Okay, I'm mostly a lurker here, certainly *NOT* a tech diver and much less a machinist nor SCUBA repair/maintenance technician, but by following discussions around here, it comes to me that given the "current state of the art", it could be conceivable that someone could breathe argon by mistake (no need to describe what is the necessary mistake). A simple solution would be to use a different adapter (oxygen tanks already have a different kind of yoke) than air. But, of course, not everyone can easily modify, say, the diameter of argon tank/reg mating parts, so I think I have an idea. Instead of wasting 1000 words of babbling, I attached a small (it's smaller than most of my dive reports on rec-scuba) GIF file that will let you see what I mean. Okay, I know that tou shalt not post binaries on thy list, but as I do it on the weekend, it will not disturb the traffic on this list too much. For those who dislike, I apologize, and to those who don't, I thank you for your appreciation and look forward to your comments (no, I did not give extensive thoughts about it. I got the idea while biking to the diveshop yesterday, and I "thought" tested it while biking back). Now on with the explanation: I suppose that no one will have trouble making out the tank valve (V) from the regulator input (R). Now, between the two, say we insert thin "adapter" disks, here the yellowish inserts (Av and Ar). The two disks are fastened to the reg and the argon tank valve stem by whatever means (here, blue screws; I suppose that some kind of clip would be better) so not to lose the O-ring. It should be noted that this means of fixation is not bearing any gas pressure, it is only there to prevent loss of the adapter disks and/or o-rings (the light blue flattened dots). What those disks do is to widen the connection diameter, so one cannot accidentally hook an air reg to the argon tank. I am not aware of the easily available O-ring diameters, so finding the proper "new" diameter should be dictated by the size of easily available O-rings. And the "new" diameter does not necessarly have to be wider than the current SCUBA diameter. Of course, the total thickness should be kept as low as possible, to ensure that the regulator yoke still fits around the tank valve. Okay, I understand that this setup reduces the reliability of the hookup, as