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Hey guys, I have a Calypso J reg I'm thinking of selling. It is in excellent shape (looks like it just came out the box) and I will try to post pics later. Any idea what it might bring? Thanks!
Calypso J regulator for sale
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KD8NPB
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Depends which version it is.
$25 - $100 is typical.
$25 - $100 is typical.
Best of luck with your sale. I had a Calypso J in the garage for years that I used for refilling tires. I might have thrown it out or maybe it's still in there somewhere.
My original Calypso non-J from 1965 is still ready to dive. Yours in mint condition....hard to tell.
My original Calypso non-J from 1965 is still ready to dive. Yours in mint condition....hard to tell.
The Calypso J was the first regulator I ever bought in 1966, I already had been given a nice, used Mistral. However, the tiny exhaust valve later led to USD actually, more or less, stating that the regulator did not meet breathing standards. In any case, the ones I am talking about are those with two screws holding the exhaust tee on and with approximately a 15mm valve.
Usually these bring very little, unless you hit just the right person, in fact, they often will not sell for $10.00. Simply not the panache of a Scubapro or the performance of the later Conshelfs or the quirkiness of the original Calypso with the metal tee and integrated diaphragm exhaust design, used to set a depth record that is impressive to this day.
N
Usually these bring very little, unless you hit just the right person, in fact, they often will not sell for $10.00. Simply not the panache of a Scubapro or the performance of the later Conshelfs or the quirkiness of the original Calypso with the metal tee and integrated diaphragm exhaust design, used to set a depth record that is impressive to this day.
N
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- Messages
- 114
- Reaction score
- 7
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
Thanks for the info and I'm surprised at the values. I may have it reworked and just keep it to play with.
If it had the box and papers---do not let me be a kill joy. Put it on eBait with a reserve you are willing to settle for.
N
I like the Calypso J, and have several. They are very good performing regulators. When U.S. Divers Company went to the piston design for the Calypso III and Calypso J, they did enlarge the exhaust. The Navy Experimental Diving Unit in 1971 tested the Calypso J and Calypso III, and found both to meet their standards. You can see the tests at NEDU_1971.pdf. A bit later, they not only had the enlarged exhaust, but created an exhaust "bubble" by putting a dome over the exhaust and enlarging the exhaust tee. This significantly reduced further the exhalation resistance, as the mushroom valve was opening in air most of the time, and not into water. We have an in-depth discussion on the original Calypso and subsequent generations on the Vintage Scuba Supply Website, "Original Calypso Part Question" thread. I wrote there this entry:
The original Calypso and the Calypso II were both using a first stage which was at that time an advanced, balanced diaphragm. With the Calypso III and beyond, they went with a flow-through piston design that was unique to U.S. Divers Company.
What is really nice about the design of the USD piston is that the interstage pressure can be changed by use of a counter-balancing spring that goes down upon the top of the piston. An Allen wrench can be used to change the position of an interior nut to change the spring tension on the top of the piston. It is a more elegant method of changing the interstage pressure than the shims that must be used in the Scubapro balanced piston (Mk 5 and beyond, but I don't know much about modern Scubapro regs).
SeaRat
Jaybird wanted me to check the interstage pressures on all three regulator second stages. Here are my replies:
The original Calypso and the Calypso II were both using a first stage which was at that time an advanced, balanced diaphragm. With the Calypso III and beyond, they went with a flow-through piston design that was unique to U.S. Divers Company.
What is really nice about the design of the USD piston is that the interstage pressure can be changed by use of a counter-balancing spring that goes down upon the top of the piston. An Allen wrench can be used to change the position of an interior nut to change the spring tension on the top of the piston. It is a more elegant method of changing the interstage pressure than the shims that must be used in the Scubapro balanced piston (Mk 5 and beyond, but I don't know much about modern Scubapro regs).
SeaRat
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Unfortunately, Nem is a lot closer on the ebay values, if you had the box then you may get the $100 but just a reg, you will be very lucky to get $20 with $5-10 more like it. The other issue you have is, it is very unlikely you will find anyone (dive shop) that will service it. Parts kits have long since been discontinued and without new OEM kits its rare a shop will touch it, now for some better news. While the kits do not exist, the only part in them that is not available is the HP seat, all the other parts are common orings or filters. If you are willing to DIY odds are very good you can get it back in perfect working order. Unless the reg is very heavly used, the HP seat is likely in good condition and can be reused. If it does happen to be in poor shape, it is a 2 sided seat that you can flip over and use the second side, that was a common practice in the early days. I have service manuals (pdfs) for it if you decide to take on rebuilding it.
What I use my Calypso/early Conshelf seconds for is as octopus regulators for my double hose rigs. I like the lower profile of the screw on exhaust tee and overall more compact front cover as compared to later Conshelf models with the slip on tee and the "chrome dome" cover.
Used as a secondary air source for air sharing top performance is not needed and for one thing, despite the fact that exhausting through the tiny exhaust valve is, uh, exhausting, not entirely unlike blowing through a straw, these are bullet proof regulators, when you need them, they work. They require virtually no adjustment.
