Filling your own pony bottles

[slackercruster]

For the last few years I have been using a high pressure equalization whip to fill my 13 and 19 cf pony bottles from larger master cylinders. I visually inspect the pony cylinders as needed and do not fill past 2500 to 2700 pounds of so. (Impossible to fill to 3000 psi via this method anyway using 2 full 80 cf masters.) Saves lot of hassles and some money as well on fills and inspections. It can come in handy while traveling as you have to empty cylinders if packing on plane and I can fill from cylinders when I arrive via whip from master cylinders

 

[Timeliner]

That sounds good. ( to me at least)
I think I can trust you to fill your own rescue gas supply. You have a stake in the out come right? .... your tank.. your life.. you rule...
by all means take charge of the issue !!
If anything, you know exactally what you have in your bail out tank

Peace of Mind?? :huh: or :14:

Yea... Peace of Mind

 

[fire_diver]

And when your buddies not looking, you can top off from his tanks too!

This should get you pretty darn close to full. Or you could just pay a couple bucks and have it filled to full at your destination.

FD

 

[SmileMon]

I think you guys are missing the point, he wants to save on hydro/vip, which in my opinion is foolish, these rules were made for a purpose, its called safety.

but what do I know, I'm a newbie.

 

[loosebits]

I think you guys are missing the point, he wants to save on hydro/vip, which in my opinion is foolish, these rules were made for a purpose, its called safety.

but what do I know, I'm a newbie.

He's skipping inspections (VIP) which are fairly simple and can be done at home. There are a lot of people out there doing their own VIPs.

Of course, I'm hoping he's read "The Oxyhacker's Companion" or some other reference on how to inspect a cylinder.

 

[DeepBound]

When I use my 13cf pony, I do this too. I'm not paying for a fill for a tiny bottle like that. Besides, something that small should never be used except in an emergency, so you hardly ever have to top it off, other than to make up for gas lost from pressurizing the regs and SPG before the dive.

Or when you use it for practice.

I'd still get it VIP'd and Hydro'd though.

For the last few years I have been using a high pressure equalization whip to fill my 13 and 19 cf pony bottles from larger master cylinders. I visually inspect the pony cylinders as needed and do not fill past 2500 to 2700 pounds of so. (Impossible to fill to 3000 psi via this method anyway using 2 full 80 cf masters.) Saves lot of hassles and some money as well on fills and inspections. It can come in handy while traveling as you have to empty cylinders if packing on plane and I can fill from cylinders when I arrive via whip from master cylinders

 

[slackercruster]

He's skipping inspections (VIP) which are fairly simple and can be done at home. There are a lot of people out there doing their own VIPs.

Of course, I'm hoping he's read "The Oxyhacker's Companion" or some other reference on how to inspect a cylinder.

For the most part, VIP is for inspecting for contamination inside the cylinder. I inspect them once in a while. Good to never let cylinders get drained underwater so water never gets in.

"The Oxyhacker's Companion" yes, a serious book. Will check it out.

 

[slackercruster]

When I use my 13cf pony, I do this too. I'm not paying for a fill for a tiny bottle like that. Besides, something that small should never be used except in an emergency, so you hardly ever have to top it off, other than to make up for gas lost from pressurizing the regs and SPG before the dive.

Or when you use it for practice.

I'd still get it VIP'd and Hydro'd though.

I use my pony bottles for shallow dives or pool practice as well. Got many sizes from 6 CF to 30 CF for a rapid diver.

 

[Mandy3206]

For the most part, VIP is for inspecting for contamination inside the cylinder. I inspect them once in a while. Good to never let cylinders get drained underwater so water never gets in.

"The Oxyhacker's Companion" yes, a serious book. Will check it out.

VIP is a lot more than inspecting for contaminants inside the cylinder, it can be performed by the owner, but the owner should be trained in this.

I perform my VIPs, but hydros are left to a pro, one way I save in the hydro, is not taking it to the LDS, but take it directly to the hydro techincian that the LDS uses, it would be faster and cheaper than using the LDS as a middleman.

Learn to do the VIPs and then once every 5 yrs perform the hydro with a qualified technician.

The wip is a great idea to save time and money, I've been looking for one for yrs and haven't been able to find one, did you fabricated it?, did you have a source for buying the wip that I can use?

 

[slackercruster]

VIP is a lot more than inspecting for contaminants inside the cylinder, it can be performed by the owner, but the owner should be trained in this.

I perform my VIPs, but hydros are left to a pro, one way I save in the hydro, is not taking it to the LDS, but take it directly to the hydro techincian that the LDS uses, it would be faster and cheaper than using the LDS as a middleman.

Learn to do the VIPs and then once every 5 yrs perform the hydro with a qualified technician.

The wip is a great idea to save time and money, I've been looking for one for yrs and haven't been able to find one, did you fabricated it?, did you have a source for buying the wip that I can use?

see end of page #4

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