Sensorcon CO Group Buy

[mike_elliott]

2 hours ago, PTK said:

I just ordered my industrial version as well. Thank you Dan for your excellent work with this.

I do have a couple questions out of curiosity:

Is there anything we can do that will help extend the life of the sensor? Like maybe storing it in an airtight container for example when not flying?

And how is it waterproof and still be able to work. How does it get ambient airflow to the sensor? Unless the sensor itself is not waterproof maybe?

 

Have you asked Sensorcon? They will probably have these answers vs. us guys who just bought the unit.

[Deb]

4 hours ago, PTK said:

Is there anything we can do that will help extend the life of the sensor?

According to Robert at Sensorcon, calibrating the unit a six month intervals appears to extend the life of the sensor.

[Htwjr]

Ordered with the group discount.  Supposed to arrive today.  Thanks Dan. 

[1964-M20E]

Went flying with mine Wednesday.  up to 10ppm during taxi and 0 to 1 ppm in flight even with heater full on which is the way it should be.  This proves to me that I do not have a problem.

 

 

[Andy95W]

I've only had a chance thus far to use it in the hangar with the kerosene heater going. Hasn't gotten above 7 so far. Nice to know I'm not asphyxiating myself at least.

[MyNameIsNobody]

2ppm max taxi, cruise and climb yesterday and today.  Nice to know.

[Marauder]

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[M20S Driver]

Thanks Dan... This is the best $100 that I spent in a long time

[prflyer]

Agree, great purchase.

Today I went flying with a friend in his Comanche and brought the sensor. I was surprised.  When flying along it was in the 20s, but when doing slow flights it got into the 40s and later, waiting on the ground to take off after some practice landings, it got as high as the 60s. I was able to alert him to this problem, which is great.

Also, I had it strapped on the belt across my chest, and the alarm went off. That vibration alarm is excellent. While I like the position in the panel, the vibration on my body got my attention immediately.

Use this, and stay safe out there! I'm so happy I bought this.

Fernando

 

[carusoam]

Great report, Fernando.

It will be interesting if your friend finds a reason for the funky numbers.  Or reports having headaches lately...

PP thoughts only.

Best regards,

-a-

[Raptor05121]

So now that a few of you have them, how is the battery life? Can I turn it on and leave it on and not worry about batteries for quite some time?

[Andy95W]

I got mine a few weeks ago and have been very happy with it. I've been turning it off after every flight so I don't know how the battery life will be. 

Consistently, in flight, I've had a reading of 2-7 ppm in cruise with the heater on. Slightly higher in the climb and during taxi, but never above 12 or so. 

Last week, immediately after turning it on, it read 35 and slowly increased to 45 ppm during the flight. I turned off the heater and opened as many fresh air vents as I could but it never got below 35, even when holding the inlet directly in fresh air from an overhead vent. WTH. 

Flew again yesterday and everything was back to normal, 2-4 ppm in cruise with the heater on. 

Just wanted to pass along this PIREP in case anybody else sees something similar. I've been extremely happy with the unit, but something was definitely wonky that day. 

[chrisk]

I don't know how I did not see this until today.  I just ordered one.  Looks like a perfect solution. 

[Ned Gravel]

Pirep on my Sensorcon:

Great customer service.  When the one I ordered arrived at the house, I was out of the country.  I got home and was unable to try it out immediately, but when I did, it would start up and immediately register between 20 and 30 ppm in the house and outside.  Something was wrong.  

So I called them and, after determining mine was N/S after a simple candle test, they sent me a replacement.  I got it today.  That took two days - great service.  

I have already affixed the velcro to the unit and will be putting it on the top of the panel this week.  

Good product, good company.  

 

[Vance Harral]

On 4/3/2017 at 4:10 AM, Raptor05121 said:

So now that a few of you have them, how is the battery life? Can I turn it on and leave it on and not worry about batteries for quite some time?

Not sure I'd recommend leaving it on all the time, but the advertised continuous battery life is 2 years, i.e. even longer than the recommended calibration period.  I can tell you mine has now been accidentally left on for several days on two different occasions (pilots in the partnership forgetting to turn it off).  It's still running on the original battery, so it's pretty clear battery life is measured in weeks/months rather than days.

Even if the battery does wear out, it's not like replacements are expensive or difficult to obtain.  A two-pack of CR123A batteries is $6.72 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B3EQR8A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Skates97]

On 4/22/2017 at 2:53 PM, Andy95W said:

I got mine a few weeks ago and have been very happy with it. I've been turning it off after every flight so I don't know how the battery life will be. 

Consistently, in flight, I've had a reading of 2-7 ppm in cruise with the heater on. Slightly higher in the climb and during taxi, but never above 12 or so. 

Last week, immediately after turning it on, it read 35 and slowly increased to 45 ppm during the flight. I turned off the heater and opened as many fresh air vents as I could but it never got below 35, even when holding the inlet directly in fresh air from an overhead vent. WTH. 

Flew again yesterday and everything was back to normal, 2-4 ppm in cruise with the heater on. 

Just wanted to pass along this PIREP in case anybody else sees something similar. I've been extremely happy with the unit, but something was definitely wonky that day. 

