Well, Jim, good answer.  It saved you a pounding.

And now, for the rest of the story.

(insert your own Paul Harvey voice here)

Robert was a novice cave diver looking for experience.  You see, in his home
state, cave diving was all but unheard of, and competent cave diving buddies
were hard to find.  But as luck would have it, one day young Robert met up
with another cave diver and they began planning to make the 12 hour drive to
Mecca...Lake City, Florida.

One the eve of the fateful trip the two adventurers began loading Robert's
plush conversion van.  It was obvious that all of the gear for the odyssey
was not going to fit and the other diver offered to rent a U-haul trailer.
"No need", said the thrifty Robert "I have a trailer."  Well now this wasn't
your ordinary trailer.  No, this was a Sears fold up trailer made of sturdy
American made aluminum, complete with ten inch wheels and rated for 1000
pounds!

The trailer was quickly loaded with 2 sets of doubles, 8 stage bottles, 1
scooter, 3 T cylinders of oxygen, 2 sets of miscellaneous dive gear and one
Nikonos V and strobe packed neatly in a nifty Pelican case.  Now, as it
turned out, most of Robert's gear wound up in the van, and the other diver
was a little nervous about the capacity of the trailer.  He suggested
ditching the van, loading the excess gear into his truck and following
Robert to Florida, but Robert insisted the little trailer could do the job.

Off into the night our adventurers drove.  The dawn found them well within
Florida and doing a comfortable 70 mph down I-10.  As Robert drove, the
second diver rested on the bed in the back.  Suddenly, the unmistakable
sound of metal against asphalt shattered the calm and as the diver on the
bed looked out the rear window, he saw the trailer trying to pass Robert to
the left.  Now, Robert was in the left lane and this left little room for
the trailer to maneuver.  With it's tongue still attached to the trailer
hitch and now dragging on the pavement, the little trailer headed for the me
dian where it began flying through the air end of end.

By the time Robert was able to U-turn and get back to the scene of the
disaster, the smoke had pretty much cleared.  Gear was strewn over a 50 yard
long stretch.  It looked very much like those pictures you see of airplane
crash sites.  Amazingly, the oxygen cylinders did not explode.  The pelican
case did it's job.  The scooter case did it's job.  Most of the
miscellaneous gear was fine.  Despair had been replaced by hope.  That is
until the two divers sadly examined the doubles.  The set with the Dive-Rite
manifold and bands, though not leaking, were goners.  The top band had
failed and the manifold was now Z shaped where the relatively thin threaded
spool sections with the double barrel o rings had been bent.

Turning to the other set of doubles, the ones sporting the OMS manifold and
bands, the two were amazed! After digging the sod out of the valve outlets
and blowing them clean, it became apparent there was no damage!  None
whatsoever.  And Robert Laird and Jess Armantrout were able to successful
complete their pilgrimage.

And now you know, the REST of the story.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Cobb <cobber@ci*.co*>
To: Jess Armantrout <armantrout@wo*.at*.ne*>; Elinor Lucas & Matt
Abramovich <lucasabramovich@sp*.ca*>; Tech Diver <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
Date: Saturday, April 10, 1999 8:00 PM
Subject: Re: WTB: Used OMS iso manifold


