Medistrom Pilot 24 Plus and Co-Pilot 24: Any owners having charging issues?

[DaveY]

I have been using this setup with my Airsense 10 Autoset as a UPS for a number of months. A few weeks ago, the batteries started beeping while my AC was still on. It seems like that they could not hold its charge anymore. Anybody else having similar issues?

Dave

[sonicboom]

I had this battery a couple of years ago and gave up on this company. Same problem as you. They fixed one and sent it back and it didn't last long either.

[Fats Drywaller]

Is your battery in the warranty period? According to the manual, that's one year. If so, get it back to the place you bought it from and claim the repair or replacement before it's too late.

If it's out of warranty, it might be feasible to open it up, get the specs of the cells that it uses, buy replacement cells (by a different manufacturer, if the ones chosen by Medistrom are not so good), and replace 'em. Digikey is one possible source, and it has a retail web site in the .ca domain.

[DaveY]

Bought this from Amazon Canada in March and April 2018. Working with Medistrom's tech support...

[srlevine1]

I returned mine within 30-days after its failure during a power outage for scheduled maintenance. I got a little under 4-hours with a ResMed A10 (humidifier, climateline = off) pressure 12-15 (95% = 13.9). The unit was fully charged. Now using homebrew 12-volt 45ah deep cycle marine AGM battery (with Anderson connectors and trickle charger) and ResMed DC-DC unit.

[mesenteria]

I don't know if mine is fully functional (as designed and advertised), but I did don the mask yesterday, let the machine work for a minute, and then pulled the wall plug.  It took a surprising five or six breaths with the machine off before it sensed me breathing and turned on once again, but this time on the Medistrom.  I let it run for close to another minute and concluded that my battery backup seems to be in order.  Don't know what would have happened by hour 4-6 though.

[DaveY]

Will be sending both units back under warranty. Not happy about the Canada Post labour issue.

Dave

[srlevine1]

I heard the Pilot 24 Lite was more reliable and saw one on sale. Based on a friend's experience with the unit, I am willing to try Medistrom again.

For other interested parties, you can check the serial number for the manufacturing date. It is 14 digits long and can be decoded:
Digits 1-4 manufacture date (YYMM)
Digits 5-7 Watt Hour capacity (000Wh)
Digits 8-9 Battery Voltage (24V/ 12V)
Digits 10-14 (00000) production unit number

I will update with a review after I use it for a period of time.

[srlevine1]

I heard the Pilot 24 Lite was more reliable and saw one on sale. Based on a friend's experience with the unit, I am willing to try Medistrom again.

For other interested parties, you can check the serial number for the manufacturing date. It is 14 digits long and can be decoded:
Digits 1-4 manufacture date (YYMM)
Digits 5-7 Watt Hour capacity (000Wh)
Digits 8-9 Battery Voltage (24V/ 12V)
Digits 10-14 (00000) production unit number

I will update with a review after I use it for a period of time.

Received my Medistrom Pilot-24 Lite Battery & Backup Power Supply today, April 10, 2024.
 
The well-packaged box contained the unit, with the serial number indicating it was manufactured in 2306 (June 2023), a watt-hour capacity of 095 watt-hours, a 24-volt battery, and my serial number indicating just under the 20,000 item manufactured, if the count is sequential and correct.

Also in the box was a connection cable for the AirSense 10 and the AirSense Mini and a charging cable for the AirSense Mini. NOTE: For the AirSense 10, your charging source is ResMed's power block, which normally powers your device. The cloth carrying case, quick-start guide (get out your magnifying glass for small print), and instruction manual were included. There does NOT appear to be any warranty instructions, so keep your vendor's details and receipt in the box.
[According to the manual -- "SECTION 7 - Warranty Information: Please contact your CPAP battery dealer for any warranty related issues or you can contact Medistrom technical support by emailing support@medistrom.com.]

There was an unexpected bonus of the Car charging cable (normally sold separately) for the unit. WARNING: You cannot use your cpap DEVICE WHEN THE BATTERY IS CHARGING. (I have a ResMed power kit with the car charger and DC-DC converter in my carry bag, along with various connection cables.)

Upon initial power-up, three of the four green lights were lit, indicating a 65-90% charge capacity. When the power cord was inserted, the green lights flashed consecutively, indicating charging status. After 30 minutes, all lights were green, indicating a full charge.

Upon connecting the battery to the CPAP, the CPAP powered on with the battery's blue light indicator on -- confirming the connection.

I am using the battery in pass-thru mode as a backup. Therefore, my ResMed power block is connected to the battery, and the Medistrom-supplied AirSense 10 cord is connected to my CPAP.

All appears to be well. (To be continued)

[srlevine1]

My first purchase to extend the capabilities of my Medistrom power units was a USB-C Female to USB-A Male adapter. This allows me to power my newer devices that use a USB-C cable. The brand was Syntech, which offers a two-pack. I tossed the small box in my ResMedtravel bag along with the Medistrom carry bag and Medistrom car charging cable.