Sensorcon 20% discounts thru April 25

[Schwob]

So ... what should be the price for a reliable - and accurate - CO only analyzer designed specifically for scuba diving?
Please do not tell me $139 .....

Imho more than 50% of a CO / O2 combo tester, but less than 75% maybe 65%?

 

[Hatul]

For the Analox CO meter, how do you test it? Do you put the dome into the stream and it gets the reading? Thus it works under air pressure?

When I turn the Sensorcon on in my place, it reads 0 ppm. When I put it over a gas burner, it reads 1-2 ppm. Is this a testing method to see if it's doing something?

What I noticed is when I put my mouth over the Sensorcon inlet and apply pressure the numbers go up, so it appears pressure increases the readings amd the unit is meant to test gas at ambient pressure. The Analox CO tester is not affected by pressure.

 

[divinh]

What I noticed is when I put my mouth over the Sensorcon inlet and apply pressure the numbers go up, so it appears pressure increases the readings amd the unit is meant to test gas at ambient pressure. The Analox CO tester is not affected by pressure.

Ah. This is good to know. I guess the test would be to capture the air from the tank with a bag and then test it, if using a Sensorcon, unless there's a flaw with this method? Would sampling from a short air burst be enough? Would only a continuous flow from the tank over the sensor work?

I haven't regretted my purchase yet, as I will be on my first liveaboard in two months. Since I'm traveling solo, my guess is that I will have the least choice for cabins and will likely end up near the engine room. Besides the noise, I should probably watch out for CO levels too.

 

[rddvet]

So ... what should be the price for a reliable - and accurate - CO only analyzer designed specifically for scuba diving?
Please do not tell me $139 .....

It won't be a popular answer, but people should be happy to spend $250-350 for an accurate, reliable unit. Obviously that should take into account not having to calibrate it all the time, being user calibrateable with a common calibration gas, and have user changeable CO sensors. CO sensors aren't cheap, so people should have already been questioning the sensitivity of the Sensorcon based on price tag. Read through the info sheet on oxycheq's website about their long term costs compared to the Analox. Unfortunately people don't take all of this into consideration. In my opinion the Oxycheq is the unit all others should currently be compared to. It's reliable, easy to use, has an audible alarm, and can very very easily be made to work in-line with a compressor. It is very easy to change batteries, calibrate, and change sensors on yourself.

OxyCheq - OxyCheq Expedition CO Analyzer w/ Alarm

 

[divinh]

It won't be a popular answer, but people should be happy to spend $250-350 for an accurate, reliable unit. Obviously that should take into account not having to calibrate it all the time, being user calibrateable with a common calibration gas, and have user changeable CO sensors. CO sensors aren't cheap, so people should have already been questioning the sensitivity of the Sensorcon based on price tag. Read through the info sheet on oxycheq's website about their long term costs compared to the Analox. Unfortunately people don't take all of this into consideration. In my opinion the Oxycheq is the unit all others should currently be compared to. It's reliable, easy to use, has an audible alarm, and can very very easily be made to work in-line with a compressor. It is very easy to change batteries, calibrate, and change sensors on yourself.

OxyCheq - OxyCheq Expedition CO Analyzer w/ Alarm

Wow, if this were the requirement for safe diving, I think it would turn away quite a lot of folks.

 

[rddvet]

Wow, if this were the requirement for safe diving, I think it would turn away quite a lot of folks.

It should be a requirement for safe diving and it should be taught by all agencies. CO is a more common issue than people let on or want to believe, and I believe the incidence of finding CO will rise as more people test. Divers can spend tons of money and flourescent bc's and pretty split fins, but balk at $300 or more to eliminate CO risks. I'm not saying every diver has to own their own, but at a minimum every dive shop and every dive boat should have one for their customers to use, and should advertise/recommend it's use.

PS, I own my own compressor, fill my own tanks with it, and still have in-line CO monitoring, and check every single tank with a hand held unit at the dive site or before throwing the tanks in the car. That should be as common as checking oxygen % (which doesn't get done often enough).

 

[divinh]

It should be a requirement for safe diving and it should be taught by all agencies. CO is a more common issue than people let on or want to believe, and I believe the incidence of finding CO will rise as more people test. Divers can spend tons of money and flourescent bc's and pretty split fins, but balk at $300 or more to eliminate CO risks. I'm not saying every diver has to own their own, but at a minimum every dive shop and every dive boat should have one for their customers to use, and should advertise/recommend it's use.

