Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
If you really want simple, the unbalanced piston fits that description. The IP tends to move with the tank pressure from too high above 3000 to normal at lower pressures, but you can get all of the gas down to the ambient minus IP at depth, which is all you can do with any reg. If you want swivel, which allows less hose length and more ease of stowing/deploying, you lose the simplicity and add a potential leaker, but can control that by the valve. If you are worried about blowing seats on a diaphram reg, well that is also taken care of by the valve. The one thing I can tell you is that the stage and deco regs ( same thing ) get more use, and will need more service. That would imply getting regs that are easy to service or need less service. You will find that the big thing with stage regs is to be sure to keep the air spool on the presure guage well lubricated so the it does not snap when you are turning the guage under pressure. One thing that is important to me is keeping the IP on all my regs low to minimize free flowing, gas wasting, and wear on the hoses and second stage seat . That means an adjustable reg. Some you have to remove the shims from to get the lower IP. I can also say that with helium, "performance" is meaningless, and in general all regs should be kept off the edge of "high performance". The only way to get an esier breather for deco use is to use an air balanced second stage. Actaully, most of the "feeling" of hard breathing at depth, at deco or over time is simply an oxygen partial pressure that is too high combined with the denser gas, not the regulator at all. This is why deep air divers always seem to want "high perfomance" regulators and why deep nitrox does not ever seem to breath too well on regs that worked perfectly at the surface. Another well-kept secret is that all regulators work pretty well - they are dead nuts simple decvices, so the dough factor may be as good a measuring device as any. Nardis316@ao*.co* wrote: > > I've been doing a bit of research on what opinions there are on using either a > diaphragm or a piston first stage on a stage bottle. I dug up a couple posts > that tended to favor piston regs because of their simplicity. > > I've been leading towards a diaphragm because of performance, but want to hear > all so as to I won't "Do It Wrong." > > Much Thanks, > Colin
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]