|
|
Post by nikeajax on Jul 30, 2014 15:53:48 GMT -8
Okay, I was tryin' ta fin' more info 'bout my latest Healthways reg, so I was lookin' at the Scubapro site and was reading about the Pilot. Here what it said: "The Pilot regulator is the only American made Regulator with a servo operated second stage." Here is a link to SP's timeline... www.scubapro.com/en-US/USA/regulators-timeline-eng.aspx Gosh, I thought that the Tekna had a pilot-valve too: am I misinformed/mistaken?  Jaybird |
|
|
|
Post by scubadiverbob on Jul 30, 2014 18:16:04 GMT -8
"Those old things will kill you..." sorta holds true for the Tekna regulator pictured. I bought one, straight from the factory, when they first came out and at 70 ft. it flew out of my mouth. Grabbed it and breathed the bubbles all the way to the surface. It was sent right back to the factory, and after repair, did the same thing all over again. Sent it back and got a refund! (this might get some upset at me for posting this; but, I bet that's why they are no longer in business)
I've never dove the ScubaPro Pilot; but, hear it's a good regulator.
I like the Tekna gauges with the bottom timer, and knife. Only problem, was anyone ever able to change the battery on the bottom timer?
Robert
|
|
|
|
Post by nikeajax on Jul 31, 2014 10:54:28 GMT -8
Hmmmm, looking at Basic Scuba, the Demone Mk-I & II were both pilot valved... Could it be our friends at SP are just a little too proud of them selves?
Jaybird
|
|
|
|
Post by vintagefrank on Jul 31, 2014 13:53:13 GMT -8
Hi Jaybird,
not to proud but just fixed to the moment when the Pilot was offered. This Statement is from the 1977 catalog and was correct at that time - Demone was earlier, Tekna later.
But to copy this Statement nowadays is quite wrong....
|
|
|
|
Post by nikeajax on Jul 31, 2014 15:10:27 GMT -8
Frank, I wasn't quite sure what you were saying, but I edited my post anyway, with the assumption that copying their copyrighted text wasn't legal... gotta keep Linda happy  But... you did clear something up for me, and thank you  Their text is EXTREMELY misleading, though. That's like saying the Chance Vought F4U Corsair is the fastest airplane in the world... well, it was at one time!  Jaybird |
|
|
|
Post by vintagefrank on Aug 1, 2014 7:20:44 GMT -8
Hi Jaybird,
sorry, my answer was a bit short due to time. In 1977 it was the only Pilot reg from the US that was produced at this time. So they were quite right. But when they now just use this today it is not right. Today we have the Oceanic regs as the only present Pilot regs and if we consider the past ones it is not the only one.
Think you have that text from Scubapromuseum. They just did not think about ist when they used the old text or they didn´t know better...
I have no Copyright Problems and you shouldn´t have either....
|
|
|
|
Post by nikeajax on Aug 1, 2014 9:06:35 GMT -8
I have a Tekna that I'm going to play with trying to rebuild the servo: know anyone that's had any luck with it? I'd heard that the Tekna folks said not to do this...
Jaybird
|
|
|
|
Post by rhwestfall on Aug 1, 2014 10:09:51 GMT -8
mine (like the one shown above) went in the trash about 6 or 7 months ago. It had been buried in a box for, hmmm, well, since 1988 when i scrounged it up... some time since then, the plastic ring that held the guts in the regulator body had cracked on its own. Didn't think I stood a chance in finding parts, and I was unsure I wanted to. IMHO, there are much better old/older regulator choices.....
|
|
|
|
Post by nikeajax on Aug 1, 2014 10:26:10 GMT -8
I totally get where you're coming from, but for me it's the challenge... I like to know how things work, and since this was a company from the San Francisco Bay Area, I like the idea even more! Farallon was basically the same company: the Farallon Islands can be seen, on a clear day, from San Francisco. I think if I ever made a regulator it would be called the Cordell: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordell_Bank_National_Marine_SanctuaryJaybird |
|
|
|
Post by rhwestfall on Aug 1, 2014 11:17:08 GMT -8
Had it been a 2100 (metal body) rather than a "B", I likely would have tinkered with it. IIRC some 15 years ago, when I put it on a first stage I had, and hooked it up to a tank, it was slightly (or worse) leaking, and standing in my family room, it was like sucking a golf ball through a garden hose. Couldn't imagine what it would do, even in the 4' deep pool. It was quickly disconnected, tossed back in the bin, and other regs were brought out to "play with"......
