For anyone who appreciates the advantages of flying routinely at 10K and above, I'm prompted by the current thread on density altitude to report on my roll-your-own oxygen system I put in the plane the middle of 2010. The text below the ************ line are excerpts from a post of mine in another forum I was participating in at the time. My aircraft is Ken Cottle's KR-1½ with the Diehl wings and GP 2180 with Ellison carb. What got me started on the oxygen project was coming across the Deakin article at the link here:
http://www.warmkessel.com/jr/flying/td/jd/13.jsp Deakin refers in that article to Mountain High's EDS (Electronic pulse-demand Delivery System) which is just a fancy name for a "demand" regulator - that is, it only releases oxygen when breathing in. Most aircraft O2 regulators are "constant flow" - wasting as much as 3/5's of the oxygen in the cylinder. When I checked, Mountain High wants about a thousand bucks for their entry level model. I wondered what the difference was between the Mountain High EDS system and a "medical" demand regulator. There's none, except the EDS regulator automatically compensates for altitude using a built-in altitude sensing device. Using a pulse oximeter (which one should have anytime using oxygen in any case), it's easy enough to determine if the "pulse dose" needs to be increased. There's a dial on my regulator that is graduated, allowing larger and larger pulse doses to be released when triggered by the negative pressure of breathing in. I adjust the dial as necessary. It also has a constant flow setting. The regulator lies beside my leg in the cockpit with the bottle extending into the baggage area. Altitude headaches are now a thing of the past and night vision (and thinking) is improved, especially after a long day flying. ****************** June, 2010 Works beautifully and with the pulse demand (pulse dose) regulator I can cross the country and back without refilling the 21 cu. ft. cylinder. Only downside perhaps for you is the demand regulator only has one outlet - adding a Y fitting would probably not work. Passengers are best when unconscious anyway: Project is finished and works fine. I took it up to Big Bear yesterday - a trip just long and high enough to test the setup. My hydrostatic test at the dive shop was $17.50 and my 21 cu. ft. "E" cylinder cost $5.25 @ .25/cu.ft. to fill with AVOX. There was several days delay since the Navy brought in a bunch of bottles and took priority at the facility where the dive shop has their testing done. Pulse Demand Regulator: $35 including shipping "E" O2 cylinder with pressure gauge, including shipping: $30 Oxisaver cannula - $10 + shipping Pulse oximeter including shipping - $30 $17.50 (every three years) + $5.25 each complete refill I got everything on eBay. *********** A demand regulator eliminates the waste of a constant flow regulator. It can extend the usable oxygen by a factor of at least 3 and maybe as much as 5. I haven't done it yet but I think I can cross the U.S. and back on one tank. My primary motivator was to elininate the killer headaches I used to get, especially the first day of a trip. I always go high so adding such an effective ox system to the plane was a really valuable and inexpensive enhancement to the utility of the aircraft. The tank is secured lies alongside the bottom of the starboard side Mike KSEE ____________________________________________________________ Woman is 53 But Looks 25 Mom reveals 1 simple wrinkle trick that has angered doctors... http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/5016ead4deac06ad44081st54vuc
