What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Oxygen System (Roll your own) RV-10

Subwaybob

Well Known Member
Ok, who's put in a system (preferably in a 10) without spending $6-$7000? I mean, what the heck?? I'm thinking about mounting the bottle in the baggage area and just reaching back to turn it on. Will have 4 people on it intermittently and 2 on it a lot. Maybe thinking about just extending the tubes through the overhead or something? There's just no way I'm spending $7K. :mad:
I can do a portable system for $800 ish.
 
I have not added it to my RV7, but I have used a bottle with an Aero Nasal cannula that helped to extend the bottle. Also used an Inogen with a splitter up to 16K ft at 5lpm. Im not sure you could go much higher with a portable (they are only rated to 12K).
 
I've always used a portable system -- much, much cheaper and easier to recharge... especially since not all airports have oxygen.
 
I mounted an E size bottle in the baggage area (laterally just behind the rear seats and removable) (cost $30 on craiglslit) (medical style fitting for availability of refilling - requires rx though). I wanted this as far forward for W&B. It is connected to a pediatric regulator ($10 on ebay). I put a 2500 PSI sensor on the regulator in place of the gauge and wired it to the G3X ($12 on ebay). I routed a 1/8" ID tygon hose from the regulator to the front tunnel (plan a center console/arm rest where it will terminate), where it branches into 4 sealed receptacles for users to plug in their canulas. (these are sealed closed until the users plug is put in) About $30 in parts. I got four, individual flow regulators on ebay for about $15 so adjustments don't have to be made back at the bottle mounted regulator. These are mounted in each users feed line before the canula.

Only limitation is that you have to open the valve on the bottle before takeoff, unless there is a back seat passenger to reach around and do it in flight. Solenoid controlled regulators were prohibitively expensive for me.

Larry
 
Last edited:
I have not added it to my RV7, but I have used a bottle with an Aero Nasal cannula that helped to extend the bottle. Also used an Inogen with a splitter up to 16K ft at 5lpm. Im not sure you could go much higher with a portable (they are only rated to 12K).

Jonathan - would you be able to elaborate, please, on your experience with the Inogen? Which model? Which splitter did you use? How reliable has the unit been?

I ask because my wife has a compromised respiratory system. I've been looking at installing O2 bottles but the concept of having on-board generation capability just seems like a far less limiting method.

I'd appreciate any info you can share, especially lessons learned and "gotchas".

Thanks!
 
Does anyone know if Portable Oxygen Concentrators like the Inogen are legal for supplemental oxygen for PIC.
I see FAA regulations regarding passengers flying in aircraft commercially. Can?t find anything on meeting requirements for pilots flying general aviation.
 
Roll-Your-Own 4-place Oxygen System

I've built both a 4-place portable system and now a built-in system in my -10, both roll-your-own style. The portable uses a Jumbo D cylinder, 4-place regulator, 4 flow meters and 4 oxysaver cannulas. The system worked fine for cross country trips with 2 adults and 2 kids, but was a bit bulky with all 4 of the lines in use. It's for sale if anyone is interested...

i-xJwkbG7-L.jpg


The cylinder is clamped to the floor between the rear seats, the 4 flow meters mounted together on the overhead with a gopro mount so they're easily deployed and removed.
 
Last edited:
Jonathan - would you be able to elaborate, please, on your experience with the Inogen? Which model? Which splitter did you use? How reliable has the unit been?

I ask because my wife has a compromised respiratory system. I've been looking at installing O2 bottles but the concept of having on-board generation capability just seems like a far less limiting method.

I'd appreciate any info you can share, especially lessons learned and "gotchas".

Thanks!
I believe the one we used was an Inogen G3 Portable with Pulse Oxygen. It was designed as a Single user system, and we simply attached a Y connector and attached two oxysaver cannula's from Aerox. The system worked great while we were flying from Washington to Detroit this summer at 16.5k (favorable winds gave us GS 220+). We did have a pulse oximeter and were checking regularly. I believe we had it maxed out at 5lpm and our target was to simply keep OT sat above 92%. It had plenty of battery charge to get us there but we also had the 12V power adapter. I was lucky and work in the Health care industry and the local Medical Equipment supplier let me "Borrow" it for the week.
When I first bough the plane I lived in AZ and the airport FBO would easily fill my canister, however after a trip to New England and being unable to get canisters filled anywhere (rental canisters that had to be returned not just exchanged) I will probably invest in an Inogen in the future.if I have going to cross over the West a lot. otherwise I don't think I would carry the weight.

Hope that helps.
 
