Nitrox O2 analyzer - do I need one

[TSandM]

In the US, in our litigation-rich society, I have yet to see a shop that provides Nitrox that doesn't provide an analyzer, and most of them have a log you have to sign with your name, the date, and the results of the analysis.

This is NOT necessarily true when you travel. The fill station where we used to get our tanks in MX did not have an analyzer, so we brought our own.

It is handy to own one from time to time . . . for example, if you get to a dive site and discover you've grabbed the wrong tank (or forgotten yours) and you need to borrow one from somebody else. Also, on boats, having 20 people simultaneously trying to use the one analyzer the boat has can be a drag.

We have the Oxycheq low-end model (the El Cheapo, only they put it together) and it has worked just fine for us for five years (yes, you have to replace the cells periodically). It cost us about $200.

 

[DandyDon]

If you want one, and don't want to build one Analox O2EII Nitrox Analyzer | Xtreme Scuba Dive Shop | Trimix, Oxygen, Hellium is offering the Analox portable with sensor safer for $225, free shipping. The battery and sensor are easily user replaceable, with the battery being cheap, same battery my dive computers and origianal CO analyzer use so I carry a few spares.

I got one of these after not liking the analyzers offered on some trips. Hardly ever used it so the sensor and battery lasted for like 5 years, but nice to have onhand in case. Get a Pelican box for it and keep it air tight.

 

[Lead_carrier]

I dont care what your opinion is, rsk your own life I dont care.

My aploogies if you felt like I was trying to step on your toes. I was just stating the obvious about their compressor and purification system. (see Gundi Holmes thread and cozumel from above.) Unless you carry your own carbon monoxide detector then you DO trust their equipment.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

My aploogies if you felt like I was trying to step on your toes. I was just stating the obvious about their compressor and purification system. (see Gundi Holms thread) Unless you carry your own carbon monoxide detector then you DO trust their equipment.

Crap.. There was suppose to be a smiley at the end. Didnt mean t like it sounded. I do aploigze for that.

 

[DandyDon]

Crap.. There was suppose to be a smiley at the end. Didnt mean t like it sounded. I do aploigze for that.

:grouphug:​

 

[Lead_carrier]

Crap.. There was suppose to be a smiley at the end. Didnt mean t like it sounded. I do aploigze for that.

No problem. I just didn't want to get either of your hands slapped for flaming each other.

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

As TS&M stated, I've never been to a shop in the US (or when I'm in Canada) that didn't have a quality O2 Anaylizer(s) for checking fills. We blend our own Nitrox at home, so we have one.

 

[Superlyte27]

I don't have my own. I use the shop's I work out, but here's a real issue.
If I PP Blend 10 tanks today. Fill them before lunch, analyze them after lunch and take them home. 99 out of 99 times (get it?) the percentage will change by a full point. No matter how slowly or quickly I fill them.

Does that put me at risk? Probably not. Will I die or get bent? Doubtful. Do I think about it everytime I enter the data into my dive computer? You betcha.

 

[jtpwils]

Thanks all for the replies - for now I'll just use the one at the LDC and for my upcoming trip to Roatan, which I'm taking through the LDC, I'll make sure that the owner, who is coming along, brings one that our group can use.

It would seem to me that if I calibrate the sensor, analyze the mix and then analyze the free air and get a good reading (basically double checking the sensor accuracy), then I should be pretty confident that it's accurate. And I fully agree that "trust us" is a potentially deadly practice to follow.

I'll look into the El Cheap-O and the link that DandyDon mentioned. I'm guessing that the El-Cheapo doesn't do Tri-mix and, although I am not planning on that level of Tec diving any time soon, it might make sense to get that one for the extra $25 or so.

Thanks again all.

 

[PfcAJ]

The El Cheapo just measures o2, not helium. It works with trimix, it just doesn't tell you the helium percentage.

Helium analyzers are over 600 bucks...