Apex US4 hose routing

[Jason B]

What is the difference between the DS4 and the US4?

 

[Tamas]

What is the difference between the DS4 and the US4?

Environmentally sealed VS unsealed......other than that identical .

 

[Tamas]

There is a trend in cave country to switch Hose #5 and Hose #1 these days.

I don't do it, but I'm just puting it out there.

Makes perfect sense, clean up the x-cross a bit better.....after all the hose configuration is not etched in stone, nor is there a "rule" of what has to be done.....do what works for you as long as you keep the primaries on separate posts.

 

[StSomewhere]

If you plan to use Al cylinders it won't route as nice or look so pretty!

Because AL80s they are 7-1/4" diameters? Would it be worse still with 7" LP85s?

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Because AL80s they are 7-1/4" diameters? Would it be worse still with 7" LP85s?

No... 'cause the aluminum cylinders have shorter necks than the steel tanks. As a result, you can't set the DS4s exactly even like shown in the pic above.

The hoses coming off the "bottom" are forced into too tight a bend. Instead, you have to leave the first stages in a little bit of an angle... tilting in toward the center. Now the hoses come off at angle. This is O.K. but at its worst it can affect hose length. For instance, I have to use a slightly longer backup reg hose because it comes off the "bottom" of the first stage initially pointing to my left, then it must bend back towards my right so that it will go over my right shoulder.

Hmm... I have some pics somewhere... I'll look.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Here ya go...

 

[Tamas]

That's a horrible angle, what if you angle it more to relieve some of the strain....at times like this is when the DST would come in hand

 

[GreenDiverDown]

The first two pics show the "horrible" angle when the DS4s are forced into a flat or even position.

The second two pics show a reasonable amount of bend when the first stages are tilted in a little bit. Unfortunately the way the second set of pics were taken, they don't show this very well.

But that's typically how DS4s are used with the short neck aluminum cylinders... tilted in to relieve the tight bend in the Primary and SPG hoses.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

I should also point out that this appears to only be a problem when using a Halcyon/Sea Elite-type of manifold. I'd have to double check, but I seem to remember that my friends that use the OMS manifold don't have this problem. If I remember right the OMS sets the regs up a little higher.

It really isn't a big deal... most people use 'em just like I've described. I was just pointing it out so guys that put this together won't be surprised at how it shapes up. Most pics floating around the web are of DS4s on steel twins... so it can be a bit of a surprise when you set 'em up with aluminum tanks.

I think that I had to switch out my 22" backup reg hose to a 24" one. That was really the only problem.

 

[Jason B]

Makes perfect sense, clean up the x-cross a bit better.....after all the hose configuration is not etched in stone, nor is there a "rule" of what has to be done.....do what works for you as long as you keep the primaries on separate posts.

While there are no 'rules', having them crossed keeps all your primary gear (primary reg and primary inflation - wing) on the right post and all redundant gear (back-up reg and back-up inflation - drysuit) on the left post.