>I would guess that 99% of my opinions are based on my personal
>experience. When I read George's opinion of OMS manifolds I partook to
>investigate one and found that he was probably correct in his opinion of
>said manifold. And, in my experience, I have found that Georges track
>record is similar to yours, therefore my post. I will admit that I have
>not used one or had one fail on me so I guess you got me on this one.
>
>   Jim
>
>Sender: Jess Armantrout  Date: 4/10/99 6:56 PM
>
>>negative.  I have yet to see the chief be proven incorrect on any thing to
>>do with gear, dive planning, or diving in general.
>>
>>Now then, answer me this.  Do you ever have an opinion of your own based
on
>>experience?
>>
>>Jess
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Jim Cobb <cobber@ci*.co*>
>>To: Jess Armantrout <armantrout@wo*.at*.ne*>; Elinor Lucas & Matt
>>Abramovich <lucasabramovich@sp*.ca*>; Tech Diver
<techdiver@aquanaut.com>
>>Date: Saturday, April 10, 1999 8:32 AM
>>Subject: Re: WTB: Used OMS iso manifold
>>
>>
>>>Ah, contention amongst the ranks. A good thing to see. Seems to me that
>>>the face ring on a DIN is a more robust fitting that the leverage the
>>>length of the isolator gives you for potential misalignment. Jess, I take
>>>it you are the team contrairian?
>>>
>>>   Jim
>>>
>>>Sender: Jess Armantrout  Date: 4/9/99 9:58 PM
>>>
>>>>face oring?  You mean like the oring on a din first stage?
>>>>
>>>>dual captured orings?  You mean like on the usdct scooter copies?
>>>>
>>>>Trout
>>>>
>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>From: Jim Cobb <cobber@ci*.co*>
>>>>To: Jesse Armantrout <armantrout@wo*.at*.ne*>; Elinor Lucas & Matt
>>>>Abramovich <lucasabramovich@sp*.ca*>; Tech Diver
>><techdiver@aquanaut.com>
>>>>Date: Friday, April 09, 1999 5:41 PM
>>>>Subject: Re: WTB: Used OMS iso manifold
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> To quote your fearless leader the OMS uses a face oring rathter than
>>>>>dual captured orings making them suspectable to leakage due to
>>>>>misalignment or damage.
>>>>>
>>>>>   Jim
>>>>>
>>>>>Sender: Jesse Armantrout  Date: 4/9/99 2:24 PM
>>>>>
>>>>>>My OMS manifold will be the last one I sell.  No, I do not have any
for
>>>>>>sale.  I was wondering your reasons why they are so bad.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Jess
>>>>>>
>>>>>>----------
>>>>>> From: Jim Cobb <cobber@ci*.co*>
>>>>>> To: Jess Armantrout <armantrout@wo*.at*.ne*>; Elinor Lucas &
Matt
>>>>>>Abramovich <lucasabramovich@sp*.ca*>; Tech Diver
>>>><techdiver@aquanaut.com>
>>>>>> Subject: Re: WTB: Used OMS iso manifold
>>>>>> Date: Friday, April 09, 1999 1:20 PM
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What, you do have some for sale? If they are so great why sell 'em?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    Jim
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sender: Jess Armantrout  Date: 4/8/99 11:20 PM
>>>>>>
>>>>>> >Really?
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >Trout
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >-----Original Message-----
>>>>>> >From: Jim Cobb <cobber@ci*.co*>
>>>>>> >To: Elinor Lucas & Matt Abramovich <lucasabramovich@sp*.ca*>; Tech
>>>>>>Diver
>>>>>> ><techdiver@aquanaut.com>
>>>>>> >Date: Thursday, April 08, 1999 6:55 PM
>>>>>> >Subject: Re: WTB: Used OMS iso manifold
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >>You're too late, the garbage man came last tuesday. Why would you
>>want
>>>>>>a
>>>>>> >>set of the worse manifolds ever made?
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >>Sender: Elinor Lucas & Matt Abramovich  Date: 4/8/99 1:05 PM
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >>>Just wondering if maybe one of you has one of these sitting around
>>in
>>>>>>the
>>>>>> >>>garage amidst the 5 sets of
>>>>>> >>>doubles, two Gavin scooters, 30 assorted stages, Halcyon
>>rebreather,
>>>>>>two
>>>>>> >>>TLS drysuits, 30 regs, 3 Barry Miller primary lights, 3
backplates,
>>>>>>three
>>>>>> >>>wings, masks, fins, backup lights, chargers, tools, analyzers,
>>etc.,
>>>>a
>>>>>>14
>>>>>> >>>foot jon
>>>>>> >>>boat and motor. ;-)        Hmmm, Trout, Joel?
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>Thanks,
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>Matt
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>-
>>>>--
>>>>>>-
>>>>>> >>>--------------------------------
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>My toys!  My toys!  I can't do this job without my toys!
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>> >> Learn About Trimix at
http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/trimix.html
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >>
>>>>>> >>--
>>>>>> >>Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to
>>>>`techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
>>>>>> >>Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to
>>>>>>`techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  -------------------------------------------------------------------
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>--
>>>>>>Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to
`techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
>>>>>>Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to
`techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>--
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------
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>>>
>>>
>>
>>--
>>Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
>>Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
>>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Learn About Trimix at http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/trimix.html
>
>

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