it triples the number of O-rings between tank and reg, and it adds two extra parts that could become bent or damaged, especially on the tank. But this is not as crucial as a breathing tank, and if it fails, not being able to add argon to the suit does not prevent you from ascending safely. To boot, if it fails, you just yank off the adapter rings and you still can use it as it was originally intended to. **** Here is the attached GIF file **** begin 644 ADARGON.GIF M1TE&.#=ATP!>`;,``/___\S,_YF9_S-F_V9,_[.SYO^S`,R````````````` M`````````````````````"P`````TP!>`0,$_Q#(2:N]..O-N_]@*(YD:9YH MJJYLZ[YP+,]T;=]XKN]\[__`H'!(0QB/R"22R&QRE-#H8$JM6JO1[-+)56F- MU[!X3"Z3O]WTT\QNN]]FA'I^0<#O^/R9SI?8]8"!<')]='^"B(EAA(5IAXJ0 MD(R-3H^1EX&3E$R6F)YWFIM"G9^E;J&B/Z2FK'NI0ZNMLE:HKSNQL[E3M;8X MN+JSO+TVO\"MPL,SQ<;'R;?,T%3(SB_+T9_3U"S6U]C:Q-W1V=\HW.&7X^0F MYN>2ZC+L[>[OU?+,Z?0@\?:(^/D=^_CU^[<BH,!,!+T<!.8O89V%QAHZI&`0 MHAZ)$_U8U(5Q8L6->?\Z)OP($E1&$21+OA'Y+Z7*E2<_N'S9AB6]F33CQ`28 M,Y=-<CA[EOGY+:C0,42I&3V*=&>&I4P7.<4`-2JMJ52MEDJJK6I4KD6U1@(+ M5&PBLNJ\OD3[3BU(MC?-XH&;[XO=NYGNZHV"E<M'NGW](@SL<3#AD88/MTRL M."X@P(U',8Y<]C'ENI,O*\VL.=G?SFDY@[;U>717T:9%E4[M&37K1JM?DW8M MFT_LVJIIXU9S>S=LW;X%6PZ^J3=Q0\"/$S&NW%'RYD&80Z_T?+H/Z=:75\_^ M;#CW+MB_`PDO_OKV\N"\H]>N?KWD]N['GX\?@SS]&_;OU\BO7]G\_MO\!Z#_ M0O`-Z(N`!I[`7X(M+,A@00*@^.(*#$I83887Z7"CA7F`\QB&&`"@AP(@DEFBB M`'^=J"*)2@!XQ(HPFIABC#0>$9\1-.8XXHPZQFB$>"_VF"./0L)H(W0X%JDC MD4H:"5E+"#39(Y-2KO@C;DE6.60F6B[YI%)=3LEEF$.R%B696SZ&9IF@9;FF MD6.^Z:1F9\KI8YQV6DE9G7E:B6>?,D;&)Z`G4DGHCE\:<BB<:BZJ8J*...IG MHY(&.M6@E>[X9Z8H.H4IIX96"BDGG!:Z*:@Q?8HFAWGI!>BHT;V9A$S))2%K M1JHJ>21*\P49)JP]Y"KDE2506(&;50*K@[!>IF"L_P7(-JDL?K]"6"`)S+*9 MEI;$.JNA']D:V1:W+CRK0;AZ%I4L6N:>BVZAZDI;W[?02CDM#.]:6L^USB;K M3+XETM7N$_[V`C"+_O'K1<&O'-QIPA<IP[!J]NY'+U43PU:QQ0H7E'$?#G\Y ML$P;:RQO>A$34[)M'\_;\38M^U4PAS0KT6K--?L1<Q,A3X```4`'+?301!=M M--`=#O+ST4PW730C/<_A\,,A.FWUU00D'<?26'?]M,\[CS(QUUZ7+;36BY!M MMMF33'TOP2?[O/;<0:.]B]IT>]UVV*JL[$?>>2=M!.!T:^)V)7[_37CA@R\^ M=RB'+]<RWHY7;OG1D),+2__BBE_N^>=GU\&W+S%3#OKIA-<2>=^<=X[ZZZEC MW'H.JT,+^^V`\U+[+6&;COOO3@NS*.^F]`V]\U\*/CJ_F3QWO?/`;#+\?\U0] M;[W1R$@.\>B^7W_\--HOKWSWW@.?3?CE4M]\^>6?K[[XLQ_+?OL>3$TU_/%3 M-+_WX]A_?_K*<]W^OD>R`$[H?><:H/7P83]V=8F!"GP>`Q\(P/S9+H($U`<" MUT%!?6`P@P4*(-Q$*,`/PJXA_B-*`R=D0O,=D(2RLV#U6H@[C*Q003"4&PUO MUQ'T`62#`-DA#XL%Q!'*<(9"1%T/BQ@])D8OB:\3B0_/Y<0$0O%T4JRBZ(ZX MOBO_?HXE4]QBW(KE1="!,8=A?