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What makes the AlcoDigital 3000 so much better than the rest?

Can I not buy something for €100 or so that "will do the Job"?   What's the Difference?
 

At around 65% less than the cost of a Garda device, the AlcoDigital is substantially cheaper already but because it uses the same sensor, same technology (and is even made by the same company - Draeger) it does NOT compromise accuracy, reliability or longevity.  The features that it doesn't have, such as the ability to calibrate the unit yourself, change the unit of measurement or recall previous readings make no difference at all to the individual private user (or, for that matter, a company using it for screening)

Personal Breathalyzers are not controlled or inspected in any way in Ireland, so you have no way of knowing whether what you are buying is going to do what you expect or not.  As a comparison however, imagine you're buying a new tyre for your car - something that IS legally controlled.  A typical quality tyre (such as a Pirelli Pzero) would cost you around €230.  They cheapest tyre you can legally buy would cost around a third of the price and be something like a Barum Bavarius at €91. A substantial saving, but you could still expect it to be a safe tyre. This is something similar to the ALcoDigital 3000 - which at 65% less than the cost of the Garda Breathalyzer doesn't have all the "bells and whistles" but you can still expect the same level of accuracy - which is, at the end of the day, what matters!

A typical so-called "Garda Grade" fuel cell breathalyzer like the Bactrack 80 Pro costs just 20% of the price of a real Garda unit.  Would you buy a tyre for €46 and expect it to keep you safe?  But a typical semi-conductor breathalyzer like an AL6000 or AlcoSense Elite will cost just 8% of the cost of the genuine "Garda" device; if it were a tyre, around €18.  Common sense says it couldn't possibly be safe at that price. Is it likely that a breathalyzer costing just 8% that a Garda device does is going to be anything like as good or reliable either?

 

 

So why are Garda Breathalyzers (and the 3000) so much better?

Size, sometimes, does make a difference!

It's about three things - Accuracy, Selectivity and Durability.
If you were to have a look inside a typical Semi-Conductor Breathalyzer that sells for around €80, you'd find a little sensor like the one in the picture below - a couple of millimetres deep and around 5mm across.  Optimised around a very tight band of readings (usually the UK limit of 80mg) and usually not at all selective (ie able to tell the difference between alcohol and something else) they are also easily thrown out of calibration by saturation with alcohol or contamination by (say) cigarette smoke.

Next up would be the "Garda Grade" fuel cells.  Fuel Cells are substantially better in principle than semi conductor sensors and much more selective, however not all fuel cells are equal and a typical cell in a breathalyzer sold for around €200 as "Garda Level" would have something similar to that shown below.  Almost always sourced from China and made to far less stringent requirements that the 16mm Draeger ElectroChemical Cell used in both the AlcoDigital 3000 and Garda Breathalyzers.

The Draeger Fuel Cell alone - just as a part - costs more than the entire cost of a typical semi-conductor breathalyzer but that is why they achieve the accuracy, reliability and durability needed to pass the stringent tests regulated by Police Forces worldwide.

 

 

Life Expectancy - the AlcoDigital 3000 may cost more to buy....
but is likely to last at least three times longer!

The sensor itself is a key component but everything about the 3000 is made to exactly the same standards as required by Police Forces worldwide. 

For that reason it is likely to last you at least six or seven years, if not longer - in fact it is the only breathalyzer sold anywhere with a full Two Year, new-for-old Parts & Labour warranty.  No other manufacturer gives this kind of warranty because the product is sold so cheaply that it cannot possibly be made to the same quality standards as the AlcoDigital 3000.

Chart showing how long Breathalyzers can be expected to last: