Bulletproof reg with a design that's been around forever?

[reefvagabond]

I'd rather have the pre-2008 Titan LX with BOTH balanced 1st and 2nd stages over the MK2 190 (with it's unbalanced 1st stage). I own (4) of the Titan LXs.

What's different about the current Titan LX vs the pre-2008 Titan LX?

 

[Pullmyfinger]

The first stage has completely changed, the one it used to come with is the one that's the old school (good) first stage.

-Mitch

 

[halocline]

There are three basic first stage and two basic 2nd stage designs that come to mind with the phrases "bulletproof" "been around forever" etc.. The three first stages are the unbalanced "flow-by" piston, personified by the MK2 and older sherwoods, the balanced "flow-through" piston personified by the MK5 and its descendants, and the simple balanced diaphragm design that goes back to the USD royal aquamaster double hose and lives on in the titan, although I had not heard that they recently changed the titan.

The two second stages are the basic downstream, like the SP R190, and the simple balanced barrel poppet like the G250. Both of those have some roots in the SP 108 and 109, among others.

I think at this point in time, the benchmark examples of each design have proven themselves throughout decades of use, to the point where any of them could easily be rightly called bulletproof and simple. Each design has been widely copied; the MK5 and 109 style 2nd stage are certainly among the most successful and most-copied regulator designs ever. The thing to avoid would be newer regs that try to "improve" on these basic designs with a variety of gimmicks, and in some case, real performance improvements, but at the cost of increased complexity.

My personal choice for a regulator on the old deserted-island-with-unlimited-tanks-but-nothing-else scenario would be a toss up between the MK5 and MK2, with a 109 2nd stage. Luis has said he'd use a conshelf 1st with a 109 2nd. If there was a rubber tree on this island you'd be set for o-rings and low pressure seats, and I bet there's some exotic hardwood that might suffice for a HP seat on the MK2. Hose problems might be a challenge!

Of course, there are the issues of food, water, and shelter.....

 

[lsorensen]

Here you go. Poseidon :: Regulators

Not many can stand shoulder to shoulder with poseiden.

How many decades has the Odin been around now?

I use an Apeks myself, but Posiedon was being considered.

 

[mdb]

I have a Poseidon Cyklon 300 that is over 30 yrs. old. Still going strong.

 

[Saudi-Diver]

I own Poseidon Cyclones, Scuba Pro Mk 2 and Mk 25s and my first Reg was a Aqualung Conshelf that I was given as a box of bits and told if I could get it working I could have it. I would go with the Aqualung Conshelf as a robust easy to work on Reg, then the Mk 2 Scuba Pro with the R190 first stage. Wish I never gave the Conshelf away in a moment of madness.

 

[Kiwi303]

I bought complete set from a medically retired diver, just wanted the tanks, but got a Calypso IV, horsecollar BC, wetsuit, weight belt, Cressi Sub Pinnochio Delux glass mask, early 70's waterlung fins, tanks and all the rest of the kit such as depth guage and a SOS deco meter someone referred to as a Bend-o-matic. A complete setup bought in the 70's and used constantly since until the doctors forbade him to dive and he sold the lot to me.

Everything is from the 70's and the Calypso IV first and second stage are still ticking along perfectly.

 

[Nemrod]

The first stage has completely changed, the one it used to come with is the one that's the old school (good) first stage.

-Mitch

It is my understanding that the internal workings are the same, just a rearranged form.

N

 

[halocline]

It is my understanding that the internal workings are the same, just a rearranged form.

N

I would also be skeptical that the design has changed after all these years. Somebody would have said something, I'd guess.

 

[SDAnderson]

Have used both - no difference in performance and as far as hose routing -who gives a crap... I'll take the $200 MK2 R190 over anything Apeks ever produced - hell - over anything else Scubapro ever produced. And no I'm not a SP dealer... just been using them for more than 10 years commercially in some harsh conditions, beat the heck out of it, never serviced them and they work as good as the day they were bought.

Like breathing through a brick, however. That's the problem with many of the old, reliable designs: they don't suck. At least not nearly as well as people would like.