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This is a resend as I've had email problems...
Danilo
I hope you don't mind me forwarding my reply to the list as it may be of
interest to others.
>I'll be in the UK in a couple of weeks and I'm thinking
>seriously in the
>version you appointed. Could you please forward me more details?
Apeks are a UK company. Their telephone number is:
Work +44 1254 692200
The usual Apeks valves list at around 255 UKP and these are excellent,
Zeagle badge them in the USA. I have their catalogue in front of me.
FIRST STAGES
They run an Interstage pressure of 9.5 ( 0.5 bar.
The usual first stage you will see is the DST which is dry sealed and
swivel turreted. It has 4 LP ports and one 2 HP ports. One of the LP
ports is over sized for an oversized hose. This is NOT needed and
included only for marketing reasons (idiots think they are better). It
means that you have to use an adapter or buy a special hose. They have
recently introduced the TX100 first stage which looks really sexy - but I
would like to check the hose routing with a set of doubles. As 2 of the
LP ports are very much pointing directly down - this would be superb on
the long hose but could cause a problem with the backup and HP hose - too
much of a bend routing over the wing. I am not saying it *is* a problem,
only that I would want to check this out.
Their first stages are available in DIN and A-Clamp. Obviously DIN is
the only sane option.
I dive cold (3 deg C) water in the winter months and previously used
Oceanic balanced diaphragm first stages i.e. not environmentally sealed.
I never had a first stage free flow - I am not saying that these do not
happen but that I am comfortable with my ability to deal with it and that
the likelihood is low. Looking at other divers and my experience, it
always seems to be the second stage that freeflows. I took the decision
that I do not need an environmentally sealed first stage - this increases
the bulk, cost and maintenance cost of the first stage - minor points.
I did not want turrets as these have additional O-Rings that could fail.
I also did not want an oversized LP port. This left me with the US4
Apeks reg. which has 4 LP ports (standard size) and one HP port. This is
compact and cheap (price was not an issue). The only problem with this
first stage is in the positioning of the HP hose on the backup reg. With
my setup of twin 12 Litre cylinders and Dive Rite original Wing, the HP
port is very close to the top of the wing and the HP hose has to be bent
over the wing or the reg. twisted slightly to the outside (i.e. off
horizontal) to give a better hose routing. This is a *very minor point*
but I mention it if only to find something to complain about with these
regs as they as otherwise superb.
SECOND STAGE
There is the TX50, TX40 and TX20. Forget the TX20. The other two have
venturi controls. The TX50 has a breathing resistance adjustment knob to
the left of the regulator. "A friend of mine" owned a Dacor regulator
and had numerous problems with this adjuster if it was not serviced every
9 months or so. It used to weep air and this was annoying. I spoke to a
person that maintains regulators and one point he made was that when user
adjusts the resistance knob, it is often not adjusted again for some
time. In saltwater, salt crystals can build up around the O-Ring of the
breathing resistance adjuster even if it is well washed (mine are). When
it is eventually re-adjusted, these crystals can break off and affect the
performance of the O-Ring. This seemed a plausible explanation of the
problem with my (oops "my friend's") Dacor. It has to be said that the
Apeks adjuster is really solid and well engineered but I decided that a
properly adjusted (in the shop) regulator was the one for me. So I
bought the TX40.
Naturally, I have to look cool so I bought it in Stealth Ninja Black and
in O2 service. Not the day glow yellow and green.
I have 4 Apeks regs: one 7' hose (primary), 1 standard hose (backup) and
2 octopus length hose (stage bottles). I paid around 130 UKP. Note that
this was nearly a year ago and I bought a whole pile of other kit (for
myself and others) at the time so was able to negotiate a very good deal
so I am not suggesting that you or I would be able to get this price
today. It is always best to buy your kit locally and develop a
relationship with your shop providing you have one that is sound.
>Do you really think it's better than the poseidon jetstream?
I have only breathed the a Jetstream at 30 m whilst my buddy and myself
were practising buddy breathing so I can't really say how it performs.
My buddy does not like the Jetstream and is planning to buy another
reg., probably Apeks (he has some already). The main problem with
Poseidon's so he tells me, is that they need use and servicing regularly
and are expensive to service. 70 UKP is not unrealistic. Think about
this. You could buy an Apeks for 130 UKP dive it a year. Sell it for 60
UKP and buy new again and this would be the same annual costs as
maintaining a Poseidon. You also have a better reg. However, I think
people who do proper cold water diving would argue that the Poseidon is
more reliable in really cold water - I would defer to the Canadians and
Scandaweegians on this matter.
PERFORMANCE
I have dived to 55 m on air with the Apeks and it breaths superbly.
Before I get flamed this was before reset my air depth limit to a
shallower depth. On Trimix I have breathed the reg. to 105 m and again
it performed superbly. At 90 m I realised that the venturi adjuster was
on the worst setting but the reg. was breathing fine - the venturi really
only makes a big difference if you are breathing heavy. Obviously helium
make a big difference to any regulator's performance but at with the
correct gases for the depth you are diving the Apeks is superb.
>If possible, may I have the directions of the shop you purchased
>it?
Runnymede Dive
Unit 11, Eversley Way
Thorpe Industrial Estate
Egham
Surrey
TW20 8RG
UK
+44 1784 436909
This is an excellent shop (Mixed Gas available) and I recommend it.
Mention my name as the brownie points are always worth having :).
Directions are a bit complex. Let me know where you will be staying in
the UK and send me a fax number for next week and I'll see if I can get
some directions to you on Monday.
David Shimell
Project Manager, Sequent Computer Systems Ltd, Weybridge, UK
Email: shimell@se*.co*
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