PNI AlcAlert BT5500 User manual

OPERATION MANUAL
MODELS BT5500 & BT5300
BREATHALCOHOLDETECTOR
WARNING/AGREEMENT: Because of the vari-
ables involved in the timing of alcohol consump-
tion, individual metabolism, and self-administration,
the user of this product agrees (1) not to hold
the manufacturer, dealer, wholesaler, or distribu-
tor responsible for the consequences of any deci-
sion, based on the use of this product, to operate
a vehicle, boat, or aircraft or other equipment
and (2) to hold them harmless from the claims of
others arising out of any such decision. IF YOU
DO NOT AGREE, YOU SHOULD PROMPTLY
RETURN THIS PRODUCT TO THE PLACE OF
PURCHASE, UNUSED, FOR A FULL REFUND.

Intended Use:
The AlcAlert Breath Alcohol Detector is a screening test device
for the rapid detection of alcohol in the breath. The test is used
to obtain a visual quantitative result that approximates the level of
alcohol concentration in the blood stream, and is intended for over
the counter sale to the home user.

1
BEFORE USING THE ALCALERT
The AlcAlert Breath Alcohol Detector
uses advanced semi-conductor gas sensor
technology to approximate the percent of
blood alcohol concentration (BAC) from
your breath. Please take a few moments to
review the entire manual before using the
unit.
• When inserting batteries (not
included with all models), please note
the correct polarity on the inside of
the battery case. Inserting the batter-
ies with the incorrect polarity may
damage the unit.
• Do not blow smoke or uids into the
unit, as this may damage the sensor.
Similarly, certain gases such as sil-
icone compounds, sulfur, and freon
gases can also damage your sensor.
Keep the unit away from all liquids
and store in a safe environment.
• If the AlcAlert needs to be cleaned,
wipe gently with a soft cloth. Do not
use any cleaning agents.
• Allow 30 minutes after consuming
alcohol or smoking before using the
unit. This helps to ensure the breath
sample is taken from your lungs,

2
and not from the alcohol within your
mouth, which may result in a higher
reading. In some cases, it may take
up to one hour to reach the highest
blood alcohol level after the last con-
sumption of alcohol.
• Each individual’s body responds to
the consumption of alcohol differ-
ently. Consequently, a person’s abil-
ity to drive safely may be impaired
at a point well below the legal blood
alcohol limit.
USING THE ALCALERT
1. Press the “On” button
The unit beeps once, the “WAIT”
indicator ashes, and the unit begins a
“warm-up” countdown from 14-to-0
or 6-to-0 (see Additional Informa-
tion). You must wait until the count-
down is completed. Proceed with
step 2 only when the unit beeps twice
and the “BLOW” indicator ashes.
NOTE: If “SAT” (saturation) ashes
after the countdown is completed and
the unit turns off, the sensor is sat-

3
WAIT BLOW
JAPAN
WAIT BLOW %BAC
Low Battery WAIT, BLOW,
Indicator and %BAC
Indicators
Figure A
Vents
“On” Button
LCD Readout
Battery Compartment
(slide down to open)

4
urated. Simply reactivate the unit to
perform another warm-up countdown
cycle. If “SAT” appears again, repeat
this process as many times as neces-
sary until “SAT” no longer appears.
In most instances, 2 or 3 reactivation
cycles should clear the “SAT” mes-
sage. More reactivation cycles may
be required if saturation is extensive
(see Additional Information).
2. Blow into the vent
Blow continuously for about 5 seconds,
until the unit beeps 3 times before dis-
playing the results. Immediately as you
start to blow, “Err” (Error) ashes until
the unit beeps 3 times. Blow very gently
from between your lips, as if cooling a
spoonful of soup. A distance of about
one inch (2-3 cm) between the vent and
the mouth is suggested. (See gure A.)
Note: If you do not blow at all, or
if you stop blowing before you hear
3 beeps, the LCD ashes “Err” to
indicate that you did not apply any
or sufcient breath through the vent.
If so, ignore the results and repeat
the process.

