Fresh Air Supply

Yes, there is something "special" about a Hobby-Air system. It is not really considered a compressor at all but rather a turbine. Think of it as a fan on steroids that develops a few psi of pressure. There are no special filtration devices to maintain (good!) but you must locate the unit in an area where the ambient air that is sucked in the intake is safe to breathe. You certainly can buy a separate hood and a hose but I personally would not recommend you use just any compressor. A dedicated, non-lubricated, tankless compressor is more appropriate (and safer) in my opinion, if you are considering that route. You only need about 4-6 cfm at about 10 psig. See my prior post on the subject. I see that one of the links in that post no longer works, so here is one that shows a commercial compressor-supplied system. It is overpriced for what it is in my judgement.

Rod