A really competent hydro shop near FLL or Tampa?

[Couv]

Thanks, 2Air.
Now, if I could only find Luis H (who has measured two tanks) and enter a little mutual cooperation with him, when I get my tank in for measuring. (Won't need a hydro for another year+, so I'm not running out the door.)
That would make three tanks, and if we had a properly documented way to carve that in stone...any other fossils with these tanks could benefit from it.

Try sending Luis a PM.
In the meantime, have a look at the PST document found here Manufacturers' Documents
It may have your cylinder listed. My old steel 72s are. There is an unfortunate but obvious typo for that model that makes some testers wary.

 

[Rred]

Nice find, couv.
l'll have to spend some quality time with a bright light and reading glasses to try making out the old numbers on the tank. But from an eyeball and measuring tape, it is 25" to bottom of stub, 26" to actual top of tank, and about 6.9" diameter. Not shown among the ones on that list, unless I'm really missing something. (DARN!)
That 6EC730 does have about the right exterior dimensions, but IIIRC the wall thickness and steel are different for the steel 96. I'll have to pull the numbers off the tank. Time to pull it into the light and get those numbers logged into a better place, anyhow. The REE numbers on it do come spitting close to what Luis got on his own two tanks.
The document seems to indicate it is a 1970 roster that was just retyped in 1985, so the 96's may have come after this had been done, and not appear on it.

[LATER]
Nope. Dragged it out. DOT 3AA 3000 +
.....................................44307Y
original hydro...............7[PST]82+

A different animal.

 

[BRT]

Sorry for the confusion, Halocline. My first tank was an Alu80, a Luxfer Alu80, and they were all 3000psi+ stamped. When neck cracks became a big topic and shops got their new eddy testing machines, an inept hydro shop (not a dive shop) tested my original tank and several of my buddy's and gave us back 3 CUT and condemned. My buddy took the lead on that and brought in someone in the industry who basically said "You *ing moron, those are the normal tool patterns in a threaded neck, who taught you how to inspect tanks?" resulting in three brand new tanks for us, at no further charge. (I decided I wanted no further part of that and sold the new tank that month. I liked my steel tank better anyway.)

What the Alu's are stamped with now...I don't know, I don't look, I only know them as rental tanks where I take what I can get.

The advantage of an old 3AA 3000+ tank, steel or aluminum (and I think they continued to be made after the change in tank materials because of the neck issues) is that no special permit is needed. There was some upset this year about whether the DOT was just slow, or was possibly not renewing one of those.

I've had more than one shop think my tank was an old 72, but side by side they are very different.

You mention AL80's + stamped. Never seen one and I have a 1987 Luxfer. I am almost sure that when I was getting certified in 1985 the instructor talked about AL80's being good for another 10% for the first 5 years. I can't find any reference to that now so am starting to think I am crazy. Others agree with me on that. Does anybody else remember that?

 

[Rred]

Since my steel tank was #2, that must have put my first Alu 80 around...1978? And it was definitely plus stamped. As were the tanks of my buddies, as are a number of tanks that one still has sitting in his garage. Yes, Alu80's from that time frame (1980-85) were commonly "3AL-3000" + stamped. The "new" ones issued after the neck crack issues, I don't know about. I was (and am) no longer interested in aluminum tanks. Don't need the buoyancy.

 

[Bob DBF]

I've also never heard of a tank (PST or otherwise) that has a service pressure of 3000 PSI and needs the plus rating, (i.e. a 3AA tank) The most common is the 2400 plus 10% and the older HP 3180 plus 10%

Before the Faber MP 3180 was the Faber MP 3000 plus 10%. A buddy had a pair of those 72's and I liked them as much as as the old steel 72's. I saw what I figured was an 80 of the same configuration. They were all Faber 3000# tanks branded with ScubaPro logo on the tank. I have no idea how many of these tanks exist or how many sizes were made.



Bob

 

[boulderjohn]

I live in Colorado but spend a couple winter months each year in South Florida. As luck would have it, over several years, the tanks I bring with me to Floirda all needed to have their hydros done during the months I was in Florida. I used HydroStat (post #2) at first, and the first time it was with aluminum tanks. I asked to have them O2 cleaned as well. They did, but they only put regular VIP stickers on them, telling me to bring a separate document they gave me to a shop any time I wanted a fill. What a PITA! I am a PSI tank inspector, so I shaved their sticker off and put one of mine on. The next year I gave them my steel doubles and had them do the whole bit again. Unfortunately, I did not even give the + rating a thought until I got back to Colorado and saw that they id not give it. Then I had a reason to open a valve and saw they had destroyed the inner workings. The stems were bent on all three valves, so the only way I could open them was to break off the stem and put in a new internal kit.

The next year I needed a deco bottle hydroed, and I took it to Scuba Tank Services (post #6) . I was very happy with Mark. He not only did a great job, I liked his overall friendly attitude.

 

[logandzwon]

Call Mark. He is right off I95 in Ft Lauderdale


Tanks Services - Hydro Testing VIP- o2 Cleaning - Tumbling - Air Fills

Mark is the only guy I've gone to for hydros. I have 3500 PSI with the special hydro procedure and also some ALs. He always treated both myself and my tanks right. I highly recommend his shop.

 

[Rred]

He's a nice guy, but he's clueless about the procedure to do REE determination on a tank and doesn't have the necessary equipment to do it, either. Apparently some local shops are annoyed that he deals directly with the public, and they'll argue about honoring the "anyone could have made this" VIP stickers he uses. (Yeah, I know. Just saying.)

Don't know what he did special for you, but he can't determine a REE number.

 

[luscioman]

He's a nice guy, but he's clueless about the procedure to do REE determination on a tank and doesn't have the necessary equipment to do it, either. Apparently some local shops are annoyed that he deals directly with the public, and they'll argue about honoring the "anyone could have made this" VIP stickers he uses. (Yeah, I know. Just saying.)

Don't know what he did special for you, but he can't determine a REE number.

A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat, with heavy firepower, strong armour, and tracks providing good battlefield maneuverability.

I think he does hydros on cylinders.

 

[The Chairman]

Most hydro shops have a much better opinion of themselves than the divers do. If they don't know something, then it must be false to them. It's tiresome. Then, when they make a mistake, they have a hard time admitting it. I lost 2 HP130s a few years ago and it still makes me mad.

That being said, I remember the 3000+ ratings on the Al tanks. My first tank was a rather small steel that came from military surplus. We had to thread and tap it for a taper threaded J-valve, which cost me a small fortune back then. I'm thinking it was $12/15 or so. Funny how your perspective changes over time.