Long post warning... I had a similar experience, but my problem hasn't returned to normal. Feel free to weigh in with ideas, or just in case someone else sees a similar problem. I've been flying with mine since mid February with no issues. Always around 5-10 on the ground and dropping to 0-2 in cruise, sometimes a little higher at the end of the descent when entering the pattern. A couple weeks ago I took my son flying. We were having a hard time getting the door to close and latch but finally did. Took off and shortly after take off it was up in the 40's. Opened vents and it would go down, but then would go up to 80 and drop back down. Could smell a little exhaust so headed right back. Once back in the hangar with the lights on I could see where a screw that holds down the kick plate (I think that is what you call it had come loose and the plate was preventing to door from closing all the way. (Explains the trouble closing the door). I reasoned that maybe the door was pushed out a little at the bottom and didn't seal, allowing exhaust to get sucked in causing the high readings.

I fixed that but on the next flight again saw numbers into the 40's. Nothing really on the ground, but about 3-4 minutes after taking off the numbers would just start climbing steadily until peaking in the upper 30's to low 40's. I replaced the door seal (it was ancient) and thought my problem would be over. Nope, same thing so when flying I moved the sensor around the cabin to see if I could find where the numbers might spike but there was no rhyme or reason to it. A place that got a higher reading, once moving it to a different part of the cabin and going back would no longer be giving the higher reading. Always when I would push it back to the velcro on the panel it would spike way up. I reasoned that perhaps there was something seeping through the firewall. Got back to the hangar (flying at night again) and put a work light in the engine compartment, turned off all the other lights, and looked to see if any light was shining through. Sure enough there were a couple spots where once upon a time there must have been a screw or bolt but was now just an empty hole. Small, but maybe the problem? I put some foil tape over the holes to cover them. Now reading 0 on the ground, but again about 3-4 minutes into the flight it was 30-40ppm. Also after the flight with the engine shut down I still had readings of 4-5...

This morning went out and pulled the right seat and the carpet back (I had noticed higher readings when it was down near the floor over there). Sealed off the place where the antenna cable runs down through (was never a problem before, but who knows, why not plug it up). Start up and taxi, 0ppm, (I'm getting false hope because I have never seen 0ppm on the ground), run-up 10ppm, 3-4 minutes into the flight again it suddenly just starts climbing to 30-40ppm. Once hitting a peak the numbers were jumping around, not steady increases/decreases. Vents open with the sensor directly in the vent, no change, cabin heat on, no change. Push the sensor back into the velcro on the dash, numbers spike. Back on the ground, I shut down and still reading 5-6ppm inside and outside of the plane. Opened the door to the oil dipstick and put the sensor inside the cowling just to see if perhaps there had been an exhaust leak and there was still some CO in there but no change.

I left it sitting on the wing while I put the plane away. There was a 10 knot breeze, no other planes or cars anywhere around, and it was still reading 3ppm after putting the plane away. I squeezed the sensor between my fingers and it jumped to 8ppm and then back down to 2-3. Did the same thing and got the exact same result. Was able to duplicate it again and again. That perhaps explains the spike when pushing it into the velcro holding it to the panel because that put similar pressure on the case as squeezing it between my fingers.

I came home and did some digging online and found that there are some things that can cause a false positive (hydrogen, sharpie markers, flatulence) but I don't think that was the case inside the plane. (Feel free to crack whatever jokes about flatulence in the plane) And, nothing has changed inside the plane besides that first time when there was trouble closing the door. However that has been fixed and the door seal replaced so I'm fairly confident that isn't the problem. At this point I am calling "Uncle" and put in an RMA request and going to send it back to them to see what they say.

[Culver LFA]

On 4/26/2017 at 7:03 PM, Vance Harral said:

Not sure I'd recommend leaving it on all the time, but the advertised continuous battery life is 2 years, i.e. even longer than the recommended calibration period.  I can tell you mine has now been accidentally left on for several days on two different occasions (pilots in the partnership forgetting to turn it off).  It's still running on the original battery, so it's pretty clear battery life is measured in weeks/months rather than days.

Even if the battery does wear out, it's not like replacements are expensive or difficult to obtain.  A two-pack of CR123A batteries is $6.72 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B3EQR8A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Mine seems to be on every time I get in the airplane, I don't know why as I am careful to turn it off after each use.  

Must be those dang hangar elves playing with the new toys...

[Hank]

27 minutes ago, Culver LFA said:

Mine seems to be on every time I get in the airplane, I don't know why as I am careful to turn it off after each use.  

Must be those dang hangar elves playing with the new toys...

You have to hold the button down and watch for it to actually turn off . . . .

[Marauder]

Has anyone had an issue with their Sensorcon unit? The last couple of flights I have seen an "Err" on the display. It will go back to a display but I never see anything above a "0" value.


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[Marauder]

I have never experienced that, Chris, but I think that that means that the unit needs to be recalibrated.  Seems a little soon for that, though, doesn't it? 

It does.


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[ThorFlight]

Quick bump / update for this thread. 

I met @DanM20C and heard of his harrowing experience with CO2 poisoning for the first time earlier this year at Caravan training. Gave me shivers, but I appreciated his willingness to help educate us all.

Although I am slow out of the gate to be ordering one today, I wanted folks to know that the discount code still works for anyone who wants to take advantage of it. 

 

[Hank]

I wonder what the sales count is up to using that code. Last I remember, it was pushing 500 units . . . . . including mine.  

Great job, Dan!

[steingar]

Just pulled the trigger on one of these myself.  Something I’ve been meaning to do forever. Saw the thread and said NOW.  I could dick around with this forever.

[amillet]

Will there be anywhere to calibrate these units at Oshkosh?

[Hank]

6 hours ago, amillet said:

Will there be anywhere to calibrate these units at Oshkosh?

Can't say about that (search the vendor list for Sensorcon). But there will be at The Mooney Summit this fall. Did mine last year, will do it again this year.