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Post by technidiver on Jan 24, 2019 19:57:42 GMT -8
What's your favourite brand and style of J Valve? What would you recommend if I were to purchase one? Let me know!
TD
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Post by scubalawyer on Jan 24, 2019 20:19:52 GMT -8
What's your favourite brand and style of J Valve? What would you recommend if I were to purchase one? Let me know! TD My all-time favorite: USD J-60 pillar valve. My second all-time favorite: Dacor w/HP port (so I can use a SPG with my single stage DH regs that don't have long yokes for banjo - Mistral, Polaris, VCR-2...).
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Post by cnotthoff on Jan 24, 2019 20:20:15 GMT -8
I'm gonna say you need some more DCAR valves. That's cuz I got a few. I also have a few US Divers, Dacor, and maybe a Sherwood? I'll check my bone pile. All we need to do is figure out how to get them to you.
Good Dives, Charlie
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Post by technidiver on Jan 24, 2019 20:38:07 GMT -8
Aren't the US Divers Pillar valves prone to failure, the valve freezes open unless you give it a quarter turn?
Also, are parts available for the Dacor valves? The idea of having a port for HP for regs without a long yoke and banjo is appealing.
TD
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Post by scubalawyer on Jan 24, 2019 21:25:13 GMT -8
Aren't the US Divers Pillar valves prone to failure, the valve freezes open unless you give it a quarter turn? Also, are parts available for the Dacor valves? The idea of having a port for HP for regs without a long yoke and banjo is appealing. TD I've used pillar valves for the last 52 years I've been diving - never had a problem. I used to do the 1/4 turn but don't anymore. Never had a problem either way. The Dacor valve uses standard o-rings and gaskets. I've only rebuilt the one but I found all the replaceable soft parts in my dive junk drawer full of USD parts. Mark
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Post by herman on Jan 25, 2019 3:30:11 GMT -8
On the flip side of this question, I would avoid Voit J valves. The J valve seat is prone to failure, sending pieces of plastic into the valve. J valve parts are unique to them and are not available. Voit valves and/or Voit regs with J valves (Trieste for example) should not be dove unless the J valve seat has been removed.
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Post by scubalawyer on Jan 25, 2019 6:41:24 GMT -8
The idea of having a port for HP for regs without a long yoke and banjo is appealing. TD Since you don't really need a J-Valve if you have a SPG, here is a USD K-Valve I recently rebuilt that has also has a HP port built in. Mark
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 25, 2019 8:17:43 GMT -8
TD, that 1/4-turn is just to prevent undue strain, over time on the threads: a lot of superstitions/myths/customs/neurosis turn into irrefutable facts and SOP's because people mimic others and never find out why some one's doing something. If that type of valve did that, Nemrod would not have continued making them into the 1980's with their Y-valves. People have problems with them because of the little knob on top isn't as easy as the huge knurled plastic ones we've grown accustomed to. I'm racking my brain to think of what would cause a valve to freeze: the only thing I can think of is moisture, and the air in your tanks should be very dry! There was a long thread on this subject, and the consensus was don't open your tank valve with ape-knuckles--OOOK-OOK! And yes, Mark is right, you really don't need an SPG with a J-valve, it's kinda nice to be able to get a viz on your air though These are my opinions,and if someone disagrees with me, I only ask, is you do it in a civil manor JB
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Post by technidiver on Jan 25, 2019 10:13:45 GMT -8
Perhaps the Pillar valves aren't the best for me, I happen to have the ape knuckles that you described Jay. And it might be harder to reach them with 7mm gloves on!
I've also heard that the valves were made of different metals that would freeze together and prevent the closure of the valve, something like that.
I'll stay away from the Voit stuff, don't want the valve to shatter midway thru the dive!
