Low cost oximeter

[Eric Greenwell]

Mountain High Oxygen is now selling a low cost oximeter ($199):

http://mountainhighoxygen.com/index.phtml?nav_id=28&product_id=424

At this price, anyone that flies with oxygen ought to get one, and be
sure their oxygen system is actually doing the job. Besides the low
cost, it's LCD display gives it a much longer battery life and better
sunlight visibility than the similar (but LED display) Flightstat units.
I prefer my Minolta Pulsox-3 because it's easier to use continuously,
but it's pricey at $500.

I've learned a couple things from my oximeter: 12,500' may be the legal
height to start using oxygen, but 10-11,000' is smarter for me, and I
need to breath a little more deeply than usual, or talk more on the
radio (talking to someone tends to force deeper, quicker breathing,
which improves oxygen saturation).

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

[Tim Mara]

I have these here too
tim
Wings & Wheels
www.wingsandwheels.com

"Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
...
> Mountain High Oxygen is now selling a low cost oximeter ($199):
>
> http://mountainhighoxygen.com/index.phtml?nav_id=28&product_id=424
>
> At this price, anyone that flies with oxygen ought to get one, and be sure
> their oxygen system is actually doing the job. Besides the low cost, it's
> LCD display gives it a much longer battery life and better sunlight
> visibility than the similar (but LED display) Flightstat units. I prefer
> my Minolta Pulsox-3 because it's easier to use continuously, but it's
> pricey at $500.
>
> I've learned a couple things from my oximeter: 12,500' may be the legal
> height to start using oxygen, but 10-11,000' is smarter for me, and I need
> to breath a little more deeply than usual, or talk more on the radio
> (talking to someone tends to force deeper, quicker breathing, which
> improves oxygen saturation).
>
> --
> Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
>
> Eric Greenwell
> Washington State
> USA

[Eric Greenwell]

Tim Mara wrote:

> I have these here too
> tim
> Wings & Wheels
> www.wingsandwheels.com

Don't be bashful about promoting these to any pilot that orders anything
remotely resembling oxygen related equipment. $200 for a unit with 1000
hour battery operation is amazing.

>
> "Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Mountain High Oxygen is now selling a low cost oximeter ($199):
>>
>>http://mountainhighoxygen.com/index.phtml?nav_id=28&product_id=424
>>
>>At this price, anyone that flies with oxygen ought to get one, and be sure
>>their oxygen system is actually doing the job. Besides the low cost, it's
>>LCD display gives it a much longer battery life and better sunlight
>>visibility than the similar (but LED display) Flightstat units. I prefer
>>my Minolta Pulsox-3 because it's easier to use continuously, but it's
>>pricey at $500.
>>
>>I've learned a couple things from my oximeter: 12,500' may be the legal
>>height to start using oxygen, but 10-11,000' is smarter for me, and I need
>>to breath a little more deeply than usual, or talk more on the radio
>>(talking to someone tends to force deeper, quicker breathing, which
>>improves oxygen saturation).


--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

[Thomas Knauff]

At the risk of being being slammed for being "commercial," we have the new
low cost, CheckMate oximeters too.

Several years ago, it was suggested I should try one of these on a flight in
Texas. Only 8,500 MSL, I discovered my O2 level went down significantly.

As your O2 level decreases, I am told the first thing that goes is you
judgment, and it is not necessarily noticeable.
All pilots, and especially those of us in advancing years should at least
borrow one of these devices and check your levels yourself. Once you do, you
will probably turn the oxygen system on much earlier.

A soaring club could buy one of these new low-cost devices and pass it
around for the members to test themselves.

Tom Knauff
Knauff & Grove, Soaring Supplies
www.eglider.org
You are invited to sign up for our free newsletter.

[Eric Greenwell]

Thomas Knauff wrote:
> At the risk of being being slammed for being "commercial," we have the new
> low cost, CheckMate oximeters too.

I surely hope not for promotion of safety equipment, even if it's
initiated by the dealer.

> Several years ago, it was suggested I should try one of these on a flight in
> Texas. Only 8,500 MSL, I discovered my O2 level went down significantly.
>
> As your O2 level decreases, I am told the first thing that goes is you
> judgment, and it is not necessarily noticeable.
> All pilots, and especially those of us in advancing years should at least
> borrow one of these devices and check your levels yourself. Once you do, you
> will probably turn the oxygen system on much earlier.

I think there are a lot of us that took chamber rides years ago, did
well in them, and still think we are the in-shape 30 year old guys we
were then. If you haven't had a chamber ride, or it's been "a while", I
think Tom's advice is great.

It's not just age, but technique: maybe you are using a cannula, but
breathing through your mouth some of the time (especially a problem at
higher altitudes, the reason the FAA requires a mask above 18,000').
Also, your oxygen system may not be operating correctly. The oximeter
gives you the result of all this in a number that matters.