5
3. Read the results
The %BAC results are displayed on
the LCD for about 5 seconds after
the reading is taken. The results then
ash for a few seconds until the unit
turns off automatically.
The results are shown in increments
of 0.01, ranging from 0.00 to 0.12.
Results greater that 0.12 %BAC are
displayed as “+.12”.
Understanding the results
The BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration)
represents the amount of ethyl alcohol in
a given volume of blood. For instance,
having a %BAC of 0.10 means that a
person has 1 part alcohol per 1,000 parts
blood in the body.
The most commonly used measurements
are grams of ethanol per milliliter of
blood (g/ml), used in the United States
(also expressed as %BAC) and milli-
grams of ethanol per milliliter of blood
(mg/ml), used in much of Europe (also
expressed as promille).
For example, a reading of 0.05 %BAC
on the AlcAlert is the same as 0.05 g/ml
or 50 mg/ml or 0.5 g/l or 0.5 promille.

6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• The normal warm-up countdown is
from 6-to-0. However, if it has
been more than 1 hour since the last
operation, the unit begins a 14-to-0
warm-up countdown.
The sensor must be warmed up
properly to report accurate read-
ings. Therefore, for maximum accu-
racy, each time you start to use the
unit after it has been idle for a time,
always disregard the results fol-
lowing the initial 14-to-one count-
down, as well as the next three
6-to-0 countdowns.
• The “SAT” (saturation) message fea-
ture prevents the unit from display-
ing inaccurate %BAC readings in the
case of sensor saturation by contam-
inating agents. For example, satu-
ration often occurs when excessive
alcohol moisture is deposited on
the sensor from multiple consecutive
uses, or by the accumulation of air
contaminants on the sensor after a
long period of inoperability, such as
upon rst use. In such instances,

7
the unit requires additional warm-up
cycles to properly recondition the
sensor.
• If the low battery indicator ashes
then remains on, replace the batter-
ies.
• The AlcAlert Model BT5500
includes a backlight. The backlight
turns on and off automatically.
• Always blow into the unit in a
consistent manner. Different blow-
ing conditions may produce different
results.
• Your unit is more accurate when
your true blood alcohol concentra-
tion is between 0.02 %BAC and 0.08
%BAC and less accurate as your
blood alcohol concentration is over
0.08 %BAC.
• When tested with a standard 0.08%
BAC solution, the unit may read in
the range from 0.06 to 0.10. Thus,
a reading of .06 may well indicate a
level of 0.08% BAC.
Each individual’s body responds to
the consumption of alcohol differ-

8
ently. Consequently, a person’s abil-
ity to drive safely may be impaired
at a point well below the legal blood
alcohol limit.
The AlcAlert should be used only
to give an indication of the possible
presence of alcohol in the blood. Do
not rely upon it as the sole basis to
determine intoxication or whether
it is safe to drive a vehicle, operate
equipment, or engage in dangerous
activities.
PNI Corporation does not recom-
mend drinking and driving. If you
are going to drink alcohol, always
have a non-drinking designated
driver. Do not drink and drive!
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions/Weight:
3 x1 x  inches / 1.6 oz.;
(90 x 31.5 x 16.5 mm / 50 grams)
Sensor:
Semiconductor gas sensor

9
Accuracy*:
±20% at 0.08 %BAC for 2 years, under
normal operating conditions and fac-
tors**
Display:
%BAC in 0.01 increments ranging
from 0.00 to 0.12
Power/Battery life:
2 AAA alkaline batteries for over 300
uses
Product lifetime:
2 years, under normal operating condi-
tions and factors
Temperature range:
Storage: -4° to 158°F (-20° to 70°C)
Operating: 32° to 104°F (0° to 40°C )
* Accuracy varies depending on individ-
ual metabolism, blowing conditions,
humidity, and the condition of the
sensor.
** Normal operating conditions and fac-
tors means an ambient temperature
range of 50°F to 95°F; a relative
humidity range of 40% to 60%; a clean
air environment (no contamination or
poisoning agents), and normal usage
(less than 20 operations/day).

