Cpap machine (powering)

[johntoth52@hotmail.com]

Hello Everyone. I am planning on riding the Empire State Trail (New York, USA) from Buffalo to Albany, 300 miles, and want to camp out the entire way (sometimes at places without power). 
I am looking to buy the Breas Z2 cpap machine (which uses 20 watts and runs on 15 volts DC) model and the battery for that costs $330.00! So, I am looking for cheaper power alternatives. Maybe even a portable power source? thanks for your help. John.

[ray b]

See prior thread in this regard.

https://forums.adventurecycling.org/index.php?topic=17099.msg90795#msg90795

Battery technology improves by leaps and bounds. I would check with your durable medical equipment company to see what's new.

I've prescribed a bunch of ResMed AirMinis. See photo.

I also found a photo of the DeWalt battery a fellow on the Great Divide Trail was using in 2021.

[Again - as sleep medicine specialist, I always like to challenge the cyclists, who might find that exercise (which improves respiratory drive) and weight loss are sufficient to cure their sleep apnea on a long tour. Just a thought for the future. (If a long tour does not cure sleepa apnea, one might ask their sleep medicine specialist whether they have a correctable, mechanical issue such as nasal airway obstructon.)]

[johntoth52@hotmail.com]

THANKS SO MUCH RAY B because that is just the solution I am looking for. any idea how long that Dewalt battery might last? I also found a youtube video from someone who used the AIMTOM 155Wh Portable Power Station SPS-155, $129.00, and that looks promising esp. with all the positive cpap reviews left on the Amazon site.
Anyway, another concern.....the ResMed company will probably void the warranty if I use either of these idea, and anything other than their Freedom v2 battery ($330.00).
Your thoughts on this? thanks again. John.

[ray b]

Like anything, one can spend way too much time on this, when they could be out riding.

I lost the contact info for the engineer in the Bay area who put this together. I believe he got a few nights out of it.

If you're really trying to save money, you might see if you can find the old Transcend travel CPAP in the photo, on Ebay, and know that it pairs with the old DeWalt battery.

On the other hand, though I don't yet know anyone who has tried one, the Transcend Micro has a sub-$300 multi-night battery. It does not have a humidifier (sold separately), but that might not be important during the summer and with lower pressures needed after a day of exercise.

Given current battery technology and weight, that seems like a reasonable price. My experience has been that one can rack up a fair amount of expenses trying to find a battery that works just OK. Sometimes, its simply easier to buy the battery (and often a "smart" battery with extra features) that the company recommends. Again - I'll bet your CPAP DME supplier will have some ideas and opinions.

If I had to do it, I'd probably save money on a refurbished unit and then spend the savings on a reliable battery.

[johntoth52@hotmail.com]

Thanks Ray. I know what you mean about spending time (in my case hours!) on this. I appreciate your refurbished idea. I will probably buy a new machine. I guess I might bite the bullet and buy the company recommended battery. If I do spend that much money I will remind myself that it is cheap compared to other more debilitating medical conditions that people face! Thanks again Ray because you have helped me along the decision making process.

[ray b]

(and check - if you have an health savings account or FSA - you can use those funds. Cost might even be covered by insurance as a medically necessary portable unit. I've successfully written letters to make this happen - though it all depends on contracts with the plans. Again, the DME folks and your sleep specialist should know the financial side, and might be able to help.)

[johntoth52@hotmail.com]

great idea to check on my medical coverages. I have been told in the past that I am only covered for my home machine but who knows....until I check again. What do you mean by DME? Durable medical equipment?

[ray b]

What do you mean by DME? Durable medical equipment?

(Yep. They're the folks contracted to handle all the "insurance" money.)

[canalligators]

I bought the TranScend Mini and their battery.  Interesting comments, Ray, on reduced need on a long tour.  That happened to me, largely because I was sleep deprived for almost all the three months.  I found that if I was anxious, I didn't sleep well; if I wasn't anxious, I slept like a log.  It didn't matter if I was using the CPAP or not.  I have no idea of incident count in any case.  At the 2/3 point, I decided that having more space in my pan and three pounds less load, was more important than the CPAP.  So I sent it home.

I have learned that I either need to humidify or pop a daily Zirtec.  If I don't do one or the other, I have serious sneezing fits in the morning.  And there's no way I'm going to carry or obtain distilled water, so Zirtec it is.  Did you know that a 90 tab supply of Zirtec is almost a hundred bucks?  Add that to the thousand dollars I spent on the Transcend.  Insurance generally does not cover a second machine...

[freightbike]

For many years I have been using a Somanetics, Transcend C-pap for long distance cycling trips. I carry two of the so called multi night batteries that I recharge either with an electric source or a solar panel attached to the top of my BoB trailer. After a week or so, I find that I can make it through most of a night without the C-Pap, usually by accident. I'll be laying in the tent waiting to get sleepy and all of a sudden it's 3 am. I don't think it's great, REM sleep that I get this way but sleep is sleep sometimes. The batteries are kind of heavy and charge slowly. I pay the extra for electric camp sites when I can so that helps with any anxiety about battery life. I've been wondering if a dynamo front hub could be used to augment the charging of a solar panel to ensure a good recharge but I don't know much about that.

[misterflask]

<<I've been wondering if a dynamo front hub could be used>>

Without devoting a lot of mental energy to this-

I sleep about as many hours as I ride, so the dynamo power should be somewhat commensurate with CPAP power.

I looked up power required for a small CPAP (Transcend Micro) and it was 30W (1.67A at 18V). 

A SON28 dynamo hub generates about 3W when you get up around 8-10MPH.  I don't think you'll find anything more efficient than the SON.  And a larger dynamo much above 3W I think would feel draggy.

I use a dynamo hub (the standard SON, wish I had bought the 28) to charge a smartphone, but in hilly or mountainous terrain it becomes ineffective.  On a long, slow climb it generates no useful power, but then generates lots of power, briefly, on descents.