I get it as to the "from here" appeal......
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2014 18:17:08 GMT -8
I posted an answer here once already and it is now gone.........anyway I have two 2100B's.......one a spare and one I have used since 1978/79.......Never had a issue that was not of my own making..........It always gave me more air than I can use, could never over breath it, and still provides more air than any regulator I have used, including my RAM Mk3, (except on my back).
Issues,
1. I over tightened the ring in front that houses the purge button, spring and diaphragm and it cracked the housing..........a bit of super glue solved that problem of weak plastic but I did not reassemble it properly.
2. In doing the repair I did not screw the ring down to bottom. I left about 1/32" gap to prevent further cracking......this made a major difference when I jumped off the side of a dive boat.......it was just like sucking a golf ball through a garden hose........back on board and a quick adjustment later in the day solved that issue. The reason I found later, detailed a disk attached to the back of the diaphragm with a small protruding staff with a hole in it for the lever rod of the actual Pilot Valve. If the whole assembly is not screwed down flush with the body, the lever rod is off kilter forward (away from your face) but not so much as to allow the pilot valve to open.....therefore, when you inhale, the lever rod has to travel almost twice the distance to open the pilot valve and actuate the pneumatic valve that provides the air......the feeling of sucking a golf ball is an apt description.
3. Due to the hard sucking effort I bit through my silicon mouthpiece tooth support and found it buried under the exhaust diaphragm. Another correction made when returning home.
These were issues I caused, not the design. Mine both have the metal ring holding the "guts" inside.
I would not use a regulator that I have some concerns over, such as my oldest sons USD Gulf regulator that I could over breath......was using it in place of my Tekna after the self induced malfunction on that first day in the Flower Gardens........over breathed the Gulf when chasing down to photograph the turtle I now use as my Logo, I gave it back to him with the suggestion he sell it.
You folks who have had bad luck, I can not dispute what issues you had as I do not know the condition or circumstances of your particular 2100B......but for me, the Tekna 2100B was one of the best deep diving and breathing regs ever produced. A highly engineered piece of equipment that, I guess like the M16, needs to be treated with respect for tight tolerances and not banged around like one can with most modern regs, or it won't provide you a good service. It ain't a loosey Goosey Gov. 1911, but a highly tuned race gun.
If I ever can get back into the water, I expect my two units will continue to provide me the confidence I always had of them..........either as stand alone units or as octos on my Mk4.
|
|
|
|
Post by nikeajax on Aug 2, 2014 13:10:23 GMT -8
Yep, I have a "B" as well, and the area where the valve goes into the body is completely fractured. I'm going to epoxy it back together. I got this second stage from Sitka-Dave: it was attached to a Dacor Dart-I first stage. He said that it was free flowing: I have since discovered that the valve seat was very worn out, so I will resurface it, as I did very successfully with my Dacor C3 Clipper. People seem to really love the Tekna or despise them, but I believe their hatred is usually derived from regs that have been abused, but it sounds like Robert's was a lemon...
Jaybird
|
|
|
|
Post by scubadiverbob on Aug 7, 2014 8:35:46 GMT -8
The 2100B I had was brand new, straight from the factory. I considered myself lucky they gave me all my money back after they couldn't fix it the second time it was sent back. Never dove another one after all that. Ok, that's my experience with them.
I wanted to buy a Poseidon (also a side breather); but, at the time the Tekna was newer, and cheaper.
|
|
|
|
Post by scubadiverbob on Aug 7, 2014 8:37:59 GMT -8
Thinking about it, maybe since it was new on the market, they were still working all the bugs out of it, and I just got stuck with a lemon ... don't know. It was so long ago.
|
|
|
|
Post by SeaRat on Aug 7, 2014 11:36:19 GMT -8
I haven't chimed in here because I have never used a pilot-valve second stage. My closest is the A.I.R.I, but that is a more conventional balanced downstream valve, and not a pilot tilt-valve design. However, saying that, it is a direct descendant of the Scubapro Pilot, and I really like the A.I.R. I.
John
|
|
Their text is EXTREMELY misleading, though. That's like saying the Chance Vought F4U Corsair is the fastest airplane in the world... well, it was at one time! 
