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Oxymizer...Mustache or pendant?

hydroguy2

hydroguy2

Well Known Member
I find myself at 10500 to 12500 a lot these days and want to go higher often. So getting ready to get O2 set up.

I see many pic of mustache style cannulas, but wonder about the pendent style. Let's hear the pros and cons of each.
 
I have been using the mustache style cannulas. Seem to work fine and I find them comfortable. I regularly go to 17000 ft without problem.
Three suggestions: first buy one of the cheep pulse oximeters and use it. I like to keep an oxygen saturation of greater than 85% but prefer one in the 88 to 95 range. At night you may start to loose color vision around 90% if you are old (like me), live a sea level, have lung problems or smoke (fuming is OK). Second, oxygen is expensive if you buy it from the local FBO, here it costs about $30 a fill. I made a fill manifold from three large oxygen bottles and fill my own for about $5 a fill. I split the cost with several experimental aircraft friends and we have a log of who fills and how often and split the cost of refilling tanks accordingly. Third, take the FAA high altitude training course if you can.
And fly high, fast and have fun.
 
I had a pendent style cannula.. worked fine.. I don't recall any problems with it.. either will work.. not sure I have a strong preference for one over the other..
 
I've been using an Aerox portable system with their Oxymizer cannulas for almost 30 years. I fly long distances at 17.5 or higher although the cannulas become problematic (and illegal) above FL180. My 22cu ft "M" cylinder allows about 14 hours of duration for two of us with the mustache Oxymizer cannulas. After about 10 minutes I forget I have it on - comfort is great! I have a medical O2 company fill the bottle for $10 and a $30 hydrostat every 5 years with the aluminum cylinder. I prefer to own my own cylinder, and know where it's been/what's happened to it over it's entire life since it's in the plane pressurized to 2,250 psig.

deek
 
my 2 cents take it or leave it

Gisnar said:
I have been using the mustache style cannulas. Seem to work fine and I find them comfortable. I regularly go to 17000 ft without problem.
Three suggestions: first buy one of the cheep pulse oximeters and use it. I like to keep an oxygen saturation of greater than 85% but prefer one in the 88 to 95 range. At night you may start to loose color vision around 90% if you are old (like me), live a sea level, have lung problems or smoke (fuming is OK). Second, oxygen is expensive if you buy it from the local FBO, here it costs about $30 a fill. I made a fill manifold from three large oxygen bottles and fill my own for about $5 a fill. I split the cost with several experimental aircraft friends and we have a log of who fills and how often and split the cost of refilling tanks accordingly. Third, take the FAA high altitude training course if you can.
And fly high, fast and have fun.
Click to expand...

Good advice on having a pulse/ox meter on hand its far easier than trying to guess when to go on O2. How you decided to do things is you business and I won't tell you otherwise, however I am a Firefighter/EMT and an o2 Sat of 85 on a patient is extremely low and we would place that patient on a nonrebreather mask at 15LPM until 02 Sat is back to 98 or better all the way to the hospital. My only point is at 85% you already hypoxic, its up to you but I would tighten my "comfort bubble" and say no less that 95-96%, but thats me either way happy skies
 
The nice thing about a oxymizer pendant cannula is you can see it in the reflection of the instruments, which is an easy way to tell that O2 is still flowing without an inline flow gauge. The bladder will fill in beween breaths.
 
To JoeB, You are correct in the setting of an EMT. Most of us walk around at an O2 sat of about 94-98%. You are treating potentially compromised patients and should keep them in this range if not higher!
Suggest you look at the hemoglobin O2 disassociation curve and oxygen transport curves. I think what you will find that on the disassociation curve, which looks like an sideways S that 85% is where the steep drop off is. Oxygen transport above this number is on the plateau and fairly constant. Do not suggest you get much below 85%. Healthy people at about 12000 feet with no supplemental oxygen will often be close to 85%. I suspect this is why the FAA does not want us to fly above 12500 for any significant period of time without oxygen.
 
Oxymizer pendant vrs mustach style

I fly to 18000 ft three times a month ( NOAA air sampling, climate monitoring ) and have used every available oxygen supply system. The pendant cannula wins hands down over a plain cannula in economy and simplicity. The mustache cannula is a filthy unsanitary device. If you have one and have used it more than a couple of times, cut it open and you'll be turned off by the green stuff that's growing inside. Anything higher than 18000 ft requires an aviation mask.
 
Heinz,
it sounds like you are promoting the disposable nature of the pendant style rather than any other feature of the design.

I have and use the moustache style. Have not cut it open yet. Also use a pulse oximeter to determine O2 use and effectiveness. 85% is way to low for me personally because I am not aclimatized to it. I get a headache and stupid. I will go on at 90%.
 
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Pendant style - I believe the performance is the same as the mustache, but they do not look as ridiculous. I never tried the mustache, but I imagine they would make drinking coffee or having a mid-flight snack a little difficult.
There was a comment earlier about being able to monitor flow using the pendant. I never realized it, but that is exactly what I do. If the bladder is not pulsing then I know I have the flow set too high (or there is no flow).
 
