Blast from the past #2, 1974

[Nemrod]

Thanks Dustin, I was thinking a bit earlier but couldn’t recall.

The 156 BA CE Approved was late 90s when CE certification became important and the larger valve was needed (I assume) to meet certification. Assuming is always dangerous but regardless the main functional change was the exhaust valve now the same size as the G250 but still with a more restrictive tee and no VIVA.

 

[Umuntu]

The CE approved 156 BA has a 30mm exhaust valve vs the 26mm of the 109.

A 109 top and a CE 156 on bottom:

This cutaway illustration seems to show a 109 with an “enlarged exhaust.” It was this image that I was referring to.

 

[lexvil]

This cutaway illustration seems to show a 109 with an “enlarged exhaust.” It was this image that I was referring to.

View attachment 866457

I’m guessing that it may mean in reference to the 108 but not really sure.

 

[Nemrod]

This cutaway illustration seems to show a 109 with an “enlarged exhaust.” It was this image that I was referring to.

View attachment 866457

It was enlarged (to 26mm) over the previous product, one of which had two small double stacked exhaust valves similar to the Healthways (Scubair?). The CE 156 BA has a 30+mm exhaust valve shared with the G250 and to this day the G260.

 

[USdiver1]

It was enlarged (to 26mm) over the previous product, one of which had two small double stacked exhaust valves similar to the Healthways (Scubair).

Having just rebuilt my old Healthways Scubair, I used a single 20mm exhaust valve rather than two (it doesn't make a difference in WOB), I can attest that the 26mm exhaust valve found in the R109 is an improvement.

 

[Nemrod]

Having just rebuilt my old Healthways Scubair, I used a single 20mm exhaust valve rather than two (it doesn't make a difference in WOB), I can attest that the 26mm exhaust valve found in the R109 is an improvement.

When I first started actually working art a scuba store rather than just hanging out one particular customer kept bringing in some sort of old (to me as a 18yo) antique Healthways regulator thing with two stacked exhaust valves the size of dimes. He said he could not breath through it. I took it in for repair though the store owner had already told him to buy the new Scubapro 109. So what I did was to cut the first wagon wheel out, egged the remaining wagon wheel out a little and slapped a new exhaust valve on it. Problem solved or so I thought. Now his complaint was that it leaked. So then I walked over to the display with the pretty little 109s all shiny and happy and picked one up and told him this is what you need, you can breath with it and it will not leak. Begrudgingly he bought the 109 with Mark V and for ruining his piece of junk I told him that whenever I was in the store I would give him free air fills for his two tanks he had bought from us. And then my mentor and owner asked me not to take the customer's regulators apart and modify them . Like that is no fun there . I guess the leaking was why they had two exhaust valves stacked instead of just one, who knew!