|
|
Post by nikeajax on Oct 28, 2016 14:00:26 GMT -8
Here's an interesting pic I took of three different Healthways nylon valve plungers and springs. Although it came out of one of my regs, I don't swear to the middle spring being OEM. 
So, we've got black, translucent and white plungers. The translucent one in the center is obviously longer than the other two. It appears that the spring on the left is larger in diameter. The center one has not been flattened on the ends like the other two, and the one on the right has a definite bend in it. I decided not to bore you or myself with measuring them. Yet. Phil Phil, this makes me think of a couple of reasons why they are different: one, that HW may have used a few different companies to make these plungers, and two, the one in the middle may be Water Lung/Sportsways? HW and SW used that very same part and I know with 100% certainty that they are interchangeable. To he best of my knowledge, no one else used this kind of plunger but them. JB |
|
|
|
Post by vance on Oct 28, 2016 14:23:31 GMT -8
If I recall correctly, the one in my SCUBA is like the one in the centre and more of a translucent. Mark Most of the plungers I've seen are white. This translucent one came out of a Scuba. The other Scuba I have has a white one. My Divair has a funny sort of cloudy translucent one, and JBs Divair had one as translucent as the center one in the picture. I had heard of black ones before (probably here in JBs thread), but never saw one until I got this one. JB is probably correct: different factories made them, or they might have decided that one plastic was superior/cheaper/easier to get/whatever. Phil |
|
|
|
Post by nikeajax on Oct 28, 2016 15:01:33 GMT -8
 Now you have Hemlock Soames & Watkins on the case!I say old chappie, did you get that translucent one out of an original-Scuba? If that is the case, you might have a very early valve plunger: do you have a low serial number by chance? Pip-pip and all that jazz, eh-wot? JB |
|
|
|
Post by vance on Oct 28, 2016 15:54:53 GMT -8
Now you have Hemlock Soames & Watkins on the case!I say old chappie, did you get that translucent one out of an original-Scuba? If that is the case, you might have a very early valve plunger: do you have a low serial number by chance? Pip-pip and all that jazz, eh-wot? JB Yes, it's out of a rev1. Nope, it's not a low serial at 20,200-ish. I can't imagine that's low. Otherwise, there'd've been way-hella more people diving these units than I'd've thunk! I don't think we can assume things like it's an early plunger because it was in an early unit because you never know what journey one of these has been on in fitty years. You'd need a significant sample to determine that. Or, you know something. Or the manufacturer said so.... How about that apostrophe usage? It's correct, I assure you. Not the grammar, though.  ! |
|
|
|
Post by nikeajax on Oct 28, 2016 16:09:57 GMT -8
It's dialect; I write that stuff all day long: most people don't write and speak the same way. I leaned to write and listen to the way people speak because of Mark Twain, then use that in my books... EDIT: "Hella", is Very Bay Area dialect  Hmmmm, I still think it's an early plunger though  I doubt we'll ever know: I'm daring fate there BTW... JB |
|
|
|
Post by vance on Oct 28, 2016 18:31:50 GMT -8
It's dialect; I write that stuff all day long: most people don't write and speak the same way. I leaned to write and listen to the way people speak because of Mark Twain, then use that in my books... EDIT: "Hella", is Very Bay Area dialect Hmmmm, I still think it's an early plunger though I doubt we'll ever know: I'm daring fate there BTW... JB Actually, I meant my usage of the apostrophe and grammar, not yours! Sorry if you thought I was criticizing! I was having fun with "I would have" = "I'd've". Two apostrophes in one!  Hella is from Oaktown. We were using it in the 1970's. Punks in the late '80s thought they made it up! |
|
|
|
Post by nikeajax on Oct 28, 2016 18:54:39 GMT -8
Phil, no, I knew EXACTLY what you meant I was appreciating your little smarty comment actually! I'm workin' onna book that takes place'n San Jose, 1962... so I use a lot of dialect, and've been pickin' John's brain fer little details! Yep, I've even somehow worked Healthways Scubas in there too JB |
|
|
|
Post by vance on Oct 29, 2016 9:23:04 GMT -8
I mentioned it elsewhere, but thought I'd include the comment in this thread to keep the info in one place: note how skinny these hoses are! They are much narrower than the others I've seen, reducing in the coils to less than 1". I got these hoses on a Scuba Deluxe. I doubt they are OEM. They're either generic replacements or from some other application. 
