Oxygen Analyzer - What is the best bang for the buck?

onetime

I made one from Bob's original design (which he mostly got from Oxyhacker IIRC). He was great while I was assembling it answering all questions and even offering to do the soldering for me if I couldn't accomplish it myself. Of course, wanting to do it myself, I politely refused. After ruining the first board, I got it on the second try. Here're some pics of my finished product, it's lasted several years and is on it's third or fourth sensor now.

--Paul


http://www.allenhost.com/gallery/album33

trey

Cool set-up...

AMW

looks very good.

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Explorer

Very clean setup!! Looks good.

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lizardland

Th El Cheapo kits are good. The hardest part is cutting out the case, buy one of those electric multitool thingies, like a Dremel or similar.

One thing I don't like is the DPM128 panel meter in the kit. I think it is a bit flimsy.

I've built a few analysers for people and I use a design adapted from Mark Munro's ppO2 meters. The Datel meters he uses are much more robust and don't require any hacking of the board. On the Oxycheq kits you need to remove and replace a resistor and the contacts for hooking up the cell and power supplies are tiny, very easy to get wrong or to spill a bit of solder onto something important. The Datel meters you just wire straight up to the pins on the back, much easier and less chance of getting it wrong.

You can get the circuit diagram at www.ppo2.com under the single meter page.

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Genesis

I am comfortable working on SMT boards and such, so I had no problem with using the PM version.

I built mine into a Pelican box and used it for a couple of years, then TDL had an insanely-good sale on their TekChek (does He too) so I put the O2 analyzer on eBAY and bought that.

The ones you build are as good as the ones you buy, and since the O2 cell is 90% of the cost of the kits (the panel meter costs about $10) there's really no reason to pay some diving company $300 for something you can build for under $100 with 10 minutes of your time.

Diving gear is like boat stuff - radical markups - to the extent you can avoid that, it'll save you a bit that you can then spend on more diving.

Scuba_Vixen

WOW, ....
I built my first O2 analyser with help from that site, ....

I made a few minor changes to give more precise adjustment of the calibration controls and built 2 of them into the same project box. That way I always have a "second opinion" or backup.

That was all some years back, and it's still working perfectly now as it has always been. Just replace the cells when their output in air gets below ~8 mv or so.

Personally, I won't use the AI brand sensors any more. When they came from RC, one was bad (barely 7mv in air and wouldn't calibrate to 100% O2) from the get go. The other one lasted for years. I've since been using Teledynes from Oxycheq for everything, and never had a lame one.

If you do it up nicely, most people will ask where you got such a custom unit, not "Did you make that yourself " ?

Here's mine, still haven't found a need for one of those expensive store bought ones yet ....


Darlene

Attached Images

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SINUS

For those who want to build a True electronic o2 analyzer.This is the one to go for - http://www.dcordes.freeuk.com/analyser.htm

I have built two of this myself.But you have to etch your own board.



Best regards,
Wei lan

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wizbang

Ok now that we have the O2 analyser sorted bring on the links for the DIY He analyser's. Please.

onetime

I've been through about ten AI sensors so far and none have given me any difficulty. I may go with a Teledyne for one of my next swaps just to see if there's a difference though.