Cost of pony setup?

[dumpsterDiver]

Why do you want a 6 inch hose and add all those failure points associated with that gauge to your pony bottle?

 

[Marie13]

Why do you want a 6 inch hose and add all those failure points associated with that gauge to your pony bottle?

Stage bottle sets I saw online had a short hose. Do you just put the SPG coming right out of the first stage?

 

[guruboy]

6" hose is fine. It's like two extra o-rings and a hose.



Some people just use a button gauge.

 

[Marie13]

Button gauge is too small for my tastes (and eyes).

 

[Shinythings]

To the OP... Funny you should ask. I just uploaded a video to YouTube on how to rig a stage bottle for less than $20.


I recently sold a complete pony bottle, with rigging and an older regulator and pressure gauge for $250 Canadian so you should be able to find a cheap setup if you look long enough.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Button gauge is too small for my tastes (and eyes).

Really ? The larger gauges are easier to read than the old little ones. Cheap and a lot less stuff to maintain and fail. I've been using one gauge for like 4-5 years now with no problems or maint.

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Button gauge user here.... honestly, I only look at it prior to leaving home [to see if top off is needed] and one last time pre-dive to make sure its full. Don't look at in water. It's slung and on, so if there is a leak, I'm going to know about it.
Further SB caveat disclosure - used as a recreational bailout.

 

[Jack Hammer]

I don't use button gauges anymore, I find them too undependable and the failures I've seen have been catastrophic, not just champagne bubbles like with a 6" hose. To each their own...

 

[Marie13]

Ended up bringing my 30 cft pony home today. I was going to rig it out myself from the hardware store, but I got a good deal on a stage kit, so I did it the easy way. I'll have my reg set on Monday.

 

[lowviz]

Ended up bringing my 30 cft pony home today. I was going to rig it out myself from the hardware store, but I got a good deal on a stage kit ....

You will probably end up using a bit of both the stage kit and the hardware store.

I don't think that I've seen two ponies rigged alike. Keep looking at what is out there. I'll run through what I did, you may find something in it that you want to try. Mine is a composite of ideas borrowed from many other setups I've seen.

The hoses are secured by a rather thick bungee on top and a (motorcycle?) innertube on the bottom. Leave a tail on the bungee so you can grab it for a quick re-stow. Don't put knots or plastic beads on the bungee tails as they catch in every "V" you pass by. Horrible on a broken down scattered wreck. Reflective house numbers are great for marking the tank with contents and your name/initials.

The band clamp is inside of a slit piece of clear vinyl tubing (hardware store). It is there to keep the tightening mechanism from nicking my tank. I like brass and glass too. Flip it outward if you want to be able to read it during your dive. I keep my turned inward to reduce visual clutter. I tend to read gauges that I see, you will only read that one on the surface and (here's to hoping) never U/W. Keep the loop of hose for the secondary reg clear. If I tucked the secondary in from the other side then the SPG would be in the middle of the loop and you wouldn't get the full length on deployment.

Back to the first picture. Don't use adjustable wrenches on your gear! The loose jaw puts all the stress on the ridges and will surely round them over time. Use the proper fixed wrench. The cheapest set of fixed wrenches will easily beat the best adjustable wrench.

And lastly, Congratulations! Welcome to the world of "it never ends". Now you need a transfer whip and endless threads on how not to blow yourself up.

Enjoy!