Either the bouncing ball or blinking eye will be at each station,
depending on the vintage of your ship. Only older ships will be equipped
with the bouncing ball which is no longer manufactured. These indicators
do not tell HOW MUCH oxygen you are getting ... they merely indicate
that some oxygen is flowing through the system when you take a breath.
They may be working O.K. even though your oxygen supply is inadequate.
The COLOR OF YOUR FINGER NAILS is a better guide to the amount of oxygen
you are getting, providing your hands are warm. If they become bluish
above 20,000 feet check mask and connections for leak. Naturally, you
won't remove your gloves to look at your finger nails if the temperature
is 20 or 30 degrees below zero. If no leak is found, switch the
"Auto-Mix" to the OFF position and note if things improve. INFORM YOUR
PILOT IF AUTO MIX IF LEFT "OFF" and your mission is a long one.
[Illustration: Fig. 9]
[Illustration:
PRE-FLIGHT CHECK
1--MASK. fit and check washer
2--CONNECTION. 12 lb. pull; adjust prongs to fit snugly
3--HOSE CLAMP
4--REGULATOR. diaphragm; knurled nut tight
auto-mix on; smooth motion; emergency off
5--PRESSURE within 50 lbs. of initial pressure; within 25 lbs
of other gauges.
]