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Post by Dennis on Nov 25, 2003 3:22:10 GMT -8
My intent is not to test a yoke to destruction. (Laughing) I have this image of Tom in his basement, wearing a white lab coat and looking like like Dr. Frankenstein. The regulator yoke is shrieking as Tom turns a tank valve. The pressure is 4000 and climbing. 5000 and climbing ...... The horror! The horror!
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Post by John C Ratliff on Dec 16, 2003 20:51:03 GMT -8
I have some comments on DA Aquamaster and Mistral for 3000 psi systems. I went through the U.S. Navy School of Underwater Swimmers in Key West, FL in 1967. We used the twin aluminum 90 ft3 tanks, at 3000 psi, and the DA Aquamaster. We logged all our dives starting at 3000 psi. The DA Aquamaster does just fine at that pressure, and breaths pretty well (but I was younger then too). Put it this way, it breaths better at 3000 psi than a Mistral does at 2250 psi. The US Navy Diving Manual, 1970 edition on page 551 states: "The demand-regulator assembly is a two-stage mechanism that reduces the air pressure in the cylinder-block manifold assembly to a breathable pressure at the mouthpiece of the Aqua-Lung. The first regulation stage reduces the 3,000 psi from the air cylinders to approximately 110 psi. The second regulation stage reduces the 110-psi pressure to a pressure at the Aqua-Lung mouthpiece eqal to the pressure of the surrounding environment." They go on to show, in FIGURE D-9, the older-style yolk of the DA Aquamaster. My understanding is that it is not the yolk that is the limiting factor, but the size of the threads in the yolk and screw that limit the pressure it can take. If you look at the DA Aquamaster, and compare it to other system designed for 2400 psi systems, you will see the threads are smaller on the other systems. I'm right now comparing my Sportsways Waterlung Hydro-Twin to the DA Aquamaster, and the difference is striking. There is one down-side to using the DA Aquamaster on a 3000 psi system; I have one with the USD wheel rather than the "T" screw, and the wheel doesn't like to release from the higher pressures as well Now, concerning the Mistral; don't use it on a system with pressure greater than 2250 psi. It won't hurt the yolk, but it could damage the seat. I ruined one of mine on just such a test:-[ This was a USD system, and not a LaSpiro (I don't know whether their seats are the same or not). 'Hope this helps. John (also known as SeaRat on ScubaForum)
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