RE: Operating CPAP with battery....
(04-29-2013, 10:31 PM)archangle Wrote: (04-26-2013, 10:10 AM)JJJ Wrote: Lead acid batteries have problems that are just as bad. For example, it is against US federal law to take a lead acid battery on any public transportation vehicle. Are you just making this stuff up?
Please provide a citation.
There are some restrictions on lithium batteries, but I've never heard of any restrictions on lead acid batteries.
They are classed as hazardous materials. Call your local public transportation outfit and ask them if you can take a car battery on one of their buses.
RE: Operating CPAP with battery....
(04-30-2013, 09:56 PM)JJJ Wrote: They are classed as hazardous materials. Call your local public transportation outfit and ask them if you can take a car battery on one of their buses.
How does that work with wheelchair batteries - is there some sort of exception for that? I've seen folks with electric wheelchairs (which have lead-acid batteries) use public transportation all the time here. Maybe they're exempt?
SuperSleeper
Apnea Board Administrator
www.ApneaBoard.com
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RE: Operating CPAP with battery....
(05-01-2013, 08:17 AM)SuperSleeper Wrote: (04-30-2013, 09:56 PM)JJJ Wrote: They are classed as hazardous materials. Call your local public transportation outfit and ask them if you can take a car battery on one of their buses.
How does that work with wheelchair batteries - is there some sort of exception for that? I've seen folks with electric wheelchairs (which have lead-acid batteries) use public transportation all the time here. Maybe they're exempt?
Yeah, they must be exempt.
I first learned of this when my car battery died. It is an automatic, so push starting it wasn't an option, and I was too cheap to call a tow service to come and give me a jump start. Instead I used my local public transportation pass to go to an auto parts store a short distance from my house. When I went to get on the bus to come back home the driver asked me if what I was carrying was a battery. I couldn't deny it, whereupon she told me it was a violation of federal law to take a battery on any public transportation.
The driver didn't offer any details, and I haven't taken the time to research whether it applies to all batteries, or just lead-acid batteries, or only batteries of a certain size or more, etc., not to mention possible exemptions. I'm sure there is a lot more detail in the actual statute or regulation; I just haven't taken the time to look it up. But I can tell you for sure that bus drivers in the US will not let you on the bus carrying a car battery. 
RE: Operating CPAP with battery....
(05-01-2013, 10:25 AM)JJJ Wrote: I first learned of this when my car battery died. It is an automatic, so push starting it wasn't an option, and I was too cheap to call a tow service to come and give me a jump start. Instead I used my local public transportation pass to go to an auto parts store a short distance from my house. When I went to get on the bus to come back home the driver asked me if what I was carrying was a battery. I couldn't deny it, whereupon she told me it was a violation of federal law to take a battery on any public transportation.
The driver didn't offer any details, and I haven't taken the time to research whether it applies to all batteries, or just lead-acid batteries, or only batteries of a certain size or more, etc., not to mention possible exemptions. I'm sure there is a lot more detail in the actual statute or regulation; I just haven't taken the time to look it up. But I can tell you for sure that bus drivers in the US will not let you on the bus carrying a car battery.
1) A bus driver is probably about as reliable an information source as a DME. However, right or wrong, he can throw you off the bus. You probably SHOULDN'T be carrying a spillable car battery on the bus.
2) The car battery is a flooded cell (spillable) lead acid battery. Nobody should be using those for a portable CPAP battery. You definitely want a non-spillable battery for use for bus or air transportation.
3) Some of the online CPAP sellers indicate the Respironics lead acid gel cell battery pack is FAA approved. Of course, they aren't necessarily correct, either.
Get the free OSCAR CPAP software here.
Useful links.
Click here for information on the main alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check it yourself.
RE: Operating CPAP with battery....
(04-24-2013, 09:24 AM)SuperSleeper Wrote: Ulrika, what kind of battery did you purchase? What is it's "amp-hour" rating? If it doesn't have an amp-hour rating on the label, it's not the right kind of battery for use with CPAP. You're going to need one with at least a 60 amp/hour rating (or more - 100 amp/hour rating is better for more than one night).
