DIR Manifold

[PfcAJ]

Oh, well...they're cool too!

 

[Jason B]

Of course 300 BAR is a plus as well.

May I ask why this is?

 

[true]

Just a quick follow-up to a comment that Robert made earlier... Halcyon's manifolds are manufactured to our own specifications and have evolved over the last several years to include tweaks that have been suggested by staff and customers. When we first decided to add valves to the line five years ago, we used an OEM manifold by the same company that makes the Sea Elite-- but we moved away from that model almost four years ago, as soon as the manifold of our own design was tested and ready to go. No other company sells or rebadges the Halycon manifold.

Best,

Anthony

 

[Derek S]

May I ask why this is?

May I ask why it wouldn't?

To me, if they're available and at the same (or close) cost as a 200 BAR manifold, why wouldn't one use it? More threads, more secure connection.

 

[Robert Phillips]

Anthony,
Aside from the obvious cosmetics, what is the diffrence between the Halcyon manifold and the OEM manifold sold by Sea Elite?
Externally they look identical, again, except for the finish and the stamp. Are there major diffrences in the internals?

Just curious.
Thanks for the info,
Robert

 

[Spoon]

Anthony,
Aside from the obvious cosmetics, what is the diffrence between the Halcyon manifold and the OEM manifold sold by Sea Elite?
Externally they look identical, again, except for the finish and the stamp. Are there major diffrences in the internals?

i was wondering the same thing. only difference to me is the badge and finish. i havent tried inspecting the inside though. maybe mr true can elaborate on the tweaks that were suggested by customers of H

 

[true]

Sure! When Halcyon sourced the manifold, we made a number of improvement/changes. It starts with the satin finish, a spec for a higher quality forging and pre-finishing, and thus fewer final flaws like gouges, flash, or sharp corners. When we went with our new casting, we created a rounded design to the top of the DIN fitting. No other manufacturers make a similar design or can use the same casting.

The valve stem design of the Halcyon manifold has been optimized for superior performance in o-ring sealing of dynamic pneumatic applications. The Halcyon manifold uses a “radial” seal o-ring, with split back-up ring. This radial o-ring maintains a seal on the stem and inner diameter of the bonnet nut at all times, regardless of the valve being open or closed. On the commonly sourced manifolds resold by many (if not all) other manufacturers, the o-ring is a “face” seal, and relies on the handle spring to provide adequate seal until the pressure is applied by opening of the valve seat. This face seal design also tends to crush the o-ring and cause undue wear to the o-ring and the Teflon bushing, which is the other sealing surface required in this design. This wear can be observed during service of used manifolds. I don't know of another manifold on the market besides the Halcyon that uses the radial design.

Halcyon has paid attention to the final details that are often overlooked. The Halcyon snorkel tube has a flat crimp on the end, which allows the use of a wrench during installation. This crimp prevents scratching of the plating that you often end up with when using pliers on the common design. We've also sourced out softer rubber knobs to increase impact resistance and help reduce the possibility of bending the valve stem in the case of impact with the overhead.

Best,

Anthony

 

[amascuba]

May I ask why this is?

On the GUE video they basically say to use 300 bar DIN valves even if you don't need them because you have more threading, which makes for a more secure valve to regulator connection.

 

[Jason B]

More threads, more secure connection.

No.

Is a 300 bar SCUBA valve outlet stronger than 200 bar? No, they are equally strong. Only the first few threads in both the 200 bar and 300 bar outlet designs are doing the work, the remaining threads on the 300 bar outlet are there simply to create a deliberate incompatibility with a 200 bar connector. In fact, in practice, the 300 bar valve outlet has proven itself to be more fragile than the 200 bar valve outlet. The 300 bar valve outlet is so long that the smallest 'ding' on the edge of the opening can slightly warp the cylindrical opening, causing the regulator to become difficult or impossible to completely seat. This problem does not seem nearly as pronounced with the 200 bar valve outlets, although it remains an issue and all DIN outlets should be protected from dings.

Is there any reason I should use a 300 bar SCUBA valve instead of 200 bar? For the sake of uniformity, some divers who started with 300 bar valves continue to select them when purchasing new cylinders, just so all their cylinder valves have the same type of outlet. Some individuals in diving leadership roles may insist their students and peers use 300 bar valves, usually with the vague justification they are 'better' because 300 bar is a higher pressure than 200 bar. A common misconception is that DIR philosophy or GUE training standards require 300 bar valves, which is untrue. If using the 300 bar valve outlet will provide uniformity, peace-of-mind or peer acceptance then do so, because there is no major reason to avoid using 300 bar SCUBA valves.

http://www.diveriteexpress.com/library/valves.shtml

 

[Derek S]

No.

I stand corrected.

Well, I guess I'm just a lemming then who ponied up the money for Halcyon. :icorolley

I'm still happy with it.