AlcoSense Lite 2 User manual
Support: UK 0800 1950088/ IRL 1800 719310 Mon to Fri 0900–1730 info@alcosense.co.uk
1
WARNING: AlcoSense is a sensitive measurement device. Performing a breath
test less than 10 minutes after drinking risks blowing high levels of alcohol
directly from your mouth into the system which could permanently damage
the sensor and cause the system to read inaccurately. Blood alcohol levels
can continue to rise for up to 90 minutes after drinking, as a result we only
recommend using the Breathalyser after this time (and ideally the morning
after) to ensure your reading will not increase after you test yourself. Do not
blow directly into the blow hole without a blow tube – this can damage the
sensor and significantly reduce the lifetime of your unit.
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2
AlcoSense Lite 2 Instruction Manual
Thank you for purchasing your new AlcoSense Lite 2 Breathalyser.
As you know, you never can tell how long it takes for alcohol to clear from
your body after having a drink. It depends on many variables including body
mass, time of day, food intake and even if you have a cold.
Road safety is our primary concern, specifically making it easy for you to know
when you are clear of alcohol. With only one-eighth of the English limit in your
system you are 37% more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than when
completely sober.AlcoSense gives you the tools to make an informed decision
about when the alcohol has cleared your system.
Like me, many responsible drivers use the AlcoSense breathalyser to help
make sure they’re OK to drive the morning after. Thank you again for
purchasing this product and I’m sure you will be delighted with it.
Yours sincerely,
Hunter Abbott, Managing Director
Important - Please read
It is safest to drive when you have no alcohol left in your blood stream. As a result we only
recommend driving when the AlcoSense breathalyser reads ‘LO’. Before using the AlcoSense
breathalyser you agree you have read the operating instructions & are aware of the legal alcohol
limit in your jurisdiction. The manufacturer distributors and sellers of this product exclude all liability
for improper use or loss or damage caused by actions taken by you after use of this product. Please
be aware of the drink drive limit in your jurisdiction.
AlcoSense Lite 2 User Manual Version 1.2
3
How Breathalysers Work 4
How Alcohol is Processed by the Body 4
Do’s and don’ts: Things That Can 5
Affect the Reading of Your Breathalyser
First Time Setup 6
Set the BBR 6
Install the batteries and clean the sensor 8
Set the Drink Drive Alert Level 9
Understanding the Symbols on Screen 10
How to Perform a Breath Test 11
Understanding the Results 13
Maintaining your AlcoSense Breathalyser 14
Recalibration 14
Technical Support 15
Troubleshooting 16
Technical specifications 18
Legal & Warranty 20
Common Drink Drive Limits and Blood Breath Ratios 22
Contact us Back cover
Contents
Support: UK 0800 1950088/ IRL 1800 719310 Mon to Fri 0900–1730 info@alcosense.co.uk
4
How Breathalysers Work
Breathalysers work by measuring the concentration of alcohol vapour in
your breath. Contrary to popular belief the alcohol is not coming from
residue in your mouth but is actually evaporating from the blood that passes
through your lungs when you breathe. The amount of alcohol evaporating
from your lungs is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol in your
blood stream making it possible to accurately calculate the per mil Blood
Alcohol Concentration (‰BAC) or Milligrams of alcohol per Litre of Breath
(mg/l) and therefore your level of intoxication.
How Alcohol Is Processed by the Body
When you drink, alcohol is absorbed into the blood stream through your
mouth and throat but mostly through the stomach and small intestine.
The more you drink the more alcohol is absorbed by the body and the higher
your BAC or mg/l reading will become. Between 20 and 90 minutes after the
alcohol is consumed it is distributed equally around the body through the
blood stream. This is known as the Point of Equilibrium.
As blood flows round the body around 90% of the alcohol it contains is
broken down in to water and carbon dioxide by the liver in a process
called Oxidation. The remaining 10% of the alcohol is passed from the
body through the lungs and kidneys. A healthy liver typically breaks down
alcohol at a rate of one unit of alcohol per hour but the more alcohol
that is consumed the longer it can take for the liver to process each unit.
When you stop drinking your level of intoxication may stay constant or
if you have been drinking heavily it could even increase for around
90 minutes afterwards. This is because of the time it takes for alcohol to
reach the bloodstream from the time you actually had the drink. If you have
eaten food this can also increase the time, as the release of alcohol into the
bloodstream can be slowed by it being absorbed by food in the stomach.
This is the reason why we do not recommend using the breathalyser
just after finishing drinking because there are too many factors that can
influence the reading. The ideal time is the morning after.
5
Do’s and dont’s: Things That Can Affect the Reading of
Your Breathalyser
There are some factors that can affect the reading of breathalysers whether
it be the AlcoSense breathalyser or a police system. Please note that certain
medications and conditions including diabetes can give false positive readings.
If you find you have a positive reading when you have not drunk alcohol
please contact us for assistance.
Do:
• Use the breathalyser the morning after a few drinks.