I mounted an E size bottle in the baggage area (laterally just behind the rear seats and removable) (cost $30 on craiglslit) (medical style fitting for availability of refilling - requires rx though). I wanted this as far forward for W&B. It is connected to a pediatric regulator ($10 on ebay). I put a 2500 PSI sensor on the regulator in place of the gauge and wired it to the G3X ($12 on ebay). I routed a 1/8" ID tygon hose from the regulator to the front tunnel (plan a center console/arm rest where it will terminate), where it branches into 4 sealed receptacles for users to plug in their canulas. (these are sealed closed until the users plug is put in) About $30 in parts. I got four, individual flow regulators on ebay for about $15 so adjustments don't have to be made back at the bottle mounted regulator. These are mounted in each users feed line before the canula.

Only limitation is that you have to open the valve on the bottle before takeoff, unless there is a back seat passenger to reach around and do it in flight. Solenoid controlled regulators were prohibitively expensive for me.

Larry

That's good stuff. I'm going to use a CGA 540 so I can fill it myself.
 
Yes, I built my own. It is in a 6, not a 10; but the principal and cost should be the same (maybe $200). I bought a Jumbo D new on e-bay for about $80, and a medical regulator for about $50. I piped it to each position where I installed stainless steal quick connect fittings that seal off the line when disconnected. The positions not is use do not use any O2. You use the regulator flow setting to adjust flow for 1,2,3 or 4 people. You could use individual flow meters, but they are ugly, bulky, clunky, and un-necessary.
Give everyone a plus-ox finger meter and adjust the overall flow accordingly.
I?ll post a parts list when I get back to the States tomorrow.
 
Portable 4-Place Setup

Here's my budget 4-place solution. Jumbo-D Cylinder, low profile valve, 4-port regulator with CPC connector sockets. The flow meters are from eBay, mounted to an aluminum plate that attaches to the overhead via a modified GoPro mount. Works fine but it's a little bulky. The OxySaver cannulas are OK but not the most efficient technology, not an issue if you have your own fill station but no where near as efficient as an O2D2 for example.

2019111218475614--6021029280360000073-IMG_6786-L.jpg


2019111218475614-6624387564581891986-IMG_6789-M.jpg
 
Yes, I built my own. It is in a 6, not a 10; but the principal and cost should be the same (maybe $200). I bought a Jumbo D new on e-bay for about $80, and a medical regulator for about $50. I piped it to each position where I installed stainless steal quick connect fittings that seal off the line when disconnected. The positions not is use do not use any O2. You use the regulator flow setting to adjust flow for 1,2,3 or 4 people. You could use individual flow meters, but they are ugly, bulky, clunky, and un-necessary.
Give everyone a plus-ox finger meter and adjust the overall flow accordingly.
I?ll post a parts list when I get back to the States tomorrow.

Yes! Pictures please.
 
Budget Built-In System

After using the portable system for a while, I started looking into a built-in solution but the cost was prohibitive for the install kits on the market. Hence the roll-your-own approach. The performance requirements were light weight, ease of use and much increased duration for a very long trip I had planned. Many of the components can be found online from non-aviation vendors at non-aviation prices ;)
First, the cylinder is a Spiracle EE-Lite carbon fibre unit, capacity 48 cuft @ 2216psi. This was sourced from an EMS supply house. The CPC connector hardware and low pressure hose came from an online plumbing place. The aviation specific parts came from Mountain High Oxygen and are very high quality stuff, the best I've found to date. The MH parts are a PCR regulator and remote pneumatic switch, pressure gauge, fill port and one O2D2 unit.

The cylinder is mounted on the the aft side of the baggage bulkhead on a doubler riveted to the corrugated bulkhead. The fill port and pressure gauge are installed in the lower bulkhead panel.

IMG_5979-L.jpg


The upper portion of the baggage bulkhead has a round hole cut in it for access to the CGA 540 valve on the cylinder. The hole is covered by a small door with a 1/4 turn fastener.

2019111218475614-8027268992155029676-IMG_6795-M.jpg
2019111218475614--3095571338258993597-IMG_6793-M.jpg


The oxygen ports are housed in the center console, 2 on the outside for the rear passengers and 2 inside the console for the pilot and copilot. The front seaters plug into an O2D2 unit inside the center console for maximum oxygen efficiency. The remote switch for the regulator is also mounted inside the center console next to the oxygen ports.

2019111218475614--6505045407025540864-IMG_6792-M.jpg
2019111218475614-9120456491331551130-IMG_6791-M.jpg


The system is easy to fill from my home-brew fill station with welding oxygen. One fill lasted 2 Atlantic crossings on O2 75% of the time with plenty to spare :D

2019111218475614-6883248958349714121-IMG_6784-M.jpg
IMG_6579-M.jpg
 
Last edited:
That's good stuff. I'm going to use a CGA 540 so I can fill it myself.

I hope to self-fill as well at some point. You can get transfill setups for 870, as well as 540. The advantage to the 870 is the ease of filling if the need arises while away from home. Just need the Rx. Medical refill operations are everywhere and most industrial gas places will fill either 540 or 870, with an Rx.

