Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Just purchased the E-OX 36L O2 bottle . Question is regarding 02 fill up . It is a small bottle ( 1.3 CF ) . With an Oxymizer I get 72 min. (36 min. with 2 nasal units) . I have quotes from industrial gas out fits to fill it for $30.00 . The smallest bottle they fill is 15 CF . I told the guy on the phone I would pay the $30.00 to fill the 1.3 CF bottle , but I wanted to suck on the rest of the 15 CF I was paying for ! That made his day ! Dive shops fill a SCUBA tank for about $5.00 . My question is has anyone gone the SCUBA route ? I know there is a debate concerning the moisture in the air and if it is not ABO it could freeze at altitude . I don't intend to go that high to have it freeze ! Most of my 02 experience has been with LOX , so any info on filling this little aluminum tank would be appreciated !

RB POW !

SCUBA tanks are filled with air.

_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

Bob: You are a funny, funny man ! I may go to DC and have Congress fill the tank ! Air is air and I even got a prescription from my AME as most medical supply houses require a "note" from the Doc to fill a "medical 02 bottle" . I was just trying to go the cheap pilot route ! I wish I had a connection at the base to get the PR shop to fill it !

RB POW !

Most dive shops now offer NITROX & have oxygen fill capabilities. Dive shop next to us does do some aircraft stuff.

Just get a transfer adapter, and fill your little bottle from a welding oxygen bottle.
All Oxygen is the same, and comes from the same place. Medical oxygen and welding oxygen are the same.
You can fill it many times from a standard gas welding O2 bottle, although the pressure when full will be a little less each time until you take the welding bottle to the welding supply shop for refill or, exchange it for a filled bottle in the traditional way.
My son has an auto repair shop, so I fill from his welding O2 bottle every now and then. Maybe you know someone who is willing to let you have a little from theirs?
here is a link that sells equipment, but it's educational as well:
http://www.deltaoxygensystems.com/id115.html
and:
http://www.mhoxygen.com/ground-support- ... l-adapters
I have a set up with C size bottles with CG870 medical style post mount regulators, flow indicators and nasal cannulas.
I plan to complete it with a finger tip pulse oximeter so will know my personal blood oxygen saturation while flying. That takes all the guess work out of setting the O2 flow rate.
You can get a basic set up for as little as $100 with some careful shopping.

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Scott Emery
EAA Chapter 326
T-18 N18TE

Doug and Scott....thanks for the info . I need to check out the dive shops . Just filled my little 1.3 cf tank at an Industrial Gas Supply shop and they had to charge me a min. 15 cf ? $30.00 for the air , $5.00 HAZMAT fee and State tax . I told them to fill the 1.3 cf tank and I would take the rest of the air to go ! This place was on the way to town so I just stopped there for convenience . I think dive shops charge about $10 to fill a SCUBA tank ?

RB

I refill my own from welding tanks also. Got the transfer hose from Mile High. You have to do it carefully and the right way - slowly. If you have access to 2 tanks for welding, you can use the lowest pressurized one to do the initial filling, then top it off with the really full tank to get the maximum amount in your flying tank. I have a large welding rig, & a small portable one. The small bottle is the one that I'll top it off with if it's pressure is higher - the necessary volume to finish the job is less than for the first part of the fill. Like Scott said, welding O2 is the same as any other, and it is very "dry" - it has to be for welding, & moisture contamination is not tolerated or acceptable. The supposed moisture issue is an old-wives tail according to many I've talked to.

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

Dive shop where I live in Utah fills o2 bottles for about 50 cents a cubic foot, plus a $2.50 setup fee for bottle less than 15 cubic feet. So for about 6-7 bucks I'm in bizness again. Also thinking about buying a transfill adapter off eBay and getting a larger tank to roll my own, but don't currently use enough to make it worthwhile.

I will look at the dive shop option even it means buying an adapter to have them fill the tank . Crazy to pay for 15 cf at an industrial gas outfit when you only need 1.3 cf !

RB POW !

In any event, you are wise to get O2. Any planned high altitude flight, or medium altitude night flight is safer with it.
Just thinking about getting older, and using O2 at slightly lower altitudes....
Oh, and Happy 4th of July!!

_________________
Scott Emery
EAA Chapter 326
T-18 N18TE