STA QUESTION?

[Mason Gierke]

I currently have a DiveRite BP/W with a sta, it seems really big and bulky and I will be using it for travel as well, has any one used the oxycheq mini sta, it is two piece, looks much more compact and is lighter. Just wondering if it holds the tank in place as well or if it seems to move around a bit. Or is there any other reason not to have a 2 piece sta?

 

[DavidFL]

My travel rig is a BP/W but no STA at all. Currently I'm using an aluminum freedom plate and a VDH wing. The wing has some built in rails that help stabilize the single tank. Last year I did a week long liveaboard with a HOG softplate and HOG wing that also has some built in stabilization.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I’ve seen those recently online and I’m curious as well. Deep 6 also has an interesting means of stabilizing a cylinder without an STA. Not sure how well it works as I’m in cold water and want the weight of an STA. But for warm water, I’m curious about these two options

 

[DavidFL]

Kosta, the HOG, Deep6, VDH (and maybe others) all use a similar approach on the wing: some kind of "rails" sewn into sleeves on both sides of the center of the wing. They work better with BP's that are "flat" (my own two examples are the HOG 'soft' plate and my current freedom plate). I'm currently using the aluminum freedom plate and VDH wing with a big HP133 tank in ocean drift dives (Jupiter / West Palm in Florida) without any issues. For cold water I use a steel BP and STA too, for both the weight and stability.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Thanks @DavidFL. I may try it in the lake by my house

 

[runsongas]

the oxycheq mini sta works well enough for liveaboards where you attach the tank once at the beginning of the trip and leave it on for the week. if you are swapping tanks a lot for day boats or shore diving, look at the lightweight single piece one instead.

OxyCheq - Light Weight Single Tank Adapter

 

[kablooey]

Yes, I own and use the oxycheq mini STAs.
I configure them with an aluminum cut-out backplate, a Hollis 25# wing, and Al80 cylinders for travel.
Sometimes with an ST72 if I'm just diving locally.

The Hollis 25# wing doesn't have slots for cam bands, so I have to use an STA.
I wanted something compact and ultra-light so I went with the oxycheq mini STAs after trying a couple other lightweight STAs.

For me they feel just as stable as a full STA.
I would not hesitate to recommend them for travel set ups.

K

 

[gr8jab]

OK, I'm a little confused. I don't have a (single tank) BP/W yet, so excuse my ignorance.

Why is a STA necessary if the wing doesn't have cam band slots? I'm looking at the DGX package, who's wing has no slots. If a STA was required, why wouldn't they include it in the package.

I thought that things were assembled by aligning the grommet holes in the wing with the holes in the backplate (and the shoulder strap cross-over grommet) and securing with bolts. I don't really understand the point of cam-band slots in the wing. Do people go without bolts, and therefore require slots in the wing? Do the bolts cause the tank (without STA) a spot to rub and flop around.

I thought the only purpose of the STA was to add stability to the tank and prevent it from shifting.

Please help me understand. Maybe describe the assembly process with (and without) STA?

 

[runsongas]

the dgx wing has slots (the open holes in the middle of the wing). you can go without the bolts if you have the cam bands threaded through the wing and the plate. the bolts help to keep everything in place for wings and plates that have oversize slots. oversize slots give you more leeway for alignment but the downside is that it can shift position without bolts to hold them in place.

sta is required for wings like the halcyon eclipse that do not have any slots or holes because you can't thread the cam bands through the wing without having to cut your own slots. also required for older plates that do not have holes for threading cam bands though they aren't as common anymore.

 

[JohnnyC]

OK, I'm a little confused. I don't have a (single tank) BP/W yet, so excuse my ignorance.

Why is a STA necessary if the wing doesn't have cam band slots? I'm looking at the DGX package, who's wing has no slots. If a STA was required, why wouldn't they include it in the package.

I thought that things were assembled by aligning the grommet holes in the wing with the holes in the backplate (and the shoulder strap cross-over grommet) and securing with bolts. I don't really understand the point of cam-band slots in the wing. Do people go without bolts, and therefore require slots in the wing? Do the bolts cause the tank (without STA) a spot to rub and flop around.

I thought the only purpose of the STA was to add stability to the tank and prevent it from shifting.

Please help me understand. Maybe describe the assembly process with (and without) STA?

Cam bands attach the tank to the rig. Plates and wings without cam band slots require them. Plates and wings with slots don't require them. Wings get bolted to the plate or they don't, for various reasons. It's not a requirement unless the use of an STA is required.