Medical Cannula with EDS

A previous RAS topic asked about adapting cheaper medical cannulas to the Mountain High EDS units. I posted a reply suggesting it was a "penny wise, pound foolish" solution. But, in the interest of investigation, I purchased (too many) cannulas from Amazon, following a link recommended in the original thread. Adaptation to the EDS was simple, only requiring a 2 inch piece of 6 mm poly tubing plugged into the receptacle at the end of the cannula tubing. In addition, the medical cannula had soft and flexible tubing that was very comfortable.

However, the first thing I discovered was, as soon as oxygen began flowing, there was an extremely noticeable "chemical" or plastic odor. I figured that it would eventually dissipate, and I ignored it. But after three flights, the odor is still there, and I realized that my performance on the last three flights was substandard- my thermalling was not as efficient, my decisions were haphazard and my general flying was degraded substantially. And I landed with a headache. I flew for over three hours today, reaching altitudes above 16,500 ft. MSL and my headache has not abated.

I am throwing the entire batch in the dumpster and going back to the Mountain High cannula.

YMMV

On Wednesday, August 9, 2017 at 10:16:44 PM UTC-4, wrote:
A previous RAS topic asked about adapting cheaper medical cannulas to the Mountain High EDS units. I posted a reply suggesting it was a "penny wise, pound foolish" solution. But, in the interest of investigation, I purchased (too many) cannulas from Amazon, following a link recommended in the original thread. Adaptation to the EDS was simple, only requiring a 2 inch piece of 6 mm poly tubing plugged into the receptacle at the end of the cannula tubing. In addition, the medical cannula had soft and flexible tubing that was very comfortable.

However, the first thing I discovered was, as soon as oxygen began flowing, there was an extremely noticeable "chemical" or plastic odor. I figured that it would eventually dissipate, and I ignored it. But after three flights, the odor is still there, and I realized that my performance on the last three flights was substandard- my thermalling was not as efficient, my decisions were haphazard and my general flying was degraded substantially. And I landed with a headache. I flew for over three hours today, reaching altitudes above 16,500 ft. MSL and my headache has not abated.

I am throwing the entire batch in the dumpster and going back to the Mountain High cannula.

YMMV

Mark - I am not sure what caused the chemical smell and the effect it has on getting a headache but keep in mind that headaches are one of the indicators of hypoxia. I know from own experience after skimping on O2 through my A8A regulator to 'stretch' the small tank I had in my weight-constraint Libelle. I never suffered from headaches but that one was nothing I want to repeat. It went away after sitting next to the glider with the mask on and finishing up the remaining O2.
The MH-cannulas deliver the correct amount right where and when you need it.. This summer, I flew in my two-seater for hours at 17,999ft in NM and CO and we never felt any effects of being hypoxic.
It is a great product when used as designed!

Uli
'AS'

"It is a great product when used as designed!"

I have been using nothing but EDS units since my hang gliding days, and have used an EDS unit on every one of my 1,000+ sailplane flights over the last 18 years. Two years ago, I looked at my flight files and discovered that, out of 142 hours in the year (2015), I was above 10,000 (and therefore on O2) for 132 of them.

I am well aware of the headaches that can result from lack of oxygen. I started selling oxygen systems (Nelson) in 1992 and have been a dealer for Mountain High since around 1996.

The chemical odor and headache were anomalies only experienced on the last three flights. My cylinder had 1,800 psi and the EDS was set to D-10 as usual. If, after switching back to the original MH cannula, the experience repeats itself, I will send the unit back for a diagnostic check. According to MH, all units should go back to MH every few years for a checkup and refurbishment.

Interesting discussion.

So I went to the Mountain High website to price their cannulas. Holy
crap, Batman! Those things cost EIGHT US Dollars each! Then I want
over to Amazon and found them at a much more reasonable price of about
$5. Jeezus! When I think of all the things I could buy with that
difference of $3, it just makes me ill... I'm probably paying an extra
penny per flight using the recommended equipment!

On 8/10/2017 6:59 AM, wrote:
"It is a great product when used as designed!"

