More freebie stuff dumped on me.

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Eric Sedletzky

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A friend of mine drove by my house and texted me that he left something for me at the foot of my driveway.
So I went out and found a nice little 1973 Dacor steel 72 with a Dacor valve that has a HP plug in case you want to run an SPG straight off the tank, and a Healthways plastic backpack attached with a stainless band.
Kinda cool, all usable stuff.
I’ll clean up the tank and send it to hydro and have another tank in the arsenal. The backpack is cool too.
FBDC6787-4324-4B22-B9C2-4E52D0D13C7D.jpeg
 
3/4x14 valve thread? I'd love to find one of those valves...
 
I think I still have a couple of older valves like that if you really want one. PM me if interested.
 
If a fellow could figure out a way to make an adapter so a VDH 18 wing could be used on that blow moulded backpack, it would make a nifty travel setup.
 
If a fellow could figure out a way to make an adapter so a VDH 18 wing could be used on that blow moulded backpack, it would make a nifty travel setup.

Or a way to replace the stainless steel tank clamp with tank bands ...
 
If a fellow could figure out a way to make an adapter so a VDH 18 wing could be used on that blow moulded backpack, it would make a nifty travel setup.

Could you just cut another pair of slots in the panel?
 
If a fellow could figure out a way to make an adapter so a VDH 18 wing could be used on that blow moulded backpack, it would make a nifty travel setup.

I feel pretty silly telling this to the owner/manager/janitor of Freedom Plate International. I did something very close to what you are suggesting with no modifications to a similar backpack made by Aquacraft. I know the Healthways pack has a metal band and no "through slots" but it does have a bracket that can accept a U bolt (more like a D bolt.) Why not remove the bracket and install a set of U bolts and route a common type cam band through them?
Aquacraft backpack rt.jpg

Aquacraft backpack with VDH wing back.jpg


I prefer my EZ Pak for a travel setup. ;-)
 
Could you just cut another pair of slots in the panel?
Make a STA type bracket out of aluminum and drill two holes where the pilot holes are in the pack. There are hole indentations in the pack that were intended to be drilled out/opened up and used to mount a small set of doubles.
There’s also a slot at the bottom that can be opened up and used for a 1” crotch strap, which if not scootering would be fine for basic recreational diving.
 
I feel pretty silly telling this to the owner/manager/janitor of Freedom Plate International. I did something very close to what you are suggesting with no modifications to a similar backpack made by Aquacraft. I know the Healthways pack has a metal band and no "through slots" but it does have a bracket that can accept a U bolt (more like a D bolt.) Why not remove the bracket and install a set of U bolts and route a common type cam band through them?
View attachment 583308
View attachment 583309

I prefer my EZ Pak for a travel setup. ;-)
Well yeah, the EZ PAK is the modern replica of the Healthways model with upgraded slot configuration set up for the best wing currently on the market, the VDH series, but...
The tinkerer in me sees that vintage Healthways pack, the pack that actually planted the seed, and I can’t help but feel that I somehow owe a debt of gratitude to the backpack gods and make some sort of use out of an original. Whether any of these other modern people would ever have the ability to understand the sentiment is another thing.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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