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Post by surflung on Jun 29, 2016 5:11:23 GMT -8
Restored and Working Like New...- Yes the Voit regs are expensive and usually hard to find when you want one. I lost out on several Ebay auctions trying to bid a bargain on this Voit Navy. When I finally got one, it had chrome and label in nearly new condition and I put a very high "Max Bid" on it. That's what I had to do to get my Voit Navy! I think I STILL paid under $200 for it, but that was before I restored it with new hoses, mouthpiece, diaphragm, etc. etc. YOUR Voit Navy looks to be in excellent shape, too. And having paid so little for it, well worth the investment to restore it. - Being a DA AquaMaster on the inside, the sky is the limit. You can keep it original. You can upgrade the second stage with an HPR second stage. You can even replace the whole first stage with a balanced Phoenix and make it like a Royal AquaMaster with LP and HP ports for modern BCD, etc. - Congratulations on a great find. There are lots of us who are in envy!
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Post by diverdon on Jun 29, 2016 12:47:59 GMT -8
got all in the pics for $10 at the garage sale. All of a sudden I hate you Just Kidding. Nice Score! Wanna make ten times that in a quick flip? Can't wait to hear (read) more. DD
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Post by sitkadiver on Jun 30, 2016 6:51:24 GMT -8
What a great find. You'll be able to find everything you need to restore that regulator to new condition. It isn't difficult and you'll be amazed with the results and the ease of breathing when you're done. I have a Voit Navy that I bought here on VSS: I would recommend getting a band clamp, since it makes maintainance work much easier. For a history perspective, I am under the impression that Voit Rubber Company, which pre-dates AMF Voit, was supplying the hoses and mouthpieces to USD. In return a deal was struck that allowed Voit to use USD parts in thier re-labeled regulators. As a result, if you are looking for parts for your reg, the parts for a DA Aqua Master, which are very common and affordable will fit since they are the same exact reg. - I know someone already told you that. I have several regs I dive more often than my Navy, but it's been in the water here in Alaska and it functioned flawlessly. You will be happy you bought it.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2016 14:01:49 GMT -8
Awesome info all. Now I am really wanting to dig into this and refurb. I just have to pass this by my dive buddy (AKA wife) to ensure I'm not "messing up" her SCUBA display idea.
And I apologize for any ill feelings due to the deal I got. It wasn't my fault, I swear. It was just sitting there! ;-)
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Post by nikeajax on Jun 30, 2016 15:31:00 GMT -8
And I apologize for any ill feelings due to the deal I got. It wasn't my fault, I swear. It was just sitting there! ;-) Yeah, whatever there, Jimmy Valentine You prolly stole all that gear from an orphanage, an' they was gunna sell that gear so's Little Tiny Tim could get his legs fixed, now he'll never be a famous quarterback... Looking forward to hearing about your progress! BTW we don't use new members for chum for asking questions, ask away sailor! JB
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2016 20:46:48 GMT -8
And I apologize for any ill feelings due to the deal I got. It wasn't my fault, I swear. It was just sitting there! ;-) Yeah, whatever there, Jimmy Valentine You prolly stole all that gear from an orphanage, an' they was gunna sell that gear so's Little Tiny Tim could get his legs fixed, now he'll never be a famous quarterback... Now that there is funny! So I dive dry, and no usable horsecollar BC so I'd be diving a BCD, so my instinct tells me to look at the balanced Phoenix approach. Definitely a band clamp (I see the current clips and want to make sure I remove them the best way). Where do I start? How to's, parts? It's a little overwhelming right now, but I'm sure y'all's directions will help. I have been browsing around, but am still confused by which part would relate to which type of rebuild - if there are different...?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2016 20:52:21 GMT -8
Now, about your finds. No one has mentioned that bag. That looks like one of those Navy bags that can be folded in such a way as to maintain a water-tight seal for UDT members to bring things to shore that might need to be waterproof. We have a guy, DavidRichieWilson from the UK who may be able to coach us on how to fold that bag so as to make it watertight. He works with old-style dry suits and seals them, so he may have some input. Just looking at it, it may date back to the Korean War era. The mask is a Swimaster Wide View mask, which usually had a neoprene seal (rather than the normal seal, this was a foam neoprene). If cleaned up, and the seal replaced, this is a nice mask. The Voit 40 Fathom is indeed the one with the weird levers. Here's a photo of them in the AM Aqua-Matic (same regulator)Q Thanks John, I'd definitely like to hear more about the bag. I just can't make out the lettering on the top flap to look up the numbers or name. But it's definitely in the format and font of standard US military. I've seen/own way too much of them. Hopefully DavidRichieWilson has the info. Would there we replacement seals for the mask too? Definitely gonna crack open that reg. Looks interesting.
