Nitrox Analysers ?

[mark w]

I will shortly be doing the BSAC combined nitrox course and am aware of my need to obtain an analyser for use after hopefully passing the course.
So I thought it would be a good idea to ask for peoples veiws on the different makes and models of analysers available.

[Steve Pearson]

O2EII by analox is an excellent compact analyser

Retail price about £160

Steve

[Adrian Kelland]

O2EII by analox is an excellent compact analyser

Retail price about £160

Steve
I'll second that. No problems with mine so far in 14 months.

Adrian

[mark w]

I have found the analox model on ebay brand new for £150 + £5 p&p. Although I have heard of that make I wondered what veiws where on my other options, also is £150 a good price, listing says "Due to an over order we have 3 brand new Analox analysers available at cost" why when we are all in the bussiness of making money would anyone sell at cost ?? surely there is a good market for analysers without giving them away ?

[Fiona]

I have a Vandangraph, probably because it was just about the only one about when I bought it.

About 7 years old and trouble free :)

[Ben Panter]

I have found the analox model on ebay brand new for £150 + £5 p&p. Although I have heard of that make I wondered what veiws where on my other options, also is £150 a good price, listing says "Due to an over order we have 3 brand new Analox analysers available at cost" why when we are all in the bussiness of making money would anyone sell at cost ?? surely there is a good market for analysers without giving them away ?

Be a bit careful - if the sensors have been exposed to air their lifetime will be shortened. I forget which manufacturer it is, but one of them gives a significant discount if you are an instructor. Not a nitrox instructor, just an instructor (I forget the details, and this was a few years ago though)

Ben

[Adrian Kelland]

Be a bit careful - if the sensors have been exposed to air their lifetime will be shortened. I forget which manufacturer it is, but one of them gives a significant discount if you are an instructor. Not a nitrox instructor, just an instructor (I forget the details, and this was a few years ago though)

Ben
Analox do this Ben.

[Ed Howarth]

Mark,
For Christmas I treated myself to one of the Analox analysers that you mention from ebay, where he has 3 due to an over-order, and it arrived within 3 days and it still had the silver seal over the inlet. All in original carton etc. No problems with it.

Why he still has 3 at this v competitive price after 3 weeks, and having sold one to me, is anyone's guess.:confused:

Ed

[Keith Lawrence]

I have a Vandangraph, probably because it was just about the only one about when I bought it.About 7 years old and trouble free :)I also have a Vandangraph, probably about the same age as Fiona's one. I get at least a year out of the sensors, pretty reasonably priced as well. Customer service second to none - mine did break down last year, as it was the unit itself at fault Vandangraph repaired it totally FOC, they didn't even charge me postage. I would certainly buy another one.

Keith L

[James - Narked@50]

I'll second the Anlalox, easy to use, relatively cheap to buy, and £150 is a good price.

James

[PhilB]

For Christmas I treated myself to one of the Analox analysers that you mention from ebay, where he has 3 due to an over-order, and it arrived within 3 days and it still had the silver seal over the inlet. All in original carton etc. No problems with it.

Ed

I have an Analox O2EII and am very happy with it.

I'd go for the ebay deal - I got mine for about £160 at the dive show, it was just round the corner from the Analox stand which was selling them for I believe £200 or so. I queried this with the Analox rep and he seemed unsurprised, said something about selling to traders at a discount. After he confirmed that Analox would still honour the warranty if I bought elsewhere, I went round the corner and saved £40.

Phil

[David Walker]

Make your own! A £5 digital multimeter from Maplin, with a variable resistor and a pretty box to put it in is all you need. Some minor engineering works and you get something that does exactly the same as the Analox ones, but for about 20% of what they charge. Mine's been accurate to within about 0.2 of other analysers i've tested it against, seems fine.

Sensors from Omni Components are quite cheap too, and seem to work fine.

Have a search on the internetty, lots of guides on how to do it if you're that way inclined - total cost including sensor can be as little as about £35 or £40 if I remember right...

David

[Greg Hanna]

I bought one of those DIY kits, if your into soldering it does the trick well and all for under the tonne!

G

[Steve Pearson]

Make your own! A £5 digital multimeter from Maplin, with a variable resistor and a pretty box to put it in is all you need. Some minor engineering works and you get something that does exactly the same as the Analox ones, but for about 20% of what they charge. Mine's been accurate to within about 0.2 of other analysers i've tested it against, seems fine.

Sensors from Omni Components are quite cheap too, and seem to work fine.

Have a search on the internetty, lots of guides on how to do it if you're that way inclined - total cost including sensor can be as little as about £35 or £40 if I remember right...

David

Hi David

Sounds fun to have a go at

Whats's the site for omni components, can you put a couple of links on here to the guides on the net you mentioned

Steve

[Stephen Davies]

Mark,

I bought an OxySpy about 5 yrs ago.

Is simple to use and have not had any trouble with it.

Good hunting.

Regards

Stephen

[David Walker]

Whats's the site for omni components, can you put a couple of links on here to the guides on the net you mentioned

Omni Components is http://www.omni-components.co.uk/products_type_details.asp?prodType=Gas%20Sensors%2 0for%20Scuba%20Equipment&prodCatText=IT
I think it was a D01 I got... ring them and ask for one to use for analysers and they'll know what you mean anyway. I seem to remember the easiest way to deal with them is the give them a ring, send a cheque, and they'll post the thing out to you - only took a couple of days to get sorted, seemed like nice enough people.

I only really used the other websites for ideas, mines a bit different I think - what I did was to get a multimeter, use a variable resistor for setting the 100%/21% thingy on the analyser, and then once I knew it worked chopped all the useless bits off the PCB - when you get them they're generally a large single PCB with the connections for the dial etc on too which I didn't want, so chopped mine up and made it smaller... but that was a lot of effort!

Generally the online designs i've seen either end up quite big if they use a multimeter, or use a separate component which is essentially a tiny voltmeter attached to a display. These would be better in the sense of they're designed for this kind of job rather than bodged, but are a bit more pricey (and harder to find).

These two have some good ideas on for making one:
http://www.dcordes.freeuk.com/analyser.htm - based on a "voltmeter on a display" (digital panel meter)
http://www.devilgas.com/old/oxygen/analysers.php - based on a multimeter

David

[Steve Pearson]

Thanks David

Very useful info

You don't have any info on making a trimix analyser do you, now that would be useful if accurate.

Steve

[David Walker]

:rolleyes: You don't have any info on making a trimix analyser do you, now that would be useful if accurate.

In short... no!

Although, have a look around the Omni website, if you can find either a helium sensor or a nitrogen sensor you're laughing! The other bit that you don't have a sensor for should add up to 100% (near enough).

No idea if it'd work or not, but seems sensible... :confused: Just don't quote me if you build one and get all your mixes wrong

David

[Paul Duckworth]

Another vote for the Analox O2EII, nice and easy to use.

I admire those of you who can build these sort of things, I'm the kind of person that can't put together the simplest of circuits :( . The last time I tried to use a soldering iron (many years ago now) I burnt my finger, got solder everywhere and the wire still refused to join :eek:

[Gordon]

Another vote for Analox...

[Alwassia]

Oxyspy is a good sensor and easy to use. and won the test in the Dive or Diver magazin (soory i get both).

Khaled