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Post by spencer on Aug 1, 2007 10:03:30 GMT -8
Hello! I was pointed this direction by way of several people (on several different boards) kind enough to help me out. I'm a diver in San Diego, and I have recently come into possession of all my dad's old scuba gear, and even more recently realized that it might be good for something other than paper weights! I never dreamed that people still dove with vintage gear! I am fascinated! I managed to get pictures of all the regulators and gauges I have and you can find them here. I have recieved alot of helpful advice and informtion so far, but I am still looking for any advice on what models/makes I might have, what I need to do to restore the gear, who might have parts or might be able to service them etc... ANY information, suggestions, advice, etc. would be greatly appreciated! I would love to be able to dive with this equipment and hope you all will help me. Thanks in advance! Spencer A few highlights:      |
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Post by vintagefrank on Aug 1, 2007 12:46:11 GMT -8
Hi Spencer,
this is a really nice collection, which a lot of people would like to own.
The first reg is a doublehose by sportsways, maybe a Dual Air. Rare and highly paid. Unfortunately the labels were not made to last very long.
The second is a sportsways sport diver. Today a cheap reg but nice
Your third one is a legend - an original calypso by US Divers. Not very expensive today but loved by those who have one.
Now, No. 4 is a really rare reg which is sought after. A Demone Mark II - they were probably made just 2 years. Should this one be functional it is a true treasure.
Your last one is the most common, a later US Divers Conshelf.
Honor these treasures!
best regards
frank
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Post by duckbill on Aug 1, 2007 22:43:48 GMT -8
Welcome Spencer. Glad to see you made it over here.
You should check with Dan, the forum owner, since he services many makes of regulators. PM him and I know he'll steer you right.
I hope you can dive some of your treasures. I would leave the Demone alone, though, and keep it preserved in it's present state, which is just beautiful.
Keep reading and posting here. There's a lot to learn. I hope this opens up a whole new world for you. Diving vintage gear is great fun! It makes diving modern gear somewhat boring for me, but any dive is still a good dive in my book.
BCNU
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Post by JES on Aug 2, 2007 14:13:45 GMT -8
Welcome Spencer! You have definitely come to the right place for Vintage Diving. Thank you for posting the great pictures of your gear. As many have already stated, the Demone is awesome!  It's great that you have become a part of this community. I think you'll find that the members are friendly, extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. Welcome aboard and remember to stay connected and dive often!  Regards, JES |
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Post by SeaRat on Aug 2, 2007 21:46:24 GMT -8
Hi Spencer,
'Good to see you here too. I just PMed you, and then sent you an e-mail with the parts diagram of the Sportsways Hydro Twin. We still don't know exactly which regulator you have (Hydro Twin or Dual Air), but either way it is a nice regulator.
John
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Post by spencer on Aug 4, 2007 17:39:19 GMT -8
Hi Spencer, 'Good to see you here too. I just PMed you, and then sent you an e-mail with the parts diagram of the Sportsways Hydro Twin. We still don't know exactly which regulator you have (Hydro Twin or Dual Air), but either way it is a nice regulator. John John! Thanks for your help! OK! I finally got a chance to work on the Sportsways double hose I have! I cleaned up the rubber hoses and mouthpiece and opened the diaphram housing to make sure there were no spiders inside! Most of the rubber looks pretty darn good. However! one of the hoses has a significant hole in it:( The hoses are about 22" long with a 1" dia end and a 1-3/8" dia end. Does anyone know where I can get a replacement? Due to the excellent help some of you have given me I believe it is a Hydro Twin. Also, if anyone has any other rubber parts for that model, I would be interested in buying them for future replacement needs... I believe I can patch the hose for testing purposes, but I doubt I can get it to last more than 1-2 dives. Any help is appreciated! Thanks again! Spencer |
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Post by SeaRat on Aug 4, 2007 18:31:52 GMT -8
Spencer,
Those hoses are very hard to come by, and I'd go one of two ways with this:
1. Repair the hose with Shoe Goo. This can be done inexpensively, and may actually be permanent. My wife uses Shoe Goo to add life to her running shoes, by putting it on the soles, and it takes the wear and tear of that for a long time. She uses rubbing alcohol to remove any soil, grease, etc., before putting the Shoe Goo on it.
