Previously, only doctors and traffic police inspectors with appropriate equipment could determine the degree of intoxication. With the development of technology, a similar procedure can be carried out at home. For this, there are special devices - breathalyzers.
The modern market offers a wide range of devices of such a plan. You can buy breathalyzers in pharmacies for personal use of various types and forms. And if experienced users have long been determined for themselves the best options, then beginners are tormented by doubts.
So the question is: "How to choose a breathalyzer for personal use?" more than relevant. Whatever they say about the practicality of the device, it will save the driver from many problems. By the way, such devices are very popular in everyday life.
So, let's try to find out which breathalyzer is better to buy for personal use, what to pay special attention to and how not to miscalculate with a purchase. We will analyze the main characteristics of the devices and consider the rating of the most successful models.
How to choose a breathalyzer for personal use?
Many consumers make the same common mistakes, and then write angry reviews about gadgets. If you buy a breathalyzer for personal use from the professional segment of devices used by traffic police and doctors, then you will get a functional, but expensive toy.
The fact is that such devices work on a stream and differ in "capricious" settings. In addition, considerable experience is needed to handle the device. Yes, these are the most accurate gadgets, but their price is sky-high. So, as a breathalyzer for personal use, such a device will not work. There are a lot of unprofessional instruments of high accuracy on sale, so pay attention to them.
The other extreme is to buy a breathalyzer for personal use from the ultra-budget segment. We are talking about devices from China - key rings and other small trinkets. The accuracy of the readings of inexpensive devices is “plus or minus a bottle of vodka”, that is, they cannot correctly determine the presence of ethanol in exhaled air.
Handheld devices are equipped with cheap semiconductor sensors with a floating operating resource (and sometimes even without it). They stop working after the third or fourth purge. Before choosing a breathalyzer for personal use, look at its “pedigree” and never get in touch with cheap no-name models. It will not lead to anything good.
Measurement procedure
Judging by the reviews of breathalyzers for personal use, these devices most accurately determine the ethanol content no earlier than ten minutes after consumption. That is, we are talking about measuring air precisely from light, and not residual vapors from the oral region.
It is necessary to exhale with the same intensity, slowly, until the device gives an appropriate signal confirming the intake of air in the required volume. In some cases, it is better to make a control measurement after a couple of minutes.
Key Features
Before choosing a breathalyzer for personal use, pay attention to the main parameters of the devices. You should immediately abandon two groups of devices:
- Models operating on a yes / no basis, that is, confirming or disproving the presence of ethanol in the air.
- Contactless devices that pick up from a certain distance. Accuracy, as well as instrument efficiency, is a big question. For normal analysis, tight and full contact of the exhaled air with the sensors is required.
Which breathalyzer to buy for personal use?
It is best to keep an eye on instruments that quantify ethanol in the air. The best option for Russian realities is the result in ppm, because it is this unit that appears in the rules of the road and other restrictive documents. If the device works with milligrams per liter, then you have to translate the resulting value in ppm, and doing the calculations with the patient after yesterday’s head is not a pleasant experience.
For most ordinary motorists, to know the exact (up to hundredths) ratio of ethanol in the sample is completely useless. In a good half of cases, it is enough that the device will screen out three critical values ​​without errors: the presence of alcohol vapor in the exhaled air, residual effects (borderline) and the complete absence of ethanol. It makes no sense to buy the most accurate breathalyzer for personal use, if you are not an operator of complex equipment with clearance or are in contact while working with ethanol.
Devices from the mid-price and premium segments are equipped with a set of disposable mouthpieces and a 12-volt power adapter for the car. It would be useful to ask the seller about the duration of the operational period. This parameter most often depends on the survivability of the sensor and the number of measurements taken. After the development of the resource allotted to the device, it begins to “lie” or does not at all refuse to work.
By the way, it is worth noting that it is very easy to disable even the best breathalyzer for personal use. It is enough to demonstrate the device at a home feast and put it in a circle for inspection. After a stress test, the device can be safely thrown out. The fact is that frequent and unsystematic use almost instantly disables the main sensor.
Where to buy the device?
It’s better to purchase the device at specialized points of sale. The distribution of breathalyzers is mainly carried out by enterprises working with medical institutions - hospitals and pharmacies.
In addition to professional devices, these organizations sell relatively inexpensive, but most importantly, proven devices, the results of which can be trusted. Judging by the reviews of breathalyzers for personal use, good devices can be found on the shelves of manufacturers from South Korea, Germany and Russia. But it will be a mid-price and premium segment. In the public sector, products from China dominate.
Let's make a list of the best (according to reviews) breathalyzers for personal use. The list of models is presented in the form of a rating. Consider both inexpensive options and more advanced ones - premium ones.
Rating of breathalyzers for personal use:
- Alcotest 6810.
- AlcoHunter Professional X.
- "META 01 STSI."
- "Delta AT-300."
- "Dingo E-010".
- "Delta AT-500."
- Ritmix RAT-303.
Let us analyze their work in more detail.
Alcotest 6810
The first place in our ranking of breathalyzers for personal use is occupied by a device from Germany. According to user reviews, the Alcotest 6810 is the best this segment can offer. The device can be called professional, but many use it solely for personal purposes.
It should be noted that the traffic police have repeatedly recognized this model as the most accurate breathalyzer and compared it with their standard equipment. Almost the only drawback that users complain about is that it is powered exclusively from the network without the possibility of battery life. Nevertheless, this point can hardly be called critical, because most devices of this kind are used in cars where there are no problems with 12-volt recharge.
