All good points, thanks. My trailer has two deep cycle 12V batteries in parallel (12V systems throughout), and all of the lights are LEDs, so without air conditioning and running the fridge off propane, I might very well be able to just use a couple of solar panels to keep the batteries charged for lighting and BIPAP at night.
Also, thanks for the suggestion about the DC-DC converter and info on the higher efficiency that setup provides.
Appreciate the insights, all the more so because we just got a travel trailer and have been spending a lot of time up in the mountains of Arizona to escape the heat. We're in an RV Park with power, but I wondered what route to take for my BIPAP AirSense 10 when we cut the cord and go boondocking.
The battery devices I'm looking at are all 95-100 Watt-hours, which is effectively what the official Resmed battery solution provides... But as you say, those are $800-ish. I've found several similarly powered units in the $200-$350 range. I'm thinking of ordering a POWERMOD BPCPAP24V-KT unit from Amazon ($250) or Magnadyne,the manufacturer ($200). Amazon's return policies make them attractive, but fifty bucks is, well, fifty bucks.
My BIPAP is needed for the severity of my condition - I run at 17 on inhale and 13 on exhale, which requires more than typical power consumption. I have a Kill-a-Watt meter so I can see how much power it takes per hour on average... But the wild card is how much the battery unit will REALLY provide. Normally it is not what they are rated in the sales and marketing literature and specs - I'm afraid I will need to buy one and try it out.
To your point, they are definitely labeled as remote CPAP power supplies and should be allowed on the plane. I will be calling BA to get verbal approval and details on the outlets, but most airlines allow lithium ion batteries up to 100 watt-hours max, which is why they are all in that same capacity range.
But I'm thinking that I want something like this anyway for either tent or trailer camping without power. A generator would charge this during the day, solar and vehicle outlets are also options.
Hi, I have been using an Air Curve 10 BIPAP unit for a couple of years now, and routinely travel with it on trips in the US, vacation, business, whatever... No issues as long as I remember all the parts (power supply - check. Mask, tubing, check). My rueful tales of leaving one thing home are common themes at family gatherings, since various people over the years have had to ship the forgotten item to me from time to time.
But now I'm traveling to Europe for 2 weeks, first long night flight where I may - probably will - have to strap on a mask and run my device on a plane. So I'm hoping that a few of you good people have done this, and that some of you own and use battery packs for the purpose.
Or that all seats on the British Airways 747 have outlets with 120V or 240V A/C power of some normal type (I'll have a plug converter with me, so that could work). The ResMed power brick is 120/240V 50/60Hz, so any outlet type will be OK. But I don't think I can count on that being the case.
Any thoughts or experiences that you can share? If you have a battery pack that you like, what brand?
