Backplate & Single Tank Adapter

[dkktsunami]

Interesting. I use a DR TransPlate and no STA and have never experienced any wobble of any kind.

Ditto this.

 

[DomaNitrogen]

I use Pioner with No STA; I never felt a problem so FAR no wobble whatso ever. I dive ALU but the Dive center had no ALU i was given steel short and FAT i had no problem re adjusting the Cam bands

 

[BigWhiteSquare]

...stability is not compromised with a DSS direct mount.

Ditto this. Tobin's design is first rate, and your tank absolutely will not move after you tighten your cam bands.

 

[Ron Brandt]

There are several different BP's on the market....I have an Alu BP that I dive STA less. No problem with tank slipping . I prefer an sta and I use Oxycheq LW STA's. They are very low profile and lightweight for travel.
The expense with cam bands is around $100 CDN with SS buckels
and worth it.

Ron

 

[GreenDiverDown]

Why does the wing need to be bolted to the BP?

If the wing has two slots to accommodate the cam bands, won't the pressure of the tank against the BP hold the wing in place?

The rigs with stabilizing rods built into the wing were not designed to use bolts. The bolt thing is a Scuba Board invention. As Andrew pointed out, though, it can be a little more difficult to set up the rig without something holding the wing and plate together. Someone around here came up with the bolt idea and it caught on. Now people believe that they are required. If you use a flat head bolt and if the rods in the wing are thick enough then you won't have the situation where the cylinder rests on the head of the bolts. There are a lot of folks around here that are happy with their "STA-less" setups... with or without bolts... and don't have the problems that others here suggest.

But, if you are planning on getting that Halcyon, take note... the Eclipse and the new Pioneers do not have built in stabilizing rods and require the use of an STA. To use these rigs without a STA means that the cylinder will rest on the grommet of the wing. This will not permit a stable connection of the plate and cylinder. In this case, don't look at the STA as an extra piece of gear but rather as a detachable part of the plate.

Personally, I strongly encourage the use of a STA. IMHO, the advantages of the STA FAR outweigh the disadvantages. For all the good things the STA will bring you, it would be best to deal with the extra 2 pounds one will add to the weight of your dive bag. In most cases, two pounds won't break ya.

 

[*Floater*]

I spoke with the owner of a LDS the other day regarding BP/W. I tried on a Halcyon unit setup for a single tank. I noticed it had a STA and asked the owner if this was necessary.

I was considering buying a BP, basic harness and two cam bands threaded through the rear slots as a travel BC. I do not want the expense and weight of extra hardware such as the STA. The shop owner insisted that without the STA the harness and plate would be unstable and flex excessively.

I tend not to believe this but wanted to ask for feedback before I make any decisions.

1. You don't need an STA with most wings as long as it has cam strap slots that align with your plate, but STA's have some advantages.

2. DSS rigs and some other plate/wing products are designed not to require a separate STA.

3. You can make your own stabilizer cheap: http://www.kidspot.org/personal/scuba/#sta (or something similar) and it won't cost much or add any real weight

4. You can buy a very small, lightweight STA, like the oxycheq lightweight steel STA (-0.8 lbs negative) or the Agir 2-piece aluminium STA (-0.2 lbs negative) .

5. An STA with cam strap slots makes switching between singles and doubles more convenient and you can also use some of them to rig independent doubles.

6. A thick STA puts the tank further from your back which may decrease stability and may allow the wing to wrap a little more around the tank which can be good or bad depending on your preference.

 

[Hank49]

I was considering buying a BP, basic harness and two cam bands threaded through the rear slots as a travel BC. I do not want the expense and weight of extra hardware such as the STA. The shop owner insisted that without the STA the harness and plate would be unstable and flex excessively.

I tend not to believe this but wanted to ask for feedback before I make any decisions.

I didn't notice any difference in flex using a Pioneer27 with no sta and an Oxycheq30 with an sta. There are other options for achieving good trim but for me using the sta and no weights on my belt (with a full 3mm suit) leveled me out nicely. For me it would be worth dragging the sta around on planes.

 

[SkiDiver]

Personally, I strongly encourage the use of a STA. IMHO, the advantages of the STA FAR outweigh the disadvantages. For all the good things the STA will bring you, it would be best to deal with the extra 2 pounds one will add to the weight of your dive bag. In most cases, two pounds won't break ya.

Stephen, what advantages do you think a STA has over a non-STA design? Other than the weight difference, it seems that a setup like the DSS non-STA design would be as easy to use and slightly more streamlined than a STA setup.

For someone (like me) looking at the DSS Torus and the Oxycheq Mach V, this appears to be one of the biggest differences in the systems (apart from the zipper issue, about which I don't have strong feelings).

 

[Splitlip]

I have an OMS wing that I dive with a DR steel plate without a STA. I use little book screws to attach the wing to the plate only because it makes it easier to change out tanks. I have no wobble. OMS wing has these little pillow rods at the cam slots. The pillows actually keep the tank from making full contact with the screws.
Big advantage I find with the STA, it allows me to switch wings and plates for the most part without worrying about proprietary systems and slot placement. I have a very low profile STA (oxycheq I believe). it weighs 3/4 # and is less than 1/8 " thick.

 

[Splitlip]

Stephen, what advantages do you think a STA has over a non-STA design? Other than the weight difference, it seems that a setup like the DSS non-STA design would be as easy to use and slightly more streamlined than a STA setup.

For someone (like me) looking at the DSS Torus and the Oxycheq Mach V, this appears to be one of the biggest differences in the systems (apart from the zipper issue, about which I don't have strong feelings).

Check out this thread. It might help.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=164423&page=2

Post # 20 actually actually has side by side pics of the Oxycheq STA and the DSS wobble stopper.