Lost Yooper
Guest
Initial reports that I have heard, from a lot of people who know more than I, have been less than encouraging. I guess the first stage is an over-balanced first stage that increases interstage pressure as you go deeper. Apparently this new first stage has introduced a few potential problems that are totally unnecessary.
Other first stages, such as the DST, Flat Head, and DS4 are capable of supplying an enormous amount of air, without any particular hassle or complexity. I don't doubt that the 200 is just as sweet a breather as the rest, but it doesn't seem worth it. You're paying a lot more money for a shnazzy looking first stage that only offers a 25% weight reduction (irrelevant for a first stage). On top of that, I hear the hose routing is less than optimal for doubles.
I think there's a fair amount of risk involved in buying that new first stage. Perhaps if you have a reliable tech on hand, it might be worth a try (if money wasn't an object). Personally, I don't think it's worth the money. I want to wait and see what happens with it. The second stages are nice though.
Take care.
Mike
PS. Keep in mind, that when you start getting into some of these high performance regs, it's hard to tell a difference (all things being equal) in the breathing performance. A machine can tell, but in reality, the differences are mute. The real strides are being made in the egonomics, IMO.
Other first stages, such as the DST, Flat Head, and DS4 are capable of supplying an enormous amount of air, without any particular hassle or complexity. I don't doubt that the 200 is just as sweet a breather as the rest, but it doesn't seem worth it. You're paying a lot more money for a shnazzy looking first stage that only offers a 25% weight reduction (irrelevant for a first stage). On top of that, I hear the hose routing is less than optimal for doubles.
I think there's a fair amount of risk involved in buying that new first stage. Perhaps if you have a reliable tech on hand, it might be worth a try (if money wasn't an object). Personally, I don't think it's worth the money. I want to wait and see what happens with it. The second stages are nice though.
Take care.
Mike
PS. Keep in mind, that when you start getting into some of these high performance regs, it's hard to tell a difference (all things being equal) in the breathing performance. A machine can tell, but in reality, the differences are mute. The real strides are being made in the egonomics, IMO.