Super cheap 12V CPAP solution

[ConnCarl]

There's been a lot of interest here about 12v CPAP solutions.

That huge website named after a river in South America has the Stanley FatMax 140 watt (peak) power inverter on sale right now for $10.99 shipped, but only if you're the kind of customer that rhymes with "grime".

This isn't for everyone!  If your machine takes more than 100 watts, it won't work for you.  If you don't want to or can't be tethered to an extension cord connected to your car, this isn't for you.  And you're one of those folks who turns up their nose at anything that doesn't bear the machine manufacturer's seal of extreme markup approval, you'll want to pass on this.

What it is, is the cheapest 12v CPAP solution out there.

[srlevine1]

There's been a lot of interest here about 12v CPAP solutions.

That huge website named after a river in South America has the Stanley FatMax 140 watt (peak) power inverter on sale right now for $10.99 shipped, but only if you're the kind of customer that rhymes with "grime".

This isn't for everyone!  If your machine takes more than 100 watts, it won't work for you.  If you don't want to or can't be tethered to an extension cord connected to your car, this isn't for you.  And you're one of those folks who turns up their nose at anything that doesn't bear the machine manufacturer's seal of extreme markup approval, you'll want to pass on this.

What it is, is the cheapest 12v CPAP solution out there.

All things considered, using an inverter is a poor solution as it dissipates a large portion of its energy as heat and drains the battery faster. If you are seeking an economical solution, you may wish to purchase a used ResMed S8 machine which can use a native 12-volts. However, watch the power cord as connection polarity counts and it uses a reverse polarity scheme. Of course, you cannot run the powered dehumidifier, but that does not mean you cannot leave it attached and filled with water for a "pass over" effect.  Best practices, use ResMeds DC-DC converter between the device and the battery to ensure proper polarity, clean isolated power, and save your battery when it drops below an estimated 10.5 volts.

Thanks for the tip. It might be perfect for small tools and computers.

[Sleeprider]

Nice heads up. I just want to clarify on the commercial policy, it's okay to say Amazon or Prime as long as you don't post a link. We can even post contact phone numbers to vendors. Pretty much any information that can aid in searching, identifying, reviewing and using something that can be bought is fine, as long as it doesn't end with .com or have an embedded link.

[ConnCarl]

There's been a lot of interest here about 12v CPAP solutions.

That huge website named after a river in South America has the Stanley FatMax 140 watt (peak) power inverter on sale right now for $10.99 shipped, but only if you're the kind of customer that rhymes with "grime".

This isn't for everyone!  If your machine takes more than 100 watts, it won't work for you.  If you don't want to or can't be tethered to an extension cord connected to your car, this isn't for you.  And you're one of those folks who turns up their nose at anything that doesn't bear the machine manufacturer's seal of extreme markup approval, you'll want to pass on this.

What it is, is the cheapest 12v CPAP solution out there.

All things considered, using an inverter is a poor solution as it dissipates a large portion of its energy as heat and drains the battery faster. If you are seeking an economical solution, you may wish to purchase a used ResMed S8 machine which can use a native 12-volts. However, watch the power cord as connection polarity counts and it uses a reverse polarity scheme. Of course, you cannot run the powered dehumidifier, but that does not mean you cannot leave it attached and filled with water for a "pass over" effect.  Best practices, use ResMeds DC-DC converter between the device and the battery to ensure proper polarity, clean isolated power, and save you battery when it drops below an estimated 10.5 volts.

Thanks for the tip. It might be perfect for small tools and computers.

You're welcome, although I wouldn't use it with a computer, there's no mention of whether or not the AC power is filtered.

I didn't present it as either a good or efficient solution, but as the cheapest solution.  And it is.  If you ever need to sleep in or near your car (I do, on long trips, or anytime I need a rest while on the road) and are unable or unwilling to spend the time and/or money for a proper 12VDC solution, this inverter will do the trick, as long as your machine draws less than 100 watts.  That's a 12VDC CPAP solution for eleven bucks.  I thought some folks might find that helpful.

I have two 12VDC cigarette lighter adapters and two battery backup packs, but I bought one, because for $11, it's a cheap backup plan that might even come in handy for other purposes.

---

Nice heads up.  I just want to clarify on the commercial policy, it's okay to say Amazon or Prime as long as you don't post a link. We can even post contact phone numbers to vendors.  Pretty much any information that can aid in searching, identifying, reviewing and using something that can be bought is fine, as long as it doesn't end with .com or have an embedded link.

Good to know!  Thank you for clarifying.

[CB91710]

I would definitely not use this kind of solution plugged into my car. Even at only 90 watts, that is still pulling more than 10a from the car battery. My wife has killed her battery more than once just leaving the dome light on overnight, and that's only a few watts.
Deep discharging a car battery will quickly reduce its capacity and result in early failure.
A less convenient solution would be to use a deep cycle trolling motor battery, and plug it into a charger when convenient.

[archangle]

you may wish to purchase a used ResMed S8 machine which can use a native 12-volts. However, watch the power cord as connection polarity counts and it uses a reverse polarity scheme.

Philips Respironics PRS1 machines will run off of 12 volts directly, no converter or inverter required. They'll even run the humidifier heater, although, of course, it drains the battery quicker.   Philips wants you to use their own overpriced power cord, but there's nothing special about it.   It's just a cig lighter plug, a fuse, and a fairly standard barrel connector.   Don't get the polarity wrong.   Note that Philips Respironics PRS1 and ResMed S8 use the same plug, but opposite polarity from each other.  

I'm not sure about the Dreamstation power cord, but it looks similar, but maybe with a different size connector.

[srlevine1]

All things considered, using an inverter is a poor solution as it dissipates a large portion of its energy as heat and drains the battery faster. If you are seeking an economical solution, you may wish to purchase a used ResMed S8 machine which can use a native 12-volts. However, watch the power cord as connection polarity counts and it uses a reverse polarity scheme. Of course, you cannot run the powered dehumidifier, but that does not mean you cannot leave it attached and filled with water for a "pass over" effect.  Best practices, use ResMeds DC-DC converter between the device and the battery to ensure proper polarity, clean isolated power, and save you battery when it drops below an estimated 10.5 volts.

Thanks for the tip. It might be perfect for small tools and computers.

You're welcome, although I wouldn't use it with a computer, there's no mention of whether or not the AC power is filtered.

I assume that most people travel with laptops and not desktop machines. They normally come with a power supply brick which filters the power and provides some level of safety. The problem with most cheap inverters is they do not output pure sine wave power, but a modified sine wave of some flavor. Worst case scenario, you damage the power block or the inverter. I normally use an inverter that is three times the rating of the computer to ensure that none of the components are stressed to where spikes and feedback spikes are troublesome. You should always check the type of power coming from the inverter and the requirements of the power block. Also, even if DC is available, I always use a DC-DC converter to isolate the device from the power source. 
I was amazed to find that one of my vehicles has a 110-volt receptacle with a 400-watt capacity. My basic rule is: if you don't know what you are doing, don't do anything without expert advice; and you need to be able to afford the total loss of the equipment if things go south.