aqua lung vs apeks regulators

[axxel57]

I beg to differ.

In the second stages, both the Legend & Apeks regulators use the same AP2034 MP seat, AP2041 shuttle o-rings, as well as many other o-rings. They share the same internal design, with the same shuttle valve, same counterbalance chamber, same valve assembly, same levers, etc.

The differences show up in the 1st stage. They use a little different HP seat design. Aqualung uses their famous square 129120 HP seat and Apeks uses a big circular "golf peg" AP1419. However, both regulator access the HP seat through a plug/spring assembly.

The one big difference I favor with the Apeks over the Legend series 1st stages:
During 1st stage service, the dry sealing diaphragm is replaced on Apeks regulators. Aqualung does not include the diaphragm with their service kit and it is not included in the standard overhaul. It is to be replaced when it fails.

You are right, the Legend uses three parts of APEKS (plus two o-rings) out of 84 for the 2012 1st & 2nd stage of the Legend.

That looks for me more like 95% difference in parts between the two models instead of 95% same parts according to your estimate.

The SP S600 uses by the way what looks like the same LP seat for their shuttle valve, and if I look deeper, I guess I would find also some O-rings which are the same in size and shore as in the Legend.

Anyway, my comment wasn't meant very seriously and the Legend everything else but an APEKS clone, that's all I wanted to express.

 

[Fishpie]

All the balanced AquaLung 2nd stages are an Apeks design......same shuttle, spring, orifice, barrel, lever, diaphragms....just a slightly different case and cover.
The 1st stages are independent of each other and share few (if any) parts.


As to the slight movement in the Apeks barrel when tightening the jam nut, it's not the only barrel/poppet 2nd stage that has this characteristic.....I find if I start tightening the barrel with the barrel already twisted in the opposite direction to the twist induced by jam nut it's quite easy to get the two legs of the lever parallel to the diaphragm and securely in place....as I'm quite sure you already know

 

[Centrals]

The latest XTX-200 1st stage(FSR) is totally different internally from the previous model! It can now accept the 5th port. But not sure if this feature has any application in rec. diving! However, the replaceable ARCAP valve is very useful indeed.
Not sure about the Legends.

 

[axxel57]

All the balanced AquaLung 2nd stages are an Apeks design......same shuttle, spring, orifice, barrel, lever, diaphragms....just a slightly different case and cover.
The 1st stages are independent of each other and share few (if any) parts.


As to the slight movement in the Apeks barrel when tightening the jam nut, it's not the only barrel/poppet 2nd stage that has this characteristic.....I find if I start tightening the barrel with the barrel already twisted in the opposite direction to the twist induced by jam nut it's quite easy to get the two legs of the lever parallel to the diaphragm and securely in place....as I'm quite sure you already know

From what I see the shuttle, the spring and the crown in the Legend are APEKS plus two types of o-rings, the other 79 parts are Aqualung.

If it should be right that the balanced 2nds of Aqualung are all APEKS design, then for me the Legends are the better APEKS. Maybe that is the reason they are more expensive.

Concerning the design flaw of APEKS 2nds at the the valve body - heat exchanger connection, it is right that a slight counter clockwise movement brings the body valve back in position. But it is also true that every time one has to do so, the play between the valve body with the lever and the blanking piece is getting a bit bigger, so after a couple of times you cannot speak about securing anymore, because just the turning of the 2nd stage at the LPhose causes often enough a dislocation of the lever position, that's a least my experience with the heavy used APEKS I get on my workbench.

Don't get me wrong, I like the APEKS regulators, they are high end regulators, but I don't like this design aspect, and I don't understand why they don't correct that. The friction between the heat exchanger and the o-ring below is simply too high.

I know that is not only a problem of APEKS, but that doesn't make it right.