I have been using nothing but EDS units since my hang gliding days, and have used an EDS unit on every one of my 1,000+ sailplane flights over the last 18 years. Two years ago, I looked at my flight files and discovered that, out of 142 hours in the year (2015), I was above 10,000 (and therefore on O2) for 132 of them.

I am well aware of the headaches that can result from lack of oxygen. I started selling oxygen systems (Nelson) in 1992 and have been a dealer for Mountain High since around 1996.

The chemical odor and headache were anomalies only experienced on the last three flights. My cylinder had 1,800 psi and the EDS was set to D-10 as usual. If, after switching back to the original MH cannula, the experience repeats itself, I will send the unit back for a diagnostic check. According to MH, all units should go back to MH every few years for a checkup and refurbishment.

--
Dan, 5J

But think of how many ASW27 you can buy with all on that money saved.

On Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 7:56:22 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Interesting discussion.

So I went to the Mountain High website to price their cannulas. Holy
crap, Batman! Those things cost EIGHT US Dollars each! Then I want
over to Amazon and found them at a much more reasonable price of about
$5. Jeezus! When I think of all the things I could buy with that
difference of $3, it just makes me ill... I'm probably paying an extra
penny per flight using the recommended equipment!

On 8/10/2017 6:59 AM, wrote:
"It is a great product when used as designed!"

I have been using nothing but EDS units since my hang gliding days, and have used an EDS unit on every one of my 1,000+ sailplane flights over the last 18 years. Two years ago, I looked at my flight files and discovered that, out of 142 hours in the year (2015), I was above 10,000 (and therefore on O2) for 132 of them.

I am well aware of the headaches that can result from lack of oxygen. I started selling oxygen systems (Nelson) in 1992 and have been a dealer for Mountain High since around 1996.

The chemical odor and headache were anomalies only experienced on the last three flights. My cylinder had 1,800 psi and the EDS was set to D-10 as usual. If, after switching back to the original MH cannula, the experience repeats itself, I will send the unit back for a diagnostic check. According to MH, all units should go back to MH every few years for a checkup and refurbishment.

--
Dan, 5J

I agree with Dan is entire thread is silly. Ok so a Mountain High cannula is $3 more. I have used the same cannula for four years in the west. If you replace these cannulas every ten minutes the $3 MIGHT impact your soaring budget but, come on! This is even worse than the guy who wanted to kludge together an aviation 02 kit from medical 02 equipment.

On Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 7:56:22 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Interesting discussion.

So I went to the Mountain High website to price their cannulas. Holy
crap, Batman! Those things cost EIGHT US Dollars each! Then I want
over to Amazon and found them at a much more reasonable price of about
$5. Jeezus! When I think of all the things I could buy with that
difference of $3, it just makes me ill... I'm probably paying an extra
penny per flight using the recommended equipment!

On 8/10/2017 6:59 AM, wrote:
"It is a great product when used as designed!"

I have been using nothing but EDS units since my hang gliding days, and have used an EDS unit on every one of my 1,000+ sailplane flights over the last 18 years. Two years ago, I looked at my flight files and discovered that, out of 142 hours in the year (2015), I was above 10,000 (and therefore on O2) for 132 of them.

I am well aware of the headaches that can result from lack of oxygen. I started selling oxygen systems (Nelson) in 1992 and have been a dealer for Mountain High since around 1996.

The chemical odor and headache were anomalies only experienced on the last three flights. My cylinder had 1,800 psi and the EDS was set to D-10 as usual. If, after switching back to the original MH cannula, the experience repeats itself, I will send the unit back for a diagnostic check. According to MH, all units should go back to MH every few years for a checkup and refurbishment.

--
Dan, 5J

This is even worse than the guy who wanted to kludge together an aviation 02 kit from medical 02 equipment.

