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bottichelli airlock?
August 29 2008 at 9:40 PM sheep (no login)

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anyone try this system and does it work?



Author Reply
dandelion
(Login dandelion1) Re: bottichelli airlock? August 30 2008, 2:57 PM


i bought the botticelli airlock - its definitly not work the price, but i love it.
you can get the same thing by buying accessories. just buy the tubing and the airlock clam and it'll cost you a quarter of the price botticelli charger


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amy
(no login) Re: bottichelli airlock? August 30 2008, 3:21 PM


are you getting permenent growth?how long u been using it?is it better than the bb?thanks


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Louise
(Login Louise1982)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: bottichelli airlock? August 30 2008, 6:51 PM


Come on girls! You can make your own airlock for about the price of a coffee - all these ready-made ones look a bit more professional but are no better, it's just people cashing in on the fact the materials to make an airlock is dirt cheap and it costs about 5 mins to assemble. I also have the Noogleberry airlock and although it works fine it's not worth spending the money. If you can't manage to cut a tube into three and jam a valve in one end then just buy a bulldog clip!


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StacyEllen
(no login) my alternative to the smartbox September 2 2008, 2:58 PM


My smartbox worked for the first two cycles, but died on the third. I refuse to spend $350 or whatever it is to get it fixed. I suck the air out myself, bend the tubing over and fasten it with my daughter's hair elastic. Brava would be irritated I am sure! I almost ordered the Boticelli airlock system from ebay but decided to try my method first and it is working great for me. I get MUCH better swelling from it than I ever did from the smartbox.

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Airlock System, PLEASE HELP!!
May 27 2008 at 10:01 AM Liz (no login)

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Hello all, I've just bouught the Brava airlock system and I have no idea how to use it!!!
It came without instructions, just the domes the tubes and the black sports bra! I have looked around and all the others that I have seen have an electric pump system attached. Im hoping this is a different version. Can anyone tell me if I'm supposed to have that extra gadget and if not, what exactly is it that I am supposed to do??? Am I supposed to suck through the tubes or something?



Author Reply

Tori
(Login Tori365)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Airlock System, PLEASE HELP!! May 27 2008, 11:24 AM


The brava system originally comes with a smartbox (electric pump). The airlock was devised as an alternative, and is often sold like that on ebay. To use it you need to attach the tubing to the domes, and suck on the other end whilst squeezing the end of the other tube to prevent air escaping. When you have a good level of suction that is slightly uncomfortable but should not be painful, stop sucking air in and hold the end of the tube to stop air escaping. Now repeat with the other side, and insert the tubes onto the T-connector. Now the suction will even out, so that the same amount is on each breast. I have used both suction methods and prefer the smartbox, but there are other users that prefer the manual method. The benefit of the smartbox is that it checks that the correct level of suction is maintained, and an alarm goes off if you loose suction. With the airlock you have the benefit of using as much suction as you like, and of course theres no chance of it malfunctioning. Hope my instructions make sense, you'll do it with a bit of trial and error!


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Liz
(no login) Re: Airlock System, PLEASE HELP!! May 27 2008, 2:49 PM


Thank you so much, I would have thought the system would have been a bit more technical then this as it seems air keeps escaping. Just to recap, I have been sucking through the t connectors as singlarly I am hopeless. Is that a problem? I am really suprised that this is how it works, I can hardly get my mouth to reach the tubes over the big domes!!!!


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Tori
(Login Tori365)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Airlock System, PLEASE HELP!! May 27 2008, 4:00 PM


Yes the airlock was not devised by brava, and you can't buy it from them. It was made as a cheap, easy alternative to sell with the domes. I'm not sure who actually invented it. Is the system you bought second hand? Is the tubing brand new or used? Normally the tubing is plenty long enough to reach over to suck the air out, maybe they have been cut down. Is air escaping when you have connected everything up, or when you're trying to achieve suction. If its after its all connected up then you perhaps haven't applied enough suction and the domes aren't staying on, or is the air escaping from the tubes. If the tubes have been repeatedly pushed on and off the domes then they can get a bit loose and you may need to trim a cm off the ends to make them tighter. If the air keeps escaping when you sucking the air out, you need to squeeze hard on the other tube, to make sure none escapes. I remember it took me about 4 attempts before I figured it out!


