Healthways DH regulators

[diverdon]

Very nice, Phil! I may have John's old HP MP body. I had 2 or 3 that just wouldn't stay threaded with the wheels in, so I looked to JB for help. I now have several on different regs and truly enjoy them. I'm out of town right now, but if John comes up empty handed I'll check my stash o stuff when I get back.

Nice looking reg!

DD

[vance]

Thanks!

[nikeajax]

One of the things I do to all of my HP's and DD's too, is polish out the wagon wheels and the seating surface of the body, 600, then 1500 and finally 2000 grit paper: it doesn't take much but it can help a whole lot. I've found that they can get etched by the salt water and leak: silicone grease will help too...
JB

[vance]

72 is in the shop being hydro-ed. Unfortunately, I took it in a day after the weekly pick up day. 2 weeks! But, why be in a hurry? It sat in the basement for 25 years....
I'll let you know when it's checked out and I pool (lake: Lower Bear River Reservoir) test the Deluxe!
Phil

[SeaRat]

Phil,

I have looked, and don't have that Healthways mouthpiece anymore. Apparently, I have sent it on, maybe to Don.

So far as "SeaRat" goes, well that does have a history, and one many hear have not heard. I was smokejumping during the summer of 1972, and after a week plus on a fire in Alaska, we were pulled in via helicopter and given a steak meal (first meal that weren't C-rations since jumping into the fire). Well, after the steak, I was still hungry, and so dug into a box of C-rations for some desert. Someone saw me, and said, "Look what C-Rat is doing after our steaks! He's eating C-rations." Well, that name stuck, but I didn't like the "C-Rat" and so changed it to "SEA Rat," as I had spent time in Southeast Asia (Vietnam), and had heard that there was another "Ratliff" pararescueman somewhere in Europe, erroneously, it turns out. I kinda adopted that nickname thereafter, and when I signed in here, used it as "Searat." On ScubaBoard, I used "SeaRat," which is just a bit different. Now, because I enjoy the diving, the "Sea" part talks to my like of water, as Southeast Asia is in my distant past. The "Rat" part obviously refers to my name. Here's the history on my given name.
www.houseofnames.com/ratliff-family-crest

John

[vance]

My "name"story is embarrassing next to that, John. It came from the early OSs when they'd ask for a name to continue. At first, I'd enter Puddintame, but then, I saw the movie "BigTop Peewee". I'm a sucker for talking pigs. Babe is probably the best movie ever made. Vance was the talking pig in the BTP movie. So, identifying BigTime (BigTop?) I adopted the name Vance. Since most sites have a Vance, I have used Vancetp, (Vance the pig). That's it. No Vietnam, firejumping, search and rescue, NavySeals, or nada.

[nikeajax]

Huh, and here I always thought it wuz cuz John C. Ratliff: C-Rat... Well that's my story an' I'm stickin' to it

JB

[tomcatpc]

I was in the Service with person with a name similar to John's. He said to call him "Ratz". 20 years later I hook up with him on Facebook, going to give him a ring someday, but feel awkward asking if "Ratz" is there? LOL!!!
Mark

[nikeajax]

Rat-Fink...

[nikeajax]

Because the exhaust system used on the original Scuba was unique to any regulator, John has asked me to do a diagram of it to further explain how it works:

[vance]

As JB noted on page 2, there seems to be a second version of the Deluxe. It had the yoke that has the internal screw as seen on the ad, and also mentions a venturi.


One of my Deluxes has the tab John talks about, soldered to the inside of the cover like the Gold Label, but none of the other improvements like the venturi or later style yoke. One is in the 1700s serial range and the one with the tab is in the 10,000s. Is there a database of serial #s out there anywhere? I've looked, but no luck.

The ad also mentions heavier construction and a more secure can assembly which I assume is the big retaining flange for the diaphragm. If you look closely at the picture above you can see it still has the Deluxe label. I wish it had a clearer picture of the label and more detail pics.

Has anyone seen an example of this regulator?

Phil

[vance]

Nov 16, 2016 14:39:24 GMT -8 nikeajax said:

Because the exhaust system used on the original Scuba was unique to any regulator, John has asked me to do a diagram of it to further explain how it works:

Excellent diagram, JB!

I'll bet there's a silicone duckbill for an industrial or medical application that would fit this regulator. One would have to do a lot of searching. I suppose a clever individual could make a mold and produce some. I don't suppose there's a lot of demand, however.

I did the tire tube mod for both of mine, but am unsatisfied with the diameter of the tube and the fact it's a tire tube, although it seems to work ok.

I used the retaining clip and left enough length to fold over the end of the exhaust horn. The picture shows an early attempt which proved to be too short and the fold-over kept slipping off. Subsequent versions fold over about an inch, which keeps it from pulling off when taking the hose off the horn. I also gave up on rounding the end like in the next pic, but that's the general idea.