The Healthways mps were restricted enough, so I'm sure these hoses with the stock mp will not perform too well. I'll try it this way, but will either use a USD loop or the Hope Page loop on this reg when I dive it. Phil |
|
|
|
Post by vance on Oct 29, 2016 16:04:08 GMT -8
Finished the second Scuba this morning. It came out pretty well, although the diaphragm is not great. The secondary is good, though. This one got the repaired levers. It was kind of hard to adjust due to the crunchy, somewhat distorted diaphragm, and still needs tweaking, but I'm pretty pleased with it. So, how do you guys deal with getting the cover/diaphragm and ring situated properly? On the units I've seen so far, the diaphragms have not been centered perfectly, and it causes distortion over time.  Here it is with its brother (top): 
It seems to be easy breathing. We'll see with the pool test. Phil |
|
|
|
Post by SeaRat on Oct 29, 2016 20:53:19 GMT -8
Phil, I agree, those hoses look smaller. I'm not sure where they came from. I choose to make a modification to one Healthways mouthpiece to get it to breath better:  As you can see, I carved out the plastic wagonwheel with my pocket knife. I made the entire inside smooth, without the restriction for the mushroom valve. Of course, the compromise is that you no longer have a non-return mouthpiece.  The smaller mouthpiece was a dream to clear, but the narrowness of the wagonwheels did impeded the air flow significantly. John |
|
|
|
Post by tomcatpc on Oct 29, 2016 20:59:47 GMT -8
The only thing I know for certain about the SCUBA reg. is that I'm really looking forward to diving mine again! I have heard other talk about the smaller mouthpiece and hoses, but I did not really find it a big deal.
Granted that I'm a very new diver and not certain I could tell a bad reg from a great reg?, and I have dove mine for an entire half-hour in very shallow calm water... So, I'm not the greatest person to comment. But I do like mine and look forward to diving it again soon, also looking forward to the future and find a Gold Label, but that is a way down the road.
Mark
|
|
|
|
Post by vance on Oct 29, 2016 22:25:23 GMT -8
The only thing I know for certain about the SCUBA reg. is that I'm really looking forward to diving mine again! I have heard other talk about the smaller mouthpiece and hoses, but I did not really find it a big deal. Granted that I'm a very new diver and not certain I could tell a bad reg from a great reg?, and I have dove mine for an entire half-hour in very shallow calm water... So, I'm not the greatest person to comment. But I do like mine and look forward to diving it again soon, also looking forward to the future and find a Gold Label, but that is a way down the road. Mark Hey Mark, My feeling is that if it breathes well enough for you it's all good. I remember feeling like my old ScubaStar being the best regulator in the world, until I bought a Calypso. Then, its shortcomings became apparent. But I had many great dives with the ScubaStar, and never felt it was a "hard breather". BTW, Rob at The Scuba Museum has 2 gold lablels @$119 each. No hoses. I'd buy one, but I'm collecting regs like nobody's business, and I'm holding myself back from rounding out the collection.  I'm going to sell off a couple or three first, but only after I dive them and choose the keepers. I feel a Monterey trip coming up after the pool test! |
|
|
|
Post by tomcatpc on Oct 29, 2016 22:52:09 GMT -8
I have a Scuba Star and Calypso-J and love them both. (My new profile photo is with me diving the Calypso-J.)
As for the Gold Label, as much as I want one...I need to wait, unless I come across one like my SCUBA, which I paid $10 for... I'm not a big spender, I just got lucky. I put way more into it getting it back in the water though.
I've got too many regs right now that I just got out of the blue this Summer that I got working. I need to spend next Summer just diving them a lot and getting used to them.
I remember the year before when I first started diving and immediatly got into diving the older gear. It was simple, I had a Mistral and a Conshelf XI. When I'd go diving I'd take my "modern" set, and one of the vintage regs. Now, it is almost a "stressful decision" to grab a couple to take along...talk about "First World Problems". I am not complaining about this "problem". ha ha!
Have fun in Monterey, been there once, and would not mind returning, but till then I'm stranded in %&$$%# Ohio...ha ha!
Mark
|
|
|
|
Post by vance on Oct 29, 2016 22:56:17 GMT -8
Can someone explain the purpose of the secondary diaphragm, please? I don't really understand what it does.
|
|
|
|
Post by vance on Oct 29, 2016 23:04:41 GMT -8
Phil, I agree, those hoses look smaller. I'm not sure where they came from. I choose to make a modification to one Healthways mouthpiece to get it to breath better: As you can see, I carved out the plastic wagonwheel with my pocket knife. I made the entire inside smooth, without the restriction for the mushroom valve. Of course, the compromise is that you no longer have a non-return mouthpiece. The smaller mouthpiece was a dream to clear, but the narrowness of the wagonwheels did impeded the air flow significantly. John John, I probably won't even bother with the Healthways mps. I have 2 Hope Pages and a USD loop for diving. I'll keep the old hw mps for "OEM correctness". Phil |
|
!
I doubt we'll ever know: I'm daring fate there BTW...
I'm going to sell off a couple or three first, but only after I dive them and choose the keepers.