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Post by SeaRat on Sept 18, 2015 12:02:10 GMT -8
Mark,
First, I remember the Aquamatic's price as $37.95,, and that was in the early 1960s. I think it was marketed as a lower-end regulator, with the DX Overpressure (followed by the Streamair) in the middle and the DA Aquamaster at the top.
The Aq uamatic's first stage is very interesting. One of you sent me a first stage, and it is a downstream first stage! That means that as tank pressure got lower, so did the interstate pressure (balanced first stages were unknown at that time). It appears that it also had a restricted oriface built into it, so at low tank pressure there was a noticeable restriction in air flow! This was a weird regulator all around.
John
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 18, 2015 12:59:25 GMT -8
Mark, I don't know if you've ever watched the old show "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", but they had pony tanks the divers would use... The divers were using DH's, but they had SH's as backup. Use this to run your peripheries! It's the first season to watch, BTW... Hey, Eb, do these hoses look familiar? YUMP, they wuz uzin' Voit gear Jaybird
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Post by tomcatpc on Sept 18, 2015 13:38:15 GMT -8
Nope, never seen "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", but you can be I'll be looking that up in the next 45 minutes. Heard of it, never seen it (that I know of) yet.
It will be a while before I get to the stage where I need a pony bottle...but it is good that I have one when that comes, sometime in the distant future! Mark
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 18, 2015 14:07:52 GMT -8
Mark, OK, I think I was wrong about the pony tanks on the show, but still, watch it nonetheless! Was trying to find images for you, and I discovered two things: Voit wet suit, but check out the regulator dog! YUMP, it's a HW--totally awesome!!!!! A Scubair, but not a 300, still though... So, what the heck is that things strapped to his tank, is that a light, and what kind is it?!?!?!? Jaybird
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Post by tomcatpc on Sept 18, 2015 17:46:00 GMT -8
Sort of looks like a Sterno type stove... Or at least that my Dyslexic brain/eyes are telling me LOL!!!! Mark
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Post by SeaRat on Sept 20, 2015 22:36:01 GMT -8
A couple of things here; first, about Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea--that movie was mostly filmed topside, with artificial bubbles if my memory is correct. It was almost comical for someone who had already been scuba diving. Second, I have found the report on Oceanography that I put together for one of my teachers at North Salem High School, Salem, Oregon. Here is part of that 1961 school report: I went on to ask Dr. Frolander questions, and wrote out his answers. One of my questions was "What are the chances for employment?" His answer, "There is no unemployed oceanographers in the free world." What happened between that period in early high school, and my graduating with a degree in zoology where my major professor said I should get out of the field because "...there are no jobs," I don't know. But between the two I spent over two years at OSU, then four plus years in the USAF during Vietnam, and then came back to get an undergraduate degree in Zoology. Subsequently, I choose to stay an extra year and get a second BS degree in Health. What does all this have to do with the Aquamatic? Well, in this report I included cut-outs from diving catelogs, and one cut-out was of the diagrams of the internal workings of the Aquamatic regulator. Here it is: Note the weird valve design in both the first and second stages. It is a very interesting regulator from an engineering perspective. John
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 21, 2015 12:10:42 GMT -8
HUH... what the... the devil you say!?!?!? Wait, who designed this infernal contraption? It's not a wonder why this thing breathes, um, not-very-good: those are some whacked out principals contrived to make that thing work Jaybird
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Post by SeaRat on Sept 21, 2015 20:33:30 GMT -8
HUH... what the... the devil you say!?!?!? Wait, who designed this infernal contraption? It's not a wonder why this thing breathes, um, not-very-good: those are some whacked out principals contrived to make that thing work Jaybird Emile Gagnan designed the Aquamatic! patents.google.com/patent/US2886033A/en?q=emile+That was the applicable patent. However, this is the patent from to Aquamatic's cap: patents.google.com/patent/US2747572A/enI was playing around with my Aquamatic regulator this evening, and actually got it breathing okay (not good, just a "okay"). But as I was test breathing on it, suddenly there was a big hole in the diaphragm, with only outside air being exchanged! I took it apart, and the exhalation valve had fallen apart. This is one more good reason for not taking the Aquamatic into open water. John
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Post by SeaRat on Sept 23, 2015 22:43:36 GMT -8
I just glued the non-return back onto the diaphragm for my Aquamatic, and tested it out on the regulator. It breaths okay on inhalation, but is very poor for exhalation now (the glue reduced the flexiblity of the exhalation valve). But it's back together, and all original parts. However, I may be looking for a silicone version that I can stick into it, and maybe take it back into the pool this winter.
John
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Post by surflung on Sept 24, 2015 6:25:44 GMT -8
I downloaded a PDF of the 1961 Aqualung catalog from the VDH site and it has actually three tanks listed under the "Vigo" name. There's a 24 cf for $50, an 18 cf for $45, and a 38 cf for $69. It doesn't say anything about them being war surplus tanks but they're all pictured with the bushing reducer to fit a standard 1/2" tapered thread scuba valve.
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 24, 2015 7:21:36 GMT -8
"A couple of things here; first, about Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea--that movie was mostly filmed topside, with artificial bubbles if my memory is correct. It was almost comical for someone who had already been scuba diving."John, no, you're thinking of... Fantastic VoyageBoth are Irwin Allen films, FV is still pretty hard for me to choke down. They used real water with real divers for "Village at the Bottom of the Sea" that's what we call it at our house. Hmmm,I wonder if those wee-bonny tanks they have on in the image are the same size as wha'cher disgusting, um, I mean, discussing... JB
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Post by SeaRat on Oct 7, 2015 15:08:56 GMT -8
I got lucky a few weeks back, and snagged a Professional Aquamatic regulator off E-Bay. I have been looking for one of these for a while, and several have come up but I've passed on them. This one came up, and looked pretty good, so I bid late and fairly high, and get it. It is an Aquamatic first stage, and what looks like an original Calypso second stage, except the lever system inside is different. I've had it apart, and I don't think it's ever seen salt water. The only problem so far is that the mouthpiece was extremely hard, and split when it was removed. That's too bad, but I have others. The regulator, when pressurized, held pressure and was easy to adjust. More photos later. John
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Post by nikeajax on Oct 7, 2015 17:07:46 GMT -8
John, good for you I saw that and thought about it fer like a minute, "NAAAAAAAAAAAW, I don't need that!" I'm glad you got it though: I'm keeping my buys to off brand stuff. I saw a HW Scubair "B" and snatched it right up--curse you for getting me hooked on Healthways gear This is my second HW with this style body, with the really robust yoke, 3K and the "B" stands for... ballanced-- SHAZAM!Jaybird
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