Concern over EOS & Hollis 212 Design

My wife dives with a Oceanic EOS / FDX10 setup and I use an 212 / DC1 config. The EOS is probably 11 months old and my 212 just under 7 months old. Effectively they are the same second stage.

A few weeks ago the EOS went in for its annual service prematurely due to a free flowing issue. The tech working on it had major issues in getting the front screw on cover off all but destroying it in the process.... off to Oceanic it goes. Last week my 212 went in with the same issue plus a badly adjusted crack pressue from new. Guess what ... appears my reg had suffered the same fate, although I am told it did not go back, but rather parts were salvaged from a previously decomissioned 212

The Eos as a reg is now a little over 18 months old in Aus and I am curious if the experience I am having with 2 second stages (in their apparent inability to be dismantled without self destruction) is unique or becoming the norm. Would I expect that Oceanic / Hollis are about to get a barrage of damaged 2nd stages coming from their LDS.

BTW: Both regs are maticulously cleaded after each dive so abuse or misuse is not the cause for the probs.

Sounds like the tech didnt know what they were doing

The Tech is Oceanic Trained, I have no reason to criticise his work.

Trust me, the front of both regs would not budge.

I have an Oceanic EOS FDX10 and did not have any problems servicing it but I might of just got lucky.

Rainsey:

BTW: Both regs are maticulously cleaded after each dive so abuse or misuse is not the cause for the probs.

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What is your cleaning process?

awap:

What is your cleaning process?

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My regs are always soaked in fresh water after every dive. My Dacor, and Mares regs have had no problem whats so ever, though, both of my backup regs use clamps around the housing of the 2nd stage as part of assembly, but being some 20 years old, are substantially better built.

Having stated this, my occy, being an Oceanic Alpha 8 and my wifes Oceanic Second Air has no problems hence I find it probably less than a coincidence that 2 EOS second stages do.

The face of the EOS is supposed to screw off by hand. This could not be performed on either reg and being that the face of it has never been taken off, the threads would never had been exposed to any contaminants such as salt or sand. The housings where not deformed or damaged in any way either.

I have an EOS and had no problems. I've seen the Tech at my LDS open it with no problems.

Rainsey:

My regs are always soaked in fresh water after every dive. My Dacor, and Mares regs have had no problem whats so ever, though, both of my backup regs use clamps around the housing of the 2nd stage as part of assembly, but being some 20 years old, are substantially better built.

Having stated this, my occy, being an Oceanic Alpha 8 and my wifes Oceanic Second Air has no problems hence I find it probably less than a coincidence that 2 EOS second stages do.

The face of the EOS is supposed to screw off by hand. This could not be performed on either reg and being that the face of it has never been taken off, the threads would never had been exposed to any contaminants such as salt or sand. The housings where not deformed or damaged in any way either.

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...know what you mean, I've got a 100% metal 2nd-stage Mares Ruby reg that looks a lot more expensively built/durable than today's 'modern' plastic 2nd-stages. The EOS is a recent model reg and it's possible you are part of the 1st-wave where a hidden design flaw is coming to the surface after the unit has been in use for X hours/years. I'm assuming you're under warranty anyway ?

....I do know some experienced reg techs layer a THIN coat of Christolube over all threaded items prior to reassembly to aid in their future removal at next service...just a suggestion for you going forward.....

Scubafanatic,

Interesting to hear of a possible fault in the first batch of these 2nd stages. The reg is used alot , especially after startng my DM training.

The Christolube was on my mind. I took apart a brand new EOS the other day with no issues. I am thinking that any new EOS's that are sold at my LDS, we may put a small smear on the thread before selling it.

Re the warranty, not sure what the warranty is, but regardless, Oceanic have a free parts for life deal whereby if you get the reg serviced annually, you only pay the labour component. I know the units went back to Oceanic so possibly they may still be under warranty.

Cheers

Rainsey

I just purchased a DC1/212 with a 221 secondary reg.
I read your post before they had even been in the water and was relieved to find that the front cover unscrewed easily.

After a couple of dives and very thorough soaking/rinsing I tried to unscrew the cover again but it was very tight. When I eventually got the cover off I found there was a small amount of salty water around the edge of the diaphragm.

When I clean my regs I soak them, shake them around, connect them to a tank and purge them under the fresh water which is why my previous Scubapro reg's are still going after 15 years

The only thing I can put this down to is that maybe this area does not flush very well?
Perhaps the cover should have some holes to allow the water to flow through while rinsing as with most of the other brands?

I now removed the cover clean and put a very small film of silicon grease on the face and threads after each dive.

I Should also say I love the performance of the regs and think they are the best I have ever dived with.