MSA ALTAIR 4XR and 5X gas detectors: servicing, sensors and rental
MSA ALTAIR 4XR and 5X on the GALAXY GX2 automated test system, with a rented unit while yours is away.
TopBorneo services MSA ALTAIR 4XR and ALTAIR 5X gas detectors in its own workshop, on the MSA GALAXY GX2 automated test system.
This page covers what is specific to these two models: the XCell sensors they carry, the test stand each one needs, and a rented detector while yours is away.
The interval, the difference between a bump test and a calibration, and the steps on the bench belong to the portable gas detector calibration page. That page covers detectors of any make.
ALTAIR 4XR and 5X on MSA's own test system
Why work with TopBorneo
Tell us the job, the site and the crew. We work out what fits instead of sending a catalogue back.
MSA, KStrong and Bullard straight from an official distributor, with lighter lines alongside them.
Gas detectors, breathing apparatus and cylinders are serviced by our own technicians.
The same people handle your enquiry, your order and your servicing.
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Open a section to read the detail behind it.
Which of the two fits the work you do
The 4XR is the detector a worker wears. It reads up to four gases, clips to a collar or a belt, and carries an IP68 rating, so dust and water stay out of it. The 5X is the detector a team uses to test a space before anyone goes in. It reads up to six gases, has a pump built in that draws a sample through a line, and is rated IP65.
| The job in front of you | The model that fits |
|---|---|
| One detector per person for a full shift | ALTAIR 4XR |
| Testing a tank, a vessel or a pit from outside before entry | ALTAIR 5X, for the pump and the sampling line |
| Combustible gas, oxygen, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulphide | ALTAIR 4XR, which covers those four |
| Ammonia, chlorine, carbon dioxide or a volatile organic compound | ALTAIR 5X, which takes sensors for them |
| Equipment that gets dropped and washed down | ALTAIR 4XR, with the higher rating against water |
The 4XR carries combustible gas (LEL), oxygen (O2), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) as standard, and the 5X takes sensors for ammonia (NH3), chlorine (Cl2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and volatile organic compounds on top of those. The fit differs from unit to unit, so the serial number is what tells you which sensors are in the one in front of you.
The two do different jobs, so a site that runs entry work can need both. Send the gases you need to read and the work you need to read them for, and TopBorneo comes back with the configuration and the sensors that go with it.
What is different about the 4XR and the 5X on the bench
Both models carry standard XCell sensors. What differs is the sensor fit, the gas the bench needs, the part that is replaced on a schedule and the test stand each one goes on.
| ALTAIR 4XR | ALTAIR 5X | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Standard XCell sensors | Standard XCell sensors, with an extra toxic sensor as an option |
| Calibration gas | One cylinder of mixed gas covers the standard sensors | A unit with the extra toxic sensor can need a second cylinder on the bench |
| Part on a schedule | Sensors are checked at every calibration | MSA recommends replacing the inlet seal once a year |
| Test stand | The GALAXY GX2 stand built for the ALTAIR 4 and 4X, which takes the 4XR as well | The GALAXY GX2 stand built for the ALTAIR 5 and 5X |
The test stands, the docking stations a detector sits in for its calibration, are model specific: a 4XR and a 5X do not share one. MSA also allows one test stand for reactive gas per bank of stands, and the ALTAIR io line runs on its own dock rather than on a GALAXY GX2. So the mix of models in a consignment decides how the work is planned, which is the reason TopBorneo asks for the models before anything is sent.
XCell sensors reach the end of their life without failing a test
A sensor can pass a bump test and still be close to the end of its service life. Every calibration on the GALAXY GX2 records how each sensor responded to gas of a known concentration. A sensor that is drifting shows up as a number on the report, before it fails on site.
Three things wear at different rates: a sensor reaches the end of its service life, a filter or a seal is replaced on a schedule, and sampling lines, probes and cases depend on the work the unit does. All of it is ordered against the serial number.
TopBorneo reports any sensor that no longer holds calibration. Every unit goes back with a dated calibration certificate. TopBorneo services MSA portable gas detection equipment as an authorised MSA service centre, so ALTAIR units are handled on its own bench in Kota Kinabalu.
Your ALTAIR is showing a fault
A sensor warning at start-up, a bump test the unit no longer passes, a charge that runs out before the end of a shift, a warning light that stays on: those point at different parts of the detector. One is a sensor at the end of its life, one is the battery or the charger, and one is a repair. Send the model and the serial number. TopBorneo assesses the condition of the unit, determines the repair action, and handles the warranty claim with MSA where a unit is covered.
Manuals, datasheets and part numbers for your unit
MSA keeps the manuals and datasheets for both models in its own document library at docs.msasafety.com, and that is the copy to work from. What a manual will not tell you is which part your own unit takes. The part number of a detector depends on the approval it carries and the sensors fitted, so two units that look identical take different parts. Send the model and the serial number and you get the part that fits.
Ordering a detector, or renting one while yours is away
Ordering runs by MSA part number, so put the gases you need to read and the approval you work under in your email. The full range sits on our gas detection page, and TopBorneo rents out portable detectors as well, so a crew does not wait while its own units are on the bench. See gas detector rental.
Where to send your equipment
The calibration bench is in the workshop, which also does breathing apparatus servicing and cylinder hydrostatic testing on separate benches, so detectors, breathing sets and cylinders can go on one enquiry.
Common questions
Where can I find the manual for my ALTAIR 4XR?
MSA keeps the manuals and datasheets for its own equipment at docs.msasafety.com, and that is the copy to work from. A manual tells you when MSA recommends calibration, not who carries it out. Send TopBorneo the model and the serial number and you get an answer on the unit in front of you.
Can an ALTAIR 4XR and an ALTAIR 5X go on the same test stand?
No. The GALAXY GX2 test stands are model specific. The 4XR goes on the stand MSA builds for the ALTAIR 4 and 4X, and the 5X on the stand for the ALTAIR 5 and 5X. Send TopBorneo the models you have, and you get an answer per unit.
My ALTAIR 4XR will not hold its charge, what now?
The 4XR runs on a rechargeable lithium polymer battery, and MSA requires it to be charged outside the hazardous area. A unit that runs out early can be the battery, the charger or the vehicle charger, and those are three different repairs. When a unit comes in for calibration TopBorneo checks the charge behaviour on the bench alongside the sensors, and orders the part through MSA. Send the serial number so the right one is ordered the first time.
Which is better for confined space entry, the 4XR or the 5X?
The ALTAIR 5X, because the pump built into it draws a sample through a line, so the space is read from outside before anyone enters. The ALTAIR 4XR is what each person then wears inside. Sites that run entry work regularly keep both. Send the gases you need to read and TopBorneo comes back with the configuration.
Can TopBorneo service an ALTAIR detector bought somewhere else?
Send the model and the serial number first, and TopBorneo replies with what the unit needs before it leaves your site. TopBorneo services MSA portable gas detection equipment as an authorised MSA service centre, so ALTAIR units are handled on its own bench in Kota Kinabalu.
Send your serial numbers
Email the model and serial numbers of your detectors to crm@topborneo.com, or send them on WhatsApp. The Labuan number is +60 10 959 0259 and the Kota Kinabalu number is +60 16 775 0259. TopBorneo replies with the sensors and the test stand each model needs, and a quotation.