Home | Products | FAQs | Contact   Frequently Asked Questions - Personal Ioniser Q. How long will it last? Q. Does it have an instruction book? Q. How do I know when it's on? Q. Why don't the needles need to be changed like the Elanra? Q. Why is it so much cheaper than the Elanra products? Q. Over what range will it clean the air? Q. What batteries does it take? Q. How long do the batteries last? Q. How heavy is it? Q. How can I attach it to my clothing? Q. Can I wear it inside my clothing? Frequently Asked Questions - Elanra Q. What makes the Elanra any different from other Ionisers? Q. Are all negative ions the same size and does it matter? Q. What are the main differences between the Portable and the MkII? Q. How long will it take before I know if it is helping? Q. How long before I have to replace the needles? Q. Why do the needles have to be replaced? Q. How will I know when the needles need to be replaced? Q. Is it difficult to change the needles? Q. I have replaced the needles but the Red light is still on. What's the problem? Q. What do you mean by "different settings" on the Elanra? Q. Does it make any noise? Q. Is there an instruction manual? Q. What is the output of the Elanra? Q. How much does it cost to run? Q. Is it usual for the Elanra to create a high amount of static? Q. How important is the positioning of the Elanra? Q. Should the needles be glowing? Q. Why is the Elanra so expensive? Q. Will the Elanra create dust? Q. What if your company stops selling the Elanra or goes out of business? Frequently Asked Questions - Specifically Relating to the Elanra MkII Q. How do I convert my 4 needle MkII to an 8 needle unit? Q. Can the MkII be easily moved around? Frequently Asked Questions - Specifically Relating to the Elanra MkIII Portable Q. Why do I sometimes get a static shock from the ioniser when I pick it up? Q. When do I use the wrist strap? Frequently Asked Questions - Negative Ions in General Q. What are Ions? Q. How do negative ions clean the air? Q. How long will it last? A. The warranty is for one year but there is no reason why the product should not carry on long after that. The emitting needle does not need to be changed. Q. Does it have an instruction book? A. Yes but it's largely irrelevant. You put a battery in; turn it on or off and that's about all the instruction that's necessary. Q. How do I know when it's on? A. You will see a blue light behind the on/off button. Q. Why don't the needles need to be changed like the Elanra? A. This is an air-cleaning type ioniser. The emitting needle or brush does not need to be as precise to produce the air-cleaning type negative ions and therefore do not need to be changed. Q. Why is it so much cheaper than the Elanra products? A. The Personal ioniser is an air-cleaner. The Elanra ionisers produce huge quantities of a very specific type of negative ion, which has therapeutic properties in addition to air cleaning properties. This requires a greater sophistication and with that comes a higher price. Q. Over what range will it clean the air? A. It will clean the air in its immediate environment (approx. 30 - 50 cm) and for maximum benefit it should be used no further away than the length of the neck cord. Q. What batteries does it take? A. A pair of triple A (AAA) batteries. Q. How long do the batteries last? A. A good quality battery should last over 35 hours. Q. How heavy is it? A. With batteries it weighs 72g Q. How can I attach it to my clothing? A. In addition to a neck cord the Personal ioniser has a clip at the back which is suitable for attaching to a lapel or breast pocket. Q. Can I wear it inside my clothing? A. No. The ions must have a clear path to your nose and mouth. You could use it in a breast pocket but the emitter would need to be protruding. Frequently Asked Questions - Elanra Q. What makes the Elanra any different from other Ionisers? A. In a word, SIZE. Not the machines themselves but the negative ions they produce. See the answer to the next question for a full explanation. Q. Are all negative ions the same size and does it matter? A. No, they are not all the same and yes it does matter. There are small, medium and large negative ions. Small (ingestible) negative ions are highly mobile and are biologically active. The Elanra is the only ioniser in the world to produce these consistently over a wide range. A process patented by the Australian manufacturer. Medium to large negative ions are sluggish and slow moving and merely clean the air. These molecule groups are called small ions or clusters. They can also join up with larger neutral particles and form "small medium ions", "large medium ions", "large ions" or "ultra large ions" depending on particle size. However, it is essentially only the small ions which are biologically active. These ions possess an electrical mobility which is greater than; 1 cm2/Vs. Small ions have about 3-5 molecules (< 8 electron charges) and Medium (8 - 50 electron charges) and Large (> 50 electron charges) have 5-100 molecules. Small neg-ions have the greatest effect on living organisms whilst medium and large neg-ions are effective at precipitating particles from the air. The diameter of one oxygen atom is about one Angstrom (0.0001 Micron). When joining together with other atoms to form a molecule, subatomic forces push the atoms of a molecule apart. Thus, the diameter of an oxygen molecule which consists of two oxygen atoms is about three Angstroms. Q. What are the main differences between the Portable and the MkII? A. The most important fact is that both ionisers produce the small highly mobile breathable ions. The therapeutic range (i.e. the range over which they remain breathable) of the Portable is 1m and the MkII Home/Office model is 2m. In most instances for therapeutic purposes you will be using it within 1m anyway (e.g. beside your bed). The air cleaning capacity of the Portable is 25sqm and the MkII is 75sqm. The settings control the volume of ions produced and their characteristics (i.e. frequency; 4Hz to 40Hz). In combination these can be used to target specific complaints (e.g. pain relief, respiratory problems etc.) or environmental conditions (e.g. a stimulating frequency for the office and a more relaxing frequency for the bedroom). The MkII has more output settings available than the Portable but in practice this makes very little difference. Both units have the same number of frequency settings. Q. How long will it take before I know if it is helping? A. The piece of string question! Some people see an immediate benefit. With others it can take some time, weeks even months. To get a feel for it, you could look at the letters on the testimonial pages of this web site. Q. How long before I have to replace the needles? A. The needles will need to be replaced every 1200 hours. In average usage this tends to be about every 3 months. Q. How will I know when the needles need to be replaced? A. The lights on the Elanra will turn from green to orange, which will give you about 1 to 2 weeks warning before the lights turn red and the unit shuts down. Once the reset button has been depressed it will re-set back to 0 and begin counting down from 1200 again. Q. Why do the needles have to be replaced? A. The needles need replacing every 1200 hours (there are warning indicators on the units). With use, the needles degrade and cease to produce the small breathable therapeutic ions. Therefore, it is vital that they are replaced. In average use (e.g. at night by the bed) they last about 3 months. The lights first turn Orange to warn you that you have a week or so to insert new needles; they then turn Red and the unit effectively shuts down until the re-set button is pressed (one long slow press is best). When you have replaced the needles and pressed the reset button, the unit starts counting down from 1200 hours again. Q. Is it difficult to change the needles? A. Not at all. Simply pull the old ones out with a tweezers or small pliers and push the new ones in. If you have lost dexterity in your hands or have poor eyesight, you may require assistance from a family member or friend. Q. I have replaced the needles but the Red light is still on. What's the problem? A. You need to press the re-set button. Give it a nice long press. Q. What do you mean by "different settings" on the Elanra? A. There are 8 micro switches on the Elanra MkII and 6 on the Portable, which control the volume of ions produced and their frequency. But why does one need anything other an On-Off switch? It's all about control. For example, a high volume of negions may not be appropriate for a baby or an emphysema sufferer but would be appropriate for healthy person use such as an athlete. Controlling the output is also a useful tool for environmental conditioning. The bigger the area, the higher the output required and vice versa. So some of the control you have is to achieve the correct amount of ionisation. You may be familiar with the concept of healing frequencies. The Elanra applies a frequency to the ion output via the micro processor to switch the ion production on and off (pulsed) at varying times to give a range of frequencies. This is the other half of the control that is available to you. This pulsed effect is similar to a continuous drum beat which slows or speeds up your heart beat but affects your brain patterns instead. Like controlled breathing to relax or meditation to put you into the Alpha state, the Elanra helps you achieve it simply and effectively. The frequencies achievable range from 4 to 40Hz, so a more stimulating effect can also be achieved, say 25Hz for office use. Q. Does it make any noise? A. The Elanra products are best described as virtually silent. A slight hissing can be heard in the dead of night (when hearing is acute), the level of which is dependant upon the environment (humidity, dust etc). Q. Is there an instruction manual? A. Both models come with a comprehensive instruction manual and in addition we are always available to give advice. Q. What is the output of the Elanra? A. The therapeutic range of the Portable is 1m and the MkII Home/Office model is 2m. The air cleaning capacity of the Portable is 25sqm and the MkII is 75sqm. In terms of ions per cc, this is a spurious measure as size, not quantity, is the key measure in terms of therapeutic effect. That is not to say that the Elanra products are under powered, far from it, at its lowest setting the MkII produces 350,000 ions per cc at I meter and the Portable 240,000. These figures are in the millions at the highest settings. Q. How much does it cost to run? A. Very little. The Australian manufacturer says that in that country it would cost about AU$3.00 a year, so in the UK that would equate to about £1.20 (10/04)! Q. Is it usual for the Elanra to create a high amount of static? A. No. But in certain environments, where the user is insulated (rubber soles, carpets, etc.) and where there is a lot of electrical equipment or metal, the user may experience a high level of static caused by the electrons looking for an earth. This is not dangerous for the user but it can be annoying. Generally, in this situation the output is too high and/or the unit is positioned too close to metal objects. Trial and error is the order of the day here. To stop the static build up in the environment one can affect two things; the output and the position of the unit. If you are using the Elanra in the office, keep your machine about 5ft from the computer, phone, radiators etc. If it is too close to a computer you will hear the computer speakers 'clicking'. Although it is unlikely to happen, it is worth pointing out that one should never touch an electrical device whilst touching or holding the ioniser. This is especially true for computers where there is a risk of crashing. At home or by the bed try to keep it as far away as possible from metal objects such as radiators Carpeting, humidity, rubber soled shoes etc. all have a bearing on the level of static. If you are having a problem you should experiment with a combination of reducing the output and re-positioning the unit until the static has been eliminated. Q. How important is the positioning of the Elanra? A. When we give instructions on positioning we are trying to get the user to position the ioniser in the absolutely ideal place