A good number of ears ago, I attended a wave camp in Petersburg, WV. The wave was strong but it was getting late in the day and a guy in a 1-26 was overdue. We reached him on the radio and his responses were incoherent - he was obviously 'out of it'. We coached him back down and the reason for his hypoxia was quickly found: he had used a cheap hospital mask (w/o re-breather bag!) tied to his A8A. He said he consistently readjusted the flow meter according to the altitude he was in. However, due to the cold conditions, the material of the mask shrunk and the hose coming from the regulator simply fell off the barbed nipple! He even had one of these 'red-green' indicators in the line but never checked if the O2 was actually getting to his mask.. The barogram revealed that he was at over 26k ft (never mind that the wave window was only good for 23k ft!) and he had no recollection of ever going above 20k ft!
I hope that fellow thought twice about using his cobbled-together O2 system again!

Uli
'AS'

Well, you could always economize by buying "lightly used catheters" to make up the difference. Problem solved. :-)

Well... Back in the day someone I knew kluged together an A-8 regulator
from parts taken from two of them that he found in the back shelves of a
museum. He had to fabricate a diaphragm by tracing the rotten part from
one of the regulators on a car inner tube and cutting it out with
scissors. It worked fine (so I hear) and was never used above 18,000'
MSL. Other parts were scrounged up - a mask from a buddy retiring from
the Air National Guard, bayonet fittings from a Naval Air Station, a
head strap arrangement from his parachute rigger, CRU-60/P from an Air
Force Base, and a bail out bottle from another Guard base. All the
parts cost were a hand shake, a smile, and a couple of cases of beer.
It worked just fine for several years until he sold his glider. Before
delivery, he removed the parts, put them in a box, and handed them to
the new owner. I never heard if the new owner reinstalled them.

On 8/10/2017 2:23 PM, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
I agree with Dan is entire thread is silly. Ok so a Mountain High cannula is $3 more. I have used the same cannula for four years in the west. If you replace these cannulas every ten minutes the $3 MIGHT impact your soaring budget but, come on! This is even worse than the guy who wanted to kludge together an aviation 02 kit from medical 02 equipment.

On Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 7:56:22 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Interesting discussion.

So I went to the Mountain High website to price their cannulas. Holy
crap, Batman! Those things cost EIGHT US Dollars each! Then I want
over to Amazon and found them at a much more reasonable price of about
$5. Jeezus! When I think of all the things I could buy with that
difference of $3, it just makes me ill... I'm probably paying an extra
penny per flight using the recommended equipment!

On 8/10/2017 6:59 AM, wrote:
"It is a great product when used as designed!"

I have been using nothing but EDS units since my hang gliding days, and have used an EDS unit on every one of my 1,000+ sailplane flights over the last 18 years. Two years ago, I looked at my flight files and discovered that, out of 142 hours in the year (2015), I was above 10,000 (and therefore on O2) for 132 of them.

I am well aware of the headaches that can result from lack of oxygen. I started selling oxygen systems (Nelson) in 1992 and have been a dealer for Mountain High since around 1996.

The chemical odor and headache were anomalies only experienced on the last three flights. My cylinder had 1,800 psi and the EDS was set to D-10 as usual. If, after switching back to the original MH cannula, the experience repeats itself, I will send the unit back for a diagnostic check. According to MH, all units should go back to MH every few years for a checkup and refurbishment.
--
Dan, 5J

--
Dan, 5J

Did he get the badge leg?

On 8/10/2017 2:59 PM, AS wrote:
This is even worse than the guy who wanted to kludge together an aviation 02 kit from medical 02 equipment.
A good number of ears ago, I attended a wave camp in Petersburg, WV. The wave was strong but it was getting late in the day and a guy in a 1-26 was overdue. We reached him on the radio and his responses were incoherent - he was obviously 'out of it'. We coached him back down and the reason for his hypoxia was quickly found: he had used a cheap hospital mask (w/o re-breather bag!) tied to his A8A. He said he consistently readjusted the flow meter according to the altitude he was in. However, due to the cold conditions, the material of the mask shrunk and the hose coming from the regulator simply fell off the barbed nipple! He even had one of these 'red-green' indicators in the line but never checked if the O2 was actually getting to his mask. The barogram revealed that he was at over 26k ft (never mind that the wave window was only good for 23k ft!) and he had no recollection of ever going above 20k ft!
I hope that fellow thought twice about using his cobbled-together O2 system again!

Uli
'AS'




--
Dan, 5J