Oxygen Concentrator

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dmloftus
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Re: Oxygen Concentrator

Post by dmloftus »

Soareyes wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 2:57 pm Having an "unlimited" supply of oxygen was a big psychological difference. No hesitation to put it on early, fly higher, leave it on longer and no wondering how much hassle it was going to be to fill the tank. Fill it up in the hotel at night.
That's a huge plus to me. I love my Aerox system when I need it, but I always hesitate to use it as I never know how expensive or how much hassle the next refill will be. I imagine I will use the Inogen anytime flying above 10,000 and nights above 5000. And with the newly wired lighter plug, it should be a truly endless supply at the highest level.
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Re: Oxygen Concentrator

Post by Mjwatlanta »

I’m a pretty fit triathlete, but I seem to have very low tolerance for altitude. Might be that my resting hr is about 48. Regardless, I certainly want to avoid concentration and headaches issues from even mild hypoxia. So this is an interesting conversation. The Inogen G5 is between 3700 and 4100 dollars plus taxes new. Plus the aviator kit if desired. That’s a lot of O2 in tanks. The devices don’t seem to be on eBay. But I checked several cities on Craigslist. Lots of choices everywhere I looked. Sadly, many are lightly used as the users sometimes don’t live very long. So, if price is holding you back, take a look. I saw units with batteries, et al for under $1000 with $1600 being a common price.
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Re: Oxygen Concentrator

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Mjwatlanta wrote: Mon Aug 01, 2022 1:50 am I’m a pretty fit triathlete, but I seem to have very low tolerance for altitude. Might be that my resting hr is about 48.
...
The Inogen G5 is between 3700 and 4100 dollars plus taxes new.
Received my Inogen One G5 unit last week, just in time for a flight to St Simons. I absolutely LOVE it! Much smaller and easier to transport than my tank, the case even has a strap to attach it to the handle of my rollaboard. At around 5 lbs, it hangs very nicely on the copilot seat back. Flew 11,500' down to KSSI on setting 3 to test it out, which kept me mid 90's and used only about 25% of the high-capacity battery for the 2-hour flight. I too run mid-40's resting heart rate and tend to drop into low 90's SPO2 above 10K'). On my flight back, we had pop-up afternoon thunderstorms all along my route, with bases broken at 4K-8K, tops around 10K. Flew at 12,500 so I could easily see any vertical development and had to zigzag a fair amount to avoid several heavy cells up to 25K. With my tank, I would likely have chosen 10,500 to avoid using O2. But with an infinite supply of oxygen sitting next to me, I had no hesitation to use it and I flew at a safer altitude where I could see any potential danger.
I did a lot of research on different models and potential suppliers. Due to supply chain issues, some Inogen distributors have been out of stock for months. Main Clinic Supply in MN had units in stock and require only your pilot's certificate, but they wanted nearly full list price. I was thrilled that the best deal I got was through Inogen directly. Got the G5 kit, regular and high-capacity batteries, and 3-year warranty for only $2671, with no taxes since it is a medical device. I had previously spoken with my Dr who had agreed to write me an Rx for the device. Inogen faxed him a standard Rx form, which he signed and fax'ed back within 24 hours (see my earlier post about online Dr's who will write the Rx for $75).
I too looked at Craig's list, where most "lightly used" G5's go for around $1600. But I would have no idea about the condition of the unit, battery condition, etc. And I don't believe the warranty would transfer if still in effect given it is illegal to sell oxygen concentrators (that's likely why they can't be found on ebay). For $1000 more, I got a brand new unit, extra battery, and full warranty.
I also bought the Inogen Aviator kit with dual cannula and power supply. I will try to run mostly off of batteries (rarely do my flights exceed the 6-8 hours on the high-capacity battery plus I have the smaller battery as a backup), but I like the peace of mind to plug in if I need to. Earlier posts indicate Inogen Aviator as a source for the oxygen concentrator. I spoke with the owner, Tom Laux, who said he no longer sells the units after Inogen decided to consolidate their distribution network. But he is a wealth of information and worked with Inogen to certify the units with the FAA. He says his power supply is custom for this application and it seems like a high-quality product.
Including the $300 for my upgraded accessory plug, I'm just over $3K for complete confidence at altitudes as high as I can fly a DA40. Given how much we pay to fly these aircraft, I feel this is a small price to pay for the added safety, convenience, and peace of mind.
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Re: Oxygen Concentrator

Post by Colin »

I think I will probably switch over after that review.

Tom Laux used to fly a DA40. In and out of Palo Alto and down toward Paso Robles, if I remember correctly.
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Re: Oxygen Concentrator

Post by TomO »

ImageI have used the Imogen Aviator concentrator for over 2 years.

It works as advertised.

