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Post by SeaRat on Nov 19, 2004 21:17:36 GMT -8
I have owned a Dacor Dart since about 1972, and dived it a lot in the mid-1970's. About 1977 I decided to give a friend the first stage, as he had a piston first stage that really did not have good flow characteristics. So we made a composite regulator, and I kept my Dacor Dart second stage.
I've had it ever since, and about six months ago decided to go to EBay to buy a Dacor Dart. My first try failed, as in the last 20 minutes someone came in and uped the bid. On my second try, I stayed at the computer, but again I failed as someone came in with less than one minute left, and aced me. I couldn't get in soon enough to get it. But, third try is a charm (thanks Sam, for the heads up about more being there). I had two choices, and picked the one I thought others would not want. I got it for $32, which is about half the price of a new one in 1972.
I got it about a week ago, and it held a surprise. It needs a good cleaning, and a sintered filter, but that about it. When I readjusted the lever system (someone had messed with it), it stopped leaking and sealed up.
But what surprised me was that there are two models of the Dacor Dart. I have what is undoubtedly the first, as it has four holes that let the air go into the mouthpiece. The venturi is not too good, which is why I stopped using it. The second model has a completely redesigned interior, with one hole (oblong) which shoots into a curved piece of metal that effectively funnels the air straight into the mouthpiece. The second stage fittings, the poppet, and the valve stem were also all redesigned.
Does anyone have a history on the Dacor Dart that they would like to share here. It was Dacor's first venture into a single hose regulator, and had a very interesting compound lever system in the second stage. I'd surely like to know more about who did the design work, how they came to modify it, what testing was done to improve it, and anything else about the regulator.
John
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Post by SeaRat on Nov 21, 2004 15:07:24 GMT -8
Well, I have successfully cleaned and repaired the Dacor Dart regulator, and put it in the water. Before doing that, I also replaced the diaphragm for the second stage as it was molded into a form that added breathing resistence. It performs well with the new diaphragm, except for one thing. It "honks!" That's right, it makes a honking noise when I inhale. I'm going to put the old one on it to see whether the "honking" goes away. But it seems like they may have inadvertently set up a noise within the regulator when they made the modifications to inclease its performance. If so, then this would be a very good reason to abandon the design, and go with a totally new one, the Olympic series.
John
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Post by SeaRat on Nov 21, 2004 16:59:39 GMT -8
It isn't the diaphragm, nor is it the lever setting; the Dacor folks inadventently designed a "honker" in their redesign of the Dacor Dart. It breaths easily, but is really noisy too. I'll try to get my other second stage, with the original design, going too and then will report on the differences.
John
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Post by Jerry Lang on Nov 22, 2004 5:22:36 GMT -8
Hi,
I owned Dacor Dart 1963 model,it honked dacor said it was the first stage intermediate pressure spring.
I have it in writing here somewhere.
Mike Nelson was right double hose are the best!!!!!!!
J Lang
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Post by SeaRat on Nov 23, 2004 23:14:09 GMT -8
Jerry,
Thanks for the info. I did some testing yesterday, and it is definately not the first stage that is honking. It is the second stage, and when I replaced the Dart second stage with a White Stag (Sportsways) second stage, the honking went away. I put the Dart second stage back on, and decreased the interstage pressure, and the honking got went away as the breathing resistence went up and performance went down. But at optimal intermediate pressure for performance, it really is noisy.
I think that may make it a great octopus. That way, you would really know when someone went to use that octopus. Everyone within about 10 meters (33 feet) would hear it;)
So far as the superiority of the double hose regualator, the Dart did not breath as well as the R-4; double hose regs of that era were superior to almost all the single hose regs of that era. This is because the single hose regs had an exhalation resistance that was too high (too small an exhalation opening).
John
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 22, 2015 11:29:46 GMT -8
Dang, I jus' gotta quit doin' this:  Fer 10bux, an another 17bux shippin', I jus' could'na resist: I'm such a sucker fer old single hosers, 'specially Dacor an' Healthways, an' when they got their SPG's, my brain kinda turns inta moosh. I'd been watchin' it fer a while, but last night the seller lowered the price to 5bux, an' 10bux buy it now. Someone else was watchin' it too, was that you DD? Jaybird |
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Post by diverdon on Feb 22, 2015 16:53:04 GMT -8
You know me too well JB. Good score btw. Hope it works out for ya. An 11 year old thread. That's gotta be a record  Btw, I got my Olympic all tuned up and ready for the CVS this summer. Too bad it's -8 out right now. DD |
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 22, 2015 17:08:46 GMT -8
Unfortunately it's about 65 and sunny here: it's supposed to be wet and rainy: man summer's gunna suck... DRY DRY DRY DRY!!!!! Not looking forward to fire season: I bet this is gunna keep us from diving with the salmon this fall with Terry and Robert too, 'cause there ain't gunna be much water  Jaybird |
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Post by SeaRat on Feb 22, 2015 18:43:21 GMT -8
Yes, we're going to be hurting for water up here in Oregon too this summer, unless it gets both cold and wet (snow); we currently only have about 7% of normal for our snow pack in the Cascades near Portland.
Good score on the Dacor Dart. This looks to be the first generation of the Dart, which was not too bad. It needs to be adjusted at about 500 psig, as it is an unbalanced diaphragm and the IP goes up as the tank pressure falls. I hope the diaphragm is not too rigid, or you may need to use a later generation silicone diaphragm from a Dacor single hose to make it work well.
John
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 22, 2015 20:48:02 GMT -8
I believe this is the second generation, as it has the blue label and it says D2. Last time I was at my LDS, I saw that he had NOS diaphragms for them  Jaybird |
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 25, 2015 16:31:12 GMT -8
John, I see now what you mean about the diaphragm--UFF DA! But here it is:  I'm going to put two more LP ports on it to use as a stand alone, but I may use this to run the peripheries on this set up, instead of the HW in the image:  Jaybird |
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 25, 2015 16:56:40 GMT -8
Correction, it only need one more LP port in it, as it has two already! Which brings up a question, why did USD wait so long to put extra ports in for peripheries, that being one LP and one HP? Sportsways had three LP ports and one HP with their Navy Unit, Healthways one HP and two LP's, as did Dacor in the early to mid-1960's.
At what point did people actually start using an octo?
Jaybird
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Post by SeaRat on Feb 25, 2015 18:15:40 GMT -8
Jaybird, my first dive with an octopus was on February 14, 1975 diving with Larry murphy in Warm Mineral Springs. Larry was the Dive Master for the Warm Mineral Springs Underwater Archeological Project, and he insisted that I use an octopus. He even gave me a screw-in device which converted my MR-12 single LP port on one side to three. Here's what I wrote:
That was the first time I had ever use an octopus regulator. Since it was technically a cave dive (the springs really weren't a cave, until we got very deep), the octopus was required for this project.
John
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 26, 2015 12:32:36 GMT -8
Honk-nuthin', that thing squeals like a stuck pig! Yeah, I'll rig up a new silicone diaphragm for it as well: it'll definitely be used to run the peripheries. Dang, the Healthways walks all over this thing--YIKES!
Jaybird
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 26, 2015 13:21:04 GMT -8
I just got off he phone with Jim Steele and he said it's probably the big spring in the first stage that's causing it to squeal: he said it's a super fast vibration causing a harmonic. He suggested pulling out the spring, flipping it over and adding silicone grease to the seating areas; gunna try it  Jaybird |
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