Difference in steel tanks

[cummings66]

If you had the only reg that fit I'd lean towards HP and 300 bar DIN. Ask yourself what is the most common fitting and yoke would be the answer, now ask what's least likely and DIN will show up, and beyond that a 200 bar DIN would be even more rare but of course 300 bar DIN regs fit the 200 bar fitting so, the answer is the tank had a 300 bar DIN valve on it.

 

[truck1]

If you had the only reg that fit I'd lean towards HP and 300 bar DIN. Ask yourself what is the most common fitting and yoke would be the answer, now ask what's least likely and DIN will show up, and beyond that a 200 bar DIN would be even more rare but of course 300 bar DIN regs fit the 200 bar fitting so, the answer is the tank had a 300 bar DIN valve on it.

You could be right,
What happened on that trip was that the valves on the 131 and 140s are thicker than regular valves.I dont remember the reason behind it only that there are 2 regs that will fit the new (or at least that particular) valve.(I Do remeber that they were 3400 psi tanks) Sherwood and I forgot who other reg was.Since I dive a sherwood reg which has a wider yolk compared to a oceanic for arguments sake,I got the bigger tanks.The other regs on the trip were either din or the yolk was too small.Thats it.it was luck of the draw on that trip.Otherwise I would have had either an al 80 or a smaller steel.If I understand this right I could have a different valve put on the tanks but since I have the larger yolk to begin with I am not really worried about it.I am more interested in what am I going to get if I spend say 400 for tank x, a 120 and tank y is the same size same pressure,but 100 dollars cheaper.

 

[cummings66]

I'm not sure I follow completely, if it's an HP tank you are not using Yoke but DIN. You have the Thermo K valves on the hybrid HP tanks, 3442 tanks, and then Yoke on the 3000 psi and less. DIN 300 bar only on the 3500 psi tanks.

If you get a 3500 PSI tank you have to use DIN, the other tanks can vary somewhat but on anything above 3000 I'd use DIN, for that matter I'd use DIN on 3000 psi tanks and do on my stage bottles.

Tank X and Y don't help me picture it, brands make a difference. Old Genesis, Sherwood, or PST tanks are usually 300 BAR DIN and the others yoke. Now many of the newer so called HP tanks are coming with the Thermo K valve and use both Yoke and DIN.

So the answer varies depending on the ages and manufacturer of Tanks X and Y.

 

[truck1]

I honestly dont remember if it was hp or lp.I am only guessing since the tanks were not mine.i do know I used a yolk and that the lds I was with overfilled them.
So
what is the difference in a faber lp 120 vs xs lp 120 vs any other maker in the 120 lp range.Is there anyting that would make a faber better than a worthington or any tank better than another or is it personal preference?These would be brand new off of the shop floor btw.
before I forget a brushed steel or any non painted steel would be better than a painted steel, correct?assuming scratches getting water under the paint and peeling hidden pits etc.

After looking around a little bit I did see where Faber has a hp 149 for about $500.
http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-131-1-10/Tanks-Steel-Tanks.html its about halfway down the page.
And all of the hp tanks come standard with a yolk with din compatible if I read the descrition right.

 

[cummings66]

Yes, the Faber tank has a YOKE and DIN hookup via the Thermo K valve. As to brushed steel I don't know what you mean by that, but Galvanized finishes are preferred to painted. You have two types of galvanized finishes, hot dipped and cold. The hot dipped is preferrable, then the cold, then the painted. All steel tanks have some sort of finish on them.

I have a painted HP100 tank, PST from the mid 80's and it's in pretty good shape, not perfect but pretty good. I have some hot dipped Norris tanks in good shape as well. The painted tanks look really nice, the galvanized tanks look ok but not as pretty. For the ocean I'd prefer galvanized. For cold water I'd take either.

For any HP tank, whether it has the Thermo K valve which supports YOKE or din, I'd always go for the din connection. Yoke is fine for what it is, but din is better.

The new Faber tanks are better than the old ones, the old ones were extremely negative and it seems the new ones aren't so bad. For the money I'd buy the XS Scuba tanks over the others. Many brand names are made by the same company however. Different name and prices to go with it.

As to the differences in brands, look at the tanks specs empty, and full. Look at empty weight, that is where the differences lie. For my money I prefer HP tanks because they're always lighter for the same amount of gas. Many cavers prefer LP tanks for the overfills and ease of blending.

The choice is personal preference in the end, price vs weight and buoyancy characteristics. What do you want in a tank and how much are you willing to pay? That's the real answer. For me it's light weight, at least 100 cf of air, steel, and I don't want it positive when empty.

 

[Tigerman]

Actually a 300 bar DIN reg would not fit a 200 bar DIN tank, would it?
The 300 bar DIN male is longer than the 200 bar one, which is why I cant fill my 230 bar DIN (Faber produced steel) bottle on a 300 bar DIN compressor outlet..
I have to use the 200 bar outlet.
Unless its been modified that is, since its simply a longer "tip" on the 300 bar outlet that can (but are not allowed to) be removed fairly easilly.

 

[truck1]

Thanks cummings66.That was what I was looking for.With all of the tanks on the market at different pricess it was becoming a headache trying to figure out if there was any real difference.I am looking for a 120 size tank.Since I dive salt most of the time,so I am probably going to go with the dipped.(which is what I was thinking of just could not remember the name)I am going to make a spread sheet so I can avoid the head ache of where did I see that for how much?

 

[cummings66]

Actually a 300 bar DIN reg would not fit a 200 bar DIN tank, would it?

Yes, 300 BAR DIN regs fit and work fine on the 200 BAR DIN valves. The 200 BAR DIN will not work with a 300 BAR DIN valve, they leak air because they're too short. If you got a 300 BAR DIN reg it will work with everything out there, it just won't work the opposite way.

 

[cummings66]

Steel HP120's are what I use, that and the steel HP100. The HP100 is the perfect tank, it's almost exactly like an AL80 but has 23 cf more air. Assuming you can get a full fill that is.

If you suck air the larger tank isn't really the solution you think it is because you're still limited by the air in his tank. Think of it this way, if you had a tank failure of some sort and lost your air you need to use who's air? If your buddy is using an AL80 you still have the same limits you did on your own AL80. Now for you with the number of dives you have your SCR should be pretty good and the larger tanks may work well for you, especially if you're going to use Nitrox.

IMO the larger tanks are great for one thing, diving Nitrox because if you have the low SCR needed you can extend your dive times with the larger tank. IMO if I was you and wanting a larger tank I'd buy the steel HP100's and that will be fine. The buoyancy is good, weight is good, air is more than an AL80 and later can be doubled up and still not kill your back.

 

[markr]

Single 140? Who makes that?

120s are nice tanks, but they're big and long. Divers who aren't especially tall (6'+ I think) often report problems with trim when they try to give them.

Are you looking to high pressure or low pressure tanks?

If you want a tank with roughly the same capacity as a hp120 but a shorter length try a hp119. The 119 is an eight inch diameter tank that is only 24 inches long.