About FredT backplates & are they compatible with Halcyon?

[11B3Y]

Question for the board- -

I have the FredT SST BP, 2-piece STA, and 27lb Halcyon Pioneer Wing. There is a bit of a fitting problem. The distance between the center of the grommeted hole and the tip of the internal "rods" (I think it is called the "integrated single tank mounting system") on the pioneer wing does not allow enough clearance for the bottom edge of the TOP STA to fit. In other words, when mounting the STA, the bottom portion contacts about 1/4" of the rods used to stabilize the tank, causing it to sit at an angle.

I tried pushing the rods closer together, but that did not work.

Anyone else encounter this obstacle? Any suggestions?

Thomas

 

[Dryglove]

Remove the rods and put some aquaseal to repair the hole used to remove the rods or dump the STA.Iwould personally take the rods out and use the STA.Goodluck!!

 

[Uncle Pug]

Unless you need extra weight.

I use the 27# Halcyon wing without an STA and it holds a LP104 rock solid... (I do use the SS cam band buckles.)

I am thinking about pouring a V weight to be held in place on the inside of the plate under the cam bands. I figure I can get about a 4~5# weigth in there... and take that much off the belt.

Shane uses the older style Halcon wing that needs an STA and he has one of Scott Koplin's weighted STAs at 6#.

I like mine better than his... the tank sits a little closer to my back and I can reach my valve knob.

 

[Windknot]

Yes I had the same problem....no you dont need to cut out your rods.

It takes a little practice and fitting....not to mention a little stretching on the part of the nylon around the integrated rods.

What I found was that if you clamped one piece of the STA down tightly and then went to the next one, the second piece would never fit, it would hit the rod.

Try this. Center your wing over whichever holes you are using and then place both pieces of the sta on to the wing with the bolts going through them.

Tighten the wing nuts a little on each one and keep going back and fort until it starts to get tight.

The rods will obviously pic one way or the other to go and just work the opposite side back and forth and the nylon will stretch a little. It takes two or three trys before you can tighten them BOTH all of the way down. But it can be done. I have done it. I was afraid to cut my $300 + wing for any reason.

Good luck, I know it CAN work.
_______________________________________

Puggles does have a point though. If you dont need the extra weight of the STA....hell even if you do (add a little to the belt just once) and try the wing with the integrated STA by itself in the water. I have tried mine with a large diameter LP98 and it seemed to hold it tight, but I have yet to try it without the STA.

(My only emerging concern with the STA is the additional distance that it puts the tank away from me....My bungeed backup hose is up to 26" and is still too short[mind you I have a 49" chest too] but when you clamp that tank into one of Fred's STA's, you KNOW that Bad Boy is going NO WHERE!!!)



Enjoy, I hope this helped

WK

 

[Scubaroo]

I've done the razor and aquaseal job - takes a few careful minutes and it's never a problem again. I figured that I'll never sell the wing - I plan on wearing it out! so a litttle nip and tuck wasn't going to bug anyone and it was going to make the STA sit better. Plus it's a few extra pounds of weight, the tank stays rock solid, smiles all round. I was never happy with the integrated STA after the bolt holding the backplate and wing together came out, and the whole thing fell apart underwater and almost drowned me when the weight of the tank on the camstrap pulled it all pearshaped. STA (and some better bolts!) fixed that. Been sweet ever since.

 

[Windknot]

I didnt use a bolt without the STA....I just threaded the cam straps through the backplate and the wing.

Everything was a little loose until I smacked the tank down with the straps then everything was snug as a bug.

Hmmm...bolt. Never thought of that. As soon as I figure out what Pug was talking about with a spanner wrench, I may incorporate that into the fray.

WK

 

[Scubaroo]

Originally posted by Windknot
I didnt use a bolt without the STA....I just threaded the cam straps through the backplate and the wing.

Bad move! If the tanks slips out, there's nothing holding the wing to your backplate - if things go really wrong (like happened for me on the first dive) - the wing goes it's own merry way and you're left juggling a floating wing, and a tank that you're barely holding onto by gripping the regulator mouthpiece like hell with your teeth! Halcyon really dropped the ball on the design of those stupid flat flanged bolts they supply with the wing and the backplate - they're fine for holding the padded pocket on the backplate - but they just can't be tightened and trusted to stay put when they're under load, so even if you use the supplied bolts, it's still a potential failure point (and it did fail for me). Use a proper bolt and wingnut, even if you're not using an STA.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Windknot
As soon as I figure out what Pug was talking about with a spanner wrench, I may incorporate that into the fray.

pin spanner... look it up with a google search...

Or just use a pair of needle nose pliers tips...

 

[11B3Y]

UP - always quick to help, thanks. Your setup is what I have right now.

Windknot - I'll be trying out your method in a few days, I'll post my success (I'm an optimist) when done.

Everyone else, thanks for the input. As usual, one subject always has many points of view and we all continue to learn from each other.

Thomas

 

[Windknot]

You must be going to the Boeing Garage Sales again and getting high tech tools


Ben........Thanks for the heads-up...I'll try and avoid the combination that I mentioned above....

11B3Y- Welcome to "The Club" and if you find your 27# wing doesn't have enough lift...I have a barely used 36# that I'm going to have to get rid of for the same reason...I'll be moving up to the 45#er (i'm balanced at around 35.5# now (no room for error))


WK