Make your own Mistral

[cstmwrks]

OK so I've had this thought for a few years now. What with seeing a few images of USD's new 2 hose rig the thought is ever more on my mind. I have designed out some of the details of making an add on conversion to one of my conshelf 1st stages. The second stage would be behind your back with a port for the common two hose stuff for inhale and an isolated chamber for the duck bill or possably a normal silicone flapper.
Any others out there tinkering with this? I figure about $70.00 +or - for parts .... sounds better than $700.00

Bill

[seakrakken]

You've got my interest Bill. Got any sketches yet?

[RMannix]

Thought about this but didn't take it too far.
Have 2 Dacor Pacer XL second stages (Nice big dual exhaust valves) Considered clamping the 2 together, blocking off the exhaust ports in the inhalation side and plugging the LP inlet on the exhaust side. The hoses could be clamped to each mouthpice. Problem was I didn't have a clamp ring that would do it. Box clips and a gasket might work.

[JohnA]

Last post really got me thinking, why not tie strap an oceanic omega's together with an "exhaust tube" with a wagon wheel at the end (or just 2 omegas). Tie it in to the top of the tank and presto, custom double hose, also you could set up the omega's in all kinds of positions for breathability.

[Creed]

I have been thinking of making a pseudo-double hose out of a Conshelf. The older Conshelf 2nds have a screw on exhaust tee. Take it off, and make a nice little connector for a larger hose. Route that hose along with the intake hose to the back. The exhaust hose could mount to a modified spring retainer, like the mistral looks like it is doing. Those old 2nds are going cheap on ebay.

Another possibility is to encase the whole 1st in a larger body, mount the exhaust hose onto that, and route the intake hose inside the exhaust hose. Cleaner looking, but more of a pain to build.

The only problem I have is that I can't think of a really good reason to do it, other than to move the exhaust to the back, and for the occasional "what the hell?" response from others.

[cstmwrks]

Well I had been thinking of a more hi brow approach and de plating the second stage, silver braze some mods to it then plating it again. On the low brow end I had thought of forming thermoplatic and doing heat welding here and there. One part to machine and that would couple the second stage direct to the 1st stage so no LP hoses other than for SPG or what ever.
Bill

[Creed]

Actually, on further thought, I thought of a more "authentic" manner of adaptation.
(This is based on my Conshelf XI 1st)
Take a large, cylindrical sheet metal cylinder, like a small coffee can cut to 6-8" deep, and drill or punch a small hole in the bottom, just big enough to fit over the inlet boss of the 1st stage. The yoke and yoke retainer would fit over this, holding it in place(although I think I would also use a custom machined spring retainer to brace it further).
Make a small, 90 degree adapter to fit into the lp port and screw onto the inlet fitting on the 2nd. I would also secure the 2nd to the modified spring retainer and the sheet metal body. Now, given that the exhaust port of the 2nd is closer in size and shape to the double hoses, it makes sense to me to block off and remove the mouthpiece, and use the exhaust port as the intake.
Make a nice, removable louvered cover for the back of the body, and attach it. Mount the exhaust hose to the body, and the intake hose through the body and onto the exhaust port. Or run a small piece of hose from the exhaust to the body of the can, where the intake hose could connect just like the exhaust hose.
Finally, if the monstrosity survives a test dive, dismantle and paint/chrome/powercoat the coffee can body.
Advantages:
1. all of the parts needed to repair it are readily available from Aqualung, Folgers and/or the aftermarket(double hoses and various couplings).
2. if you have a spring retainer made, you won't have to modify the body of the 1st stage, leaving you with a servicable reg if the experiment fizzles.
3. You could also run a custom fitting between the spare lp port(and the hp port) and the body, allowing the attachment of an octo and/or an spg.
I'm in a tinkering mood. I just fixed an old Calypso J 2nd with an exhaust valve scrounged from a Mares Beta. The plastic one died so that the metal might live again. A fitting end.

[John C Ratliff]

I would highly discourage anyone from actually diving a regulator made from the parts described above. Diving regulators are life support equipment. There is simply too much that could go wrong with this arrangement to acutally try it in the water.

SeaRat
(I am a Certified Safety Professional, and work in Product Safety. Please do not dismiss my comments lightly.)

[JohnA]

It sounds safer than some of the rebreathers on the market today! ;D

[Creed]

Guest-John said:

I would highly discourage anyone from actually diving a regulator made from the parts described above. Diving regulators are life support equipment. There is simply too much that could go wrong with this arrangement to acutally try it in the water.

SeaRat
(I am a Certified Safety Professional, and work in Product Safety. Please do not dismiss my comments lightly.)

Heh, I agree. Thus the moniker "monstrosity" that I used in my post. As far as I am concerned, this is an exercise in creative thinking. I have no plans on hacking up a perfectly good reg for a coffee can eyesore.
If I were REALLY making a new dual hose, I might base the design on a "modern" reg like a Conshelf(to reuse available parts like seats and whatnot), but most of the body would be custom machined.

[RMannix]

I don't think anyone here would try it without a pony bottle, h-valve or doubles with a dual outlet. Not to mention a buddy. Cousteau & Gagnan must have been crazy.

[Nemrodalt]

Creed, what these guys don't understand is that there is a lot of talent here in these Kansaw hills, wait, what hills, this place is scientifically proven flatter than a pancake!
Only place I ever lived that everyone thinks they are a farmer, has their own welder and mows even a small yard with a Farmall tractor. Build a regulator out of a coffee can, why not!
James

[Creed]

Guest-Nemrodalt said:

Creed, what these guys don't understand is that there is a lot of talent here in these Kansaw hills, wait, what hills, this place is scientifically proven flatter than a pancake!
Only place I ever lived that everyone thinks they are a farmer, has their own welder and mows even a small yard with a Farmall tractor. Build a regulator out of a coffee can, why not!
James

Spoken as someone who knows the pain of being trapped in Kansas.

With all of the aircraft assembly in central KS, you can hardly walk down the street(even in little "population: 200" towns) without tripping over a machine shop. I do computer work for several, and they are quite willing to trade work for parts on occasion. I had a nice stainless steel vise mounting tool for my Conshelfs(Conshelves?) made up in return for 10 minutes of printer debugging. So, getting a custom part made is trivial.

If I really wanted to make a new reg, it wouldn't be hard. But it wouldn't be made out of coffee cans either

[Deleted]

Been reading all this and wonder, why don't you guys get together and redesign/ultra upgrade an existing real honest to God doublehose, design? Mod it enough to not encroach on any copy rights / patents, etc. There's enough brainy talent here it seems to accomplish this.

Seems the Royal AquaMaster would be a good candidate.

I kinda like the fancy floral work on the Nemrod Snark III can..........use the can and trash the inners for something better....suggest a tilt valve/venturi device 2nd stage to a cloned AQLG-Titian/Scubapro blah blah whatever first stage. Use existing size hoses, mod the mouthpiece section so any size mouthpiece can be used. Teflon/silcon everything so they never wear out/melt or turn to consistincy of potatochips.
Start a company and push the thing onto the market.
Don't expect to sell many thru first five years, until everyone on this board has one and uses it out in the world.........remember, once the D ring kids see one in action and find it is a new product, they'll want one. Fact of nature.

Also, make it strong enough for the Europeans to use on their ultrahigh pressure tanks..........STORM the World! Replace that stupid radiator cap everyone holds in their mouth!

Texas

[Creed]

michael said:

Replace that stupid radiator cap everyone holds in their mouth!

Hey, I like my shiny chrome radiator caps!