Flux Health Forum

Help with selection - A9 or M1?

PEMF Basics
#1

I am buying an ICES unit for my mother who suffers from chronic hip/piriformis pain. I’m hoping she can learn to operate the unit by herself, but she doesn’t see well and has a hard time understanding technology. My questions concerning the choice of A9 or M1 are:

  1. Is one unit easier to operate?

  2. Is one unit easier to see the controls?

  3. If I choose the M1, are the previous settings memorized, or do they need to be reset with each use?

  4. Would one unit likely be more effective for her pain than the other?

Thank you!
Curt

#2

Curt, I would suggest the A9 because it is easier to use. An important factor for your mother is that the 9-volt battery of the A9 will last much longer than the battery on the M1, so she doesn’t need to change batteries as often. I think the flashing light when the unit is working is also easier to see on the A9.

The ON button may be difficult for your mother on both devices. I suggest marking it with a contrasting color so it stands out–e.g. by carefully using a permanent marker or perhaps a dab of nail polish.

The M1 has many protocols, but the Omni8 of the A9 might be your best choice anyway. IMO, the usability of the A9 outweighs any difference in protocol effectiveness.

I hope it works out for your mother.

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#3

Definitely, if dealing with technology and basic (small) controls is an issue, then use the model A9, set it on “M” or “H” for her, and tell her that she will only need to change the 9 Volt battery with a freshly-charged battery every 4 to 6 hours and turn it ON and OFF when she starts and stops using the device.

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#4

Thank you so much! Your reply is very helpful and logical. I’ll be ordering the A9 and will post on her progress!

Curt

#5

Awesome! Thanks Bob. Sounds like A9 is the ticket. Ordering now.

#6

easy on off? maybe just leaving the device on and taking out the battery would be less wear on the switch? but determining which is easier way to turn on off device (switch or removing battery) will be the factor. :thinking:

#7

One more quick question. Do you have a preference for the type of rechargeable 9v battery - Li-ion, NiMH or NiCd?

#8

Amazon hixon (hixxon?) rechargeable 9 volt… they’re orange and have 850mA capacity

#9

Li-Ion works best. Some new Li-Ion 9Volt batteries can be recharged by USB. You do nit need to buy a battery charger. These are the best ones to get.

Beware that some of the new 9V batteries with the highest mAh rating are also larger than the ASTM standard allows for 9V batteries, so they do not fit well into the A9 (and many other devices… these batteries are just too large).

Also, upon testing, I find that there is almost no correlation between the advertised energy capacity of a battery compared to the actual measured battery capacity. Translation: many battery companies lie about it. After all, how is the average customer going to check?

I suggest you buy a 9V battery that has been tested by someone on this forum and fits well into the A9, or that you test a few different ones for yourself, realizing that some will just not fit well. Alternatively, I suggest buying batteries with mAh ratings in the middle of the believable range (~ 650 mAh).

Also, keep in mind that battery companies do regularly change their products, so a battery brand that might have fit well last year might not fit so well this year, and vice versa.

#10

Thanks! I went with the Hixon.

#11

yes compared to the Energizer 9v, i get over 24h of uninterrupted use.

have been happy with and using them for about 2+years now…

#12

i don’t know if I’m recalling the measure accurately, but when i used a meter, i did notice it was measuring at 8.5 range than the actual 9v… is that a problem? that said, however, the a9 still managed to help reduce pain and inflammation for areas like back pain, stiffness, and then arthritis issues of hands…

#13

All ICES-PEMF devices have internal precision regulated voltage boost. So, in general they can operate from any voltage on the correct battery (in this case, a 9V battery), and the voltage range could be from about 6.2V to 14 V, and that will have absolutely no influence on the device function so long as the battery or power source can deliver adequate current.

BOTTOM LINE:
It is absolutely not at all the case that “more battery voltage” equals “more output power”… that is absolutely not the case with these devices.

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#14

Thanks to everyone who participated in this conversation. Your advice was invaluable.

We received the A9, and that was a great call. After getting her set up and giving a few lessons, my mom is pretty much using the tech independently - which was the main goal.

So far I’m super impressed with the A9 build quality and all the fantastic support. I look forward to keeping you posted on her progress.

Thanks again,
Curt

#15

Hello, I just bought the M1 & love it. I bought M1 because I can unplug it switch the battery button, push the 2nd button, the lower button, (to reset & start program again) & be off & on my way! I believe it has what A9 has & more but having the freedom to get up move is GREAT! And easy! You must buy the electrical connector less than $20. & I’d suggest getting a splitter (?$10.) so you can use 4 disc on body rather than just 2. You will get 2 sets of ?cables each with 2 ? circle discs. I may not have all the correct terminology. You also will get a band which I wear at night around my head. I put a disc front, back & 1 on each side head - temples. I set the level at 5, program Thera. I sleep much better. Good luck & God bless.
Oh I did not know A9 had a battery. Oh well, I thought I’d share. I hope it helps someone.
Ciao

#16

Bob, will these USB-rechargeable batteries fit the M1?
https://www.amazon.com/ENEGON-Rechargeable-Lithium-ion-Microphone-Walkie-Talkie/dp/B08NJSKZZS

Maybe I should also ask if anyone has experience with these and if they are as good as the EBL brand most frequently recommended.

#17

Actually I think they will fit, and are essentially the same as “Beston” brand, which I have tested extensively and is pretty good quality and fit.

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#19

Bob, now that I know the difference between the A9 and the M1 better, I think these will fit the A9, not the M1.

#20

hi, good to know the voltage range, thanks, could you say what the current drain on the A9 is,also thanks in advance.

#21

Its sort of like a car: The analogy is that the MPG depends on how you drive, if you are towing anything (added load), tire inflation, road surface type and roughness, engine maintenance, and quality of the gasoline you use. Unless you drive under perfectly standardized conditions all of the time, your mileage will vary.

Similarly, the current drain of our devices (or any electronic device) depends on a number of factors. The model A9 (gen 5.0) is one generation earlier than the M1 (gen 6.0), so the A9 is a bit less electrically efficient, by about 15%. Peak current drain will depend on the intensity setting, coil length and the use of coil cable splitters, coil damage and shorts if any, and other factors, but as a general rule the current drain never exceeds 330 mA at maximum power output and maximum load, and typically ranges from about 60 to 150 mA.