Regs need servicing...

[SeaJay]

Gen, I'm going to take you up on your offer if it kills me. That boat just looks too good to pass up. I'm thinking that if I bring some southern-style sweet tea and about 50 pounds of Carolina River Shrimp (ever see "Forrest Gump?" Parts of it were filmed at my family's shrimp dock) then I might be able to express the right kind of "thank you."

Y'all rock.

I'm leaning toward renting regs for this weekend (I'll get them a day early and set up the hoses the way I like 'em) and getting my stuff back to LeisurePro.

I'm with ya on the IP problem, and I agree. Furthermore, I feel it's likely that something's really not right in there and may need to be replaced... After all, a service didn't fix the problem (although in all fairness, I don't have much confidence in the guy who did the servicing). In short, going the warranty route with LP may be my best option.

I've been eyeing some Apeks stuff for a while now anyway... I like diaphragm regs (which is why I bought the MK16) and I really like the hose routing on the Apeks DS4 first stage.

What's y'all's opinion on Apeks, in terms of which ones to get? I understand that the cheaper 1st stage - the DS4 - is better thought of than their more expensive first. Is the ATX worth the price to get a smaller second? Is the 200 worth it?

 

[SeaJay]

ScoobieDooo once bubbled...
SeaJay,
a WinZipped Power Point Presentation of an Apek's instructional presentation.

Thanks, man! Yeah, I'd really like that... SeaJay@LCscuba.com

 

[ScoobieDooo]

SeaJay,
Is that broadband? If not, the WinZip files MAY be too big. We can try.

The DST4 is Dry Seal Turret 4 = 4 LP ports and 1 HP port. Some say the turret in the 1st stage adds a 'potential' failure point by adding another O-ring there - you decide.

I have the ATX50. I almost went the ATX100 but heard some say they were hitting the larger 1st stage of the ATX or TX100 with their heads. I dunno about that...

I love my ATX50. Its breathes as well as my Poseidon octo I have and is simple in construction. I breathes just like when I am on land breathing WITHOUT a regulator in my mouth. Its a super reg for the money. I paid $299 for mine and love it. I have used a SP in the past but like my Apek's better. I have no doubt SP is good - but I like diaphragm 1sts.

The cover of the Apeks' can be removed while diving to clear debris, if desired. It has a nice tube and lever 2nd stage thats easy to work on.

That’s just my $ .02....and I’m a newbie, but I'll tell you that reg IS super!

 

[Genesis]

with Apeks is that the parts kits are STUPID expensive, and very hard to get outside of "dealer" channels...

Yes, I know of the "one" backdoor source. That doesn't help the price, nor the fact that they come from outside the US.

Apeks may be very nice regs, but the parts pricing and accessibility is a real problem if you own a bunch of regs.....

 

[ScoobieDooo]

Genesis,
Well, I didn't get MY parts from the source you are referring to - I don't think. PM me if you think you know who it is...

I simply don't like piston regs. I, personally, don't want contaminants IN my 1st stage.

I found the price on MY parts kits VERY reasonable...

 

[Genesis]

they all work the same at the end of the day.

The issue really is quite simple - does the first deliver a stable, high-flow IP over the entire range of tank and ambient pressures.

If yes, then the technology is really not all that important.

If you don't want ambient water in a piston first, fill it the ambient chamber with lube and put on a restrictor trim ring (with a tiny little hole so it can still do the balance job) and that'll work just fine. It also will keep it from freezing and keep all crap out of the mechanism!

The only real downside to it is that Christolube is expensive, but there is no REAL need to use it on a BP 1st. Silicone works just fine. Unless its leaking the grease will never see tank air, and if it is, it'd have to be leaking BADLY for there to be any real ignition risk, at which point you've got other, more serious trouble on your hands.

Besides, backgas is usually not over 40% anyway. Go ahead and fill the balance chamber with silicon and put on the trim ring. It'll work just fine, and is a hell of a lot better solution (read: it absolutely does work) than those silly "thermal insulating system" games that some play.

For Deco regs you've got a different set of problems, but there, its a matter of water temperature than anything else - and if you need to swap a reg underwater on a bottle, a piston will probably survive that - a diaphram reg probably will be trashed by it and require an immediate teardown (if it works at all!)

 

[RichLockyer]

You can get the parts to make the IP gauge from Sears for a few bucks.
You need an air-tool pressure gauge with a scale in the 250-300 range... more and it cuts into your useful range/readability, less and you MAY encounter a reg that exceeds it.

You'll need a LPI-to-1/4NPT connector. If your LDS doesn't have them separately, buy the "BC tire inflator chuck" and remove the fitting (that's how I got the fitting for my O2 analyzer).

Some teflon tape and a coupler and you're in business.

Spend as much or as little on the pressure gauge as you like. A High-pressure hold with release button may not be desireable (unless you can set it so that it doesn't lock) because there are times when you'll want to watch for proper (or improper) IP drop as you purge the 2nd. A purge is handy, but I just stick one of the blue Bic pen caps into the LPI hose and it works fine.

 

[HammerNoMore]

RichLockyer once bubbled...
You can get the parts to make the IP gauge from Sears for a few bucks.
You need an air-tool pressure gauge with a scale in the 250-300 range... more and it cuts into your useful range/readability, less and you MAY encounter a reg that exceeds it.

You'll need a LPI-to-1/4NPT connector. If your LDS doesn't have them separately, buy the "BC tire inflator chuck" and remove the fitting (that's how I got the fitting for my O2 analyzer).

Some teflon tape and a coupler and you're in business.

That's a lot of driving around for somthing you can get delivered to your door for $25....

 

[RichLockyer]

James Goddard once bubbled...
That's a lot of driving around for somthing you can get delivered to your door for $25....

Do you have one of the $25 gauges? I do. It sucks.

I'd be more than happy to drive to Sears, LDS, and Home Depot for a gauge that I can read without squinting.... for something like $6-$10 if you can get the LPI fitting without the tire chuck.

Besides... he's needing the tool now and doesn't have time to wait, though that won't matter if the 1st needs to be rebuilt again.

 

[Charlie99]

Genesis once bubbled...
For Deco regs you've got a different set of problems, but there, its a matter of water temperature than anything else - and if you need to swap a reg underwater on a bottle, a piston will probably survive that - a diaphram reg probably will be trashed by it and require an immediate teardown (if it works at all!)

Do you mean that a diaphram reg is likely not to work for the rest of the dive, or that it corrodes internal parts after the dive?

Just curiousity at this point since I'm not doing accelerated deco.