Electronic/Digital Magnehelic Gauge for testing Scuba Regulators

[BoltSnap]

Does anyone know of good electronic/digital Magnehelic gauge that works well for testing scuba regulators with memory/hold features, etc.?

 

[TrimixToo]

For this application I personally prefer an analog gauge. There are too many parts and human bits and pieces flopping around in loose formation to get a perfectly stable cracking pressure. Thus, the needle wavers around a bit, but your eyes are good at interpolation. For HP and IP, though, I prefer digital and use Dwyer gauges.

If you have a test bench with a stable adjustable vacuum source, digital might be good, but to me that seems like overkill unless you rebuild regs for a living or manufacture them.

 

[rhwestfall]

Tom (@tbone1004 ) listed this link not too long ago:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WP2Y9V...olid=229SK6I9CRPH5&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[tbone1004]

@rhwestfall it works well, but like @TrimixToo said, digital gauges have pros and cons. I like that digital one because I can take it with me and it doesn't care about orientation. I like my big dwyer on the bench though

 

[rsingler]

To me, the biggest factor in favor of an analog gauge is the typical observation/feel of two cracking efforts. I routinely can discern a 0.1-0.3" difference between the gauge pressure at valve opening and valve closing, as I decrease my "calibrated suck."
Picking those two numbers out of the cascade of digital readouts would be a challenge for me. I'm with @TrimixToo on this one. But @tbone1004 had a good point. Does anyone know of a small form factor Magnehelic?

 

[rsingler]

I just answered my own question:
Dwyer makes a "Minihelic".
Model 2-5060 measures 0"-3" and is only 3" in diameter. 6oz weight. Polycarbonate case.

 

[BoltSnap]

The reason I am looking for a digital gauge with "hold" button is for more accurate reading. When I am using the analog gauge, I have to try look at both gauges at the same time to see when the valve is cracking and at what effort. I presume that with a digital one, I only have to look at the pressure gauge and hold the digital Magnehelic in my hand with my finger on the "hold" button. When I see that the valve is cracking open with the pressure gauge starting to move, I can just press my finger on the "hold" button to record the cracking effort instantaneously and not have to be quick to look at it. Would this scenario be true? I have never used a digital Magnehelic so I don't know if what I have on mind is possible.

 

[macbeth79]

I know this is an old thread, but being in the market for a Magnehelic gauge I came across this today:

Digital Differential Pressure Gauge

This gauge measures Gauge/Differential Pressure from –55 H2O to 55 H2O with 0.01 increments. It will assist the technician to set up effortlessly the 2nd stage inhalation effort. It features 11 selectable units of common measures - including inches of water -. Additional features include Data...

scuba-clinic-tools.com

Not sure how well this works.

 

[iointerrupt]

I wonder about the refresh rate of the HT-1890. Manual says "0.5s" which sounds like it refreshes twice a second?

I picked up a cheap Dwyer DM-2000 on eBay, but refresh rate was only once a second, so slow it was basically useless. Can't get a good reading with the rate that low.

Compared to a needles "instant" refresh rate, I feel like any digital gauge needs to be in the 100hz range to be as good, but perhaps 2hz is enough...

 

[JohnN]

I know this an old thread, but unless you're rebuilding regs for hire, why the differential pressure gauge? Set the cracking pressure just short of free flow. The "spec" allows for minor manufacturing variations, why settle for the worst case?