The reliable electromechanical sensor provides quick and accurate verification. Complete with the device is a small mini-printer, with which you can immediately print the results. As such, the device does not need calibration, but the manufacturer recommends a readjustment once a year. The latter can be done both in the service center and independently by downloading the appropriate software.
Naturally, such an advanced device simply can not be cheap, so you will have to pay about 20 thousand rubles for it. But high work efficiency and exceptional build quality have never been affordable democratic prices.
AlcoHunter Professional X
This is a Russian product, lit up in almost all thematic ratings and tops in the first places. The model is a continuation of the series and serious work on the bugs. The result is a great device: accurate, reliable, ergonomic, and plus everything - stylish.
The breathalyzer is capable of recording even an ultra-low concentration of ethanol in samples (0.01 ppm). All data is clearly visible on the color display, and the interface, judging by the feedback from users, is intuitively simple and understandable even for beginners in this matter.
After factory calibration, the manufacturer guarantees accurate measurements for 1000 samples. The device can work both from a network, and from storage batteries. It is also worth noting the relatively low cost of the breathalyzer for the declared characteristics - about 9000 rubles. Users in their reviews say that the device has no serious shortcomings, except that it warms up longer than analogs.
META 01 STSI
Another domestic solution, which received a lot of praise from the owners. The device runs on battery power and allows you to make an impressive number of measurements per day. Each sample remains in the memory of the device, so that you can track the dynamics.
As for accuracy: judging by expert reviews, the device gives excellent results. Among other advantages of the device, one can single out a high-quality assembly and an intuitive interface. All elements of the case are tightly fitted to each other, no creaks, crunches and other shortcomings were noticed.
Users also liked the appearance of the device and its ergonomics. The device is convenient to hold in your hands, all buttons are in finger accessibility. This model is a frequent guest in specialized stores, the device can be bought for six and a few thousand rubles.
Delta AT-300
This is a joint product of Russian and Chinese companies. The model attracts primarily with its design. If a good half of devices look like small bricks, then this device surprises with smooth lines and well-chosen shades.
The device offers the user not only an attractive wrapper, but also a filling. The semiconductor sensor provides accurate readings of ethanol in samples. True, some users in their reviews complain about the long preparation of the sensor - 20 seconds, but for many this is not critical.
The device is equipped with a backlit liquid crystal display, which allows sampling even in complete darkness. After turning on the breathalyzer, he begins self-diagnosis to exclude the influence of extraneous factors.
Local firmware is installed at a threshold of ppm of 0.25 mg / L. If this mark is exceeded, the device gives a warning signal. Many users were pleased with the ergonomics of the device: it is convenient to hold it in hands, and the control elements are correctly located on the body.
3 pinky batteries (AAA) are required to power the device. Judging by the reviews, they last for about a month, if you use a breathalyzer every day. In addition, the manufacturer allows the use of the device paired with a network adapter (4.5 V / 120 mA), but it will have to be purchased separately. The device can be purchased for thousands and a half in pharmacies and specialty stores.
"Dingo E-010"
This is a South Korean model, which also received a lot of praise from both experts and ordinary users. The device can be called universal, because sampling takes place both from the mouthpiece and with the usual blowing.
The model is powered by a regular battery and ordinary batteries. In addition, the manufacturer launched several modifications of the device on the market, differing in configurations.
For personal and non-daily use, the simplest will do. In other cases, it is better to focus on the extended version with different mouthpieces, a more capacious battery and additional accessories (case, carrying bag, etc.). The device (regardless of modification) must be calibrated after every thousand samples. The basic version of the model will cost about 700 rubles.
Judging by the reviews, many users were pleased with the ergonomics of the breathalyzer. It is comfortably located in the hand, and the received data is perfectly readable on a large display. The latter has no backlight, so you won’t work in the dark. The only thing owners sometimes complain about, especially heavy smokers, is the prolonged expiration time, which can reach up to 1 minute.
Delta AT-500
The device has a good ratio of cost to return. For more than 600 rubles, we get an easy, reliable and effective breathalyzer. The model runs on ordinary batteries, network adapters are not provided by the manufacturer.
The appearance of the device can be called calm, and the dimensions are small. It fits easily in the hand, it is convenient to use. The interface can not be called complex, and the controls are in finger accessibility.
Judging by the reviews of the owners, the device accurately determines the ratio of ppm, but about once a year it needs to be reconfigured, otherwise the error increases noticeably. Regarding the assembly of questions does not arise.
The device looks solid, the elements of the case do not creak and do not play. Some owners in their reviews noted that they repeatedly dropped the breathalyzer on a solid surface without harm to it. As a fly in the ointment here is the completeness of the model. There are no batteries or mouthpieces in the box with the device, so you will have to purchase the necessary accessories separately.
Ritmix RAT-303
This is one of the easiest options that can be found in the domestic market. The model from China is inexpensive, but you can not name it of any poor quality. The device is powered by two standard batteries without the ability to connect to the network. Autonomy of the gadget at a very decent level. Users in their reviews note that on one set of batteries, the device worked quietly for two, or even three months.
The device is quite accurate, has not been noticed in the issuance of false information. In addition, users were pleased with the large backlit display, which reads all the data presented perfectly. Sample results are displayed 20 seconds after collection.
The device received from the creators an attractive design in the form of a guitar and high-quality assembly. All elements are tightly fitted to each other, the design looks monolithic. True, there are some questions to the material itself - this is mediocre plastic, but the price of the breathalyzer (about 400 rubles) does not imply the use of quality materials. Some users complain about the too inflated dimensions of the device. It is not very convenient to hold it in your hand, especially for people with small hands, but again, looking at the price tag, the device can be forgiven all the shortcomings.