Apeks ATX200 / ATX40

[otter-cat]

I recently spent the money and got the ATX 200 set-up. I had decided to go with an Apeks system because I had heard really good things about it from a lot of divers I trust. The reason I chose to spend the extra money to get the ATX 200 instead of the ATX100 or ATX50 was that I am on a limited budget, and wanted to buy a regulator that I knew I would be happy with for a LONG time. I figured that although my experience now was such that I might not need the added performance that the 200 offers, as I continue diving, and increase my training and experience, I wanted a reg that would be able to handle whatever diving conditions I expanded into as I got better. I figure, since this reg should last me for several years, the extra money divided over that time is not that much, and a whole lot cheaper than having to buy a new, fancier reg if I had bought a lesser one, and then developed my diving to the point where I was ready for conditions the original reg couldn't handle as well.

But I dive as often as possible, am always taking more classes, and dive in cold water. If you don't plan to dive as much, or don't plan to someday dive in more challenging conditions than you currently do, then it might not make as much sense for you to spend the extra money. I just wanted to be certain that I wasn't going to end up wanting another regulator too soon down the road.


otter-cat

 

[jbm]

We are on the same page. I recently ordered an ATX200/ATX40 set for the same reasons. Just as soon spend the money now as opposed to feeling I have to upgrade later.


Best Regards; jbm

 

[deepocean]

hello list

To : geek diver and otter cat.


This message may sound a little offensive but it is not ! It is more like this: i dont like when people get the wrong information from people who know very well what they are saying but still want to sell you the wrong stuff because of profit. (Not saying that your LDS is a bad seller).


First of all: you are misinformed!
Second: it is your OWN fault that you are misinformed! Do some research before GOING INTO THE STORE! Once again i am trying to take away some misinformation and i am trying to help not to offend.

Before i start: i am not saying that SEA4 is a bad OR good reg! Simply because i dont know the reg!

So here is some info : There is no such thing that a expensive reg will last you longer! you hope it will! but there no such rule !
I am not saying that tx200 is a bad reg! In fact i have two of them.

For instance a relatively cheap!!! Apeks DS4-with a tx50 second stage will indeed take you through ALL "LEVELS" of diving!!!!! gauranteed!

Second NEVER LISTEN TO YOUR LDS!!! do your homework before you are going into a store!! In short LDS advices are almost always coloured!

Again not all LDS are bad and greedy but why depend on others ? Why taking a chance ? When buying such important things?

Never let him to tell you what you need or what you wanna buy. This a classical example of a LDS who changes your mind abouth what you want to buy! Maybe he has a higher profit on the SEA4 ! then the expensive Apeks that comes al the way from the UK! Maybe ...who knows...


3 : like you heard earlier : testing regs at the surface is a bad test! It is more like: testing a shoe by watching at it! No you have to dive with your reg! Again if you had done some research you had no problems with this. For example : you could have borrowed the reg you wanted from a person.

4: There is a common thought (this a wrong one!) about high performing regs for deeper dives. This not true! A cheap DS4 or zeagle will perform the same as apeks atx200 at a depth of 200' or 300'!!! Because you are no longer using the same gas as you are using at 100'. Namely you are using Helium. And as you already may know Helium is far more lighter then then normal gas : air. And if you ARE using normal gas at this depth then you are basically a dumb ass waiting for a accident!

So you see there is actaully no real need for a high performing or high air reg or deep sea or deep dive reg. What ever you wanna call it.

5: Money NEVER should be a issue when you are buying life equipement! Either dont dive ! or dont spend money on expensive computers and be wise and buy your self a good reg!
The wrong attitude can kill you! I know people who dive up to 50 meters! with air! just because it sounds though and cool and / or otherwise they had to carry fully loaded equipement (cyllinders) with them in their cars al the way to the diving spot!? Or Helium is expensive!? How dumm can someone be ?


6: in your message you are talking about a reg that can handle ALL conditions! Then why bought a reg that is not envir. sealed already? Like the "cheaper"(relatively) DS4 or zeagle?



Advise:

- when choosing a reg : get a SIMPLE working envir.sealed reg!
So it is easier to maintain and nothing can go wrong.

- Try to get a reg that uses the right angles of ports and uses standard port sizes. Again DS4 is a good choice although ALL Apeks

(except tx20 : this one is not sealed and personally i dont like swivel turret : like the tx50. tx50 is DST = T stands for turret)

first stage are ok. This is easier when you are going to do "higher"level of diving.

For example when using doubles : With the DS4 :hoses routing is quit easy and simple. With apeks tx100/tx200 it is also very easy but this is a little bit trickier because you need to use one non standard port. (personally i dont really mind this one little downside)

for tx100 configuration:

http://www.northeastdir.com/gearpage1.htm

or for the DS4 confguration:

http://www.dis-uk.org/gallery.htm

for tx200: as soon as i get a digital camera i will make some pics of my complete rig.

- Try to get a brand that is well known or a reg that is well known and / or tested for a long time. The Atx200 is ofcourse a newer model but is basicly the same as the ATX100. So if you choose atx200 it is also ok. But if you want a bulletproof reg for warm waters: mk20/mk25 SP is a good choice cold waters: DS4 or other apeks. Both are tested for a long time by many tech/cave divers and are favorites! With GOOD reasons!

