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Post by JES on Jun 8, 2005 12:47:02 GMT -8
My hat's off to each of you in this discussion. Just reading this thread is like attending a condensed college course on vintage double hose regulators.  I have really enjoyed learning more about the RAM from each of you. Thanks! Regards, JES |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2005 19:00:08 GMT -8
John
Thanks for the info, I will consider the mods if things don't perform well. I'm not sure if you understood that my Z90 is a BC and separate from the octopus save for the connector (3way port attachment) at the hookah port. Under an emergency ascent, I would want the octo, hose and bc all to function. If it requires a IP increase, that's next.
I am surprised that the LP seat holder was not considered an recommended adjustment in the USD manual. Still I'm not sure I want to fool with it unless I find it necessary.
Bryan, as always, your steadfastness in safety will remind me to not exceed my own zeal or potential stupidity. I thank you for your comments and will let you know how things go with the "system" I'm incorporating on to my Royal. I hope I don't have to mail my Royal back to you again with a note "it's busted, can you fix it?"
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Post by Broxton Carol on Jun 9, 2005 3:22:31 GMT -8
Bryan is right about not going crazy doing a load of things that might not be prudent. These regulators are the product of great thought and experiment. The guys that worked them out were smart. If you set one up by the book they are superb. I have a 1964 ROYAL that I have had for years. I overhauled it, and it breathes just looking at it. If you have good parts in tolerance, and in particular a soft supple diaphragm and tweak it out carefully youll have a hell of an easy breathing regulator. I run the 2nd stage pressure at about 115-120 psi. One thing I did do that I know made a difference is I replaced the diaphragm with one that was made for the last of the royals in the mid 70's. These were the most thin and supple I ever saw. Its hard to describe but this is the diaphragm to look for. You guys that put a later crowned diaphragm in an early DA or BROXTON will do well to seek out a correct flat profile diaphragm, and your oldie but goodie will work better than you ever imagined.
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Post by Bryan on Jun 9, 2005 4:44:15 GMT -8
Experimentation is 1/2 the fun. Using the knowledge and results that John and Ryan and many others come up with is an excellent place to start. ....A final thought on the hookah port....I have no idea what volume of air it was designed to flow? V=X at ___psi. You can increase pressure but not necessarily volume. With that being said, your IP could be set at the factory setting or it could be set to 200 psi and due to the size of the orifice it may or may not be able to flow more air volume. Hope I'm making sense. Good Luck with your experiments!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2005 9:14:58 GMT -8
wonder what it would cost to have a batch of silicon diaphragm's made up?
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Post by nemrod on Jun 9, 2005 9:55:13 GMT -8
For super flexible and nearly last forever silicone diaphrams and matching duckbill valve I would pay a small fortune--lol. We have such a small market but of course as soon as even the old fogies realized their superiority they would want one even at a high price. They would make a world of difference and greatly reduce many of the duckbill problems of decaying/maintenence. I'll take a couple or so of each!!!!! James
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Post by Bryan on Jun 9, 2005 10:07:41 GMT -8
Although the new duckbills are a bit thicker, the do no deteriorate anywhere near as fast as the originals. Especially if you dry em out and powder them good after you are done diving.... I paid $1400.00 for the duckbill valve mold..... And that was for just the molds....The per unit cost is in there plus shipping. So that gives you an idea of how many we have to sell at $10.00 each to make a profit!
Last I heard.....Been a while since I checked....Diaphragm mold would run $3500.00 for just the mold. Silicone would be slightly higher than rubber. I have not checked on the unit cost of having the stainless steel centers punched out for the diaphragms. Myself along with my other partners in crime would love to reproduce it all but as James points out, we are a small market and speaking only for myself, I can only outlay so much coin on any one item until I have to pull back the reins and sell a few. ....... Just a few years ago there were no reproduction hoses, mouthpiece valves or duckbills, After those came around small parts/gaskets/seats became available and now we have banjo and Safe 2nd stage fittings/adaptors.....Stay tuned, some good things are a brewing in the community
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Post by RMannix on Jun 9, 2005 11:42:34 GMT -8
In the 80's, (pre-internet) I replaced the log ago rotted duckbill on my original 1972 Agua Master (bought in high school, still have it) with the purge from a Scubapro shotgun snorkel, adapted to the exhaust port on the box with tubing. Exhalation resistance was pretty high (small diameter valve) but it worked. Thanks for making the duckbills available again (as well as the other parts)
So where's those clamp rings?
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Post by SeaRat on Jun 9, 2005 19:44:46 GMT -8
I had a different way of coping with the lack of good duckbill valves. I'm looking at my favorite Mistral, the one that for some reason I cannot fathom (sound familiar) performs better than others of the same likeness. But wait, the bottom box with the nameplate says "Aqualung," was green, and has a "1045 Bronxton Ave, Los Angeles, CAL" address behind the name "U.S. DIVERS CO, serial #6604. In other words, I took the bottom box off my DA Aqualung, and put it on my Mistral. I could then use the "bad" duckbill valves on the protruding exhalation port inside the old-style bottom box. It worked so well, it's still in that configuration, along with new, grey hoses.
John
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Post by Broxton Carol on Jun 10, 2005 2:52:55 GMT -8
Im sad to hear you carved up a 1952 broxton just so you could solve a duckbill problem. I would hope you would get your broxton back together as it is an early item from our sport. If you need a new duckbill Ill send you one so you can have your mistral original again. Im going in shock. I will have a swig of "OLD HAWK" and try to forget I read this.
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Post by SeaRat on Jun 10, 2005 13:49:32 GMT -8
Well, just think...I couldn't get the whole Broxton to work, but I kept half of it working. I still have all the pieces, so I'll try getting the Broxton back together. ;D
I had to laugh just reading your last post though. Thanks,
John
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Post by Bryan on Jun 12, 2005 15:05:23 GMT -8
I don't know if you guys have tried this or not but I've had really good luck with it on Broxtons,DX and DA Navy's that have the removable exhaust horn. Cut the new style duckbill to the same length as the original flat duckbill, slide it over the rectangle shaped opening on the exhaust horn. It fits pretty tight to begin with! Then take some nylon thread and put a couple dozen turns around it just like the original ones were done. Then just put a drop or two of neoprene cement on the thread ends and even though the duckbill looks a bit different it is still attached and will still function just like the original flat duckbill.
I have had some success with gluing two pieces of rubber together around the edges, then cutting it in the shape of the original and attaching it with thread. Looks closer but really no benefit that I can see to doing it that way.
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Post by Broxton Carol on Jul 13, 2005 4:02:13 GMT -8
You guys that have a royal that isnt putting out air, just get a beat up mistral on ebay, gut out the first stage, and transplant into your RAM cans, then you have the best of everything! ;D
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Post by SeaRat on Jul 13, 2005 9:24:33 GMT -8
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