Phil

[nikeajax]

Phil, I was just reading something John68 sent me, I'll add it later to this thread, update, but the 1962 model never was! What's kinda neat about HW is that they were attempting lots of new stuff, and they put things in their catalogs that the public never saw:

Scuba Deluxe-1962 double hose reg that later became what is know as a goldie or gold label

Scuibair-Model 1666 single hose reg that was the prototype for their Scbair-"B"

Scuba Master double hose reg that was going to be the next in line after the goldie, it was going to be a piston reg!

JB

[SeaRat]

I did a slightly different sketch of the Healthways SCUBA exhaust verses the DA Aquamaster exhaust, and wanted to better illustrate the advantages of the Healthways SCUBA variation. Here it is (with apologies for my poor sketch abilities):



Note that the Healthways exhaust diaphragm's center is about 3/4 inch above the diaphragm, and that it is the diaphragm which seals against the exhaust horn. I have confirmed this with the nitril glove exhaust diaphragm on one of my Healtways SCUBA regulators, where if you exhale through the exhaust horn (no hoses) it is extremely easy, but trying to even slightly inhale seals the whole exhaust. What this means is that the air pressure differential between the main diaphragm's center and the center of the exhaust diaphragm is enough to seal the entire exhaust system when diving in either a horizontal or vertical (head's up) orientation.

But if the diver surface dives for any amount of time, because the exhaust diaphragm is now below the center of the main diaphragm, there is no air pressure to seal off that exhaust diaphragm against the horn. Water will then enter the hose if the diver stops exhaling, and will need to be cleared once a horizontal or head's up position is attained.

Because of this, water leakage, Healthways added the short duckbill in line within the exhaust tube. This eliminated the water leakage when head's down, or as Fred Roberts said in his book, "Basic Scuba," the "imbalance" of the exhaust system:

The pre-1960 Scuba regulator, now evolved into the newer models, saw some changes in the exhaust system before the units were available in quantity. Valve (33) was added shortly after the unit was marketed to reduce some of the early difficulties with the balance of the exhaust system shown in Figure 3-19...

...The exhaust cavity is composed of an exhaust tube, brazed to the case assembly, and a baffle plate that has a lip to hold the exhaust diaphragm (28). The exhaust tube is cut off at the same angle that the plate is mounted, so that normally internal air pressure, which is slightly above ambient, keeps the diaphragm (28) pressed on the edges of the exhaust tube.

On the exterior of the case, assembly holes are drilled about the exhaust cavity to allow the exhaust air to escape outside. Also, several holes are drilled on the lower side of the exhaust tube to act as an auxiliary exhaust, should the exhaust diaphragm (28) stick to the edges of the tube.

The auxiliary holes in the exhaust tube are covered on the outside of the tube by the exhaust auxiliary valve (27). Finally, the exhaust diaphragm (28), is attached to the lips of the baffle plate by a clamp (31). A flutter valve (33) is inserted in the hose end of the case exhaust tube to back up the other two exhaust systems.

Spent air reaching the exhuast tube has two paths. First it will cause the exhaust diaphram to lift from the tube edge, due to a superior pressure caused bythe exhalation, and secondly, it will leak out the auxiliary holes, which are normally sealed bythe auxiliary valve (27). The air pressure within the second chamber, slightyl above ambient, acts as a cushion for the exhaust diaphragm and will reseat the diaphragm as soon as the exhalation has stopped.
Roberts, Fred, "Basic Scuba," pages 116-117.

Now, compare the position of the Healthways original SCUBA regulator's exhaust diaphragm with that of any of the other double hose regulators (including the second and third generation Healthways SCUBA regulators). What you'll see is about a one-inch difference in breathing resistance in a horizontal or heads-up position, which is a major reduction in breathing resistance. This is true for all USD/Voit double hose regulators, which use the Cousteau-Gagnan duckbill exhaust. But the second and third generation Healthways SCUBA regulators have a mushroom exhaust, which is oriented to be right at the same level as the diaphragm; so these has only about a 3/4 inch differential with the first generation SCUBA regulator.

I have done a lot of experimentation on this regulator system, and in fact that is why I incorporated the original SCUBA with the Gold Label innards to produce the hybrid Healthways SCUBA regulator. It incorporates the exhaust system of the original SCUBA regulator with the upgraded venturi system of the Gold Label. I have dived this system in both pool and open water, with and without the duckbill (I too use a home-made inner tube duckbill with this regulator at times). What I've found is that I'll put up with the "imbalance" and water in the exhaust hose upon surface diving for the much nicer exhaust exhalation resistance of this regulator in a normal prone diving position.

John

[nikeajax]

Please note: these are approximations, but very close! Install snorkel and bend unit up where valve body and levers meet. Please PM me with your e-mail address and I can send you a jpeg image!

JB