- Be aware of upstreamers like some poseidons! personally i dont like upstreamers.


Ok i hope this helped and that you and others can and will use this in your quest for good (read trust worth) life equipement.

Xerxes

p.s. The reason i talk so much about apeks is beacuse i have some of these regs and know how they work. But there are ofcourse many other brands that are ok. But i dont know them.

You know : There is also a difference in what you see in most common LDS in the states and here in Europe.
Anyhow i wish you good luck and much dive fun.

 

[GeekDiver]

This message may sound a little offensive but it is not ! It is more like this: i dont like when people get the wrong information from people who know very well what they are saying but still want to sell you the wrong stuff because of profit. (Not saying that your LDS is a bad seller).

YES, IT DOES SOUND OFFENSIVE. My LDS worked with me due to he is a Long Time family friend and his price had nothing to do with what he sold, and was not pushing one vs another. Before I bought I shoped and the other shops would have been happy to have my money.

Maybe you should have read some of the posts. The main point that I believe most were trying to impart is that you don't have to spend top $'s to have good performance. I could have spent My $650 on an Apeks ATX 200 but I didn't and money was not an issue.

when choosing a reg : get a SIMPLE working envir.sealed reg!
So it is easier to maintain and nothing can go wrong.

My USD SEA4 is a good basic reg and I'll never have any problems getting parts or service and will hold up to abuse even if I don't take care of it.

I don't dive deep and I don't dive coldwater. Who cares If my USD dosnt meet your standard because I'm the one diving with it. I don't dive contaminated water so I dont care that it's not enviromentaly sealed either, but If I wanted to I could have it enviromentaly sealed which would also set it up for cold water. I did my homework but needed someone with a bit of experiance to help me not spend money when it wasn't called for, that knew and understands the type of diving I do.

If you dive deep, need adjustments on your first stage, afraid of bad water or have ice hanging off your first or second stage maybe the SEA4 ain't for you but don't flame me cause I was smart enough to not spend the big bucks on a reg to go places I don't care to dive

 

[GeekDiver]

xerxes

3 : like you heard earlier : testing regs at the surface is a bad test! It is more like: testing a shoe by watching at it! No you have to dive with your reg! Again if you had done some research you had no problems with this. For example : you could have borrowed the reg you wanted from a person.

By the way, My last dive was in the Comal river depth around 10-15 ffw, dive time 50 min. Would you be able to tell any dif in a reg at that depth other than comfort of the mouthpiece that would justify spending $350 more for a reg. Thought not! thats what made the dif for me because testing on the surface or in a pool you can't tell so why buy a high priced reg.

You go have fun with your trimix, icecold water. I'll have just as much fun with with my shallow 80-100 ft or much less and 65+ deg temp dives.

GD

 

[otter-cat]

Xerxes,

I think that maybe you didn't understand my point. I was not advocating buying the ATX200 because my LDS told me to buy one. My LDS owner is a great guy, who has helped me buy stuff from other stores when he did not have what I wanted or needed. He doesn't try to sell me stuff that I don't want or need just to make a profit, and, in fact, he sometimes even sells me stuff AT HIS COST (i.e., he makes NO money on the deal) when I need something but can't afford the full price. I trust my LDS immensely, but even then, I did plenty of research ON MY OWN before selecting a reg to buy. As I stated in my post, I also spoke to a LOT of divers whom I trust, and I also read reviews of regs in magazines, AND looked in other places like SCUBABOARD for info as well.

As you said, you have a couple of Apeks 200's yourself. Why did you spend the extra money to get them, rather than the 100 or the 50? My guess is that there were some features about the 200 that you liked, that the other two didn't have, so you bought the 200 even though it cost more.

As far as higher priced regs lasting longer, I think you misinterpreted what I was saying. What I was talking about is that I wanted to have a reg that I could still use as I start to do more challenging diving in the future, for example if I get into cave diving or technical diving. If I start that in a year or so, I don't want to have to buy a new reg. So I bought the Apeks ATX 200. When I said I wanted a reg that would last a "long" time, I was talking about following me through a progression of experience and training into more advanced, more technical, more demading dives. I was NOT talking about total number of dives or years of service. I just didn't want to have to replace a perfectly good, still working regulator a short way down the road simply because it wasn't designed for more technical diving.

What I was saying was that I bought the Apeks ATX200 because I knew it was a nicer reg, and I didn't want to buy the 100 or the 50, and then end up regretting it a short while down the road. Is that the ONLY way to buy a reg? No, of course not. It is just MY perspective, which worked for me, which I thought I'd share. I am happy with my purchase. I did NOT base my decision on surface comparisons of regs, as you seem to suggest. I did my RESEARCH.

You seem to advocate getting an Apeks reg, which I did, so I'm not sure why you are telling me that I am misinformed. By the way, I too mentioned that not all divers would necessarily find it worth it to spend the extra money on the ATX200. I just said that I did, and explained why.

I am guessing that you just misunderstood the point I was trying to make, or meant to address someone else's comments. I appreciate that you were not trying to be offensive, but your opinions are worded very strongly, and I believe that they are somewhat misdirected. If you re-read all the previous posts, I think that you'll find that much of what you said was unnecessary.

otter-cat