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pinshootr
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yes I use a XTX200 but have a few friends using XTX100's
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only needs a fifth port if you are subscribing to the Razor hose routing which it sounds like you are. I would actually argue that the swivel turret is more important than the 5th port since it allows the short hose side to adjust to the exact angle it needs to be and the long hose is allowed to swivel forward when you donate air which prevents a hose kinking.
but yes, any first stage is fine for sidemount. Ideal? not so much, but it will work just fine
joshk
Contributor
XTX100 is the second stage model name that typically comes bundled with a FST first stage. There no significant differences between the XTX50/100/200/Tungsten second stages.
Use a DST if you can, they come bundled with the XTX50.
Use a DST if you can, they come bundled with the XTX50.
I guess it depends of what Sidemount system you have, for the more commercial ones the DST is the most used, but if you can bend and loop the hoses on a DS4 and achieve the same, it looks a little ugly but you can still use them for back mount and they cost less than the DST and have one less O-ring for failure or service and it is 1/3 smaller I don't know if it is as lighter as well.
Everything is "suitable". That does not mean it's best.
IMO with the 5th port, you can get something decent out of it. You just don't get the swiveling turret which is not really needed (unless you absolutely need all the length of the long hose). The turret allows to stow the hoses a bit neater when moving tanks around.
This is with my hose routing on a Stealth btw, which is from what I can see the most used hose routing on that rig (and similar rigs). If buying new, I'd skip for a DST or similar. If buying used, unless it's really a good deal, I'd probably still look for something else, unless you don't have another reg to use in the meantime of course.
IMO with the 5th port, you can get something decent out of it. You just don't get the swiveling turret which is not really needed (unless you absolutely need all the length of the long hose). The turret allows to stow the hoses a bit neater when moving tanks around.
This is with my hose routing on a Stealth btw, which is from what I can see the most used hose routing on that rig (and similar rigs). If buying new, I'd skip for a DST or similar. If buying used, unless it's really a good deal, I'd probably still look for something else, unless you don't have another reg to use in the meantime of course.
DevonDiver
N/A
Honestly dude... the absolute vast majority of divers are using low-left LPI. A 5th-port makes perfect sense if you aspire to efficient hose routing from nearly all of the sidemount BCDs currently sold.
joshk
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Except the guys who first did the low left LPI didn't use it with a fifth port and still don't, and the guy who made it a standard conversion doesn't either. With loop bungees the fifth port is horrifically uncomfortable. If I had a fifth port in this picture the hose would go straight into my ribs. If I flipped it over so the SPG's were going down like the Razor guys the LPI would basically be going straight into my spine.
The 5th port ONLY works when you have the necks of your bottles as low as the razor guys have them so it goes across the chest and it is not really on your side at that point. Since they use a single bungee it is impossible to bring the tanks up that close to the centerline of the body so for them the 5th port does offer much better hose routing, but when you use loop bungees to bring the valve to the centerline of the body, the 5th port only serves to dig into your ribs
In all seriousness, please explain to me what I do with a 5th port if I swapped that first stage to a DST *I have two in my jeep right now* I'd love to be enlightened. Please also make sure to tell Edd Sorenson, Brett Hemphill, and Curt Bowen who pioneered the lower left LPI and don't use a fifth port since it doesn't make sense with loop bungees.
joshk
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