>
> A soaring club could buy one of these new low-cost devices and pass it
> around for the members to test themselves.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

[Bill Daniels]

"Thomas Knauff" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> At the risk of being being slammed for being "commercial," we have the new
> low cost, CheckMate oximeters too.
>
> Several years ago, it was suggested I should try one of these on a flight
in
> Texas. Only 8,500 MSL, I discovered my O2 level went down significantly.
>
> As your O2 level decreases, I am told the first thing that goes is you
> judgment, and it is not necessarily noticeable.
> All pilots, and especially those of us in advancing years should at least
> borrow one of these devices and check your levels yourself. Once you do,
you
> will probably turn the oxygen system on much earlier.
>
> A soaring club could buy one of these new low-cost devices and pass it
> around for the members to test themselves.
>
> Tom Knauff
> Knauff & Grove, Soaring Supplies
> www.eglider.org
> You are invited to sign up for our free newsletter.
>
>
I'm with Tom Knauff - get an oximeter and use it. Doing so has convinced me
that, since O2 refills are cheap and the MH oxygen systems will stretch the
supply far longer than any flight, I might as well use O2 from the ground up
using the 'N' setting.

Maybe this story will help. I had an older pilot as a student who had many
flying hours from decades past, but did not have a US glider license. My
job was to train him for the practical test.

The only adjective I can use is that his flying was 'goofy'. While he
clearly understood what I wanted him to do, he could not perform to
standards. Finally, suspecting hypoxia, I had him wear my pulse oximeter.
His SpO2 was at 85% at 7000 feet ASL. He then confided in me that, as a
child, he had suffered a lung infection that had left him a bit 'short of
breath' but that he had never considered this very important.

I persuaded him to buy a Mountain High portable system with a small aluminum
bottle that he could wear around his neck. With O2, his flying instantly
improved to the point he got his US license.

Bill Daniels

My only connection with MH Oxygen is as a satisfied customer.

[Eric Greenwell]

Bill Daniels wrote:

> The only adjective I can use is that his flying was 'goofy'. While he
> clearly understood what I wanted him to do, he could not perform to
> standards. Finally, suspecting hypoxia, I had him wear my pulse oximeter.
> His SpO2 was at 85% at 7000 feet ASL. He then confided in me that, as a
> child, he had suffered a lung infection that had left him a bit 'short of
> breath' but that he had never considered this very important.
>
> I persuaded him to buy a Mountain High portable system with a small aluminum
> bottle that he could wear around his neck. With O2, his flying instantly
> improved to the point he got his US license.

He's not the only one. Pat McLaughlin of Mountain High told me when they
first began selling oximeters years ago, they got calls from a few
customers saying the oximeters read too low, even on the ground (like in
Florida). After having some oximeters returned that checked out
properly, Pat had these pilots get themselves to doctors for pulmonary
tests, which confirmed what the oximeters had reported.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

[Stefan]

Bill Daniels wrote:

> I'm with Tom Knauff - get an oximeter and use it. Doing so has convinced me
> that, since O2 refills are cheap and the MH oxygen systems will stretch the
> supply far longer than any flight, I might as well use O2 from the ground up
> using the 'N' setting.

Well, yes... but then, I don't need an oxymeter to do this. (It would
nicely control the function of the oxygen system, though.)

In our club, we typically fly somwhere between 6000 and 8000 feet for
several hours. We have equipped all our club gliders with the MH EDS
system and are using it from the ground up in each flight. We agree that
we just fly better since, not to mention we are less tired in the
evening and lack completely any headache the day after. I think this
result tells more than any oxymeter.

Stefan

[Bill Daniels]

"Stefan" > wrote in message
...
> Bill Daniels wrote:
>
> > I'm with Tom Knauff - get an oximeter and use it. Doing so has
convinced me
> > that, since O2 refills are cheap and the MH oxygen systems will stretch
the
> > supply far longer than any flight, I might as well use O2 from the
ground up
> > using the 'N' setting.
>
> Well, yes... but then, I don't need an oxymeter to do this. (It would
> nicely control the function of the oxygen system, though.)
>
> In our club, we typically fly somwhere between 6000 and 8000 feet for
> several hours. We have equipped all our club gliders with the MH EDS
> system and are using it from the ground up in each flight. We agree that
> we just fly better since, not to mention we are less tired in the
> evening and lack completely any headache the day after. I think this
> result tells more than any oxymeter.
>
> Stefan

The oximeter tells you things like the cannula is out of place or your
breathing needs to be deeper. Yes, I know the MH system will beep if it
doesn't sense your breathing but I have found that it can still sense
breathing while most of the O2 escapes inhalation as when mouth breathing.

Bill Daniels