where the person will get the maximum uninterrupted flow of negions. This has to be tempered with common sense. In an office the unit may have to be further away from the user than in the bedroom, to avoid static problems with computers and other equipment. In the bedroom, the bedside table is often slightly behind the persons head when sleeping. And very often on a bedside table the ioniser becomes obstructed with books, glasses etc. So, whilst its okay to place the Elanra on a bedside table, we try to encourage people to go for the absolute ideal and place it a little way down the bed with an uninterrupted path to the user. Q. Should the needles be glowing? A. Not necessarily. Sometimes they will glow in the dark in response to the environment (dust, humidity etc.). Conversely, if they are not glowing, it does not mean the Elanra is not working. Q. Why is the Elanra so expensive? A. We wish the products were cheaper too but that's not the reality. The manufacturers' costs are high and this is reflected in the retail price. We are in fact one of the cheapest Elanra distributors in the world and the only one who gives extensive guarantees. Under our guarantee scheme the maximum exposure for anyone is just £25. A very small price to pay when balanced against the potential benefits. In fact the overall retail price is excellent value if it brings the desired results. The value is in the therapeutic benefit and it's hard to put a price on that. The cost of the Elanra is very obvious but it is a one off. Look at how much one can spend say over a year, on drugs, supplements or other treatments. Also consider the vast profits of the major pharmaceutical companies, who charge so much for their drugs that third world countries are unable to treat HIV-AIDS or even the many diseases that we have long since eradicated in the West. Even the NHS can't afford all of what they need and they already spend £7 billion a year! Q. Will the Elanra create dust? A. The Elanra will not create dust but it will precipitate the pollutants that are already in the air (and which you would have been breathing) and this pollution will fall to the ground or nearest surface as "dust". Negative ions clean the air by attracting the positively charged particles (pollutants) which cluster, become heavy and fall towards the nearest surface, seeking an earth. Nothing will alter this. This effect will be most pronounced around the ioniser but will take place throughout a room. You need to a.) Stay on top of the 'dust' by giving a general wipe around the area with a damp cloth about once a week; b.) try putting a sheet of card or paper under or behind the unit. If you stay on top of it, it should not be an ongoing problem. The problem occurs when it is left to build up over time. The dust actually bonds quite firmly to the surface. The level of precipitation will of course also depend on the level of airborne pollutants in your environment. If you burn wax candles in the room or anywhere near the ioniser, the black carbon generated will be deposited on your surfaces so avoid this. Q. What if your company stops selling the Elanra or goes out of business? A. We have been the UK and Ireland distributor for the Elanra since 1999 and in fact introduced it to the UK. If the worst happened and we ceased to trade, the manufacturer, Bionic Products would simply set up another distributor and you could buy replacement needles from them. Also, in the absence of a UK distributor, you would be able to purchase direct from the manufacturer. But let's hope it doesn't come to that! Frequently Asked Questions - Specifically Relating to the Elanra MkII Q. How do I convert my 4 needle MkII to an 8 needle unit? A. To convert your MkII to an 8 needle unit, you need to remove the 4 plastic "plugs" from the centre ring. They are pre-cut on the opposite side to the existing needles. To remove them you should drill gently into them with a small drill-bit and then lever them out or insert a screw into the small hole you drilled, to give you something to hold, and pull. Following that, all you need to do is to insert the needles. With an 8 needle unit, you will need to have good clearance all around the unit. Ideally it should be placed somewhere central in a room or say between two single beds etc. Q. Can the MkII be easily moved around? A. Yes. It is approx 15cm (6") in height and weighs only 1kg. It can only run on mains power - not on battery. Frequently Asked Questions - Specifically Relating to the Elanra MkIII Portable Q. Why do I sometimes get a static shock from the ioniser when I pick it up? A. If you touch any metal parts (e.g. aperture for the wrist band) when the unit is plugged in, and running, you will get a static shock. It's not dangerous but can be uncomfortable. When running it on mains, switch the unit off before handling it. Q. When do I use the wrist strap? A. Anytime you use the Elanra on battery you must use the wrist strap, to ground the ions. You must plug in the wrist strap and attach it to your wrist BEFORE switching the unit on. Frequently Asked Questions - Negative Ions in General Q. What are Ions? A. Ions are formed when an electron is detached from a neutral molecule (or atom). The molecule losing an electron becomes a positive ion and the molecule gaining an electron becomes a negative ion. The earth itself produces negative ions. Our sun's energy is generated by the chain reaction of Hydrogen being converted into Helium, then back again. This process produces the heat that sustains life on Earth, but also showers our planet with positive ions of Hydrogen as a by-product. In nature, everything is balanced. The earth responds to the bombardment of positive ions by producing negative ions of oxygen through the breaking down of naturally occurring radium in the earth's crust which is converted into radon gas. This natural radiation causes oxygen ions to form. High levels of negative air ions are created by lightning, rolling surf, cosmic rays, waterfalls and UV light. Q. How do negative ions clean the air? A. Negative ions clean the air by attracting the positively charged particles (pollutants) which fall to earth.