Installing O2 or portable O2 system?

[Niko182]

Is it worth the cost to install the Precise flight O2 system, or does it make more sense to take a portable system?
What are the advantages disadvantages or each one? Eventually, I'd love to start flying in the flight levels, and I will
need O2.

[Danb]

If your actually going to fly often in the flight levels I’d get a built in system while using a portable as a backup. It’s no place to fly on the cheap. Everyone’s time of staying alive is different, a nobrainer be properly equipped 

[mooneyspeed]

I guess it would depend on how often you will be up there.

Is it worth it to always have the extra weight vs a portable tank when you need it?

Space in the cabin for securing the bottle vs out of the way in the tail?

Filling the portable is more convenient then bringing the plane to a facility.

Just some things to think about. It’s a rubber jungle either way.

Mike




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jeff_S]

If you're talking about flying your Eagle up in the high teens, I would go portable.  That's the decision I made with my Ovation.  I like to get up into the mid-teens when conditions permit, or if necessary to get over some weather, but my trip profile doesn't factor in climbing that high too often.  Of course, if you want to take long legs up high then it may be more convenient to get a built-in system.  Also, do you need to put people in the back? If so, that speaks to the built-in. So it's really going to depend on what your mission is.

Generally speaking, while the NA IO-550 does relatively well in the mid-teens, that's not where you get the best performance. For that reason, my feeling was that having the extra full-time weight of the built-in was not worth it. (Not to mention, I already have built-in A/C so I didn't want to further reduce my useful load.) I keep the bottle in the back seat for longer trips so I can use it if conditions warrant, but otherwise I leave it in the hangar.

 

[Moh]

Is it worth the cost to install the Precise flight O2 system, or does it make more sense to take a portable system?
What are the advantages disadvantages or each one? Eventually, I'd love to start flying in the flight levels, and I will
need O2.

Are you asking about portable oxygen concentrator or portable oxygen tanks?

What I know about the portable oxygen concentrator is that it is working on ground level quite well. I’m not sure if it is going to be effective when the surrounding atmosphere is lacking oxygen.


Thank you
Mohamed

[jaylw314]

1 minute ago, Moh said:

 

 

Are you asking about portable oxygen concentrator or portable oxygen tanks?

What I know about the portable oxygen concentrator is that it is working on ground level quite well. I’m not sure if it is going to be effective when the surrounding atmosphere is lacking oxygen.


Thank you
Mohamed

 

I think I remember reading someone who tested a concentrator at altitude, and it seemed to work fine, but I forgot the details and where I read it.  You figure if concentrators can pull about 10 L/min of oxygen from sea level, at 15,000' (about 1/2 atm pressure), it should be able to pull about 5 L/min, and 2 L/min at 30,000'.  That's probably adequate for many oxygen setups, but I can't say I've tested that out

All the concentrators I've seen are butt-assed heavy and require mains AC for power.  I don't know how well the little portable suckers perform in comparison.

[toto]

AC had a nice article on concentrators a couple years ago. The Inogen portable units got their top spot, and iirc they ran fine on a battery or could be topped off from the cigar lighter. I think they were good below 18k but were not intended for the flight levels. 

Seems like a nice toy to have available, and not very big or heavy. But way more expensive than an O2 bottle. 

[LANCECASPER]

3 hours ago, toto said:

AC had a nice article on concentrators a couple years ago. The Inogen portable units got their top spot, and iirc they ran fine on a battery or could be topped off from the cigar lighter. I think they were good below 18k but were not intended for the flight levels. 

Seems like a nice toy to have available, and not very big or heavy. But way more expensive than an O2 bottle. 

 

[Moh]

All the concentrators I've seen are butt-assed heavy and require mains AC for power.  I don't know how well the little portable suckers perform in comparison.

There is a new models that is battery operated and lighter to hold. I think it cost about $1500, but I’m not sure if it will work at higher altitudes


Thank you
Mohamed

[carusoam]

Summarizing some decision points...

1) buy a portable system to determine your desire to use one...

2) If you fly in the FLs, they measure TUC in minutes... Time of useful consciousness.

3) If you intend to fly in that environment often... get the best equipment, the most robust equipment you can.

4) Fully installed has less chances of kinks or other errors in the O2 delivery...

5) Use an oximeter.

6) have Plan B ready to operate...

7) Being low on O2 can be very hard to recognize. Time slips away quickly without being recognized.

8) Oxygen concentrator, the Inogen system, expensive, works for one person up to the altitude of 15k’, according to their website...

9) Expect to get training on recognizing your own personal signs of low O2. You might learn to recognize heart rate or visual issues that come with O2 delivery challenges...

10) masks with mics are also used by MSers that fly high....

11) For UL considerations... the Long Bodies are packed with lead Charlie weights... back in the tail... they can be swapped out when adding useful things like an O2 system, FIKI ant-ice system, or AC... Pick any two?

I typically stay below 12.5k’ with a family of four...

Best regards,

-a-

[carusoam]

Challenges of having an installed system is....

• the complexity involved in getting it filled
• The expense of getting it filled

 

Some MSers have

• gone through the effort of building their own multi-bottle cascading O2 filling system...
• learned where to take their portable O2 bottle to have it filled with the same O2 for a lower price...

 

Things to look into along the way...

Having O2 available is always going to be a good idea... everybody has different limitations... some have better vision at night with O2... with improvements starting as low as 5k’ or so...

Pp thoughts only...

Best regards,

-a-

[kmyfm20s]

Portable O2 sure is easy and cheap to fill! It also can be left home when it’s not needed.  If I had a built in system I for sure would have my own fill station in the hangar. 

[BradB]

I would also reccomend looking at the mountain high pulse demand system to extend oxygen usage if you are going to be frequently using your oxygen.

http://www.mhoxygen.com/index.php/portable-pulse-demand/o2d2-2g

This will make it last a lot longer.

 

Bradb

Meridian N951TB

Former Acclaim