Argonaut Kraken question
The question has been brought up about the future of the Argonaut Kraken. It is too early to talk about any new built units. I honestly don’t know if anyone else will be interested on taking on “new-production”. I own the regulator design (except for the label) and I could license it out. I am personally not interested in producing them myself.
Now, for the owners of the existing units, there should be a very little concern for parts availability and service. I will explain in detail.
When I designed the Argonaut, one of my primary design criteria was the future availability of parts. My goal was to design a regulator that could be serviced by your grandkids.
I used as many “off-the-shelf” parts as possible. For example, the High-pressure seats can be obtained from Aqua Lung, or Mares, or Trident. The same applies to the LP seats, they are just a flat elastomer disc. All the O-rings are standard.
The only rubber parts of concern would be the hoses and diaphragm, but they are silicone, which do not degrade like other rubber parts, and replacements will be available as long as there is any interest in any vintage double hose. But you should still be careful not to damage by accidental cutting or similar damage. Also, reproducing diaphragms can be a DIY item, and there are hose alternatives (i.e. from rebreathers). There are options…
There are also sources (or options) for the mouthpiece and exhaust valves.
The brass components should last forever unless someone damaged them during service, like scratching the edge of the volcano orifice. But I made both (the 1st and 2nd stage) volcano orifices replaceable to account for that event. The 1st stage volcano orifice is a standard Aqua Lung component used in several regulators.
The 2nd stage volcano orifice can be easily serviced, or reproduced by anyone with a small lathe. The same thing applies to the HPR (second stage body).
The cans would be the only concerning parts that can be damaged if the regulator is dropped or somehow abused. As far as I know, the molds still exist, but I don’t know their condition or their future.
I did design the regulator so that it could use vintage metal cans from a DAAM or RAM, but that is not my first choice, since the regulator performs slightly better with the new cans and (most important) the new cans are substantially lighter for travel.
It just happens that (for the last couple of years) I have been working on 3D printed cans for my exhaust silencer (I talked a bit about it in another thread) and I also have a 3D printed intake can design. The 3D printed “exhaust-silencer-can” is what I have been using exclusively for the last couple of years, and it actually has an improved exhaust valve design geometry. If need be and no one makes replacement cans, I could make some of the 3D printed files open source, but it is too early to worry about that. BTW, 3D printed parts continue to get better. Their finish is better every day.
So, we have options for all the maintenance parts and replacement components. But I still don’t know what is in the future, specially about any new Argonaut Krakens.
About your existing Argonauts, don’t worry, your grand-kids should be able to service them, if they are interested.
The question has been brought up about the future of the Argonaut Kraken. It is too early to talk about any new built units. I honestly don’t know if anyone else will be interested on taking on “new-production”. I own the regulator design (except for the label) and I could license it out. I am personally not interested in producing them myself.
Now, for the owners of the existing units, there should be a very little concern for parts availability and service. I will explain in detail.
When I designed the Argonaut, one of my primary design criteria was the future availability of parts. My goal was to design a regulator that could be serviced by your grandkids.
I used as many “off-the-shelf” parts as possible. For example, the High-pressure seats can be obtained from Aqua Lung, or Mares, or Trident. The same applies to the LP seats, they are just a flat elastomer disc. All the O-rings are standard.
The only rubber parts of concern would be the hoses and diaphragm, but they are silicone, which do not degrade like other rubber parts, and replacements will be available as long as there is any interest in any vintage double hose. But you should still be careful not to damage by accidental cutting or similar damage. Also, reproducing diaphragms can be a DIY item, and there are hose alternatives (i.e. from rebreathers). There are options…
There are also sources (or options) for the mouthpiece and exhaust valves.
The brass components should last forever unless someone damaged them during service, like scratching the edge of the volcano orifice. But I made both (the 1st and 2nd stage) volcano orifices replaceable to account for that event. The 1st stage volcano orifice is a standard Aqua Lung component used in several regulators.
The 2nd stage volcano orifice can be easily serviced, or reproduced by anyone with a small lathe. The same thing applies to the HPR (second stage body).
The cans would be the only concerning parts that can be damaged if the regulator is dropped or somehow abused. As far as I know, the molds still exist, but I don’t know their condition or their future.
I did design the regulator so that it could use vintage metal cans from a DAAM or RAM, but that is not my first choice, since the regulator performs slightly better with the new cans and (most important) the new cans are substantially lighter for travel.
It just happens that (for the last couple of years) I have been working on 3D printed cans for my exhaust silencer (I talked a bit about it in another thread) and I also have a 3D printed intake can design. The 3D printed “exhaust-silencer-can” is what I have been using exclusively for the last couple of years, and it actually has an improved exhaust valve design geometry. If need be and no one makes replacement cans, I could make some of the 3D printed files open source, but it is too early to worry about that. BTW, 3D printed parts continue to get better. Their finish is better every day.
So, we have options for all the maintenance parts and replacement components. But I still don’t know what is in the future, specially about any new Argonaut Krakens.
About your existing Argonauts, don’t worry, your grand-kids should be able to service them, if they are interested.
