Help Identifying a new Faber Tank

[Flycaster]

I bought this on ebay listed as a HP100 3442 tank.

This tank is 1-1/4" shorter than my current steel Faber HP100.

If I'm not mistaken it says 3180 for max pressure.

What the heck is this tank?

 

[Scared Silly]

It is an "MP" 3180psi 100 cuft cylinder with a plus rating. So it is a full 100cuft at 3498 psi. They are nice single cylinders as they are rather negative.

Blue Steel Scuba - Cylinder Specs

 

[cool_hardware52]

As noted by the always helpful and well informed Scared Silly, this is a Medium Pressure tank.

These are not my favorite tanks precisely for the reasons SS noted; faber MP tanks tend to very negative -5~6 lbs empty.

They may be worth considering for single tank diving, but.....

They tend to make ugly doubles, very negative,

&,

while they can be ok for singles, typically in cold water, with thicker suits, if you have other steel tanks that are more typically -1lbs to ~ -2 lbs empty these negative bottles will require you alter your ballast setup if you switch between a "normal" 3442 HP 100 and these.

Tobin

 

[Bob DBF]

They may be worth considering for single tank diving, but.....

Up on the NorCal coast, wearing a 7mm farmer John, they are great. They drop the lead to something manageable on a weightbelt. Your mileage may vary.


Bob

Dove the 72 and 120, love them both.

 

[Flycaster]

House Of Scuba sent me a return label for this cannon ball.
It's going black.

 

[2airishuman]

Hi @Flycaster

Yes, as indicated upthread, this is an older cylinder with a thicker wall therefore quite negatively buoyant, about -10 pounds. Nomenclature varies, some call them HP, some MP ::shrug::. The important thing is they are 3AA cylinders, not exemption/special permit cylinders, therefore have a thicker wall.

I have a 95 cf cylinder, PST, similar.

These cylinders are valuable if you are in a situation where you need the extra negative buoyancy. I use mine occasionally with a 7mm wetsuit on dives where I don't need or want doubles. The buoyancy and trim are largely the same as an HP100 twinset which simplifies things for me in early spring and late fall when that is what I dive.

They are not general-purpose cylinders however, so if that is what you wanted, you're doing right by sending it back.

 

[Bob DBF]

Nomenclature varies, some call them HP, some MP ::shrug:

Shrug sums it up well. If you look at the service pressure of 3180# it is an MP, but those that look at the +10% value of 3498# will call them HP.

The important part is if you need the ballast or not.


Bob