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Post by SeaRat on Jan 21, 2017 23:37:42 GMT -8
I have a new diaphragm in the original Scubair, and it has finally been set to the correct interstage pressure. The "new" diaphragm was the key, as the old one (more than 50 years old) had been compressed over time, until when the cap was tightened down, there was no room for the adjustment of the interstage pressure. Now, to put it in the water--tomorrow, actually. That will be fun. I'll tell more about the new diaphragm once I've cleared it with the one who helped me; photos to follow.
John
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 22, 2017 15:47:30 GMT -8
John, that guy who helped you is a real jerk--I heard he's so dumb, he thinks a pigpen is something to write with...  On a more serious note: I'm wondering if we took your old diaphragm apart, cut the neoprene away, if the two brass pieces would unscrew from each other... this would allow us to rebuild them. The one side is a hex-nut! I know that Sitka-Dave was trying to trying to rebuild one for his Sportsways... JB |
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 22, 2017 17:18:39 GMT -8
John, that guy who helped you is a real jerk--I heard he's so dumb, he thinks a pigpen is something to write with... On a more serious note: I'm wondering if we took your old diaphragm apart, cut the neoprene away, if the two brass pieces would unscrew from each other... this would allow us to rebuild them. The one side is a hex-nut! I know that Sitka-Dave was trying to trying to rebuild one for his Sportsways... JB Okay, now everyone should know that I got that diaphragm from Jaybird!  Is the pig pen with blue or red ink? Well, I'm out of the pool, and tested five regulators, including the original Scubair. I also did a bit of video GoPro work with them, although I haven't reviewed the video yet. Concerning the original Scubair, it worked well with no leaks, but it seemed to lag. I thought I had the interstage pressure too low. It worked, and I did not have problems with the dive, but would not want to take it into the Clackamas River's current until I figured it out. So I came back home, got a reading on the interstage pressure (which was somewhat higher than I thought) and decided that it was low and upped it. But that did not do the trick. I then decided to change the diaphragm back to the original (which I have been conditioning with silicone), put it in, and the regulator seemed to function better. I had a newer, more flexible diaphragm, but it seems that the newer diaphragm may have collapsed onto the tilt valve pin, and moved the fulcrum back toward the seat, decreasing the leverage. This may have led to the lag, or it may have been the lower pressure. But it will need to go back into the pool before I take it to open water. I also tested my Healthways Scubair Sonic, and it did very well. The exhaust is a bit more restrictive than the other regulators (MR-12 II and Dacor Endura--more on these in a different post). But the regulator itself is sound, and functioned well. I got back with low air (I used the original Scubair last), and the sonic reserve is functioning very well. I used a Sportsways Sea-View gauge on the original Scubair, and it functioned very well too. That gauge is probably from the 1960s, and so in it's 50s (years old), but still intact and holding both pressure and water. John |
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 22, 2017 17:56:29 GMT -8
John, I found that too high of an IP will really cause a horrible lag. Tomorrow I'll get an IP reading on my Scuba Star and my original Scubair. I don't have a good exhaust mushroom on my Scuba Star, but holy cats, I was honestly surprised at how good it breathed. Okay, I was just out in the garage: I covered the exhaust ports with my thumbs and took a hit off of that SS, and yes, I would definitely use this reg in open water! Granted, nothing too challenging, but it breathes pretty danged good, and I found I didn't have to pull too hard to get it to crack  Breath control is very important in diving these BTW! JB |
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 22, 2017 21:36:54 GMT -8
Okay, I got some good video of these dives. But I look like a fat old man. Oh well...
I going to look at my SCUBA Star, and get the interstage pressure and match that on my Scubair.
John.
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Post by diverdon on Jan 23, 2017 6:19:21 GMT -8
Okay, I got some good video of these dives. But I look like a fat old man. Oh well... I going to look at my SCUBA Star, and get the interstage pressure and match that on my Scubair. John. I'm sure looks are deceiving, John Water makes things look bigger/fatter and sound travels faster etc. etc. DD |
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 23, 2017 10:16:41 GMT -8
John, I got 90-psig on the Scuba Star: but I agree set the Scubair to match the Scuba Star. Is your gauge accurate? All it takes is one time to kill the calibration on a gauge when it pegs: first hand experience my friend  JB |
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 23, 2017 10:34:21 GMT -8
Okay, here I am with my Scubair in the pool yesterday.  I should have a short video on this dive soon. I was diving with the Scubair and a Sportsways Sea-View Gauge. I also had one of my oval masks (a Scubapro) Dacor snorkel and my Duckfeet fins. That was it, other than my swim suit; entirely vintage with a regulator apparently manufactured in 1960. Jaybird, my gauge is not accurate, as it has been pegged. At zero, it reads 5 psig. That's why I'm going to use the Scuba Star as a calibration guide (before I get a new gauge). John |
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 23, 2017 11:08:14 GMT -8
At zero, it reads 5 psig. That's why I'm going to use the Scuba Star as a calibration guide (before I get a new gauge). John Exactly--do it empirically!  JB EDIT: OK, I just readjusted the Scubair; 90-psig--NICE! I wouldn't hesitate to take either of these units into open water  EDIT-2: I'm kinda liking how loud these regs are, it's a bit reminiscent of a big-throaty-V8... It sounds official! |
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 23, 2017 15:37:46 GMT -8
Jaybird,
I just measured my Scuba Star at 120 psig on my gauge. So I adjusted my original Scubair to 120 psig, replaced the old with a new diaphragm in the second stage, and tested the breathing. It was really quite good. Now this regulator has a new HP diaphragm in the first stage, and a new LP diaphragm in the second stage. It's ready for open water now, I think.
The video is coming along, and should be completed shortly.
John
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 23, 2017 16:57:34 GMT -8
John, I took the shims out of the Scuba Star, the one with the IDI as my primary: with such a low IP the IDI was super doggy, and the SS was really nice. I may add a tee to the SS Sitka-Dave gave me and keep it all tilt-valve. I'm still working on my method for fixing tilt-valve seats, but I think I have it figured out JB EDIT: Did you try it at 90-psig? |
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 23, 2017 17:10:04 GMT -8
John, I took the shims out of the Scuba Star, the one with the IDI as my primary: with such a low IP the IDI was super doggy, and the SS was really nice. I may add a tee to the SS Sitka-Dave gave me and keep it all tilt-valve. I'm still working on my method for fixing tilt-valve seats, but I think I have it figured out JB EDIT: Did you try it at 90-psig? No, I haven't tried it at 90 psig, as I don't have much confidence in my gauge at this point. I'll leave it at this reading, and try 90 psig when I know what the gauge reads. John |
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 23, 2017 17:42:45 GMT -8
John, I think you'll be happily surprised at just how good they are way down low: the cracking effort is zilch! Hmmm; now that I'm thinking about it, it's like riding a bike, as opposed to driving a car! Less speed means less effort, more maneuverability (low IP-bicycle) Higher speed more fuel more time needed to react (high IP-auto) JB |
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 23, 2017 17:44:28 GMT -8
One of the selling features of the Scubair and subsequent Healthways regulators in the 1960s was the placement of the exhaust. The metal exhaust tubes routed the exhaust air away from the front of the face, and more towards the diver's ear. Most divers at that time were wearing the oval masks. Here's a photo from the January 22, 2017 dives that illustrates this advantage.  This was actually important to those of us who watched aquatic and marine life. John |
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 23, 2017 17:51:38 GMT -8
John, excellent example my friend!
JB
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Is the pig pen with blue or red ink?
Breath control is very important in diving these BTW!
