Cough... JJ.... cough
LOLOL...
I would probably go to an X, or possibly an SF2 before a JJ. But, I'm new. I'm still on my honeymoon with my rEvo. Let me get to the Hallway Sex phase with it before I start looking at other "units".
SPGs on CCRs
- Thread starter doctormike
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LOLOL...
I would probably go to an X, or possibly an SF2 before a JJ. But, I'm new. I'm still on my honeymoon with my rEvo. Let me get to the Hallway Sex phase with it before I start looking at other "units".
OP
I’d get a JJ before I ever got a rEvo. But I’m glad I went with an SF2. The internal counterlung and dirt simple construction is what sold me. Add a CK needle valve and it’s freaking fantastic.
I’d get a Fathom before I got a JJ though if the SF2 wasn’t on the table.
I’d get a Fathom before I got a JJ though if the SF2 wasn’t on the table.
OP
Is adding a needle valve to an eCCR a common mod to make it a hybrid? When I first got my JJ, I remember someone saying that I could swap out the stock O2 MAV for one with a needle valve. I guess less wear on the solenoid, parachute, etc...
What do you think? Is that what you did with your SF2?
Adding a needle valve is becoming more and more common. I started with one on my Pelagian and that’s purely an mCCR.
The biggest benefit to me is that it’s a much slower PO2 decay. The biggest problem I had on my Meg was I was constantly fighting to remain neutral because the CL’s were huge so when it would inject to bring the PO2 up I’d end up fighting to stay neutral, and it would throw minimum loop volume out the window. I fully recognize that this was me sucking at it, but it almost put me off rebreathers totally.
When I got my Pelagian on the recommendation of a friend, it was a night and day difference. It was a much more gradual decay, and for the first time I really felt ahead of the unit.
Having it on an eCCR is nice because you’ve got one extra safety check. I let the solenoid bring up the PO2 during the build to verify function, then realistically it doesn’t need to work at all during the actual dive. I leave the setpoint low and fly it manually with the needle valve and the adds. If I hear the solenoid fire it clues me in to there being a problem, either with the unit or with me getting complacent. That being said, it takes a loooooong time to get it to fire and it’s never done so other than as a test.
However, for deco, instead of whacking open my needle valve and having to fidget with it to keep a high PO2 in shallow water, i’ll raise the setpoint on the controller to deco out and let the solenoid keep up the extra.
While I appreciate the dead nuts simplicity of my Pelagian, I think the hybrid concept is worth the added complexity. Throw a shutoff on the reg side of the O2 if you’ve got a stuck solenoid and then you can fly it completely manually. You still have gas addition at a regular rate without having to feather your O2 valve. It makes a potentially serious failure state damn near inconsequential.
The biggest benefit to me is that it’s a much slower PO2 decay. The biggest problem I had on my Meg was I was constantly fighting to remain neutral because the CL’s were huge so when it would inject to bring the PO2 up I’d end up fighting to stay neutral, and it would throw minimum loop volume out the window. I fully recognize that this was me sucking at it, but it almost put me off rebreathers totally.
When I got my Pelagian on the recommendation of a friend, it was a night and day difference. It was a much more gradual decay, and for the first time I really felt ahead of the unit.
Having it on an eCCR is nice because you’ve got one extra safety check. I let the solenoid bring up the PO2 during the build to verify function, then realistically it doesn’t need to work at all during the actual dive. I leave the setpoint low and fly it manually with the needle valve and the adds. If I hear the solenoid fire it clues me in to there being a problem, either with the unit or with me getting complacent. That being said, it takes a loooooong time to get it to fire and it’s never done so other than as a test.
However, for deco, instead of whacking open my needle valve and having to fidget with it to keep a high PO2 in shallow water, i’ll raise the setpoint on the controller to deco out and let the solenoid keep up the extra.
While I appreciate the dead nuts simplicity of my Pelagian, I think the hybrid concept is worth the added complexity. Throw a shutoff on the reg side of the O2 if you’ve got a stuck solenoid and then you can fly it completely manually. You still have gas addition at a regular rate without having to feather your O2 valve. It makes a potentially serious failure state damn near inconsequential.
I have a needle valve on my kiss sidewinder now. I like it, its better than the old orifice mav. I fixed my IP (@200psi) because scootering, sawtooths, light, reel, line, buddies all to keep track of along with a dynamic IP were not good. I couldnt get a hand free to adjust it as fast as the IP would change the flow on me. And would over or undershoot the adjustment trying to turn it fast so I could get back to what I was doing. Plus, its a royal PITA with frozen hands and dry gloves. Full open to closed is only about 3/4 of a turn and the knob is tiny tiny. On the plus side I can dial up the flow a little if I'm swimming hard or dial it back if I'm on deco. And I dont have to worry about an orifice clogging.
I dont see a reason to hybridize my Meg. I know the revo people love their hybrids but the revo solenoid eats batteries compared to a Meg. I usually set that to 1.1 or 1.2 for cave dives and let it do its thing. For wreck dives its 1.3 and I barely touch the MAV until I get to deco where I sometimes bump it up and let it decay. Or mess with the controller setting when I get bored hanging. I prefer not having a depth limit for my wreck dives, I dont know if the Meg solenoid would like 200psi fixed like I have on my Kiss, I would have to check. Plus it would be a hanging MAV when the Meg CLs have a built in MAV right there.
I dont see a reason to hybridize my Meg. I know the revo people love their hybrids but the revo solenoid eats batteries compared to a Meg. I usually set that to 1.1 or 1.2 for cave dives and let it do its thing. For wreck dives its 1.3 and I barely touch the MAV until I get to deco where I sometimes bump it up and let it decay. Or mess with the controller setting when I get bored hanging. I prefer not having a depth limit for my wreck dives, I dont know if the Meg solenoid would like 200psi fixed like I have on my Kiss, I would have to check. Plus it would be a hanging MAV when the Meg CLs have a built in MAV right there.
OP
I'm not sold on it being an example. Having a solenoid firing visual indicator on the handset doesn't work if I haven't paid enough attention to the handset in the first place. Having it on a HUD is the same thing because in either case, the regular firing of the solenoid isn't a normal state.
I don't do any serious ocean diving at this point so I am one of the skewed perspective people. Is a QC6 to inflator hose cheater not a good enough backup? I would think that I could get it out of my pocket and hooked up moderately quickly. I've never had a complete buoyancy failure in OW where I was plummeting to the abyss and got scared. I would think that a 1st stage failure, draining the tank, or a tank neck or burst disk leak would be the only thing that would lead to a complete buoyancy failure using the onboard dil as a suit inflation bottle. Even then, wouldn't it take something like a severe buoyancy shift or a blown wing opv at the same time as loss of inflation gas to really cause a serious problem? Couldn't the descent be slowed by adding loop volume ( I know that would be very limited by p02 and increase pressure in the loop)? I get that complete loss of inflation gases would suck over a deep wall, but maybe my inexperience with that type of diving makes it hard to comprehend how I couldn't resolve that issue with a cheater in my pocket.
BTW, Under the Jungle in Mexico has some awesome 2inch inflator hoses that Natalie had made because they work better for her size for sm inflation routing. They're perfect for making a pocket cheater. Nicer than using a 4 inch hose. With the 2inch it easily fits into the zipper flap on my drysuit pockets.
BTW, Under the Jungle in Mexico has some awesome 2inch inflator hoses that Natalie had made because they work better for her size for sm inflation routing. They're perfect for making a pocket cheater. Nicer than using a 4 inch hose. With the 2inch it easily fits into the zipper flap on my drysuit pockets.
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