TD
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 25, 2019 12:16:30 GMT -8
TD, they did/do make a wrench for post valves, looks like a big "T". You could also make one with some 1/2" pipe and a hacksaw and dremmel tool... Just keep an eye out for one, just another cool thing for the collection. You can also baffle and amaze your dive buddies: "What're you doing!" "Diving fool: I can't rightly do it without turning the air on, now can I?" JB
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Post by scubalawyer on Jan 25, 2019 12:23:35 GMT -8
And yes, Mark is right, you really don't need an SPG with a J-valve, it's kinda nice to be able to get a viz on your air though Hi JB,
Not exactly what I said. While I agree an experienced diver with a working J-Valve doesn't need a SPG if going on a shallow pure vintage dive, or acting in an episode during Sea Hunt Forever, what I said was, "you don't really need a J-Valve if you have a SPG". In other words, you can monitor your air in real time without having to rely on mechanical spring tension to save your ass. No worries, and not complaining mind you, but I try to be as precise as possible with my language and punctuation. After all, it could be your grandmother's life at risk: Your internet dive buddy, Mark
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 25, 2019 13:00:44 GMT -8
SNORT! I'm dyslexic, I miss things sometimes: don't always read them correctly! I'm also a writer: my wife is always complaining that I punctuate far, far too often! My favorite thing like that is/was: "Good bye god, I'm going to Bodie!" it was a misinterpretation of "Good, by god, I'm going to Bodie!" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodie,_California JB EDIT: Look, in the road, a head! Look in the road ahead! Who do you think I am anyway? Who do you think I am, anyway?
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Post by vance on Jan 26, 2019 17:09:58 GMT -8
Don't get me started on apostrophes.... Back to the thread: The valves with an HP port are great, if you have a bunch of SPGs to dedicate to individual tanks. It's not quite as convenient as mounting the SPG on the regulator! I don't know this from personal experience, but I have heard some valves with the HP port will not shut the valve opening to the SPG when the valve is turned off, keeping the SPG charged until the tank is empty. That'd be very hard on the gauge, I'd think. My Dacor valves in 3/4" do close the port, though. I also have some 1/2" NPT valves with HP ports, but haven't mounted them yet. One is going back on my 38s (note the lack of apostrophe!) with another 1/2" valve so I can hook them up with the original doubles conversion manifold thingy. The double USD manifold I tried to fit them with leaks and I can't get it sealed up. 5 fills later and I quit (for now).
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 26, 2019 17:41:26 GMT -8
And yes, Mark is right, you really don't need an SPG with a J-valve, it's kinda nice to be able to get a viz on your air though Hi JB, Not exactly what I said. While I agree an experienced diver with a working J-Valve doesn't need a SPG if going on a shallow pure vintage dive, or acting in an episode during Sea Hunt Forever, what I said was, "you don't really need a J-Valve if you have a SPG". In other words, you can monitor your air in real time without having to rely on mechanical spring tension to save your ass. No worries, and not complaining mind you, but I try to be as precise as possible with my language and punctuation. After all, it could be your grandmother's life at risk: Your internet dive buddy, Mark Mark, and all, I have been working since about October on a report to Rendra Hertiadhi, Diving Officer in charge of the diving on the Lion Air crash off Indonesia, on their diving fatality. I have isolated six factors that contributed to this diving fatality of a very experienced diver. One was that his SPG fogged over, and he could not see it. He was also diving a single AL 80 to a depth of 32 meters, and he started with a tank that was not at full pressure (175 bar, or 2572 psig). He had a dive computer, but it did not monitor his air supply (wrist computor). Also, visibility on the bottom where they were collecting body parts, and looking for instruments, was not good at all. There were a few more factors, but this one concerns your comment about the use of a good SPG. They also have their limits. I actually in the open water usually dive both a J-valve on my doubles, and a SPG or computer tied to my air supply. A J-valve would have helped in this kind of situation, but they were all diving K-valves. I have been having formatting problems with the report, but it is just about done now. John
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Post by scubalawyer on Jan 26, 2019 18:47:20 GMT -8
Hi John, I do agree that a SPG can fail. An added J-valve (as long as it has not been inadvertently, and unknowingly, activated) likely adds a margin of safety. I have had a few SPG's face plates blow off during power up, HP hoses leading to the guage split and blow out during the dive, and SPGs flood during a dive. I even had one fog up so bad I had no clue what it read. As soon as I saw that I aborted the dive immediately. Some of these occurrences were with brand new out of the box SPGs, others with ones I really should have known were past their prime. If it ain't one thing that does you in, it's another. Good luck with your report. Mark
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