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Camping with CPAP

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  • 04-05-2016 1:53pm
    #1
    hogeybear
    Registered Users Posts: 38 ✭


    Hi,

    I have recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea and I need to wear a CPAP mask at night time to help me sleep. That's all well and good except I'm a keen camper! I would have no problem camping at a pitch that has electricity but I was wondering how I would go about powering my 24v CPAP device when I can't get an electrified pitch. I know I would need a leisure battery (looking at the one in halfords at the moment) but does anyone know what equipment I would need with it?

    I'm not very good at the whole amps/volts stuff but the unit I use is the Resmed AirSense 10. What connections do I need from the battery to the machine? Will I need a converter/inverter? Any help is greatly appreciated. I have googled but all I can find is info on 12v devices.

    Thanks again!
    Tagged:


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    #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 5,238 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Any links to machine? Make, model spec. sheet?


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    #3
    Bigus
    Registered Users Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭Bigus


    Very recent thread right here about this.

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057582680


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    #4
    crabbypaddy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,040 ✭✭✭crabbypaddy


    You need a DC-DC converter for run from 12v.

    The power consumption depends on the pressure, humidifier etc,

    Resmed have a very detailed document on the subject I linked to here, scroll down to the airsense 10 and check the estimate consumption for your treatment setup:
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=99379050&postcount=18


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    #5
    Field east
    Registered Users Posts: 2,431 ✭✭✭Field east


    crabbypaddy wrote: »
    You need a DC-DC converter for run from 12v.

    The power consumption depends on the pressure, humidifier etc,

    Resmed have a very detailed document on the subject I linked to here, scroll down to the airsense 10 and check the estimate consumption for your treatment setup:
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=99379050&postcount=18
    I have a portable C-pap machine called Transcend Auto Portable Mini CPAP machine with a P8 size battery pack. Google eu-pap.co.uk. I wanted to go camping, motor homing, canal boating, etc with family and my mains obviously only works where there is a mains supply.
    I researched all the areas re running the portable or my mains one using converters/ investors or 'whatever you are having yourself'.
    But I came to the conclusion that the power supplied to the machine was not enough . And if using the vehicle battery it might not start the vehicle the following morning and if it did then you might have to drive a lot of miles to build up the battery charge for the next nights sleep, etc, etc, etc
    So my portable gives me complete freedom to go anywhere for up to three days as all the power is supplied by the P8 battery.
    But the following points are worth noting re this portable :-

    - the company is very good re backup service ( over the phone and by email)

    - what do you do if you are camping wild for 4 days? The P8 battery can be charged from the vehicle battery by using an adaptor which company can supply.


    - my mains makes a very even noise (Fisher Paykel HC234AEA)but the portable makes an uneven and slightly louder noise.
    - the portable does not have a humidifier fitted as that would need significantly more power. My mains has a humidifier.
    - I got my portable over three years ago when there was a discount on them. It was the only Cpap of all the Cpaps on sale with a discount. I see on the site that the same pertains except that there is also 50 Stirling off the battery. I am wondering why that is the cas
    -I am not 100 % sure about the battery because on one or two occasions I found the machine turned off during the night. It may be that it turns off automatically when there is no resistance to the pressure being produced.
    On another occasion it just did not work no matter what I did.

    I have to admit that when I got it I very seldom used it in the first three years- the length of guarantee- which was a mistake as there is a slight possibility that the battery may be faulty.

    But having said all of the above it did work fine for the most part.
    Would love to know of the experience of other portable Cpap users


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    #6
    crabbypaddy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,040 ✭✭✭crabbypaddy


    Field east wrote: »
    I have to admit that when I got it I very seldom used it in the first three years- the length of guarantee- which was a mistake as there is a slight possibility that the battery may be faulty.

    Batteries aren't generally guaranteed for more than a year. Even sitting on the shelf or rarely if ever discharged lithium life expectancy is around 3 years. Ask anyone with a laptop. If the voltage drops below 2.2-2.5v per cell you can't even recharge them without cracking them open.

    Theres nothing special about that p8 battery if it was me I'd add a jack to my 18v cordless drill batteries and use those, more capacity, easily replaceable and charge in a fraction of the time.

    Even a top of the line Makita 4ah battery is a third of the price of that p8 and has nearly 2.4 times the capacity.


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    #7
    Field east
    Registered Users Posts: 2,431 ✭✭✭Field east


    crabbypaddy wrote: »
    Batteries aren't generally guaranteed for more than a year. Even sitting on the shelf or rarely if ever discharged lithium life expectancy is around 3 years. Ask anyone with a laptop. If the voltage drops below 2.2-2.5v per cell you can't even recharge them without cracking them open.

    Theres nothing special about that p8 battery if it was me I'd add a jack to my 18v cordless drill batteries and use those, more capacity, easily replaceable and charge in a fraction of the time.

    Even a top of the line Makita 4ah battery is a third of the price of that p8 and has nearly 2.4 times the capacity.

    Intended getting back to you earlier but a family illness got in the way.
    Your suggestion sounds very good and am willing to try it.
    Would really appreciate if you will respond to the following:-
    (1) where can I source a Makita 4ah battery in Ireland. I thought that you would have to buy the drill with the battery or if you bought it on line that it would cost as much as the complete unit
    ((2) how would you go about connecting the two wires to the battery?
    ( 3) where can I source the jack which you refer to?

    Keeping my fingures crossed that you are still an active board member. If not the some other boardie might help me out.


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    #8
    crabbypaddy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,040 ✭✭✭crabbypaddy


    Field east wrote: »
    Intended getting back to you earlier but a family illness got in the way.
    Your suggestion sounds very good and am willing to try it.
    Would really appreciate if you will respond to the following:-
    (1) where can I source a Makita 4ah battery in Ireland. I thought that you would have to buy the drill with the battery or if you bought it on line that it would cost as much as the complete unit
    ((2) how would you go about connecting the two wires to the battery?
    ( 3) where can I source the jack which you refer to?

    Keeping my fingures crossed that you are still an active board member. If not the some other boardie might help me out.

    If you don't already have a drill battery and charger then it probably makes more sense to buy a laptop powerbank.

    From memory I think your cpap wall charge is 18v and the batteries are 14.4v probably anything in that range is fine but worth checking on the apnea forums etc.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intocircuit-26000mAh-External-Notebooks-Lightning/dp/B00AV4M1LQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493805992&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=14.8v+laptop+powerbank

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/MAXOAK-36000mAh-Portable-External-Notebook/dp/B017YMC0YU/ref=sr_1_18?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493805969&sr=1-18-spons&keywords=14.8v+external+laptop&psc=1


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    #9
    yassin3
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭yassin3


    don't forget to choose the CPAP mask depend on your sleep side because there are cpap mask for side and stomach sleepers and there also alternatives cpap mask just googling


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