10
SERVICE AND REPLACEMENT
Customer Service
For support questions, please contact our
customer service department by e-mail
at [email protected], or call
us between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
(PST), Monday through Friday.
Warranty Service
For the fastest service, it is best to contact
or return your unit to the place of purchase
within 30 days of the purchase. If you
wish to return the unit for replacement or
repair to PNI Corporation, please follow
the following procedures:
1. Obtain a return merchandise authori-
zation (RMA) number by contacting
PNI:
• By phone at [phone] (toll-
free within the U.S.A. only) or at
[phone].
• By fax at [phone]
• By e-mail at
[email protected]
2. Provide a proof of purchase, such as
a mechanical reproduction or carbon
copy of a sales receipt. If you send your
original receipt, it cannot be returned.
Proof of purchase must show printed
date of purchase, model number, and

11
place of purchase. There will be a
charge for repair or replacement if no
proof of purchase is provided or if the
unit is past the warranty period.
Once you have acquired an RMA
number, pack the unit securely to
prevent damage in transit. If possible,
use the original packing material. Be
sure to send the entire product.
3. Ship prepaid and insured by way of
a traceable carrier, such as United
Parcel Service (UPS), FedEx, or First
Class Mail to avoid loss in transit.
4. Write the issued RMA number on the
outside of your package and send your
proof of purchase and description of
the problem to the following address:
PNI Corporation
Attn: RMA# ________________
5464 Skylane Blvd., Suite A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403-1084
Type or print your name and address
where the replacement should be
delivered. After receipt of your
documents and unit, a replacement
unit will be sent to you. Please allow
2 to 3 weeks from receipt of your
returned product to delivery of your
replacement.

12
LIMITED WARRANTY; LIMITATION OF
LIABILITY
PNI Corporation (“PNI”) manufactures its prod-
ucts, which include accessories, from parts and
components that are new or equivalent to new in
performance and expressly warrants to the origi-
nal retail purchaser who is also the original user
that this product will be free of defects in work-
manship and materials for ninety (90) days from
the date of purchase. Implied warranties are lim-
ited to such person for the same period.
If the product is found by PNI to be defective,
PNI’s entire liability and your exclusive remedy
for breach of warranty, express or implied, shall
be that PNI will repair or replace the product and
return the product or its replacement to you at no
charge, provided that you ship the product to PNI
at your expense with a description of the defect
and subject to the other conditions of this war-
ranty. Should the product prove to be irreparable,
PNI may substitute an equivalent product of the
same or similar style and of a value not in excess
of the original purchase price of your product.
PNI warrants the repaired or replacement prod-
uct to be free from defects in material and work-
manship for the balance of the original warranty
period, extended by the time period from your
shipment to PNI for repair or replacement until
the repaired or replaced product was received by
you.
This warranty will be void if the serial number
or other identication marks on the product or
its accessories have been defaced, damaged or
removed. This warranty does not cover wear and
tear due to normal use, or damage to the product
as the result of improper usage, neglect of care,
alteration, accident or unauthorized repair, nor
does this warranty apply to the battery necessary
to operate the product.
This warranty is extended only to the original
retail purchaser who is also the original user and

13
may not be transferred or assigned to subsequent
owners. In order to validate your warranty, you
must provide proof of purchase acceptable to PNI,
together with the product shipped for warranty
repair or replacement. Products returned to PNI
must be pre-authorized by PNI with an RMA
(return material authorization) number marked on
the outside of the package. Please refer to the Ser-
vice and Replacement section for PNI Corpora-
tion contact information.
THE FOREGOING WARRANTY IS GIVEN IN
LIEU OF AND PNI DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER
EXPRESS WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTA-
TIONS IN FACT OR IN LAW WITH RESPECT
TO THIS PRODUCT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, ANY WARRANTY OR REP-
RESENTATION THAT USE OF THE PROD-
UCT WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR
FREE.
Except for the breach of warranty remedies set
forth herein, or for personal injury, PNI shall have
no liability for any indirect or speculative dam-
ages (including, but not limited to, consequential,
incidental, punitive and special damages) relat-
ing to the use of or inability to use this product,
whether arising out of contract, negligence, tort,
or under any warranty theory, or for infringement
of any other party’s intellectual property rights,
irrespective of whether PNI had advance notice
of the possibility of any such damages, including,
but not limited to, loss of use, revenue or prot.
In no event shall PNl’s total liability for all claims
regarding the product exceed the price paid for
the product. PNI neither assumes nor authorizes
anyone to assume for it any other liabilities.
Some states and provinces do not allow limita-
tions on how long an implied warranty lasts or
the exclusion or limitation of incidental or con-
sequential damages, so the above limitations or
exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty
gives you specic legal rights and you may have
other rights that vary by state or province.

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