I have fixed three of these and none was due to the gauge itself leaking. The ones I took care of had one thing in common. Little or no lube on the o rings of the hp spool. None of these were ones I sold. They had been assembled by the divers themselves or by an unknown to me dealer. In one.case the diver was not informed that he needed to lube the o rings generously. This is not just for HOG gauges but any spg I have ever owned or serviced gets a goodly amount of lube and except for one where the oring just split, looked good when I put it in, I have not had issues with leaking or corrosion. These are dynamic orings and need to be kept lubed with any spg. Saltwater plays hell on connections if not rinsed well and I plan on taking the spg off and cleaning and lubing at the end of every saltwater trip.
I also replaced one that the user reported had a loose faceplate glass. How it happened I'm not sure. They called me, I called HOG and he sent me a new gauge to send to her with no questions asked. The company in italy that makes these gauges has produced perhaps millions of them over the years. Even with the best quality control it is possible for a few of those to get through with problems. Just simple math. And then there are always factors the mfg or distributor cannot control. Shipping companies, baggage handlers (why I always carry mine on), and sometimes even divers don't handle them properly.
But what I do know is if you buy one from me with a hose I will properly assemble and lube it. Pack it to the best of my ability for shipping, and every gauge I sell with a hose comes with an extra set of lubed orings for the spool. And myself and HOG/Edge stand behind it.
And just an FYI, mine are over a year old and one has about hundred dives and maybe 50 hours in the pool on it. No leaks, no corrosion. Over the last 5 years or so that I have been servicing regs I've seen a few gauges - brass and plastic that have failed. The bulk of them, perhaps 95%, have been due to improper or in some cases no care of them by the end user(s).
Boots I'm ambivalent about. They do add to maintenance, do offer some protection, and can be ok in some situations. I have both booted and naked spgs, and just for clean looking set ups prefer the bare guage.
Sent from my DROID
) but I guess it would easily survive that. I keep it clipped to the harness so it never has the chance to stray far away and get damaged somehow. If you are concerned about leaks, put a spare spool in your save-a-dive kit. They cost two dollars or so.
