Just got my Inogen G5

[NickG]

Just received my Inogen G5. My O3 doesn’t have factory 02 and I make a lot of long distance XC between Las Vegas and and Texas, usually in the mid to high teens. My Ox sat is a little low at the best of times. Filling my portable 02 bottle on a regular basis has become a PIA, even if I can find someone to do it.

So, along comes the Inogen. Any tips for use? I’m having a power adaptor put in next week (and breaker) so it can run on ships power. Anyone use it for 2 people (I believe there’s a split cannula available at aviationoxygen.com

Any input would be helpful.

[Ragsf15e]

13 hours ago, NickG said:

Just received my Inogen G5. My O3 doesn’t have factory 02 and I make a lot of long distance XC between Las Vegas and and Texas, usually in the mid to high teens. My Ox sat is a little low at the best of times. Filling my portable 02 bottle on a regular basis has become a PIA, even if I can find someone to do it.

So, along comes the Inogen. Any tips for use? I’m having a power adaptor put in next week (and breaker) so it can run on ships power. Anyone use it for 2 people (I believe there’s a split cannula available at aviationoxygen.com

Any input would be helpful.

Dang it!  I have a 1 year old one I was planning to sell since I just bought a new oxygen equipped 252.  I could’ve saved you some cash.  If anyone wants a g5, let me know! Sold!  Thanks for the useful thread!

It took me a while to find the correct size y tube, but once i did, I used it successfully for 2 people up around 14k.  It does draw like 10amps at 12v, so my 5amp cigar lighter didn’t work.  Make sure your new power plan is safe and will be enough.  I ended up getting the double battery in addition to the single it came with.  Between the two batteries, I had6 hours or more depending on setting.  Up around 14k i had it on either 5 or 6 (the top two settings) to keep us plenty oxygenated.  It can be lower at 10k.  I started using it anytime above about 8k and it was great.

PS i eventually found the correct y tube on Amazon.

[1980Mooney]

6 hours ago, NickG said:

Just received my Inogen G5. My O3 doesn’t have factory 02 and I make a lot of long distance XC between Las Vegas and and Texas, usually in the mid to high teens. My Ox sat is a little low at the best of times. Filling my portable 02 bottle on a regular basis has become a PIA, even if I can find someone to do it.

So, along comes the Inogen. Any tips for use? I’m having a power adaptor put in next week (and breaker) so it can run on ships power. Anyone use it for 2 people (I believe there’s a split cannula available at aviationoxygen.com

Any input would be helpful.

I have had one for 4 years - actually the identical OxyGo Next.  I can set mine up for one or two users.  You can find the connectors, swivels, flow indicators from any medical supply/O2 concentrator supply or from Amazon.

These guys want to sell you the hoses for $315 Products — Windblade Aviator™ aviation-based oxygen concentrator Interface Kits

This may not be all the parts but I bought and created my own connector/splitter/hoses/cannula setup:

• RES010TC to connect to the large outlet on the G5/Next
• Salter 1225 Swiveling O2 Supply tubing connector (Male to Female)
• AGISH749 - AG Industries Y adapter for O2 tubing from Amazon
• (2) ComfortSoft Plus Nasal Cannula w/ 4 ft clear O2 supply tubing
• Even though you may hear the G5/Next concentrator pulse when you breathe, I wanted a visual indicator. The Windblade set up above shows an indicator also - actually two (2) for the two user set-up.  I just went with one on the main line.
  • SP Bel-Art Roto-Flo Polystyrene Flow Indicator for ¼ to ⁵/₁₆ in. I.D. Tubing (H19937-0002): Enema Flow Indicator: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
  • It is a red spinning wheel

We fly in the low teens.  Works fine.

 

Edited Tuesday at 10:11 PM by 1980Mooney

[NickG]

1 minute ago, 1980Mooney said:

I have had one for 4 years - actually the identical OxyGo Next.  I can set mine up for one or two users.  You can find the connectors, swivels, flow indicators from any medical supply/O2 concentrator supply or from Amazon.

These guys want to sell you the hoses for $315 Products — Windblade Aviator™ aviation-based oxygen concentrator Interface Kits

This may not be all the parts but I bought

• RES010TC to connect to the large outlet on the G5/Next
• Salter 1225 Swiveling O2 Supply tubing connector (Male to Female)
• AGISH749 - AG Industries Y adapter for O2 tubing from Amazon
• (2) ComfortSoft Plus Nasal Cannula w/ 4 ft clear O2 supply tubing
• Even though you many hear the G5/Next concentrator pulse when you breathe, I wanted a visual indicator. The Windblade set up above shows an indicator also - actually two (2) for the two user set-up.  I just went with one on the main line.
  • SP Bel-Art Roto-Flo Polystyrene Flow Indicator for ¼ to ⁵/₁₆ in. I.D. Tubing (H19937-0002): Enema Flow Indicator: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
  • It is a red spinning wheel

We fly in the low teens.  Works fine.

 

Thanks so much for this!

[varlajo]

6 hours ago, NickG said:

So, along comes the Inogen. Any tips for use?

