![]() ![]() It has a belt clip, mounting ring and hook and loop tape so it can be clipped to a map pocket, hung from a knob or hook or attached more permanently as desired. is a CO detector that can be mounted almost anywhere in an aircraft. Offered by Sporty’s, the $169.95 Tocsin OI-315 CO Cockpit Monitor by Otis Instruments Inc. Here are the units we surveyed, in no particular order. We spot checked the electronic portables and spot units by placing them in a plastic bag and exposing them to a CO source. We’re not crazy about the chemical spot devices due to lack of low-level information-although they will change color when exposed to high levels of CO if you replace them when the makers say to do so. Bottom line: We consider all of the electronic units to be satisfactory-but like the CO Experts Model 2016 for its sensitivity, followed by the Tocsin unit. We surveyed the most popular portable CO detectors that we consider suitable for general aviation use as well as the old-familiar chemical spot detectors. Exhaust gases were entering the rear fuselage and flowing forward into the cabin past a poorly sealing baggage curtain. We found a problem in the baggage area of a Cessna 150 some years ago with a portable CO detector. It’s not as expensive as a panel mount, often more capable and it can be used to sniff around the cabin for localized CO concentrations. ![]() ![]() In our experience, a portable CO detector that reads out low levels of CO is the right tool for the job. Being able to detect low levels of CO means being able to fix a problem before it becomes severe. Worse, they can get dramatically larger on short notice and deliver a massive quantity of toxic, odorless, colorless gas. Nevertheless, it’s not zero, our airplanes are aging and maintenance isn’t perfect, so if you fly in an area where you use your heater during at least half the year, we think it’s wise to have a detector in the airplane that will alert you to even very low levels of CO.ĬO in the cockpit usually arrives through the heater ducting due to a crack in the muffler. From what we can tell, it’s a little below that of having a midair collision. We’ll say it up front-in the great scheme of things, your risk of getting hurt or killed in an aircraft accident due to carbon monoxide poisoning is on the low end of the spectrum. ![]()
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