and it looks like Airetex finally figured out the kinks with their smaller compressors.
I'm very impressed with how quiet and smooth she runs. Haven't been able to fully test her yet, but I see no problems exceeding Modified Grade E. That will get me started at least =)
CB Trimix and PP blending for deco gas to follow.
-B
Having just looked over the Airetex 45 website and reading the albeit "little light" specification on the web. I would question first there "Designed and Made in America" claim.
To me it seems a little far fetched when I can clearly see just from the photos that:
1. The block was designed and made in the Peoples Republic of China and at that originally designed as a low pressure air compressor.
2. That the "new" silver colour anodised HP Filter was designed 35 years ago and made in Leicester England by a company incidentally I used to work for way back then and is no way close to a comparison to the original black colour hard anodised filter they original show on the web site.
3. The silver HP filter looks also to be missing a back pressure regulator (Priority valve) Not withstanding there claim of extending filter life. Without a BPR would IMHO only extend filter life as most of the moisture passes past the filter and into the tank.
Not quite what I would wish but this may in part be due to the product more appealing by its low cost more towards the paintball market.
4. Now from a photo it is very difficult to asses this particular block con rod bore size.
These little chinese blocks have a number of options. But from memory its either 65mm, if so with a designed maximum 980RPM. Further as the next size up is an 80mm con rod bore with an even lower 850RPM maximum rated RPM
5. So it beggars the question why the big play on the web site for the AireTex 45 running at 1100RPM when this so called low RPM is higher albeit marginal than the original chinese manufacturer intended designed 980RPM.
6. I read on there You Tube posting and I quote:
The AirTex 45 is different from every portable compressor currently available. When designing this compressor we looked at everything that was failing on the competition and made it better".-B
English proverb "The Chinese are not slow about running fast" but when you "lump" on an equal weight piston head set and liners to a low pressure compressor block without consideration to balance and "throw" you take on a whole route of different .
7. Also from there You Tube video it states:
" Fiberglass fan guard, no metal rattling"
Yeah right LOL Try this:
Airetex 45 compressor - YouTube
Not a good start
8. Now I'm going to take a guess here and suggest that precious little design was done on that block for CB Trimix, further I doubt any testing has been done on its efficiency with Helium let alone Nitrox. So out of interest "in testing" what percentage of nitrox over 40% was the block factory tested to?
And further for consideration can you also tell me if the manual states the allowable "blow by" using Nitrox and Trimix and also from your manual the diameters each of the pistons and the piston stroke also if stated the maximum allowable rod loading.
You see if AireTex compressors are going to make claims about the "failing of the competition" you need also to be able to back it up.
So by way of example and speaking as a diving engineer if your going to claim design of a compressor as they say and
We looked at everything and make it better than anyone"
You would think that they could have also "designed" and "made" it so that silver filter tower wasn't hanging off the frame edge so much.
Just a thought.
LOL Iain Middlebrook