New "poor man's" Carbon Monoxide detector by Lawrence Factor.. $7 intro price

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Texas Torpedo

Pollo Grande Tejano!
ScubaBoard Supporter
Messages
1,170
Reaction score
487
Location
College Station, Texas
# of dives
500 - 999
I thought this was a joke at first considering the video but apparently it's legit. Amigo's Dive Center is selling them..
A CO detector in a condom... How novel.. I just bought an Analox CO tester a few weeks back but I'm about to order a few of these for the entertainment value they'll bring..

Video:
CO-PRO with Captain Frank and Crew - YouTube

Website:
CO-PRO - Personal Carbon Monoxide Protection

Amigo's:
Amigos Dive Center: Nitrox, Oxygen and Trimix Fills

Just think of the looks and conversation you'll get when you whip out your protection before a dive..
 
The time factor (5 minutes per tank) seems a pain. How is the cost compared to an Analox? I know the Analox is about $300, but what about the things like calibration gases and such?
 
The time factor (5 minutes per tank) seems a pain. How is the cost compared to an Analox? I know the Analox is about $300, but what about the things like calibration gases and such?

I guess the cost would come down to how long you can keep reusing the test wafer and how long it lasts on its own once out of the wrapper..

If someone has the money to buy the Analox analyzer, I would definitely go that route.. But if not, this sounds like a good alternative.

As for calibration, you don't have to do that all too often.. And you can do an alternative "field" bump-test by breathing into it..
 
I guess the cost would come down to how long you can keep reusing the test wafer and how long it lasts on its own once out of the wrapper..

If someone has the money to buy the Analox analyzer, I would definitely go that route.. But if not, this sounds like a good alternative.

As for calibration, you don't have to do that all too often.. And you can do an alternative "field" bump-test by breathing into it..


Their web site says the wafer is good for two hours or until the first positive result.

So figure one per day of diving, plus a couple "just in case". They're $7.95 right now (intro price...). So for our upcoming Coz trip, we'd need 10 + a couple just in case. So basically $100 for a 10 day trip.

Since you can test a bunch of tanks in 2 hours, this wouldn't be bad if you get a group to go in together and buy a trips worth.
Otherwise... wouldn't take but 3 trips to pay for an Analox.
 
What concentration is considered to be unsafe? According to CO-Pro FAQ "The CO-Pro starts to indicate at 15ppm and is designed to show gross contamination.”

Edit: According to http://www.fillexpress.com/library/gasquality.shtml 10ppm is the max for Grade E air.
 
Using a color change of solid granules is the same method used in glass tube analyzers. They have been the gas detection technology for unusual gasses and of last resort on saturation dive complexes since the 1960s. We used Dräger Tubes when I was in the Navy and was the most common brand in the North Sea. There must be a hundred or more tubes available for different gasses.

Most units have a hand pump similar to a syringe or a bellows that draws a fixed volume through the tube. Glass tubes filled with different chemicals are graduated along the side like a thermometer. Both ends of the tubes are sealed similar to glass ampules. To use you break off both ends of the glass tube and insert the bottom into the pump. The color change starts from the top and you read the concentration on the calibrated tube.

Dräger Tubes, Kits and CMS
 
What concentration is considered to be unsafe? According to CO-Pro FAQ "The CO-Pro starts to indicate at 15ppm and is designed to show gross contamination.”

Edit: According to Fill Express -- Quality of Breathing Gases 10ppm is the max for Grade E air.
In the US, 10 ppm is the max allowed. Many countries have moved to 3 ppm.
 

Back
Top Bottom