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autumn
(no login) ebay air lock rip off May 30 2008, 6:43 AM


Sorry to say but you got ripped off if you bought the airlock on ebay. Heres what you need to do. Go to Pets smart or a fish tank store buy a check valve and a t connecter and fish tank tubing. All for less than $4 Take the tubing and cut 2 peices of about 6 inches of tubing and conect to the domes and the t connector. Then cut maby about a foot of tubing to stick on the part of the t connector that is sticking up in the air towards your head and put the check valve on the end of the tubing and this is what you suck the air through. THe air will come out when you suck but you cant blow in it. It is a one way valve so the air stops when you are done sucking. I think manual suction is the best. I dont wear a sports bra or anthing just a big cozy t shirt. I couldnt follow what either of you were saying so I thought I would say what i made which i found the info off here from louise.

autumn

Does it make sense?

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any one herd of this system?
April 18 2008 at 10:51 AM gingerD (Login gingerD)
SENIOR MEMBER

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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Botticelli-Airlock...dZViewItem



Author Reply
Louise
(no login) Re: any one herd of this system? April 18 2008, 6:54 PM


Hi Ginger,

Sadly the Botticelli airlock is a rip off! Buying Brava domes on ebay seems to be ok as long as you buy brand new from Ebay stores. The best price I found in the UK was £350. Buying just the domes is better value than buying the whole kit from Brava as a lot of us have preferred using an airlock to the Brava smartbox (the airlock is stronger so you get BIG swelling). You don't need to spend money on a fancy airlock - you can make it yourself from 6mm tubing + t-connector + check valve (one-way valve). You can buy this stuff from anywhere that sells aquarium suuplies or maybe a pet shop or supermarket pet aisle and the whole lot wil be less that £5. It takes about 2 minutes to assemble. I think I replaced the valve once, the t-connector not at all and the tubing twice in seven months.

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where do you get an Air Lock?
March 6 2007 at 9:39 AM minniecooper (Login minniecooper)

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please someone elaborate this for me, I want maximum use of my brava ahahah



Author Reply
Lucy
(no login) Re: where do you get an Air Lock? March 7 2007, 10:43 AM


The woman who invented it sells the airlock for brava on eBay. I think she asks about $100 for it.


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Seri_Flamehair
(no login) Air Lock March 8 2007, 6:27 AM


Make one. Go to any pet supply store and ask for the one way valve to keep water out of the air pump. cost a couple bucks buy some tubing the same size as brava domes use i believe it is 1/4" inside diameter get a T to go between the tubing for the domes and the middle of the T attach to a short piece of tubing then i prefer to attach a small piece of tubing on the mouth part of the Airlock and the valve. Good luck


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Anonymous
(Login ynot_try) Air lock.. March 8 2007, 7:12 AM


I bought the check valve but find its easier to just get one of those black clips you use to paperclip a stack of papers together...I just fold the tubing over and put the clamp over it. The check valve took too much work to suck out the air..

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Botticelli Airlock?
December 29 2008 at 9:08 PM Beeper12 (no login)
I was looking on Ebay for Brava domes and an airlock system (didn't think I'd find them together). I stumbled upon someone auctioning this Botticelli Airlock system, along with XL Wide domes for $500. Is this system legit? I think I saw something similar at gismostore.com - is this the same thing?