I have cut the tubing to remove most of the slack and added this splitter:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09K45R3J5

Works great for me and the passenger, mostly at setting 4 or 5, sometimes switching to MAX when my workload increases. Not tested above 17,500 ft. I think being a concentrator it will most likely not work in flight levels where the initial oxygen levels are very low. The unit lives in the passenger's footwell. I decided against connecting the concentrator to ship power and use two large batteries instead. One battery is more than sufficient for a 4-5 hour flight. 

[A64Pilot]

I think maybe the best use of a concentrator is to use it well before you’re required to be on O2. If your older you might want to use it even under 10K, and if flying at night 6K. I think if you do you will find your less fatigued and at night it really improves night vision substantially 

 

[1980Mooney]

2 minutes ago, A64Pilot said:

I think maybe the best use of a concentrator is to use it well before you’re required to be on O2. If your older you might want to use it even under 10K, and if flying at night 6K. I think if you do you will find your less fatigued and at night it really improves night vision substantially 

 

You are absolutely correct.

[NickG]

58 minutes ago, A64Pilot said:

I think maybe the best use of a concentrator is to use it well before you’re required to be on O2. If your older you might want to use it even under 10K, and if flying at night 6K. I think if you do you will find your less fatigued and at night it really improves night vision substantially 

 

Absolutely. That's why I got it. I'm going to use it for almost all of my flights.

[bigmo]

I have a concentrator that doesn't get used (permanent loan from my mom). My Mooney does have built-in O2, but like the OP posted, filling it is becoming a royal PITA and my local FBO has a $75 fill fee as they are catering to the "money no object" crowd.

My primary doc is a pilot and has a Cirrus (of course). He was like, let me give you a script for O2. I carried that into my local home health store. They gave me an M9 tank, regulator and nose plugs for nothing. Refills are $6 and change. I have a splitter that feeds my wife and I and this has been a no brainer solution that's borderline free to use. 

I loved the idea of the concentrator; it was easy to power off the cigarette adapter, but above 14K it was not keeping up. I rarely cruise above 12K, but if the winds are good, or we're heading over the Rockies, I need the room to go up high.

One thing that does not get talked about a ton is Boost cans. We did use them a few times to supplement the concentrator and 3-4 quick hits gets the O2 saturation WAY up. If I were using the concetrator as my sole source of O2, I'd add some Boost cans as a quick fix. My wife stole my cans of Boost as she likes to use them when she writes...like a super power.

[varlajo]

6 minutes ago, bigmo said:

One thing that does not get talked about a ton is Boost cans.

Oh yeah, definitely. Those things are my backup solution to get below 10,000 in case the concentrator fails. Won't do me much good over the Rockies, but I hear all battery-operated devices get +2 resilience and +2 mana over mountainous terrain by default.. 

[toto]

10 hours ago, Ragsf15e said:

Dang it!  I have a 1 year old one I was planning to sell since I just bought a new oxygen equipped 252.  I could’ve saved you some cash.  If anyone wants a g5, let me know!

I’ve been kicking G5 tires for a long time, semi-seriously watching listings on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. There seems to be a never ending supply of Inogen units, I guess because people who go on medical oxygen are pretty sick and don’t stay on it for long.

 

[Utah20Gflyer]

Sounds like you are already doing what I would advise which is to run off ship power.  I used to run my G3 on setting 1-3 to save battery but now that I can run it off the planes power I can run it at setting 5 as long as I want.  The battery will charge while running so if something happens to ship power I still have several hours of battery backup.  
 

My older unit does great, it’s a great alternative to bottled oxygen for 1-2 people.  
 

Here is a testimonial for it.  A couple months ago I was down in St George Utah to see my son perform at Utah Tech University.  He had driven down earlier in the day with my wife.  I flew down because I had to work that day.  After he was done I gave him the option of flying home with me which he took me up on.  We were flying back after dark at 11500 when about 2/3 of the way through the flight the battery died on the O2 concentrator.   I hadn’t been able to charge it after the flight down and this was before I could use plane power.  A couple minutes after the O2 stopped I started feeling much more tired and got really sleepy.  It was shocking how fast things changed.  Now I use oxygen anytime I’m over 9000 feet, especially at night.   I paid 400 for my unit used and then replaced the canisters for another 100.  Maybe the best 500 dollars I’ve spent in aviation.   I think O2 is underrated.  

[Pinecone]

The Windblade kit for $300 includes a power converter from 24 volts to 12 volts.  Plus the cannulas.   Pure Medical sells a kit of 10 cannulas and two splitters for $50, shipping included.  You have to contact them for the link.  I just ordered a kit and will update when I get it.

I have built in O2 plus the concentrator.  I use a Mountain High O2D2 with my built in system.  So far, my tank has gotten filled once per year at annual.  And anything over 2 hours, I am in the teens.  I normally run the O2D2 at N5 setting, so it starts feeding a bit of O2 at 5000 feet, and increases as I got higher.

I have run the concentrator with two people at 14,000 feet.  I wear a Wellbue ring pulse oximeter.  I got a couple of buzzes from the ring, but a couple of deeper breaths and I was fine.  This was on a 7 hour flight to TX for a Mooney Pilot Proficiency Program.  And I am older and have some issues so my sats are sea level are not what they used to be.

Above 14,000, I run one person on the concentrator and I use the built in system.  I seldom fly with more than one other person, but may do so in a couple of months.  I may try two people at above 14 on it, with me on the built in system.  I just saw a report on BT that people have been OK with 2 people at 15,000.