Oxygen: Mountain High vs. Precise Flight

[kortopates]

I dunno, have you ever been talking to your wife sitting next to you in the car, and then realize that she's been asleep for the past 10 minutes? 

Absolutely impossible, all I can say is you have no clue what my wife is like!!


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[kortopates]

I heard back from Viatom today, a much more promising response, so maybe I'll get a real confirmation in the near future, if so I'll post what they say:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: marketing@viatomtech.com <marketing@viatomtech.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 2, 2019 7:57 PM
To: Paul Kortopates
Subject: Re: Re: New message via your website, from Kortopates

Dear Paul, 

     We don't make test under this circumstance before, could you please allow us to carefully analyze it and get back to you with the answer?  Your kind understanding is highly appreciated.

    Viatom support team

---

marketing@viatomtech.com

[gsxrpilot]

@kortopates Paul, did you offer your Encore as a test platform? I'm sure it's not super easy for them to do tests in that type of environment 

[kortopates]

22 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

@kortopates Paul, did you offer your Encore as a test platform? I'm sure it's not super easy for them to do tests in that type of environment 

Ha, ha, not quite, but I see a trip to Mt Everest coming soon to test!..... LOl's

I will eventually get to try it out in my bird, but with the Ogden PPP this weekend in UT and then the next couple following weekends with clients its going to be a while before I can get high enough to try it out in our bird - but hopefully before the end of October.

[carusoam]

Encore maximum operating altitude... 25k’

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/1997/august/pilot/mooney-encore

 

Mt. Everest... 29k’

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/highestpoint.html
 

 

I just had to look that up...

-a-

[gsxrpilot]

My 252 is good to 28,000. I've only been to 26,000. Still not enough to clear Everest.

[kortopates]

After re-reading the thread, I would much appreciate a pirep from anyone using the PF X3 system with the Mooney built-in Scott altitude compensating regulator in the flight levels.

A battery operated unit that can terminate O2 to all of the crew is to disconcerting for me. Several years ago we read about a Encore pilot that had such an emergency in the flight levels. But the purely mechanical PF X3 unit, that uses separate conservers for each station is much more appealing to me if it works with our system and is as bulletproof as our built-in system. IMO, O2 is not that expensive to trade off reliability to conserve it. I wouldn’t be that concerned in the teens but feel it’s an important consideration in the flight levels.


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[exM20K]

9 hours ago, kortopates said:

After re-reading the thread, I would much appreciate a pirep from anyone using the PF X3 system with the Mooney built-in Scott altitude compensating regulator in the flight levels.

A battery operated unit that can terminate O2 to all of the crew is to disconcerting for me. Several years ago we read about a Encore pilot that had such an emergency in the flight levels. But the purely mechanical PF X3 unit, that uses separate conservers for each station is much more appealing to me if it works with our system and is as bulletproof as our built-in system. IMO, O2 is not that expensive to trade off reliability to conserve it. I wouldn’t be that concerned in the teens but feel it’s an important consideration in the flight levels.


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Paul,

I have no direct experience with the Precise Flight unit, but I believe Mooney was shipping them with new airplanes for some time, so there shouldn't be any issues. I weighed the extra cost of 2 PF units vs the low likelihood of battery depletion (O2D2 gives good warning, and I carry a spare set of batteries) and landed on the O2D2. 

-dan

[aviatoreb]

5 hours ago, exM20K said:

Paul,

I have no direct experience with the Precise Flight unit, but I believe Mooney was shipping them with new airplanes for some time, so there shouldn't be any issues. I weighed the extra cost of 2 PF units vs the low likelihood of battery depletion (O2D2 gives good warning, and I carry a spare set of batteries) and landed on the O2D2. 

-dan

I believe the failure mode of O2D2 - including failure due to dead batteries - is that it stops its operation as pulse delivery and then becomes constant flow delivery.  I change my O2D2 batteries annually in any case.

[Davidv]

It would seem that in a worse case scenario you could just have a regular non-battery operated A5 flow meter that could be connected directly to your 02 port if the battery stopped operating.  You'll use more 02 but at least it will be functioning.

[phik]

On 10/8/2019 at 11:06 AM, aviatoreb said:

I believe the failure mode of O2D2 - including failure due to dead batteries - is that it stops its operation as pulse delivery and then becomes constant flow delivery.  I change my O2D2 batteries annually in any case.

Alas, I'm afraid not. From the O2D2 user manual:

"Ultimately, the batteries will deplete to the point where the EDS will no longer be able to operate the oxygen-dispensing valves. When the valves cease operating, you will no longer be receiving oxygen!"

(Still a great system, though!)

[aviatoreb]

11 minutes ago, phik said:

Alas, I'm afraid not. From the O2D2 user manual:

"Ultimately, the batteries will deplete to the point where the EDS will no longer be able to operate the oxygen-dispensing valves. When the valves cease operating, you will no longer be receiving oxygen!"

(Still a great system, though!)

Ach!  I got that wrong - thanks for correcting me.  

Hmmmm...I wish it were the failure mode I had called out.

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard phik.

Just in time to save a Rocketeer from running out of batteries!

Best regards,

-a-