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Spun off as I thought this could be useful

 

I also use a CPAP machine mostly because I like to breathe and live. I can get 6 hours from a small marine type battery and then need to recharge it. At Summer Camp I can use the Dining Hall to recharge the battery during the day and then at night collect it and back to camp. Sorta of a hassle but beats having the nickname, Buzzsaw...

 

What do others do?

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What brand of CPAP? What brand/size of battery? Also, do you plug it in to an inverter, or does your CPAP have a DC input?

 

I'm curious, because when I go on weekend campouts, I just rough it without the CPAP. I'd enjoy them more if I could sleep better.

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I have a Respironics Brand Remstar Plus M series Model 200M

 

I use an inverter to plug the unit into

 

The battery is a small Wal-Mart Battery for Jet Ski's, Ever Start I think it is. I am thinking I could use a bigger battery, the unit itself is rated as 12 volt and 3 amps

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I'm using a Sullivan Series V CPAP machine having logged over 16,000 hours on it. While camping, I am currently plugging my machine into a Diehard Portable Power 1150A system but that only gets me two nights at best.

 

This became a real issue with Jamboree staff registration this year. Anyone who had a CPAP listed on their medical got rejected unless they resubmitted their form with a notation that their CPAP was battery-powered. I'm supposed to be there from July 21st to August 5th, a total of fifteen nights. I couldn't find any system that could give me any where near that length of battery life. So everyone that I know with a CPAP said that they had a battery-powered machine knowing full well that they were going to be continuously recharging their batteries. I don't know what Jamboree gained by this except for making staff aware that they couldn't depend on and wouldn't be responsible for providing a continuous power source for those needing CPAP machines. Yet everyone can plan on bringing and operating a small, personal fan, go figure!!

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Inverters?????

 

Wasting your Battery.

 

Before I start, I have no business association with any of these companys

 

I have a 12 volt DC cpap machine Goodknight G420 It is very small and light. I have back packed Shenandoah national park with it.

 

1st you cannot use a humidifier

2nd dump the inverter it is wasting your battery

3rd get a dc powered machine for camping. Buy a used one, no prescription required.

 

http://www.secondwindcpap.com/

 

Here is the Statistics for my set up

 

the machine takes .4-.6 amps to run depending on the breathing cycle. Sooo, 8 hours sleep X .5 amps means I need a battery that will provide 12volts 4 amp hours per night. I have an assortment of 12 volt 7 amp our batterys I take two for a weekend trip they weigh about 7 lbs for the pair.

 

A deep cycle marine battery is 100-150 amp hours so I could theoretically go for 25-35 days on a marine battery.

 

To top off the setup I have added some brunton solar panels.

 

http://www.brunton.com/product.php?id=409

 

I have the 6 watt version. REI had them on close out last fall for $50. During the summer we have 16 hours of day light and I am positive it will not fully recharge the batteries. But it will buy me more time in the back country.

 

I have pictures of the setup if your interested.

 

I have been on cpap for 14 years and have extensive experience and I am willing to help if you are interested.

 

 

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I know a scouter :-), that has a ResMed AutoSet II that he runs off of a garden-variety Black and Decker rechargeable battery he bought at WalMart. There is a DC-DC converter that the ResMed requires (which was about $40), but other than that, everything works fine. Used at summer camp, recharged daily in the nurse's shack.

 

While the machine normally has a heated humidifier attached to it, that was left out of the equation, in order to reduce electricity usage. I'm told things were a little drier, but other than that, no ill effects for the week.

 

The machine ran fine for 8+ hours on this particular battery (it was tested at home for a week prior to summer camp), and was not tested for 2 or more nights. It may have been fine.

 

Anyway, this scouter is now working with an oral appliance (called a "PM Positioner"; Rx through an oral surgeon) and that is working out well. In this case, it seems to be a suitable substitute for "no power" situations.

 

Anyone interested in hearing more can send me their email addresses through a PM.

 

By the way, there is an interesting resource www.cpaptalk.com, where lots of people discuss camping and CPAPs. There are also a couple of posts related to this PM Positioner idea.

 

Guy

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I have to add a note of concurrence to what B-Dweller says.

 

Many CPAPs have DC inputs (the ResMed AutoSet II is unusual in that it requires a DC-DC converter, for reasons I don't fully understand).

 

An inverter takes DC (the battery) to turn it into AC. There is a loss of efficiency in that step. It is much more efficient to go straight from a DC battery to the DC input of the *PAP (if it has a DC input). More efficiency means the battery lasts longer.

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@OldGreyEagle - "Seems I had a reputation for vibrating the ground."

 

You can leave it at home on fishing campouts. You'd be great for spooking the nightcrawlers to the surface for the bait fishermen. ;)

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If your close to Ohio let me know. I can hook you up with a free battery setup for your cpap machine. All you need is the cigarette lighter plug to plug from your cpap machine.

 

I have a source of free batteries, now they are used but will last monthly camping for over three years.

 

Just PM me if you would like to partake.

 

 

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