Whether there is a single pilot or a copilot determines where the concentrator is hung. Behind the pilot seat is easier for the copilot to change settings and for a single pilot behind the copilot seat. The Wi-Fi app on the Aviator confirms the settings. One can reach behind the seat to easily change settings or turn on.

A trick to allow this be be done without needing to visualize the buttons is to use sticky Velcro buttons of hook or fuzzy to indicate an up or down settings and a larger button for off and on.

Prior to using the Velcro the concentrator had to be moved forward to visualize the settings.
67C623A9-7C3A-4E5C-A13A-C18068B278DE.jpeg
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Re: Oxygen Concentrator

Post by Boatguy »

I use a quick connect boom cannula with my Mtn High system. Any idea if the Imogen plumbing could be connected to that? It’s much more comfortable than the over the head cannula.
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Re: Oxygen Concentrator

Post by blsewardjr »

I asked MH about their boom cannula and the Inogen. They recommend the XCP constant flow one even though Inogen is a pulse demand system.

"(Me) Just re-read your reply where you recommend the EZ Breathe for EXP constant flow rather than the E-Z Breathe-II Boom Cannula for EDS-Pulse Demand (One Touch). The Inogen is a pulse demand system

(MH)- You still want the XCP"

I find the cannula supplied by Inogen to be very comfortable. It's soft plastic and since it doesn't have a re-breather it simply drapes over my ears and is tightened behind my head. As a result I decided the boom cannula was not worth it.
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Re: Oxygen Concentrator

Post by dmloftus »

Boatguy wrote: Fri Aug 26, 2022 5:41 am I use a quick connect boom cannula with my Mtn High system. Any idea if the Inogen plumbing could be connected to that? It’s much more comfortable than the over the head cannula.
Hi Russ,
I don't think so. I just purchased the MH E-Z Breathe II boom cannula from Aircraft Spruce for my Inogen. It does not look like it has the standard cannula fitting (white fitting in picture) to attach to an oxygen nipple (blue tube in picture), just a 1/4" tube. Have you tried using this cannula with anything other than a Mountain High system, and if so, how did you adapt the fitting? The blue tube will not easily fit the Inogen port. Thanks
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Re: Oxygen Concentrator

Post by Boatguy »

dmloftus wrote: Fri Aug 26, 2022 5:23 pm
Boatguy wrote: Fri Aug 26, 2022 5:41 am I use a quick connect boom cannula with my Mtn High system. Any idea if the Inogen plumbing could be connected to that? It’s much more comfortable than the over the head cannula.
Hi Russ,
I don't think so. I just purchased the MH E-Z Breathe II boom cannula from Aircraft Spruce for my Inogen. It does not look like it has the standard cannula fitting (white fitting in picture) to attach to an oxygen nipple (blue tube in picture), just a 1/4" tube. Have you tried using this cannula with anything other than a Mountain High system, and if so, how did you adapt the fitting? The blue tube will not easily fit the Inogen port. Thanks
I have not.

However, I inserted a quick connect. If the tubing is the same size, then each is cut and the quick connect inserted into the line, leaving about 2" dangling from the cannula when disconnected. I leave the cannula attached to my headset because putting it on/off the ball mount is difficult at best. When I'm not using O2 I just flip it up and it's out of sight, out of mind.
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Re: Oxygen Concentrator

Post by Mjwatlanta »

I commented on this topic back at the end of July and noted that an Inogen 5 could be purchased for between 1000 and $1600 on craigslist. True to my word, I bought one that had been used for a couple of hours for $1500. Apparently, the lady who bought it did not like the puffs and instead likes the constant flow of her oxygen tank. This left her husband quite perturbed and he sold the unit to me for a very good price. I’ve now used it on two very long cross country trips. One from Arizona back to Atlanta, and one from Atlanta to Homestead Florida and back on the same day. On both occasions, I used a homemade system to deliver the oxygen from the concentrator to the cannula. It involved a simple 4 inch adapter that is a female on both ends, a Y fitting, and 2 7 foot long cannula hoses. I did discover that cannula hoses come in different diameters. If one of the hose’s diameter is too small, it will not deliver a full flow and the person with that side may experience lower oxygen concentrations. At above 13,000 feet my oxygen was 98% without any trouble at all. That was either at a five or six setting. I am getting six hours out of the large battery without any problem. My machine came with one large battery and I bought two on eBay. That turned out to be overkill, and now I have more batteries that I need. They are both heavy and quite expensive. While I am considering getting the unit hardwired into the system like David did, the batteries work so well I’m not sure it’s worth the expense or trouble.

The bottom line is that because I never worry about running out of oxygen, or have to go to the trouble of filling a tank, I find myself using oxygen just about anytime above seven or 8000 feet and almost always at night. I think this makes for a more comfortable and safe flight. While I certainly don’t have experience with tank oxygen, I can absolutely endorse the idea that this system works well.
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