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Post by Captain on Jan 21, 2005 19:05:47 GMT -8
There is an old saying that "Everything old is new again"
Tom
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Post by 1969ivan1 on Jan 22, 2005 1:57:04 GMT -8
I am with Frans! I want to dive the real vintage 2 hose regs......I must have 10 of them in my collection now and I am forever looking for that new/old one to add to my collection. I will one day have that diveworthy broxton USD and perhaps a SPACO. As for this new thing and the mentor I will save my money and spend it on that Spaco.....someday!
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Post by seakrakken on Jan 22, 2005 2:27:07 GMT -8
I think I've finally made up my mind about the new Mistral. I've seen a few pics of it on the net and the few that are posted here and I don't like it. Why did they go and do it that way? I'm no Emile Gagnan but, I can think of a couple of ways I'd rather have seen it done.
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Post by Ron Hearn on Jan 22, 2005 7:56:32 GMT -8
Seakrakken
Thats funny, I was all excited about it to ;D when I first looked at to, but now that I had a chance to read up on it and found out the price attached, I'm not so interested. I believe Emile Gagnan was never to impressed with the exhaust features of any of his two hose designs in the early days and wanted improve on it by developing a single hose design. My best guess is it's simply another attempt by US Divers to try and regain some of the market share they've lost over the past years. The problem is that they didn't lose that market because of the equipment but because of their own idiotic business practices that have caused financial problems, company break-ups, selling-off of parts supply, dishonored warrantees, loss of retailers, etc. A regulator for [glow=red,2,300]TEXT[/glow] who can afford that?. I'll now buy four more older models off Ebay for the price of there one.
Ron
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Post by jamiep3 on Jan 23, 2005 8:29:48 GMT -8
Just to add a little fuel to the fire, I'm considering one for general use, mostly because I have come to enjoy having my bubbles behind me. I've got two shops on the lookout for the new price list, so they can find out what they can sell it to me for. Stay tuned.
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Post by sea.explorer on Jan 24, 2005 7:28:46 GMT -8
Where do you get 5000 psi cylinders filled ? Well, I have seen places that can do it but my concern is for the future. If such a unit as I described were available it would probably be at a premium price, 1000 dollars easily. It would be sold as the ultimate "expert" regulator. If it were built to last a lifetime with cartridge replacement of consumeables it might still be ticking when 5000 psi air comes around. A few years ago 3500psi was not common, DIN was very uncommon, things change. I remember once we had vinyl records and I bought the finest record player made! Within a year vinyl was gone! Things change! If the dive industry was performance driven instead of style driven it could happen in mere months. I remember when NO air was available, 5000psi?--no problem. Nemrod Why would you want a 5000psi tank? I get the idea of more air in a smaller package, but there are significant drawbacks. The biggest is the huge swing in buoyancy for high psi tanks. Here is an example: AL 80 @ 3000psi is -1.4lbs Full & +1.5lbs empty Swing 2.9lbs (tank size 7.25” diameter 26.1” long) S85 @ 4350psi is -5.1 Full & +1.26 Empty Swing 6.36lbs (tank size 7.39” diameter 21.5” long) Tank info from Luxfer’s web page. At 5000psi the swing would be even greater likely 7lbs or more. This means you will have to carry more weight on your belt. A set of doubles would swing 14lbs! You would have to be very negatively buoyant at the start of the dive to compensate for the positive buoyancy at the end of the dive. I would be interested in other arguments for or against 5000psi tanks besides the obvious issues of full pressure fills. -Ryan
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scaph
Senior Diver
Posts: 66
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Post by scaph on Jan 24, 2005 9:49:32 GMT -8
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Post by nemrod on Jan 24, 2005 18:24:49 GMT -8
That is a bit pricey! Let's see some vintage examples.
1.Voit Viking fins--going price--100 dollars. 2.Royal Aquamaster--350 bucks on ebay plus 40 dollars for hoses, 10.00 dollars for cage valves, 20 dollars for rebuild kit, 30 dollars for mouthpiece, sintered filter at 10 dollars, odds and ends another 40 (clips, screws) etc, rechroming 100 dollars. Octapus adapter is 20 dollars and a banjo fitting if it were available I figure 50 dollars. Total--as much as 670 dollars!!!!!! 3. Old tank, 40 dollars, VIP and hydro and tumble 85 dollars or more, total 125 dollars 4. Vintage mask, 40 to 100 dollars
Just some few examples. It ain't the money, some vintage stuff will soon be busting that new Mistral price point at the rate this stuff is going up. I have noted some cool down in DH prices in the last few days. Is it safe to bid on something again? I chose the RAM because it an the Triete are probably the only vintage regs that have performance approaching the same range. Nemrod
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Bob3
Regular Diver
Posts: 33
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Post by Bob3 on Jan 25, 2005 13:31:40 GMT -8
"First price 650 Euros (847$) !!! Collector edition 950 euros (1238$) !!!" Hey, how much is that without the VAT?
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Post by sea.explorer on Jan 26, 2005 7:02:17 GMT -8
This was mentioned in my earlier post but here it is again for those thinking about buying a Mistral. I spoke directly to Aqualung.
The retail price for the mistral in the US is $800 and it will be available in February w/ a yoke and March or April for DIN.
You should be able to order it from any Aqualung dealer.
-Ryan
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Post by Captain on Jan 26, 2005 7:09:55 GMT -8
It would almost be worth it to buy one just for the reaction to it on charters that won't let you use old gear.
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Turtleguy9
Pro Diver
Padi MSDT, IDEA INST TRAINER, SDI OWSI, NASE
Posts: 136
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Post by Turtleguy9 on Jan 26, 2005 8:46:04 GMT -8
"First price 650 Euros (847$) !!! Collector edition 950 euros (1238$) !!!"Hey, how much is that without the VAT? Aloha Bob3 Perhaps I did not spend enough time reading the specs on the new reg. What is the Collector edition? How is it different? Bye for now, I am off to another fun day of Dive boat duty. Turtleguy9
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Post by nemrod on Jan 26, 2005 15:52:34 GMT -8
"It would almost be worth it to buy one just for the reaction to it on charters that won't let you use old gear. "
yes, me too but the thing is that I imagine that the well known agency that I love to hate and several otheres will likely feel complelled to offer yet another merit bage--excuse me--specialty course for qualification on this unit. If so it might be a good thing because if there was a Double Hose Specialty cert then we could use our old regs just as well--perhaps. Downside is that I doubt they will grandfather anyone short of Cousteu himself let alone a lesser known sea god such as myself--lol. Nemrod
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Post by VintageDiverMN on Jan 27, 2005 10:40:34 GMT -8
Nemrod, you are spending way too much money rebuilding your vintage diving equipment. Hydo and tumble $85! Also most double hose regulators come with good mouth pieces. And why rechrome a reg? I just use metal polish on mine.
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Post by nemrod on Jan 27, 2005 11:05:53 GMT -8
"Nemrod, you are spending way too much money rebuilding your vintage diving equipment. Hydo and tumble $85! Also most double hose regulators come with good mouth pieces. And why rechrome a reg? I just use metal polish on mine."
Well, the thing is the shop would not tumble my tank as I mentioned in another thread and that was the price they gave me and when it appeared I would go for it they decided it was not worth their effort.
As to the regs, I was giving a worst case scenario required to return an old regulator to new condition because we were comparing to a new regulator. As to the rechroming, your diving in fresh water lakes. The rechroming will reduce corrosion significantly when used in salt water. That said, I am only rechroming one of the five I currently have. The others either don't need it or I think I can maintain them with polish and freshwater rinse. Nemrod
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