ew1usnr
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After reading posts about electronic pressure gauges, I've changed my mind about them. My concern was about the battery going dead and not having a gauge. But as electronic gauge fans point out, an electronic gauge is more accurate than a mechanical gauge. And mechanical gauges aren't perfect either. Sometimes the needle can stick and give a false reading. That happened to me once. My pressure gauge read 500 psi but the regulator became real stiff to breathe on. The gauge had stuck. There was zero air in the tank. That should not happen with an electronic gauge. That's good your unit uses standard AA batteries. Some computers use weird sizes that are difficult to change.
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The following is a discussion for historical perspective only. All divers should always dive with a pressure gauge and dive fully outfitted with modern equipment. ***********************************************
You wouldn't be able to use a J-valve. Your regulator has a DIN fitting and J-valves are made for regulators with yoke fittings. Also, new BC's don't have an attachment point for a J-valve pull rod (see attached photo).
Divers used J-valves before submersible pressure gauges (SPGs) were available (and some divers continued to use a J-valve as a back up even when SPGs were introduced). The diver checked his tank pressure before he went underwater. The J-valve has a reserve that causes the regulator to become stiff breathing at about 300 psi. When it hits the reserve, there is no mistaking it. The diver then pulls down the reserve lever, the regulator becomes easy to breathe on again, and the diver knows that it is time to go up.
The big fear associated with J-valves is: "What if the reserve lever accidentally gets pulled during a dive and you don't KNOW it?"
Well, the diver needs to CHECK the valve occasionaly during the
dive, just as he would a SPG. Push the attached pull rod down and up and make sure that it is still in the up position. A diver has as much excuse for getting surprised with a "down" j-valve as he would with a SPG on zero. If you don't use a pull rod, wear the tank high enough so that you can reach the valve with your hand. The pull rod makes operating the J-valve lever easier.
**********************************************
The following is a discussion for historical perspective only. All divers should always dive with a pressure gauge and dive fully outfitted with modern equipment. ***********************************************
You wouldn't be able to use a J-valve. Your regulator has a DIN fitting and J-valves are made for regulators with yoke fittings. Also, new BC's don't have an attachment point for a J-valve pull rod (see attached photo).
Divers used J-valves before submersible pressure gauges (SPGs) were available (and some divers continued to use a J-valve as a back up even when SPGs were introduced). The diver checked his tank pressure before he went underwater. The J-valve has a reserve that causes the regulator to become stiff breathing at about 300 psi. When it hits the reserve, there is no mistaking it. The diver then pulls down the reserve lever, the regulator becomes easy to breathe on again, and the diver knows that it is time to go up.
The big fear associated with J-valves is: "What if the reserve lever accidentally gets pulled during a dive and you don't KNOW it?"
Well, the diver needs to CHECK the valve occasionaly during the
dive, just as he would a SPG. Push the attached pull rod down and up and make sure that it is still in the up position. A diver has as much excuse for getting surprised with a "down" j-valve as he would with a SPG on zero. If you don't use a pull rod, wear the tank high enough so that you can reach the valve with your hand. The pull rod makes operating the J-valve lever easier.