Author Reply
silv
(no login)
Botticelli December 30 2008, 7:29 PM

Yes, they are selling Brava domes with their air lock system (two silicon tubes with t connector and a stopper) I bought my first set of domes from them for $400 because I didn't know if I can stick to Brava so it's like a trial thing. I think $500 is too much to pay for just the domes thou. You might can wait to Spring to get a $100 off from Brava to purchase the whole system so you can order up to 3 sets of domes from them.
As for the air lock, you can make your own for less than $7 in US (Louise has all the instructions) but domes you will either have to buy it used or new from Ebay. Brava will not just sell domes to you if you have never purchased the whole system from them before.

Gismostore is different than Botticelli. They are called BB (Bosom Beauty). It's a strong machine. You can search around here to read up all the stories about BB. I have used but will not recommend it to anybody.

Hope this helps!

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Botticelli Airlock System anyone?
October 12 2007 at 10:16 PM
Alcest (Login Alcest)

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http://cgi.ebay.com/Botticelli-Airlock-B...dZViewItem

Anyone try this instead of the smartbox? It seems so much better.. I ordered two smartboxes with my system (one used off ebay). The brand new smartbox I ordered, I charged it overnight in the charger (Was I supposed to put the batteries in after this??) and the thing ****ing overheated or something and the batteries popped and leaked all over and so the smartbox wouldn't go on. I'm SO GLAD i bought two-------But this one i'm using now is a used one and who knows how much life it has left. It shut off in the middle of the night last night so I only got half my night's worth of brava wear...

This is very frustrating, I really hope I can get used to this. I'm planning to wear it for 6 months.

I have one more question..for now... I feel suction more in one breast than the other. Is this normal? They're both airtight, but I swear I feel it more in my right breast. Or I'm just crazy.



Author Reply
Seri_Flamehair
(Login Seri_Flamehair)
SENIOR MEMBER smart box and airlock October 13 2007, 2:13 AM


you can build your own airlock they are just fish tank supplies.


As for the smartbox if it has batteries you can put inside then charge it make sure you put nicd or nimh batteries in it not regular off the shelf batteries as they will explode they are not intended to be rechargable. if you clean the inside of the smart box out with some isopropyl alcohol anhydrous not rubbing alcy. then put new batteries in it should work still unless you fried the charging circuit.


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Louise
(no login) Re: Botticelli Airlock System anyone? October 13 2007, 5:52 AM


I dropped my smartbox after about 6 weeks and although I fiddled with the contacts using a screwdriver and got it working I don't trust it as whenever it stops pumping I wonder if it's finished it's job or died. If you airlock tight and don't move overnight you shouldn't lose the seal. Just suck a bit more out every hour or so, so you feel a pull but it doesn't hurt or make them purple.

If you want to use an airlock making it yourself is v v cheap, you need 3 small pieces of 6mm (1/4 inch) fish tank tubing, a T connector and a one-way valve, attach the bits to make a T shape, attach the two horizontal arms to the domes, suck the air out with your mouth and stick the valve in the vertical tube. I've done this for quite a few weeks and it's been fine but after a couple of months the tubing is less elastic and the valve fits less tightly so I just replaced the tube.

Good luck!


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Alcest
(Login Alcest) Re: Botticelli Airlock System anyone? October 13 2007, 12:33 PM


Ooh thank you Louise and Seri. I'm assuming you can get these fish tank parts from any store that sells fish? There's a Petsmart right down the road from where I work... I think I will buy some, and in a week or two I'll try that. I'm still so new to the BRAVA itself I hope I can get used to it as is.



dandelion
(Login dandelion1) Re: Botticelli Airlock System anyone? October 13 2007, 4:45 PM


I bought the boticelli system last week but it hasnt arrived yet....the ad in ebay said the system came with narrow domes, i need wide and i posted a question asking if they had any and the response was yes and that all i had to do was specify when i bouth the system........i should receive it shortly we'll see if i actually get the wide-large domes! it costs less than the actual brava system so i think i got a good enough deal....i really hope it works!


