Did I get the right regulator? D420 vs g260

[jale]

I think you could save a lot of money by going with a MK2 and a R095 or R195 or even a G260 if you like.
And did really your old reg need service and is ir really unserviceable?

 

[Ciguatera]

I think you could save a lot of money by going with a MK2 and a R095 or R195 or even a G260 if you like.
And was really your old reg needed service and is ir really unserviceable?

Aeris did get sold to oceanic several years ago, and oceanic cut Aeris as a brand. Reg and octo worked fine, but don't mind an upgrade, it was a very basic set. I traded in the aeris reg and octo and got $50 credit at the dive shop.

 

[jale]

Aeris did get sold to oceanic several years ago, and oceanic cut Aeris as a brand. Reg and octo worked fine, but don't mind an upgrade, it was a very basic set. I traded in the aeris reg and octo and got $50 credit at the dive shop.

Good you could get some money out of it but frankly you don't need to upgrade if you were happy with it. But of course that is your choice and if it pleases you, it is a good choice

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Ciguatera

The MK25 and MK17 are both excellent 1st stages, piston vs. sealed diaphragm. You would not be able to tell a difference in performance.

Personally, I like a smaller, lighter 2nd stage and currently dive a S600. Today I would probably go with the S620Ti, minimally more expensive. I have no experience with the D420.

What did you get for a second 2nd stage? I have been using a C370, very small, light, high performance regulator at a relative bargain price.

Best of luck in your final regulator purchase.

 

[Ciguatera]

Good you could get some money out of it but frankly you don't need to upgrade if you were happy with it. But of course that is your choice and if it pleases you, it is a good choice

I traded it in really as a safety precaution if service kits aren't available, I'd hate for it to fail while I'm on a liveaboard.

 

[Ciguatera]

Hi @Ciguatera

The MK25 and MK17 are both excellent 1st stages, piston vs. sealed diaphragm. You would not be able to tell a difference in performance.

Personally, I like a smaller, lighter 2nd stage and currently dive a S600. Today I would probably go with the S620Ti, minimally more expensive. I have no experience with the D420.

What did you get for a second 2nd stage? I have been using a C370, very small, light, high performance regulator at a relative bargain price.

Best of luck in your final regulator purchase.

I got the SP r195 octo. Reading the boards here, didn't see a lot favoring the 620ti over the g260, but would love to hear from 620ti owners if there's an advantage.

My top priority is really "bombproof" status. I'm not planning on tech diving and want something that doesn't require tweaking or have a lot of points of failure. Cost of servicing being low also a plus. Re: diaphragm vs piston, my understanding is similar price of servicing and maybe more durability for diaphragm since corrosive elements aren't getting in the first stage

 

[Ciguatera]

The 620ti and mk25 evo also interested me. It's about a $215 price increase over the mk17 evo/g260 but not sure if it's justified. Is breathing on a piston that much better and is it that much cheaper to service?

 

[scubadada]

The 620ti and mk25 evo also interested me. It's about a $215 price increase over the mk17 evo/g260 but not sure if it's justified. Is breathing on a piston that much better and is it that much cheaper to service?

No, you would not be able to tell the MK25 from the MK17 in breathing. The S620Ti is a little less than 2/3 the weight of the G260 and significantly smaller, it's a personal choice. I have my primary on a 40" hose, routed under my right arm, I would donate it if necessary, My second is on a short hose, bungeed around my neck. The C370 is smaller and lighter than the S620Ti with nearly the same performance, at less than 60% the cost.

 

[halocline]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm not planning on modding the d420 due to a lack of experience. Is it going to be a noticable improvement with the d420 over the g260 in quality of breathing? Does the mk19 evo offer any performance benefit over the mk 17 evo, other than swivel turrent? Thanks!

No and no.

I also suspect that you could get your aeris regulator working fine again, but I couldn't be sure about it. Based on your comments, I would venture a guess that this dive shop was much more interested in selling you a regulator than fixing yours. What you are buying is a much higher end regulator, in either case. Don't worry in the slightest about the MK17 being an older model. It's still much newer and fancier than anything I use for cave diving, and I'm still alive, and still cheap!

Seriously, the hype around regulator sales is kind of nutty. I guess dive shop owners have to make a living too.

 

[halocline]

My top priority is really "bombproof" status.

Uh oh, now you've opened a can of worms. You might check out a thread about 'most reliable regulator' or regulator on a desert island' something like that. I think Eric started one not that long ago, and there are several pages of suggestions.

If you really want bombproof, to me that would be a MK2 with a 109 (adjustable) 2nd stage. Or a conshelf with the old USD metal 2nd stage. Or maybe a MK5/109. These are all old regulators that are dirt simple and have proven to be reliable, in spite of abuse, for decades.

But, back to the reality of walking into a dive shop and leaving with a new regulator, the MK2/R290 (or whatever it is) would be the simplest and most likely to last years without getting rebuilt. Of the choices you've talked about, the MK17 or the MK25 is perfectly fine, and the G260 is fine, the S600 is fine, they're all fine. All these things do is reduce pressurized air to ambient, and they all do so with very little breathing effort.

One other issue, if you are an occasional diver, paying for annual service in order to maintain the warranty and/or 'free parts' bit would be a waste of money IMO. But it is your money, do with it as you wish. These regulators, if they are treated well (i.e soaked in fresh water after salt water dives) should go several years between rebuilds if you're only using them a few times/year.