The exhaust tees may be carried by Trident, I am not sure, I have gone through my last one, the originals were good but mine have all turned to dust. There are several variations in the exhaust valve size, the regulator I have from 66 is very small, the later ones, still with the screw on tee were slightly enlarged and they tend to leak and breath wet. I have modified, as in I have cut the exhaust port larger on one regulator. The one here is my very first regulator, serving duty with the brand new Argonaut (pre-production test unit) high performance double hose regulator:
If your exhaust tee is still in good shape, great. Now, just purchase a new silicone exhaust valve to replace the OEM neoprene valve, Trident has them, this will help a lot with the exhaust back pressure. The LP seat is easy, VDH has them and they cost virtually nothing, BTW, vdh has the exhaust valves too I think. Now, if you are lucky, the original neoprene diaphragm is still soft, if not, you can use the much better silicone diaphragms from the later Conshelfs, usually a grey color, they are superb. The first stage HP seat is very durable, I doubt it needs to be replaced unless the regulator was heavily used. Check and adjust IP, go dive.
These are excellent shallow water regulators for dark water diving, like scrounging for sharks teeth in near zero viz in 20 feet of water, no spg, no secondary, hit the reserve, pull the lever, go up, hopefully with a bag of nice teeth.
Did I mention they are rock solid durable.
See, some of us in the vintage boards are biased, in my first SCUBA course in 66 my instructor, a manly man, who impressed me significantly at the time, as, holy cow, I have Mike Nelson for an instructor, sort of thing, told me bluntly, little Nemrod (he may have meant "nimrod," but it stuck), those single hose regulators are for girls and then he made me do push ups and run laps in twin 38s. See, when you are 10 years old, and the guy telling you this is an ex pro ball player, well, it makes an impression. Now, two years later, when I was old enough to actually be certified, and took the course again, I was using my Mistral double hose, because, like, men use double hose and girls use single hose regulators, right, well, dang if he was not using a single hose Conshelf. This caused me much confusion, I have had to go through years of psychological analysis and theropy to deal with it, questioning sexuality, it was traumatic, never gotten over it.
So it is like this, let us get the universe straight, so as I will not need years more of doctor visits, men use double hose regulators, single hose regulators are for girls and metro/hipster divers. I am a two fisted, big knife (BFK) carrying, shark wrestling, mask on forehead, double hose, SCUBA diving dude!!!!!!!!!!! and they call me Nemrod.
Don't be that guy with a single hose
.
Not that there is anything wrong with it, but.....
N
Used as a secondary air source for air sharing top performance is not needed and for one thing, despite the fact that exhausting through the tiny exhaust valve is, uh, exhausting, not entirely unlike blowing through a straw, these are bullet proof regulators, when you need them, they work. They require virtually no adjustment.
The exhaust tees may be carried by Trident, I am not sure, I have gone through my last one, the originals were good but mine have all turned to dust. There are several variations in the exhaust valve size, the regulator I have from 66 is very small, the later ones, still with the screw on tee were slightly enlarged and they tend to leak and breath wet. I have modified, as in I have cut the exhaust port larger on one regulator. The one here is my very first regulator, serving duty with the brand new Argonaut (pre-production test unit) high performance double hose regulator:
If your exhaust tee is still in good shape, great. Now, just purchase a new silicone exhaust valve to replace the OEM neoprene valve, Trident has them, this will help a lot with the exhaust back pressure. The LP seat is easy, VDH has them and they cost virtually nothing, BTW, vdh has the exhaust valves too I think. Now, if you are lucky, the original neoprene diaphragm is still soft, if not, you can use the much better silicone diaphragms from the later Conshelfs, usually a grey color, they are superb. The first stage HP seat is very durable, I doubt it needs to be replaced unless the regulator was heavily used. Check and adjust IP, go dive.
These are excellent shallow water regulators for dark water diving, like scrounging for sharks teeth in near zero viz in 20 feet of water, no spg, no secondary, hit the reserve, pull the lever, go up, hopefully with a bag of nice teeth.
Did I mention they are rock solid durable.
See, some of us in the vintage boards are biased, in my first SCUBA course in 66 my instructor, a manly man, who impressed me significantly at the time, as, holy cow, I have Mike Nelson for an instructor, sort of thing, told me bluntly, little Nemrod (he may have meant "nimrod," but it stuck), those single hose regulators are for girls and then he made me do push ups and run laps in twin 38s. See, when you are 10 years old, and the guy telling you this is an ex pro ball player, well, it makes an impression. Now, two years later, when I was old enough to actually be certified, and took the course again, I was using my Mistral double hose, because, like, men use double hose and girls use single hose regulators, right, well, dang if he was not using a single hose Conshelf. This caused me much confusion, I have had to go through years of psychological analysis and theropy to deal with it, questioning sexuality, it was traumatic, never gotten over it.
So it is like this, let us get the universe straight, so as I will not need years more of doctor visits, men use double hose regulators, single hose regulators are for girls and metro/hipster divers. I am a two fisted, big knife (BFK) carrying, shark wrestling, mask on forehead, double hose, SCUBA diving dude!!!!!!!!!!! and they call me Nemrod.
Don't be that guy with a single hose
.Not that there is anything wrong with it, but.....
N
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