Larry
 
I hope to self-fill as well at some point. You can get transfill setups for 870, as well as 540. The advantage to the 870 is the ease of filling if the need arises while away from home. Just need the Rx. Medical refill operations are everywhere and most industrial gas places will fill either 540 or 870, with an Rx.

Larry

It's also easy to build a small 540 to 870 adapter to carry with you - I do that in the tiny jet because the built in O2 system needs filling often....
 
I believe the one we used was an Inogen G3 Portable with Pulse Oxygen. It was designed as a Single user system, and we simply attached a Y connector and attached two oxysaver cannula's from Aerox. The system worked great while we were flying from Washington to Detroit this summer at 16.5k (favorable winds gave us GS 220+). We did have a pulse oximeter and were checking regularly. I believe we had it maxed out at 5lpm and our target was to simply keep OT sat above 92%. It had plenty of battery charge to get us there but we also had the 12V power adapter. I was lucky and work in the Health care industry and the local Medical Equipment supplier let me "Borrow" it for the week.
When I first bough the plane I lived in AZ and the airport FBO would easily fill my canister, however after a trip to New England and being unable to get canisters filled anywhere (rental canisters that had to be returned not just exchanged) I will probably invest in an Inogen in the future.if I have going to cross over the West a lot. otherwise I don't think I would carry the weight.

Hope that helps.

Thank you, Jonathan, that's very helpful info indeed!
I think I've found a lightly used Inogen G3 locally... that may be the path we end up going.
 
I had the following objectives on my RV-10 Oxygen install:
- Must be a portable system. I want to be able to remove it, and refill it using a shared refill rig we setup at the Airpark (we all have $40 a refill cylinders in a daisy chain charge rig). A $40 refill lasts for a couple of years.
- Have enough capacity for two people for an east to west coast round trip assuming cruise altitudes of 10k to 16K.
- Be easily accessible to the pilot.

I selected the Mountain High pulse demand system with the AL-682 cylinder. The system comes with a nice cylinder case with tie down straps. I modified the tie down straps to have two crisscross straps anchored under four tunnel top screws. The straps have a clip so it is only a few seconds to pull the cylinder. The cylinder is mounted just aft of the front seats on top of the tunnel. The pulse demand module is mounted with Velcro on the side of the tunnel just forward of the co-pilot seat.

This setup has met all my design criteria.

Carl
 
Here's my budget 4-place solution. Jumbo-D Cylinder, low profile valve, 4-port regulator with CPC connector sockets. The flow meters are from eBay, mounted to an aluminum plate that attaches to the overhead via a modified GoPro mount. Works fine but it's a little bulky. The OxySaver cannulas are OK but not the most efficient technology, not an issue if you have your own fill station but no where near as efficient as an O2D2 for example.

What are the makes/models of the regulator and flow meters?
 
High-pressure valve

Anyone successfully mounted a bottle remotely and used a remote operated high-pressure valve? I'd like to be able to place the bottle in the forward baggage and be able to remotely open and close the bottle. I've seen a few commercial/industrial solutions, but they are very expensive.
 
Anyone successfully mounted a bottle remotely and used a remote operated high-pressure valve? I'd like to be able to place the bottle in the forward baggage and be able to remotely open and close the bottle. I've seen a few commercial/industrial solutions, but they are very expensive.

Yes - I have the Mountain High system with a remote bottle and their remote switch - it works just fine. I use their O2D1 for the single seater downstream of the outlet on the panel. The remote fill port is also in the cockpit, along with the tank pressure gauge - they are a single unit. You have to route the tiny spaghetti tubing for the remote valve, but it is soft, and easily managed.

No, its not cheap - but it works great!

Paul
 
Yes - I have the Mountain High system with a remote bottle and their remote switch - it works just fine. I use their O2D1 for the single seater downstream of the outlet on the panel. The remote fill port is also in the cockpit, along with the tank pressure gauge - they are a single unit. You have to route the tiny spaghetti tubing for the remote valve, but it is soft, and easily managed.

No, its not cheap - but it works great!

Paul

Thanks! That is a very nice system. But it is a few bucks...
 
Remote Valve

Anyone successfully mounted a bottle remotely and used a remote operated high-pressure valve? I'd like to be able to place the bottle in the forward baggage and be able to remotely open and close the bottle. I've seen a few commercial/industrial solutions, but they are very expensive.

The built-in system I posted earlier in this thread uses such a high pressure regulator valve. The valve can be seen mounted to the main shut-off valve on the oxygen cylinder and the remote pneumatic switch inside the center console box. It's the same Mountain High product Paul mentioned, they call it the PCR2. Not cheap, but very high quality.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top