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Post by nikeajax on Jun 30, 2016 21:45:10 GMT -8
Might I recommend before doing any major mods you just get it working... My thought here is to learn the basic principals of the way they work. As they say on the street, "The first one's free..." If you're anything like the rest of us, you might find yourself with a monkey on your back, "Man, I need a fix, I'll do anything do work on a DH man... i-it's been t-two weeks since I've had silicone on my fingers man..." Sorry, as I writer I tend to get creative with my answers... Learning the fundamentals is half the enjoyment of this hobby. I like to experiment with stuff, like resurfacing valve seats or making parts for stuff that's impossible to find: vintagescuba.proboards.com/thread/3497/divair-resto-project I'm really proud of my Divair! JB
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Post by SeaRat on Jun 30, 2016 22:48:28 GMT -8
I would agree with Jaybird, get this one going, and get a good idea of how it works. Then, after you've spent some time with it, if you want to upgrade to a Phoenix first stage and change out the second stage, feel free. But this is also an outstanding regulator in its own right. Below are some photos from the U.S. Navy (the color ones are mine, at the U.S. Naval School for Underwater Swimmers in Key West, Florida) of this regulator in use. Navy UDT (before SEALs). UDT Swimmers in a submarine lockout. At the USS, ready to dive into the harbor to put parts from a bag together in near zero visibility. The same dock, with one PJ student climbing out of the harbor. We are wearing U.S. Navy twin aluminum 90s. The bottom picture shows my dive buddy, Bob Means, using the compass on a 1500 yard underwater swim to shore. A buddy team coming ashore after a long underwater compass swim. Some of the guys, who had a buoy on them, were headed for Cuba and had to be picked up by the boat. Means and I came in #1, right under the flag we were aiming for (my Dad, Donald E. Ratliff, wrote a book titled " Map, Compass and Campfire, A Handbook for the Outdoorsman"), so I knew compass work before going into the service. Your Voit Navy was the same regulator as we were using in the U.S. Navy in 1967. John
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Post by nikeajax on Jul 1, 2016 5:57:34 GMT -8
John, in that first image: is that a kickboard with gauges mounted on it? I guess you wouldn't want one that floats, but is that depth-gauge and compass?
JB
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Post by surflung on Jul 1, 2016 6:21:08 GMT -8
UDT Swimmers in a submarine lockout. That "Submarine Lockout" looks like a claustrophobia attack waiting to happen!
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Post by SeaRat on Jul 1, 2016 6:41:20 GMT -8
John, in that first image: is that a kickboard with gauges mounted on it? I guess you wouldn't want one that floats, but is that depth-gauge and compass? JB Yes, JB, that is an alternative way of doing a compass swim. It is easier to hold the compass board steady than the method Bob Means is showing in the photo with two images. But, it also occupies the hands, so there is a trade-off. We did not use these boards at the U.S. Naval School for Underwater Swimmers. John
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Post by SeaRat on Jul 1, 2016 6:43:31 GMT -8
UDT Swimmers in a submarine lockout. That "Submarine Lockout" looks like a claustrophobia attack waiting to happen! Wait until they close the hatch, and the water starts to come up to equalize the pressure! That's when the pucker factor goes way high. John
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Post by nikeajax on Jul 1, 2016 10:18:31 GMT -8
A friend of mine was telling me that they'll put a bunch of people in one of the torpedo-tubes and send them out that way too, just pop the door/hatch, and everyone just swims out... MMMMMM, no thanks--REALLY!
JB
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2016 20:55:06 GMT -8
Those are some awesome pics. And definitely a good idea to get this one going as-is to ensure familiarity and then see where I wanna go. I am/was a certified reg. tech for AquaLung regs, so I'm definitely comfortable with the basics. I guess you can call it a case of excitement.
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