&(9/6>3-%*$BU9<H^5^$K40ZLI9[1L:^;[8 M+SC644%Y/!L(<3A&(P[+"X&LVR`Y6$@JPC&.U^/:'OG8QT;&L$A)F>0)%;E( M1M[QAY;$UOQ^IDDV>BR4]4(E2D:9-0F>\I--5.4J6>G*A<E29[?T("V=QY4_ M7O*0!9'CY7II05\"4IB5(^8M#P:64B+3:LJ$Y2^GU*!G.BZ:F(RE-/%HS=C! 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M-,#K$VH#N-SE%2>&GU\.\Y%3Z]D.+TC+:1YSDHN9Y@;H^<W__PU=>.S\Y4)7 MQLQY;G.5X7SE^%("T%%.#*GS_./$([J-\3-U6'2==5I'LS*LCG2LCYWL,#>[ MT\,^8'@`_>UO%QG<YX[T9:F\Z/6A^]SEKG>XJ_#.EX9Z-?H>=V(0OO#.`KRO M<SZA;B'@\#PW/.3K[C-/Y[IM(4(PQ^&];3XW>_(PESSHFRTXRU.%V:J[^]:Q MM8HC^+W@H=\/S&'O]]:;OMV[UIWJQ;Z.H"^"[A/?\..#+OG@7UCOI'@\^'2M M^Z?C'5LPIP7RH1#[(J0=[7Z7/O&WO87FLQW+!4&Z-/J.K.'SO?R$+S#EU]UN M[^>6\W40_R[(/RCS%[_^Z1]_]4_?_O^'?C_`#2)_4T9_,K)_;A=T^$=^^K=] M,]9P@I=I1^!Y7R`CA?9IOH(H=B&!#`=^-<9[WK(+AC0M];<&()ARSK=Z,B$% MFZ8%SD4[%)B!*TAJGO1^C.=_`2,-\(<MTH*#J?5;)^B!&F0JNY"#+X1)/-B" M1/2#;9=@CW*$SV>"1CB$/4A(__=@5'B#4OB`U;"#6=A=ZA5X3WAH0CAE1(@2 M7$B&4SB#>!:&H"0C3HB"^",F76AE/EB%HW6%+/*&0`B%PZ*'_Y.$=OA=7X@B M?LB!0]>'<[@CMA2(::B&+!(M>QB'4P*)?ZB#2FB(EB@G(I@G*K1[0X(S6<") MP<*)H`@%GIC_*?YSAUDG*Z6"A+V&BJ+(`ZGX**WHA>XF*K'(.W8RBQUTBY+" MBZZX=JQ8BXIX9;BXBZ.XB\18C+[H*,!HBW:GC,N8>M.8B]&HB<M8B;)5C<@H MBYR8C=1(C,](A]<XC.+H78<RCLQ8CFNBCHQ(*.H8`"(8`-)XCL;XBW(2`/(8 M+/J(C=.(CO#X)OJXC[(XD.98B^&(D&LRD`1Y"PS9CN`(D*^")@S9D(U7@0!1 MD:L2D??HC&12D1:)$KA7/R!))NY(@^(8)B`9D@DV*@_$D<VX*/ZSDBPI M:?WVDC"9+#*9:K!8)39YDRF(D4\0E-S2D_ZFD%(2E$)9/[RF#TS)_Y/_V)$T MN91,*46HAA),28_2@I0*=""I-LI5-"1`YJ9-&J2M>^8K'*"1B60XNZ0%BB993 M.9/I6"1M*01Q.2QIN8TIV2-W.01YN21[>9)ZJ2-_202!62.#"8Z&N95=D)A& MLIC<&".'Z02028MSZ9-KN2*5R067*2.2V9><Z9A\\)DL$II*J2*=J0:FB2*H MV8JJLIIS8)J$"8:PJ9JDN0F?69NJ5HJ^B00G(IM]<)F_69QO\TO"60B0>9P\ M4R+)V0B)R9RD,B+/20F!*9V2(P#5J9M;N8Z$$27;*0IQB9VP$)ZI();D.0JY M20];F9[1P90.<96"$I09$93N.1XV&1,V>4^?JK"23K&2_'D=((D5(!F@_,B0 M@5&1!EJ0`WD8#+F@#JF/C3&0$+HL$AH9^EBAM!,`FC&6.Z&AP2(H;2*BG0&B 1('*B*)JB*KJB+-JB.A`!`#N0 ` end ****** End of attached GIF file ****** ---========================================================--- Handy pocket Whitehouse internet directory Bill Clinton: President@Wh*.go* Al Gore: VicePresident@Wh*.go* Hillary Clinton: Root@wh*.go* Socks the Cat UUCP@wh*.go* ---========================================================--- Marc Dufour, alias mdufour@ca*.or* depuis 1994 [\] ACUC 6 31874 http://WWW.CAM.ORG/~mdufour
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