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Seri_Flamehair
(Login Seri_Flamehair)
SENIOR MEMBER build your own October 13 2007, 6:37 PM


Yes all you need is a stop valve what it does it keeps water from back flowing into the air system on a fish tank Petsmart sells them and tubing it is not as good as the silicone tubing that comes with brava but it works. You might be able to go to a medical supply store and get the tubing just take a peice of the brava tubing with you. you don't need much. or use the tubing that came with the system.


Also if you are noticing uneven pressure try this.



Fill the domes with water and let the water flow out from the tube connectors. if one side trickles you need to take a small drill bit one that almost does not fit and slowly drill the plastic out. do both domes. then retest. I have found that every pair of domes i get is like this don't know why. and it does cause a bit of uneven pressure. should not but once a little perspiration gets down there it can.



Louise
(no login) Re: Botticelli Airlock System anyone? October 13 2007, 9:00 PM


I bought one lot of tubing from a local aquarium shop and it's been great for about 12 weeks but then I went abroad and being paranoid wanted one set of domes and one airlock in each suitcase 'just in case'. The second set of tubing is quite stiff and easily knocked out of the domes if you arm's brush it, however the stiff tubing is best for the vertical arm where you stick the valve, as the soft tubing becomes loose over time and one night my valve fell out so lost a few hours.


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dandelion
(Login dandelion1) Re: Botticelli Airlock System anyone? October 15 2007, 4:13 AM


alcest - did you end up ordering from boticelli? i ordered mine from them on the 10th: i wonder how long itll take for it to arrive....


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Alcest
(Login Alcest) Re: Botticelli Airlock System anyone? October 16 2007, 12:08 AM


I didn't----I was thinking about it, but now that I know I can do literally the same thing but for so much less I would rather do that... I hope it doesn't take them a long time to get it to you. Please let us know how well you think their product works okay?

Ciao


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Alcest
(Login Alcest) Re: Botticelli Airlock System anyone? October 19 2007, 12:12 AM


Went to Petsmart and bought T connector, tubing (which I hope will fit right since they didn't specifically have 6mm (1/4"). And when I asked for a one-way valve the lady looked at me like I was a total weirdo and showed me all they had.... A "check valve". I got it anyway even though I don't think it will work because it's open on both ends. However I am not going to open that packaging until someone reponds to this and confirms it is indeed the wrong thing.

I guess tonight I will just experiment by folding over the tubing and trying to duct tape it shut without a valve... Perhaps that will work for now until I find a one-way valve?

Thanks for anyone's responses in advance.


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Louise
(Login Louise1982)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Botticelli Airlock System anyone? October 19 2007, 5:44 AM


Yep, the check valve is what you need. If you get it the right way round (mine has a white arrow) you can suck it but not blow. Also if you don't use a valve (or if you're boobs are uneven and you want to give different amounts of suction) folding the tubing over is enough to stop air escape, then you can use a bull dog clip / clothes peg / tape / rubber band or whatever.


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Alcest
(Login Alcest) Re: Botticelli Airlock System anyone? October 20 2007, 12:08 AM


The check valve is what I need? Well that's a relief...


Though I'm still confused about it being open on both ends... Won't that let air out?


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Louise
(Login Louise1982)
SENIOR MEMBER Re: Botticelli Airlock System anyone? October 20 2007, 7:43 AM


No, you're going to kick yourself but it has to open both ends to let air right the way through it, there's a bit inside that stops backflow. Stick it in you mouth one way then the other - one way you can suck but not blow, the other way you can blow but not suck.

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bb 2012 breast pump
September 5 2008 at 4:38 PM karen (no login)

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it appears as though the bb 2012 breast pump isnt effective for very small breasted woman.I have heard of no sucess stories rather just that it hurts and had no true effect.

Is the botichelli the closest thing to working if one isnt interested in noogleberry or brava?




Author Reply
Louise
(no login) Re: bb 2012 breast pump September 7 2008, 8:17 AM


Botichelli is just as airlock to use with Brava domes - it's overpriced for something you can easily make yourself