I agree 85% is way too low. Normal healthy adults walking around are at 95 to98%. In flight, my opinion is nothing below 94% before I go on supplemental for this low lander. If your color vision fades or you have a dull headache after flying, you were hypoxic
 
Hey Brian,
Good question on the cannula but I have only used the mustache so I can not answer your question. I will assume it is a personal choice. I just looked and see that Mountain High has the two at the same price. Since Heinz says mine are dirty I may by the pendant on the next go.
For others first setting up a system I will list what I did. The have been many threads on O2 but I didn't find any complete.

I bought a Medical D size bottle and a pediatric regulator off E-Bay.
Bought two "Glowmeter" Flow valves and two conserving cannulas from Aerox.
All the tubing I needed was with the parts. I only had to go to the Auto parts store to by a plastic tee. I take the bottle to the local dive shop and pay $10 for the fill. I checked into a fitting to fill myself as I keep O2 bottles at work but the cost of the fitting, hoses and refills for my bottles was not worth the trouble.
I bought a Pulseox from Walmart to keep an eye on O2 levels in flight.
I find I suck a lot more O2 than my wife. I work at keeping my O2 levels above 92% as we like to arrive fresh. We usually fly about 9k to 11k and it really helps after a couple of hour flight.
Our D size bottle easily lasts for a long CC for the both of us there and back.
 
pa38112 said:
Pendant style - I believe the performance is the same as the mustache, but they do not look as ridiculous. I never tried the mustache, but I imagine they would make drinking coffee or having a mid-flight snack a little difficult.
w).
Click to expand...

I have the mustache type. When you think about how the re-breather feature is supposed to work, having it close to your nose made the most sense to me.
I'm long past the age where I care whether or not I look ridiculous!
Finally, I can assure you, it in no way impedes eating or drinking.
I have not looked inside to see any green stuff, but I do consider this a 'personal' item; mine and my wife's are marked as such, and while I will loan my O2 bottle to others I ask them to furnish their own canulas.
 
... We have and use both styles but prefer the Pendant style as it is more comfortable and doesn't interfere with the mike on our headsets. They also offer at a glance verification of flow and operation. We have recently purchased on demand regulators, are switching over our systems, and will report our impressions etc. Keep in mind, we are offering on our website, a very high quality O-2 meter at a substantially reduced price to our RV friends. If you don't have one of these and fly high you should in the interest of safety get one. Thanks, Allan...:D
 
Pendant

I use the Pendant style. Only reason I do not think it looks as silly as the other one. Not that anyone will see me in my little RV that high but I feel silly. I use a dive shop to fill think they charge me $13 and I have a Oxygen sat finger thing and like to stay no lower than 90% at the lowest.
 
cheap setup

I got a portable o2 setup from an estate sale. Came with the tank, new hoses, and oxymatic model 301 which conserves the O2 kinda like an on-demand setup. I can't remember if I gave 10.00 or 25.00 for it. I always thought that once I stopped flying, I could use it around the house till I expired then the next fellow could buy it at my estate sale. :)
 
My wife says I get stupid... even at the beach. Not sure what percentage that is. More seriously though... if you invest in an Oximeter... check it against a known reference in flight. Some of the cheaper ones react to infrared ambient light and will drive the percentage down... until innacurate readings result.
Moustache works fine for both pilots here... an alcohol swab now and then makes it tidy.
One thing I wonder about though... is how to do CPR and chest compressions inflight. I suppose a hammer is not recommended...
 
Pendant vrs mustache

Both of these are about the same price.
Pendant is useable with a slightly lower oxygen flow than mustache.
Pendant can be cleaned of any nasal mucus and reused.
Mustache can not be cleaned.
Read into this what you will to support your choice.
We're men, we make decisions.
Either one is available from Vitality Medical for $20
 
N64GH said:
I use the Pendant style. Only reason I do not think it looks as silly as the other one. Not that anyone will see me in my little RV that high but I feel silly. I use a dive shop to fill think they charge me $13 and I have a Oxygen sat finger thing and like to stay no lower than 90% at the lowest.
Click to expand...

The dive shop you are getting your oxygen from mixing gases for deep diving? Otherwise all you are getting is compressed air. ???
 
The dive shop I use mixes Nitrox so they keep pure O2. We have had the conversation about not wanting a mix up.
 
I have the mustache and prefer it for no other reason than that is what it came with with the system 15 years ago. I have replaced them once. They do make you look kind of dufus, especially if you get it on crooked, like my wife does, not me, we laugh, but they work and are comfortable. Dan
 
You May Already Have a Pulse Oximeter in your Pocket

Pulse oximeters are cheap and available, but when I got a new cell phone a couple of weeks ago, found that the Galaxy Note 4 has a built in pulse oximeter! Several phones have it these days, I checked it against my dedicated oximeter, and the readings matched. My readings seem to be low even at sea level, so I am concerned about the readings when flying.
 
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