We told you it was new, Sunday... so new, in fact, that we didn't even have a photo for you. Well, now we have taken a shot of the Precise Flight  PreciseFlow oxygen metering system.

There are a few things that we need to add to what you already know: it's all-mechanical, so there's no chance of your oxygen's becoming unavailable because the 'bunny' died unexpectedly; and there's no need for an airframe interconnect.

The PreciseFlow system replaces the old flow meter and cannula, and hooks via push-on fittings to existing oxygen. The valve/meter isn't very big -- about the size of two golf balls, pressed into a mailing tube; and it's aluminum.

The higher you fly, the better it works; and that's a good thing. At altitudes as low as 6000 feet (the PreciseFlow dial sets in 2000-foot intervals), you can benefit from the "conserve" setting, and get the oxygen you need. Of course, there is also a "continuous" setting available, if you want to use it.

On "conserve," though, you'll find yourself using a lot less oxygen. For instance, a 14 cubic foot canister, through today's best cannula, will last about 21 hours at 10,000 feet; with the PreciseFlow, it'll give you 33 hours of use. Though "your needs will vary," the advantage is obvious: you can use a smaller tank, and have more payload weight and space at your disposal; or you can go longer between tank changes, without affecting your payload.

As Precise Flight's "Oxygen Bob" Adams told ANN, "Every new gadget is another potential point of failure." (He was talking about electronic things; we figure he meant that mechanical things aren't "gadgets;" they're "machines.") Some expensive electronic systems can do what the PreciseFlow system can do; but they rely on electricity -- and they make the $380 price tag on this piece of carry-on equipment look like pocket change. There's an "installed" version coming soon, too.

FMI: www.preciseflight.com