I have two first stages and 2nd stages. They are:
1st first stage
this one looks like a 22 and is named:
mares
abyss | dlc
Tri - material valve
serial # AY30106
1st second stage:
a big shiny thing looking like the one named 46200595 in post #3of this thread
serial #AY30106
2nd first stage
this one is named :
mares
MR 42T
the 2nd stage socket in front (aka the one nearest to my body) is labeled DFC above the serial #
serial #PE12188
2nd second stage:
named proton metal looking exactly like the picture in post #3 of this thread
serial #PE12188
I bought both sets between 2005 and 2009 don´t know the exact dates. The idea was to have two first stages to be allowed to dive in cold water. As far as I remember the seller assured me that both sets are suitable for the intended task.
As things evolve differently than planned I did only a view dives in cold water. After that only in warm water. Then a multi year dive pause. I had both sets in revision this spring. Currently I use the mr42 as first stage (obviously for weight reasons) and use the two 2nd stages as main reg and "octopus" switching between them irregularly without paying attention if things were different.
So how do it set up my gear? What would be your suggestions?
Coldwater with two seperated sets:
What would be the best combination of 1st and 2nd? As sold by mares or shall I switch the 2nd stages?
Which one should be the main set, which one the backup set?
Warmwater with only one 1st stage:
Which first stage? Which 2nd stage as main reg? Which 2nd stage as "octopus" reg?
When I did my stress&rescue in october my instructor suggested me to switch to another set. He told apeks was the best and I would even feel just by breathing when my tank is reaching near 50bar. I know this is a mares thread. Shall I really buy a new set of regs? Has there been a significant technical advance which would justify buying new?
Lets tackle your post section by section:
Your 1st stage that looks like a 22 is an MR22. It is correctly marked Abyss | "DFC" not "DLC". Mares had/has the tendency to refer to their 1st stages by the name of the 2nd stage that was typically paired with it, in the case of the MR22 it was paired with the Abyss 2nd stage. This is a balanced diaphragm 1st stage. DFC = Dynamic Flow Control and has to do with the routing of air through the 1st stage where a higher volume of air is delivered through the port labeled DFC. This 1st stage has a 1/2-inch threaded female port, and requires a LP hose with 1/2-inch male fitting or an adapter that is 1/2-inch male to 3/8th-inch female to sit between the 1st stage body and a 3/8th hose fitting. The body style of your MR22 (honkin' huge piece of chromed brass) was made until the 2008 model year, when Mares changed the 1st stage body to its current iteration. The Tri-material valve refers to the HP poppet and the material and coatings it is made out of. This poppet has been update from Tri-material to the ACT, to the Tri-material 2K18, and now the Tri-material 2K22 30N. Each iteration has some supposed improvement in coating and/or sealing surface.
Your 2nd stage with the cover that matches part # 46200595 is a Mares Abyss with a cover that was introduced in 2005. It is fundamentally the same as every other Mares Abyss iteration, as well as the Mares Orbiter, and the current Mares XR DR 2nd stage. This 2nd stage is an unbalanced, downstream design that is workhorse of regulator.
Your 1st stage marked Mares MR42T is a diaphragm 1st stage that was touted as a lightweight alternative to the other Mares 1st stages at the time it was produced. Functionally it is the same the other Mares diaphragm 1st stages except that the internal parts were made smaller to fit in the more compact design...the critical parts of this regulator are not compatible with other Mares 1sts stages due to the noted size difference. The MR42 is just as good as the other Mares 1st stages and there are service kits still available for this model...its just hard to source replacement parts beyond what is offered in the service kit. The "T" after MR42 indicates it came with the trimaterial hp poppet.
Your 2nd stage marked "Proton Metal" is another unbalanced, downstream design workhorse. Functionaly it is the same as the Abyss but it was designed to be a little more compact. The proton came in a few iterations with the "metal" being one of them. To my knowledge it uses some of the same parts as the Abyss so servicing and replacement parts are not hard to come by except the faceplate...but the metal face plate is not as prone to breaking as the plastic Proton faceplate.
So, how should you set up your gear?
Cold water is defined as a temperature less than 10c....are you diving in water that cold? The idea behind diving in cold water with 2nd stages mounted on separate 1st stages is to prevent adiabatic cooling where the 1st and/or 2nd stage can develop frost inside and freeze up due to the volume of air passing through them. By splitting up your 2nd stages and BCD inflator between 2 1st stages, you are
less likely to experience your regulators freezing up and the resultant freeflow that often accompanies it.
There is nothing wrong with using either one of your 2nd stages as an octo/safe 2nd. If, when serviced, they were both tuned as if they were to be used as primary 2nd stages, you might find that the one used as an octo may be prone to freeflow. This can be alleviated by having that 2nd stage slightly "detuned", but then you will want to dedicate that 2nd stage to be your octo. If you were to do this, I would recommend designating the Proton Metal as the octo, but either would be fine...I am just partial to the Abyss (
@lowwall would most likely recommend the opposite as he is a fan of the Proton Metal).
I don't think you would gain much by purchasing anything new. Your big MR22 Abyss 1st stage is only an issue if you travel by air where baggage weight is a concern. The weight of that 1st stage is eclipsed by the weight of the tank you mount it on and is not really a factor to be practically concerned about.
With your gear, when diving cold water, I recommend your MR22 with Abyss on the right post, and the MR42 with Proton Metal along with your inflator hose on the left post.
With your gear, when diving warm water, I recommend your MR22 with Abyss as your primary 2nd stage, and the Proton Metal as your octo, only because, as stated, I am partial to the MR22/Abyss combo. In reality though, any combination of your gear would work fine for warm water with the following caveats:
1. You are not traveling by a means where baggage weight is an issue, such as air travel...if so then use the MR42T.
2. Both of your 2nd stages are tuned the same, meaning that one is not detuned as an octo....if one has been detuned for use an octo then use the other as your primary.
There are folks out there that believe Apeks is the best, there are folks that believe Scubapro is the best, there are folks that believe any of the number of brands out there is the best. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the gear you have if it has been properly serviced and returned to you with "a good bill of health". I confidently dive a pair of MR22 1st stages coupled with Abyss 2nd stages manufactured sometime between 2001 and 2004....they work perfectly and have never left me wanting for something more (other than the availability of parts for DIY service, but that would be the case with every other brand except a few such as DGX, Deep 6, and HOG).
Regarding what your instructor stated about "feeling just by breathing when your tank is reaching near 50bar"...this is just absolute nonsense. 50 bar is plenty of air in your tank above empty that you should not feel anything as you approach 50 bar. You might start to feel something at depth if you drop below 30bar, but convetion is to keep an eye on your remaining air pressure and surface with approximately 50bar, so you should never feel anything different throughout your dive with your current equipment. Plus with the regulators your instructor was recommending, you would be less likely to know that your tank is reaching near 50bar due to the pneumatically balanced 2nd stage coupled with a balanced 1st stage....a balance 2nd stage coupled with a balanced 1st stage will reduce the breathing effort when tank pressure is low, so you would not "feel" a difference until you are critically low on air, making it even more important to keep an eye on your SPG throughout your dive.
Hope that helps.
-Z