2. Replace the entire hose/mouthpiece system with new hoses based upon the U.S. Divers hoses and mouthpieces. Dan and others have replacements, and the new hoses are better than what Sportsways put on their regulators. The Sportsways double hose regulator mouthpiece, which I still have for my Hydro Twin, is not a good system from a performance standpoint. It has a lot of internal resistance built into the system. The mushroom valves in the mouthpiece are somewhat smaller than the USD system, but larger than the newer Healthways mouthpieces. But, they have significant resistance, and do the regulator a dis-service from a performance standpoint.
I would do both, and repair the old hose, but then look to replace the entire hose/mouthpiece system if I was using it (which is what I did with mine). This will give you the equivalent of the Royal Aquamaster with HP and LP outlets (now called the Pheonix). The only difference is that the Royal Aquamaster has a protected (inside the case) HP diaphragm for ice diving, whereas the Hydro Twin has that portion in the water, and threefore potentially slightly more prone to ice buildup. But with the USD hose-mouthpiece system, the Hydro Twin will just about breath for you.
By the way, you already have some replacement parts (HP seat, nylon HP seat valve, and probably the diaphragm) on the other Sportsways single hose regulator that you have.
John
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Post by spencer on Aug 7, 2007 6:51:20 GMT -8
news!
I repaired the hose, and it turned out better than I thought! I then proceded to test the reg in my bathtub:) and now I have additional questions...
1) The reg free flows unless you are actively exhaling. Is this normal? or did I make some mistake during the reassembly?
2) It is relatively hard on the exhale. Is this normal since you are forcing your bubble out a hose and back through the housing?
Thanks again everyone!
Spencer
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Post by SeaRat on Aug 7, 2007 8:41:03 GMT -8
If it is relatively hard to exhale, it could be that the mushroom valves are stuck a bit. Make sure that they are operative, and flexible. The ones in the mouthpiece are a unique size, and you probably won't find anything to replace them with. The one in the bottom box can readily be replaced with a new, silicone mushroom valve from a dive shop.
Concerning the free flow, the venturi is very effective on this regulator. If it free flows only when you take your mouth away, I'd leave it that way (that actually works to the diver's advantage--no effort other than cracking the valve). However, if it free flows through the case to the exhalation valve, then you may need to decrease the interstage pressure a bit. To do that, get an Allen wrench that fits, and unscrew it (counterclockwise) about 1/4 turn and test it again.
One other thought on the test and the free flow, if it was in the bathtub, and you were outside, then there was a water pressure difference on the diaphargm, which could also contribute to the free flow. It could be that the regulator was acting normally, and the free flow was simply because the regulator was at a higher water pressure than the diaphragm. Check out some of the other threads here about two hose positioning, and that will help explain it.
Good luck,
John
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Post by duckbill on Aug 7, 2007 10:43:31 GMT -8
One other thought on the test and the free flow, if it was in the bathtub, and you were outside, then there was a water pressure difference on the diaphargm, which could also contribute to the free flow. It could be that the regulator was acting normally, and the free flow was simply because the regulator was at a higher water pressure than the diaphragm. Check out some of the other threads here about two hose positioning, and that will help explain it. Good luck, John Spencer, I understand what John is saying, but sometimes the same thing said different ways can help to clarify it for someone else. So, basically, when the mouthpiece is higher (above) than the regulator while the regulator is under water, it should freeflow. If you place the mouthpiece lower than the regulator (more specifically, the diaphragm) by even a bit, the freeflow should stop. If it doesn't, then try blocking the mouthpiece hole momentarily and the freeflow should stop. If it won't stop then the IP or second stage seat are suspect. And, as John said, if you had the reg in the tub under water, but you were above it, then you would be forcing the exhaled air down several inches of water column to the exhaust valve at the regulator. You should try it out in a shallow pool with the tank on your back and both you and the rig fully submerged. Be aware that when you surface the mouthpiece will freeflow when removed from your mouth if the reg is still under water. This is normal for a double hose regulator. Just hold the mouthpiece below the water or raise the reg up out of the water if you have some footing. Swimming on your back isn't an option unless you turn the air valve off. This may sound over complicated, but the quirks of using a double hose reg will become second nature to you once you start diving it. |
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