Dacor 900 1st with "Totally Balanced" Pacer metal 2nd - Worth anything?

[Eric Sedletzky]

I got more free gear.

This load includes a late 70's or early 80's Dacor reg set featuring a 900 first stage (diaphragm) with a Pacer "totally balanced" second stage - all metal.
It also has a console with depth-pressure-compass (the compass is shot) and even a Princeton Techtonics wind-up bottom timer, How 'bout that!
Does anybody collect these or have any interest in it? PM me if you do. Are there any sources for parts anywhere?

The other thing of interest was a old Dacor BC, one of the very first poodle jackets - it has the words "Octa-Pocket" on the right front pocket. This jacket actually has a plastic moulded backpack integrated into it. The main inflation is in the front of the unit kind of like a bad hangover of the horse collar days - old ideas die hard. It's a late 70's marvel of engineering and worth absolutely nothing, but it is a fun conversation piece. It's actually very simple as far as poodle jackets go. No integrated weights, a simple piece of webbing that slides through a sewn slot around the back of the unit and fastened in front with a plastic weight belt buckle, and one other chest strap sort of thing right below the chest, no cumberbun or shoulder releases. The one single cam band is a cam latch style, kind of cool actually. Surprisingly the thing is still in great shape and everything works - no leaks and the inflator works.

I'll post pics if anybody is interested in seeing what this stuff is (just for giggles).

 

[uspap]

Does the Dacor BC have the old school c02 cartridge on the front for emergency inflation?

 

[diversteve]

Those are the Pacers that were orphaned after Mares acquired Dacor.

MARES/DACOR Diving Division of HEAD USA will offer 4 options for consumers to upgrade their Dacor Regulators that were produced in the U.S. by the old Dacor manufacturer prior to it's acquisition by Mares Diving in 1999.

Phil Mintz, Director of Sales and Marketing states "Unfortunately the parts suppliers for regulators produced by Dacor prior to our acquisition destroyed the molds when we moved production to our facility in Rapallo, Italy".

So if there are parts, they're vintage.

I bought one in 1981 and it wasn't a new model at the time - the 950XL was the newer model. Good breather in it's time - my other choice would've been a Scubapro Mk something and I took the time to compare specs. It seems to me like the wind-up timer is earlier - I had Farallon gauges and within a few years the first computers started to show up - that people could afford.

 

[herman]

The second stages are no problem to service, most of the time the diaphragm is good, the exhaust valves are common size and the LP seat is also a common size. The second stages are fairly good, esp XLE (if I remember the model correctly) it will hold it's own with most any stage today, all are worth keeping and using. The 900 series first stage is a problem, the HP seat is somewhat hard to find and to make matters worse there are 3 versions of it and they are not interchangable unless you also change a number of other parts.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Does the Dacor BC have the old school c02 cartridge on the front for emergency inflation?

Good question, I'll get it out and take a look.

*Add - I just looked at the BC, it's not Dacor, it's a Seaquest, and it does have a place where a C02 cartridge could be installed.
I'll post up a pic as soon as I get one.

 

[Alvin Slovinsky]

I have two respirators the one unit a 1 stage Dacor 1 with a swivel neck. It has 2 PBD Dacor XL and the other spare is a Dacar Pacer not XL. The second one is a Dacor Balanced Olympic 1St stage with 2 PBD both are 900 Olympic. I’m trying to find a technician sheet so I can take it apart and put it together afterwards would be great if I could find a parts sheet as well.