ResMed Technical Services Battery Guide details exactly what size battery would be required for different pressure settings and humidification configurations. Check it out:
http://www.resmed.com/assets/documents/s...lo_eng.pdf
So while it is true that a 100 AH battery would run my S9 for one night, it is also an overstatement. A 100 AH battery would run my S9 for TWELVE nights safely in an emergency situation (normally 11 cm H2O 95% threshold). Up to maybe 19 nights for a new battery with perfect charge.
An S9 AutoSet at max: 20 cm H2O + H5i + Climate control set at 30 deg C would require an 80AH battery for one night (that's with safety margins - best case scenario would require perfectly charged and functioning 55-60AH battery.)
When power is out, especially when expected to be an indeterminate, extended time, it becomes time to "rough it". Ditch the climate line and heated humidification. Say in the case of tornado, hurricane, earthquake, severe ice storm, flood or zombie outbreak, you may expect to be without power from the electric company for 4-5 days until large portions of area grid structure is restored. That 80AH battery in perfect condition could give you ONE night of safe, heated, humidified, luxury happy air CPAP therapy. Or in the "roughing it" survival mode it could give you SIX nights of therapeutic CPAP coverage, even if you might have to put up with some scratchy throat.
OR you could purchase 6 x 80 AH batteries for $1,350 and lug around 420 pounds of battery - quick check of a large, un-named, on-line merchant that also sells books, shows an 80AH SLA battery for $225 and weighing 70 pounds.
Alternately, that same merchant sells a 35AH SLA battery that sells for $75 and weighs only 24 pounds - which would safely run the S9 without heated humidification for three nights at 20 cm H2O, up to four nights in new condition with perfect charge. About five and eight nights for me at 11 cm H2O.
One night camping? Eight hours at 20 cm H2O with a 14AH - $30 and 10 pounds (Faston cigarette lighter harness, not alligator clips - PM me for a source for those if you wish).
OMyMyOHellYes
RE: Operating CPAP with battery....
I've had a lot of success using an owl-12-266 lithium ion battery to run my cpap up to 4 to 5 nights. It only weighs about 5-6 pounds and its easily packable. I take it backpacking, on planes, boats, etc. I can't take a 12 volt marine battery backpacking or on a plane.
RE: Operating CPAP with battery....
jscholz, what is the exact name of the battery? I did a Google search of owl-12-266 and got some cute pics of owls but no battery. Adding 'battery' to the name got me some interesting assault warrants.
PaulaO
Take a deep breath and count to zen.
RE: Operating CPAP with battery....
(06-12-2013, 01:16 PM)PaulaO2 Wrote: jscholz, what is the exact name of the battery? I did a Google search of owl-12-266 and got some cute pics of owls but no battery. Adding 'battery' to the name got me some interesting assault warrants.
I already asked him in a different thread where he got it and how much it cost, but no response so far. Meantime, Google produced a link to a supplier (not on our list) that sells the OW-12-C266 battery. It is listed as on sale for $299 (regularly $425), but out of stock. According to the ad it is 266 watt-hours. The ad further says the manufacturer is Owell Industries.
RE: Operating CPAP with battery....
(06-12-2013, 08:50 PM)JJJ Wrote: I already asked him in a different thread where he got it and how much it cost, but no response so far. Meantime, Google produced a link to a supplier (not on our list) that sells the OW-12-C266 battery. It is listed as on sale for $299 (regularly $425), but out of stock. According to the ad it is 266 watt-hours. The ad further says the manufacturer is Owell Industries.
Divide by 12 (12V) to get 22 AH.
RE: Operating CPAP with battery....
(06-12-2013, 08:58 PM)OMyMyOHellYes Wrote: Divide by 12 (12V) to get 22 AH.
Yes, of course. More important for the electrically challenged is that it should run your CPAP (without humidifier) for 20+ hours.
I also just now tracked down Owell Industries. They are at Zhenyong Rd,Xiajia Industrial Zone,Jiangbei District, Ningbo,China. They have a (rather flaky) web site, complete with e-mail contact information and phone number. Just in case anyone lives nearby, please go check them out.
I'd be interested in buying one of their batteries, if I could find a place that has them in stock.
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