• Read the instructions carefully.
• Phone us if you have any difficulties.
• Only drive when the AlcoSense says LO and you feel 100%. Any amount of
alcohol in your system will affect your ability to drive.
• Leave a minimum of 5 minutes between tests. Do not perform more than
5 tests in one hour and no more than 20 tests in 24 hours. More frequent
testing can cause a build-up of breath condensation or alcohol vapour in
the breathalyser which can temporarily affect accuracy.
Don’t:
• Blow into the breathalyser within 10 minutes of drinking, high levels of
alcohol in the mouth can permanently damage the sensor.
• Perform a breath test within 90 minutes of drinking. Blood alcohol levels
can rise for up to 90 minutes after drinking (see page 3 for more info).
Results taken before this time can rise or fall quickly.
• Use the breathalyser for at least 30 minutes after using mouthwash, breath
spray, cough medicine or anything else that may contain alcohol - you may
get a false positive reading.
• Use the breathalyser for at least 30 minutes after having a cigarette or
eating ripe fruit - you may get a false positive reading.
• Perform a test in dirty air, i.e. a smoky room or pub.
• Use the breathalyser if you are breathing quickly (for example, after running
up the stairs) or have been holding your breath. This can falsely lower or
raise the reading respectively. Wait until you are breathing normally again.
• Perform two tests sequentially, you may get a variation between readings.
This is because it can take a few minutes for the alcohol concentration
inside the lungs to stabilise again after the first test, or residual alcohol
vapour in the breathalyser may affect the accuracy of the second reading.
Support: UK 0800 1950088/ IRL 1800 719310 Mon to Fri 0900–1730 info@alcosense.co.uk
6
First Time Setup
1. Set the BBR
2. Install the batteries and clean the sensor
3. Set the Drink Drive Alert level
1. Set the BBR
a. The BBR (Blood Breath Ratio) must be set for your country of use.
Please see the table on the inside back cover to find your setting, the
UK and Ireland is 2300:1.
b. Open the battery compartment as shown in figure 1 below and pull
out the strip labelled “PULL OUT BEFORE USE”.
c. There is a small slide switch inside the top left-hand corner of the
battery compartment, highlighted red in figure 2 opposite (please
note the switch is BLACK in real life). Using a pen or other thin
object, slide the switch to correspond with the BBR value for your
country of use as found in the inside back cover of this manual. If you
have any difficulties, feel free to call us.
Figure 1
7
Figure 2
Please note: the
switch is black on
the product.
Continue to the next step overleaf
Support: UK 0800 1950088/ IRL 1800 719310 Mon to Fri 0900–1730 info@alcosense.co.uk
8
IMPORTANT: When replacing the batteries only use new, good quality
branded batteries. Never use batteries previously used elsewhere or
a mixture of new and used batteries. Although the battery voltage
indicator may show OK, under load the battery power may collapse
causing inaccurate readings.
2. Install the batteries and clean the sensor
a. Insert the three AAA batteries included in the box in the back of the
unit.
b. The breathalyser will now perform a self-clean process which lasts
between 1 and 2 minutes. Do not touch any buttons during this
time as it will stop the process. If you need to restart it, remove the
batteries, wait 10 seconds and insert them again.
c. When the cleaning process is finished you can then set the drink
drive alert level. Please note that the first test performed after a clean
may give a slightly higher result or show a small amount of alcohol
present when there is none due to vapour released during cleaning.
After an hour this will clear.
9
Figure 3
3. Set the Drink Drive Alert Level
a. Please go back to the table in the inside back cover and find the
relevant drink drive limit for your country of use.
b. Remove the battery cover.
c. Turn the breathalyser on by pressing and holding the power key.
d. Using a pen or similar thin object, press the button in the hole for the
battery cover clip on the back of the unit as shown in figure 3 below.
Each time you click it the drink drive limit will be shown on the screen
and rotate through the options below. If set to OFF, the unit will
display readings but will not alert you. Initial setup is now complete.
“Click” “Click”
“Click” “Click”“Click”
With only 0.1‰BAC in your system you are 37% more likely to be
involved in a fatal accident than when sober. As a result, do not drive
with any alcohol in your system.
Support: UK 0800 1950088/ IRL 1800 719310 Mon to Fri 0900–1730 info@alcosense.co.uk
10
Understanding the Symbols on Screen
Symbol Description
Please wait, the breathalyser is warming up or cleaning the sensor.
When this symbol flashes the unit is ready to perform a breath test.
Please blow into the breathalyser.
Please wait, sensor cleaning is in progress.
DO NOT DRIVE. You are close to or over your set brink drive limit.
Please note the don’t drive symbol will be displayed from 20%
under your set limit.
The breathalyser requires recalibration. Please see the recalibration
section of the manual.
Shows the battery level. Replace the batteries with new good quality
batteries when one bar is remaining.
This is the unit of measure that the breathalyser is set to.
‰BAC
RECALIBRATE
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