help with Ketonix

kirkor

a friend from another forum is having trouble getting consistent results with her Ketonix. Can anyone offer some tips?
Thanks!
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Well, it's a little more complicated than that. The first problem I've identified is that once the device boots up, it is supposed to be ready to take a reading as long as the blue light is steady. I have a steady blue light, but bizarre "readings" showing on the software before I've even blown. I have to sit there a lot of extra time, and wait for the number to reach zero. If I blow before the software shows a reading of zero (despite the steady blue light), I get inflated readings.



My second issue with the device is that there are THREE programmable settings. "Standard." "Nutritional" and "Sport." The instructions only mention standard and sport. To complicate matters further, it allows you to customize your threshold for blue, green, yellow or red readings. Why the hell you would need this or what purpose it serves is beyond me.
So, on "standard," it shows I'm making ketones in the yellow zone.

On "nutritional," (which would seem like the reading we should be using, yes?), I am barely making ketones in the green zone.


Either I'm a technological luddite (I don't tend to think of myself that way), or this device and its software has some serious flaws. The ones I've mentioned here are just the start. For example, it's impossible to tell when to stop blowing (other than the recommended 10-15 seconds). Sometimes it shows "analyzing" after you're barely blowing, other times it takes much longer. And the device itself will start lighting up when blowing at different intervals. I am all about reliability, consistency, and reproducible results. That's "good science." I'm pretty unhappy with it.

Sunny_Bunny_

There was a discussion about this recently. I'll see if I can find you a link.

Sunny_Bunny_

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10293081/ketonix-breath-ketone-analyzer-need-help#latest

Here ya go! I think @GaleHawkins had some tips in there

GaleHawkins

ebay.com/itm/Police-Digital-LCD-Display-Breath-Alcohol-Tester-Breathalyser-Analyzer-Detector-/252183789085?hash=item3ab7533e1d:g:6CQAAOSwRLZUG~wG

I forget to restate in my posts that I use the $15 eBay version that my research back in 2014 seemed to be the core technology used by the developer of the Ketonix device. In short the low cost alcohol breath analyzer will actually detect and report acetone on the breath. High end models will block out any acetone detection I have read.

While the color scheme is interesting as stated in kirkor's post above since the level is adjustable how can it have any real meaning seems to me to be a justifiable question.

My $15 meter software has a 15 second warm up period followed by a beep then a 10 second BLOW period. Most of the time the software display starts at 10 then jumps straight to 4, 3, 2, 1 then beeps. I start blowing when it starts the countdown (typically 5 seconds as just noted) and blow until it beeps and gives me a digital readout.

I use it on the readout setting of '0.00-1.99 BAC' and if in ketosis per my Precision Xtra blood keto meter I will get a readout of .03-.09. Any reading of .05 sounds an alarm (as in do not drive I guess?).

Keep in mind the $15 version that I use or the Ketonix version gives NO valid indication of one's blood ketone levels at all because it is only measuring the smallest fraction of ketones produced of the three different types.

Like the urine strips it gives a relative indication that one may or may not be into some level of ketosis. Remember the urine strips are not valid for those of us eating keto. They are a gross test for Type 1 diabetics to see if they are heading into ketoacidosis so they are not really sensitive enough to give meaningful info for those of us in nutritional ketosis.

I paid $25 for my Precision Xtra blood meter and pay about $1.50 each for test strips off of eBay. I tested by blood daily for about a month back in 2014 for the heck of it but now I may do it once ever 1-3 months. I use my $15 blow meter daily.

If I blow a .05 the blood ketone level will test between .5 -3.0 typically which is a good range in my mind for nutritional ketosis.

If one is testing with strips or any type of blow meters your blood ketone level is no better than the SWAG method.

Each test method is testing a different type of ketone. Only testing your blood ketone level carries any scientific data worth discussing I have decided after a lot of research.

I like the digital readout of the $15 meter that lets me know if I am IN or OUT of nutritional ketosis. I like the digital read out of the $25 Precision Xtra if I want any meaningful data about my meaningful ketone levels. I ruled out the Ketonix meter in 2014 by reading some blogs of the developer and learning it basically sounds like it uses the sensor type found in the $15 meters that I use off of eBay.

I promise you the $15 one's off eBay will vary in readout from meter to meter and be flakey software wise like the Ketonix version since they seem to use similar hardware/software.

@kirkor I hope you can get your friend on another forum some help with her Ketonix meter. @Sunny_Bunny_ thanks for looking up the old tread on this subject.

kirkor

Thanks for the old thread and the new info guys, I appreciate it!