PS, I own my own compressor, fill my own tanks with it, and still have in-line CO monitoring, and check every single tank with a hand held unit at the dive site or before throwing the tanks in the car. That should be as common as checking oxygen % (which doesn't get done often enough).

Well, it's $400 for the reliable CO monitor + ~$50/year maintenance, then if you dive nitrox, another $200-$300 + maintenance cost just to have safe air. Cost of entry becomes real high if every diver needs this equipment. If the expectation is that recreational divers have this to dive safe, then recreational diving will probably dry up. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just a really expensive proposition for the recreational diver if he/she can't reliably get good air and must constantly check. Not everyone buys fluorescent BC's and pretty split fins. Many people rent.

 

[DandyDon]

It should be a requirement for safe diving and it should be taught by all agencies. CO is a more common issue than people let on or want to believe, and I believe the incidence of finding CO will rise as more people test. Divers can spend tons of money and flourescent bc's and pretty split fins, but balk at $300 or more to eliminate CO risks. I'm not saying every diver has to own their own, but at a minimum every dive shop and every dive boat should have one for their customers to use, and should advertise/recommend it's use.

Yep, yep, yep...!

Well, it's $400 for the reliable CO monitor + ~$50/year maintenance, then if you dive nitrox, another $200-$300 + maintenance cost just to have safe air. Cost of entry becomes real high if every diver needs this equipment.

His suggestion was better: "I'm not saying every diver has to own their own, but at a minimum every dive shop and every dive boat should have one for their customers to use, and should advertise/recommend it's use."

f the expectation is that recreational divers have this to dive safe, then recreational diving will probably dry up.

And this is why DAN, the agencies, and the operators in general are not supporting this very important need. Even with all the good by DAN, they all depend on freely flowing money driving the business & sport. The solution is not that bad tho. All they have to do is agree that Compressors need to have inline CO monitors with auto cutoffs and all Operators need to maintain and furnish tank testers. They did it with Nitrox because that supported additional classes, cards, and compressor fees, but there is no profit in uncovering CO risks. Their general goal is to keep injuries down enough to be blamed on Travelers Flu.

How much would the solution cost? Pennies per tank.

 

[rddvet]

Well, it's $400 for the reliable CO monitor + ~$50/year maintenance, then if you dive nitrox, another $200-$300 + maintenance cost just to have safe air. Cost of entry becomes real high if every diver needs this equipment. If the expectation is that recreational divers have this to dive safe, then recreational diving will probably dry up. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just a really expensive proposition for the recreational diver if he/she can't reliably get good air and must constantly check. Not everyone buys fluorescent BC's and pretty split fins. Many people rent.

Dandydon answered you with the best answer. It shouldn't have to fall on the diver. It should become an industry standard. There's a well known fill station in cave country that pumped a bunch of co unknowingly and didn't have inline sensors. The divers caught it and all was well. That story has circulated cave country so you would think all of the shops would have added inline monitors. Nope. So when I need fills there I go to the fill station(s) that have inline monitors.

If you don't want to pay for a monitor then you need to be willing to ask whoever provides the tanks to also provide a co reader to you. Them having inline isn't good enough necessarily. Not all inline (like mine) shut off the compressor. Some just scream a high pitch. That's ok for me filling in my garage, but many shops' tank monkey is so far from the compressor they may not hear the scream. The owner of the fill station I mentioned above will start his compressor and then drive away for an hour or so to do errands with nobody around to monitor. His compressor shuts down at a certain psi or if the oxygen gets too high, but I'm 95% sure his inline co monitors that are supposed to be in place don't have the ability to shut off his compressor(don't quote me but I'm pretty positive as I was just there the other day). So do your diligence and only accept tanks from a source that provides monitors or have your own.

 

[divinh]

And this is why DAN, the agencies, and the operators in general are not supporting this very important need. Even with all the good by DAN, they all depend on freely flowing money driving the business & sport. The solution is not that bad tho. All they have to do is agree that Compressors need to have inline CO monitors with auto cutoffs and all Operators need to maintain and furnish tank testers. They did it with Nitrox because that supported additional classes, cards, and compressor fees, but there is no profit in uncovering CO risks. Their general goal is to keep injuries down enough to be blamed on Travelers Flu.

How much would the solution cost? Pennies per tank.

While there may be no direct profit, safe air means no deaths from CO. It doesn't take many reports of CO deaths to kill a dive op or diving as a sport, if it becomes more widespread. Pennies per tank cost would already be worth it for a dive op.