Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I think mine is a Sprague...I paid either $25 or $27 for it back in 1999 or 2000, from one of the endurance vendor catalogs (been too long, can't remember which one).  It has two sides...you can turn the scope end around.  I really like it, and it's been sturdy enough for me to wad up and stuff in my pommel or cantle bag now and then over the years.  It even came in different color options for the tubing, so I got a pretty blue one (my favorite color)   :)

 

If I had one costing $250, I'd be scared to stuff it in my pommel bag, crew bag, throw it in a bucket, etc. like I do my $25 one.  <G>

 

Dawn

 

On 9/19/07, Beverley H. Kane, MD <sensei@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

You can go too far the other way—pay too much. When I was in med school, I paid $250 for a fancy Sprague-Rappaport (two famous cardiologists) model made by Hewlett-Packard. After a while I couldn't hear squat. Then I bought a battery-operated one that was wholly unsatisfactory, too. I've used a lot of $20 and $30 ones—the kind clinics buy 20 of just to have around.

For endurance I went to the Stanford medical bookstore, tried a bunch of stethoscopes, and settled on a $100 Littman with turquoise tubing—very identifiable! (For any money, I think Littman is the best.) It has both a diaphragm and a bell. The bell lets you hear lower tones, like some hard-to-hear horsey lub-bups. I find doing P&Rs, I often have to turn the scope around to the bell side. Anyone coming down (out?) to Tejon Fandango is welcome to try it out!

So I recommend the cheapest 2-sided Littman that you can hear out of.

Beverley


On 9/19/07 8:17 AM, "Chrystal Woodhouse" < Chrystal@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I am with Dawn, had a $12 stethoscope that I couldn't hear anything unless someone YELLED :-) a $25.00 that worked intermittently and not great for gut sounds, finally ordered a $80 one from an endurance vet and it has been awesome for 3 years, I probably would have tried a $40 one before going for the $80- one but my hubby   p/r's  at lots of our rides & really wanted a good and comfortable one and who was I to argue as long as he was coming and driving?????:-) ;-) I get the horse,saddle,truck and trailer he gets the stethoscope.lol :-)

Chrystal