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  #11  
Old 08-03-2018, 07:14 PM
AV8AZ AV8AZ is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 60
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I'm not familiar with the generational technology in the concentrators (it looks like Inogen is up to a G4 and I've got a G2).

I don't know why they would have a bad reputation. I went through some courses at CAMI a couple years ago in OKC where the subject came up; I would characterize those discussions as the same I've had everywhere else--no one has any practical real-world experience and no opinion other than curiosity. I have to say that I've not personally heard a negative review/anectdotal experience with a concentrator. The device will tell you if it is not delivering what you are asking of it with very high fidelity.

Why am I limited to 15,000 feet? It's simply as high as I've gone (currently flying a spam can and 15k is an event requiring months of planning and effort).
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  #12  
Old 08-03-2018, 07:33 PM
AV8AZ AV8AZ is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dtw_rv6 View Post
Do you use a pulse-oximeter? I'd be curious what levels you were able to maintain at altitude.
I do use a fingertip pulse-ox (Walmart $25). I've done a fair amount of observation over the years. My pulse goes up at a fairly low altitude, with saturations dropping below baseline well under 10k feet. On supplemental O2, pulse/saturation remain baseline as high as I've gone (15k). I fly almost exclusively solo and since buying the machine I routinely use it during the daytime if I'm going on really any cross country, regardless of altitude (assuming more than 4-5k above home ground level). I've not flown at night in quite a while but would use the machine at night quite liberally. It's quite convenient.
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  #13  
Old 08-03-2018, 08:00 PM
swordtail swordtail is offline
 
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Location: Grindstone, PA
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I use the local industrial gas supplier for a $22 fill up every two years.
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  #14  
Old 08-03-2018, 08:45 PM
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Ironflight Ironflight is offline
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I tested a couple of concentraters a few years back, and they worked great. I think the only reason they don’t make headway versus bottled O2 in our community is that the cost, and the fact that you need one for each person (which costs even more). When you do the math, you can buy a LOT of bottled O2 before you reach a break even point, given that most people aren’t using them all day every day when they fly (like folks do for medical purposes).

I really like them but couldn’t justify the cost - even for a refurb.

And yes - I do my own bottle refills from a big tank in my hangar.
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RV-8 - N188PD - "Valkyrie"
RV-6 (By Marriage) - N164MS - "Mikey"
RV-3B - N13PL - "Tsamsiyu"
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  #15  
Old 08-04-2018, 04:52 AM
dtw_rv6 dtw_rv6 is offline
 
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Location: Martinsville, IN
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AV8AZ View Post
I do use a fingertip pulse-ox (Walmart $25). I've done a fair amount of observation over the years. My pulse goes up at a fairly low altitude, with saturations dropping below baseline well under 10k feet. On supplemental O2, pulse/saturation remain baseline as high as I've gone (15k). I fly almost exclusively solo and since buying the machine I routinely use it during the daytime if I'm going on really any cross country, regardless of altitude (assuming more than 4-5k above home ground level). I've not flown at night in quite a while but would use the machine at night quite liberally. It's quite convenient.
This makes for some good objective evidence that makes me thing any bad reputation the concentrators have is probably related to early technology, the high cost, or possibly just wrong... $1k per person does make me pause at jumping on board with this approach.

Thanks!
Don
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  #16  
Old 08-04-2018, 05:13 AM
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steve murray steve murray is offline
 
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Location: Flat Rock, North Carolina
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Been filling my own O2 tank for past 8 years from large O2 bottle that I bought from local welding supply. Entire refill setup including buying the tank was less than $250.
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  #17  
Old 08-04-2018, 05:47 AM
bobnoffs bobnoffs is offline
 
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seems that i remember from the 60's when i got a diver's card that using compressed air that wasn't delivered by a pump for air meant to be breathed could be dangerous because the wrong type of pump could also deliver oil into the compressed gas.
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dakota hawk/jab 3300 built and flying. sold 6/18.getting serious about the 12. in the hangar now as of 10/15/19
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  #18  
Old 08-04-2018, 07:04 AM
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catmandu catmandu is offline
 
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I remember that same warning when I got my dive card years ago. But numerous threads here and elsewhere have convinced me that bottled oxygen is bottled oxygen, the price of the product just increases when someone has to place an 'Aviation use only' sticker on it (kind of like the certified vs. experimental argument).
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  #19  
Old 08-04-2018, 07:25 AM
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Ironflight Ironflight is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobnoffs View Post
seems that i remember from the 60's when i got a diver's card that using compressed air that wasn't delivered by a pump for air meant to be breathed could be dangerous because the wrong type of pump could also deliver oil into the compressed gas.
Air and O2 are two very different things. With diving air, you had to worry about oil contamination from the compressor. Such a thing would take care of itself in the O2 delivery industry because any oil contamination would cause the compressor to explode long before it got to the customer?s bottle.....

I?ve been to to O2 plants - these days, they make one grade - far cheaper for them to make the highest grade than to have multiple production pipelines.
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Paul F. Dye
Editor at Large - KITPLANES Magazine
RV-8 - N188PD - "Valkyrie"
RV-6 (By Marriage) - N164MS - "Mikey"
RV-3B - N13PL - "Tsamsiyu"
A&P, EAA Tech Counselor/Flight Advisor
Dayton Valley Airpark (A34)
http://Ironflight.com
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  #20  
Old 08-04-2018, 07:34 AM
humptybump humptybump is offline
 
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for those performing their own refills, is a single "big bottle" sufficient? I ask because many of the online parts providers push a cascading tank system.
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