. That's "gently used, sanitized.
Or, same machine from them, brand new, factory sealed for $449.
RE: BWCA camping - jared515 - 03-29-2016
2 more questions:
1 - The different models of Respironics are mainly dealing with the difference in A-Flex and C-Flex? I couldn't find any type of table/explanation anywhere stating the differences. I have read a lot of people on here using the DS560, and it sounds like it'll work, I was just curious about the differences before I go dropping a couple hundred dollars.
2 - Using the Respironics and the PowerAdd battery, I can connect them directly to each other without the use of an inverter or such?
Thanks again.
RE: BWCA camping - justMongo - 03-29-2016
You'll need someone more familiar with PR machines to answer #1. Sleeprider is a good source of PR info.
As for Q #2, yes, in theory, when set to 12V and with proper cabling. I'm not sure the PowerAdd 32000mAhr is the best choice for a Li-Ion battery for CPAP. It has capacity; but I'm not sure about rate of discharge; nor that cabling can be obtained off the shelf.
And, if traveling by air to where you will be camping, 32000 mAHr may exceed capacity for being transported by air.
RE: BWCA camping - dawoodsman - 03-29-2016
I think the one my neighbor showed me was a Transcend machine. He said it had a battery back that gave him a couple of nights of use. No humidifier, uses a nasal pillow mask--all pretty light and portable. I believe he said it plugged into a larger unit for home use, but not certain of that. He doesn't have a home and travel machine at least--uses the one for everything.
RE: BWCA camping - Sacktime - 03-30-2016
Check out the Transcend products http://www.mytranscend.com , they have a number of portable units and power accessories like a battery pack good for two nights, a solar power charger and vehicle power adaptor to charge the batteries. They are a Minnesota company so should know what you need for BWCA.
RE: BWCA camping - karlsobb - 03-30-2016
I use a Duracell Powerpack 600 that I bought from Amazon for about $120. It's much, much cheaper than the CPAP batteries, and it provides a giant amount of power. (It is big and heavy -- bigger and heavier than a car battery.) It powers my old RemStar plus for three nights at 10 cm of pressure if I use the DC adapter. The battery has a built-in inverter so you can just plug the regular AC cord into it, but I can only get one full night's use out of the battery if I do that. The Powerpack accepts a "cigarette lighter" input, so you can also buy a cheap solar panel off Amazon or whereever to recharge if needed.
I don't bring my new Airsense 10 camping with me. It sucks a giant amount of power, and it won't work with the Duracell's built-in inverter (it will occasionally run for 15 minutes or so, but I think it draws too much current for the inverter circuit to supply, so it quickly dies on me.) If you buy Resmed's 12v to 24v converter, it will work (plugs in like a cigarette lighter), but it still draws a lot of power. I can only get one night of the Duracell powering the Airsense.
So I usually use my old CPAP machine when I'm camping. It lasts a lot longer on a battery charge, and I hate exposing my nice Airsense to all the dust anyway.
If I were to buy a whole new setup, I'd still get the Duracell Powerpack 600 (I prefer the old model without the air compressor, but I'm not sure that's still available) and I'd probably look at Craigslist or wherever for a cheap throw-away CPAP. I've always found the DC cable to be worth the investment -- you'll get a lot more battery life running all DC instead of going through the inverter.