Altaros Booster

[walucas]

So I am still on my quest to get a booster at a good price, and ran into this option on the internet:

Price

This is around 600usd, which is way cheaper than a Haskell, but I am not sure you can use it for breathing.

Questioning the vendor about scuba use the answer was inconclusive: "Booster can be used to fill scuba airtank. But its air is not certified/tested for diving use, if you had this in mind."

I thought that with the correct drying system and filter, it could work to fill a scuba tank with air. I should also explore the components and see if they are a good option for nitrox boosting (with or without a stick).

So I am wondering if someone here has ever used/seen some of this (I have found a used one on ebay, shipping from within US) and its dive use, or suggestions on how to make it "breath safe".

 

[Billy Northrup]

What are you trying to do? Fill a scuba tanks or boost from one tank to another?

I looked over the link your provided and this is designed for the paintball/air rifle market. This amplifies shop air utilizing the shop air as the drive source (unbreathable). This would be extremely slow(wear out quickly) on scuba sized tanks and need a rather large shop compressor. To filter it would take an expensive filter chain that would certainly need to be tested for quality. Just don't do it. Look for an actual used scuba compressor that you can get parts for. People are tempted by cheap paintball stuff all the time and it's highly dangerous at its best. Good luck down there!

 

[runsongas]

what size tanks are you looking to use it for? the pumping rate is 0.4cfm @ 65% duty cycle so it isn't going to work for anything other than ccr bottles and it would still take the better part of an hour or more. It would take nearly 5 hours to fill a standard al80. and you still need to have a second compressor to feed the booster along with filtration stacks.

 

[walucas]

What are you trying to do? Fill a scuba tanks or boost from one tank to another?

I looked over the link your provided and this is designed for the paintball/air rifle market. This amplifies shop air utilizing the shop air as the drive source (unbreathable). This would be extremely slow(wear out quickly) on scuba sized tanks and need a rather large shop compressor. To filter it would take an expensive filter chain that would certainly need to be tested for quality. Just don't do it. Look for an actual used scuba compressor that you can get parts for. People are tempted by cheap paintball stuff all the time and it's highly dangerous at its best. Good luck down there!

The idea was to fill scuba tanks most of the time, but also boost O2 for nitrox eventually. But I see your point, thats why I am asking. The slow rate of the output also would be a problem. I appreciate all your replies, and will keep looking for some other options (compressor/booster) that I can afford, keeping it all safe, off course .

 

[michael-fisch]

Unfortunately my experience has been:
If I can afford it, it isn't worth having and what I can afford is not a constant set in stone.
A good compressor is never cheap, even if used, since it invariably needs work.
A cheap booster, after cleaning it for O2 service, is also no longer cheap

Michael

 

[Billy Northrup]

The idea was to fill scuba tanks most of the time, but also boost O2 for nitrox eventually. But I see your point, thats why I am asking. The slow rate of the output also would be a problem. I appreciate all your replies, and will keep looking for some other options (compressor/booster) that I can afford, keeping it all safe, off course .

If your just doing air and nitrox you don't need a booster, a simple nitrox mixing stick is all you need, all parts can be sourced in Brazil and cost just a few hundred dollars on top of compressor cost. Are you a shop or person? I ask because ALLOT of people in remote locations get a few divers together and buy a compressor together or a scuba club buy and split the cost up.