New Scope

[Sasha]

I was cleaning out my car the other day, found my stethoscope in my glove box and plopped it on the rear view mirror so I wouldnt lose/forget where I put it, unfortunately I forgot to take it down, so I go out to my car yesterday and had a OMG moment when I notice my scope sitting on my rearview ( I have lost several this way.) and examine the tubing and there is a spot of discoloration.

I dont notice any change in the sound quality or anything, but since its possible that the scope is damaged I would like to save it as a back up and get a new one.

I have/had a Littman lightweight and I liked it for everything BUT the fact it was a lightweight and Id often not notice it wasnt around my neck(I always took it off while starting IVs or the rare occasion I got to do CPR so it wasnt hanging in the way when I leaned) and walk out of a patients room/ambulance with out it.

So if possible, Id like something similar, but heavier. I LOVED the bell shape but I dont think I could find a different scope with that kind of bell, but I like having the double bell and hate single bell scopes, and no sprauges.

So, any recommendations on scopes to look at?

 

[KEVD18]

theres a few scope threads floating around where the benefits and drawbacks to just about every scope out there are extoled.

 

[mycrofft]

Heck, my scope went from bright red to dark crimson!

Works fine, no one steals it because it looks awful and my name's on the inside of the diaphragm. (After twenty-two years it deserves to look crummy, just like it's owner-operator). As long as it works, it works. You can buy another cheapo scope and switch tubing if you feel like it, I've seen other plastic tubing used and it was just fine. (Transparent's sorta novel).

Make a habit of not wearing them on your neck, same ditto keychains or other lines which can catch on stuff or tighten on you. (Rear view mirror??).

 

[Sasha]

(Rear view mirror??).

Yes. I was cleaning out my car. and going through the glovebox which is where I keep mine so I never forget it to rides/clinicals and so its still protected from the sun eating away at the tubing.

I took it out of the glovebox and hung it from the rear view mirror (you know, like an airfreshner only my scope isnt pine scented!) so it wouldnt get lost in all the crap I was cleaning out, but I forgot to take it off and put it back in.

Where would you suggest putting it? I usually have enough stuff to carry on clinicals/ride times and I need to bring it.

 

[Jeremy89]

I did the same thing with mine. Left it in the sun (keep in mind this is Arizona, nonetheless) had a nasty curve to it. What I did was drove home, put it in direct sunlight on my [hot] leather seats and let the diaphragm hang down. The seat was hot enough to basically mold it back to its original shape, but the material has become very rubbery, where as before it was smooth.

 

[KEVD18]

Where would you suggest putting it? I usually have enough stuff to carry on clinicals/ride times and I need to bring it.

invest in a "duty bag". i put that in quotes because i dont mean go to galls and spend 60 bucks on the standard police officer styled duty bag. i mean simply a bag that you take back and forth with you to work.

i have one of the small hiking style back packs. i keep all my work related stuff in it. scope, field guide, meds, book, psp, etc. all the stuff i need while on the road. i like this bag because it has two bottle holders built into it. if you snug it right up to the seat and take that U shaped carry handle and loop it aournd the female end of the seatbelt, you have cupholders.

it lives in my car. i dont take it in the house(either station or residence) or anywhere else. it goes fromt eh car to the rig and back. that way, i always have what i need and i dont have to fumble or look for it.

 

[TransportJockey]

I use my school bag as a duty bag. School books/ water bottle, vacuum mug, steth, drug guide, and laptop live in it. Since I wind up taking most things I have at work with me to class, it makes sense to just swap out text books for what I need to study on any given shift

 

[Jeremy89]

I use my school bag as a duty bag. School books/ water bottle, vacuum mug, steth, drug guide, and laptop live in it. Since I wind up taking most things I have at work with me to class, it makes sense to just swap out text books for what I need to study on any given shift

Same here. Though I don't need my equipment for work, I like to keep it handy, just in case. That's the whacker part of me showing

 

[TransportJockey]

Same here. Though I don't need my equipment for work, I like to keep it handy, just in case. That's the whacker part of me showing

Only equipment I carry in there are shears (when I'm at work they go on my right leg) and steth, so I think it would be too much work to swap out Besides which all are needed for work and the steth is needed for class


EDIT: Not to mention a knife and multitool, but those are always on my person

 

[mycrofft]

Check other threads about kits and belts

I became used to wearing my scope by bending it in half and shoving it up under my belt by my left hip in front of the radio if I had one. (Commo on the left, ammo on the right).
Some folks leave their scope on the rear view because it's "cool", like steaing and wearing scubs off duty used to be.
As I've noted before, I've found camera bags (colors, padding, adjustable dividers and occasionally on sale) to be great jump bags. If you want fancy, check out Duluth Trading Co, sometimes they have sales.

http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/...nization-truck-car.aspx?navlocation=dept_left

 

[Jon]

My scope often lives in a thigh pocket on my pants... or in my backpack. I don't like it around my neck.

If the scope still sounds good - don't worry about it. Color changes add character.

 

[Sasha]

Some folks leave their scope on the rear view because it's "cool", like steaing and wearing scubs off duty used to be.

Not the case. I used to leave them up there because it was convientent and wouldnt forget to take it with me because it was staring me in the face (in theory. I forgot it many a-times and had to go sprinting back to my car) but too many cheapy steths got eaten away by the sunlight. This time I just left it up there to get it outta the way. (If you would have seen my car, you would have understood ^_^)

 

[mycrofft]

Better than handcuffs....

........

 

[EMT-P633]

Duty bag, or clinical bag, is the best place,

Mu duty bag is actually a FF turnout bag, its huge but I keep all my bedding in the large compartment. you know my sleeping bag, pillow and a fleece throw blanket. it also has 4 side compartments. in one of them i keep all my work crap. scope. sheers, portable radio, pocket guide, pens. note pad. in the next i keep all my shower stuff. towel, soap, deoderant, razor, shave gel. In the last i keep my spare uniform pants underwear/socks t-shirt(s). I work 1 full time job and 3 part time jobs. So when I have to go from 1 to the next it is so easy to just grab 1 bag and have everything in one location and not have to try and round up items from station to the next.

 

[imurphy]

Once I have my coffee cup and iPod, my day is going to go just fine...

 

[Jeremy89]

Once I have my coffee cup and iPod, my day is going to go just fine...

You know, they actually make scopes that allow for iPod connectivity:

http://www.allheart.com/thrhythm.html

Just when ya thought it couldn't get any more high tech....

 

[imurphy]

And I thought I was cool with my FM transmitter!

Wow. Great idea. When you're pretending to listen to your chest sounds, you're listing to somethign better!! Also great to freak out newbies. Get a MP3 of messed up heart sounds!!