HOG Comparable Regs

[rsingler]

...you can only strip your HOG if you have taken their class which is a significant expense as you need to be a tech diver and then you need to take the class

You can buy HOG Service Kits from Diverightinscuba on the web. You can strip your HOG if you know how to service a reg. The class is helpful if you are not familiar with Apeks regs. The "restrictions" on class attendance are primarily designed to discourage the dangerous amateur do-it-yourselfer. But you can find HOG dealers that will teach you with just a Nitrox card and a true desire to keep your regs well-serviced.

...My LDS stopped servicing the regs that they are not trained in servicing a couple of years ago.

If you can't find a shop to service your gear, find a mentor and buy Harlow and Wolfinger and learn how to do it yourself.

If that is not something you're comfortable with, you will find just as many trustworthy and skilled home-regulator-maintenance divers in your area as you will at many shops. Doing a few regs in the shop with Joe looking over your shoulder and then going to the factory seminar does not a regulator technician make. Look around. The skills are in your community. The parts are on EBay. Go for quality service - maybe at your LDS, maybe not. If not, there is someone in your town who will give you great service.

Of course, we'll get a liability post in here next...
And my reply is, my "skilled" and insured service tech billed me for a "torn" diaphragm in my D-350. I took it to him to see how he'd do. Tearing the SP D-series diaphragms is a common error with unskilled techs. Cracking effort was suboptimal, though "within specs". Last time I'll experiment, but it was worth it to gauge the local quality. I take care of my own gear.

 

[elan]

You can do it with any reg Buy the kits and strip it Im not sure if they honor the warrantee if you screw the rev without training

You can buy HOG Service Kits from Diverightinscuba on the web. You can strip your HOG if you know how to service a reg. The class is helpful if you are not familiar with Apeks regs. The "restrictions" on class attendance are primarily designed to discourage the dangerous amateur do-it-yourselfer. But you can find HOG dealers that will teach you with just a Nitrox card and a true desire to keep your regs well-serviced.



If you can't find a shop to service your gear, find a mentor and buy Harlow and Wolfinger and learn how to do it yourself.

If that is not something you're comfortable with, you will find just as many trustworthy and skilled home-regulator-maintenance divers in your area as you will at many shops. Doing a few regs in the shop with Joe looking over your shoulder and then going to the factory seminar does not a regulator technician make. Look around. The skills are in your community. The parts are on EBay. Go for quality service - maybe at your LDS, maybe not. If not, there is someone in your town who will give you great service.

Of course, we'll get a liability post in here next...
And my reply is, my "skilled" and insured service tech billed me for a "torn" diaphragm in my D-350. I took it to him to see how he'd do. Tearing the SP D-series diaphragms is a common error with unskilled techs. Cracking effort was suboptimal, though "within specs". Last time I'll experiment, but it was worth it to gauge the local quality. I take care of my own gear.

 

[redacted]

You can do it with any reg Buy the kits and strip it Im not sure if they honor the warrantee if you screw the rev without training

The list of things that can void your warranty or render it almost useless is quite long. Top of the list, in most cases, is failing to pay your annual rent (required annual service). And, yes, having some shade tree tech service your reg rather than the "authorized" guy is another way. However, in most cases, the manufacturer/shop has little chance of detecting unauthorized service. Probably more likely that your authorized service provider will go out of business leaving you holding the bag. Scuba regulator warranties are not worth their cost in most cases.

 

[MrChen]

Did she call them? I have been a dealer for going on three years now. And even when Chris was running it by himself I could still get an answer to a question in a day or so and that was when he was on the road. I also talked to him in the last day or so and with Jack the operations manager.
As for parts and support this has been the best time for me as far as that goes. There used to be supply issues from time to time but not so much lately. Items do sell out now and then but when you are newer that can happen in any industry. They usually are not out of stock long.

As for her pushing the TUSA line is it possible they need to in order to fulfill a dealer agreement maybe to sell so many of them? Have not seen that dealer agreement but some mfg's have what amounts to that kind of requirement.

Trust me, what she suggested went in one ear and out the other. Good to hear others are still experiencing good service. Hog > Tusa

 

[elan]

Im not arguing, my point is that HOG has no advantage over the other regs in terms of whether or not you can service it yourself if you want to do it unofficially Kits can be found through different channels and if you want to service it yourself there is nothing stops you. My understanding is that you need the course to do it officially with Hog. We need to compare apples to apples kind of.

The list of things that can void your warranty or render it almost useless is quite long. Top of the list, in most cases, is failing to pay your annual rent (required annual service). And, yes, having some shade tree tech service your reg rather than the "authorized" guy is another way. However, in most cases, the manufacturer/shop has little chance of detecting unauthorized service. Probably more likely that your authorized service provider will go out of business leaving you holding the bag. Scuba regulator warranties are not worth their cost in most cases.

---------- Post added August 16th, 2013 at 03:37 PM ----------

You can forget about optimal tuning of D regs by official techs. The seem to do it according to the latest spec which IIRC says 1.1-1.4inch. All my D regs constantly tune at .6 in warm water and .7 in cold (37-38F)

And my reply is, my "skilled" and insured service tech billed me for a "torn" diaphragm in my D-350. I took it to him to see how he'd do. Tearing the SP D-series diaphragms is a common error with unskilled techs. Cracking effort was suboptimal, though "within specs". Last time I'll experiment, but it was worth it to gauge the local quality. I take care of my own gear.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

You do not need the course to buy kits. Period. You don't even need to own a HOG reg to buy them. You do need to own one to take the course. As for the tech diver requirement, Intro to Tech, Nitrox from TDI (not any nitrox course especially the here's how you set your computer and dive BS course), and any overhead environment cert such as Cavern, Intro to Cave, Advanced Wreck penetration , or Ice (even if it was though a "recreational" Ice course) qualifies.

As for the warranty if you smash or crush the case, strip out the threads on the first stage, or run over the second then no, it will not be covered under warranty. If you screw up the poppet or orifice then no it is not covered under warranty. Be sensible when talking about what warranties actually cover for most items.

It is still hard to believe how much misinformation there is out there regarding the whole program. Much of it coming from shops that feel threatened by it.

 

[Centrals]

I own both. And would disagree very strongly on this point.

Interesting to know that we both have different 1st hand opinions on identical equipment.

 

[rsingler]

Interesting to know that we both have different 1st hand opinions on identical equipment.

Though we're hijacking the OP's thread, why is the removable HP orifice in the 200 not a significant benefit? With the 40/50 and 100, any damage to the volcano orifice essentially kills the regulator (dressing the volcano orifice aside - VERY difficult to do inside the body). So with the 200, you can keep it "new" forever, by replacing the removable volcano orifice. Isn't that a big deal, completely apart from any flow improvements?

 

[Centrals]

Though we're hijacking the OP's thread, why is the removable HP orifice in the 200 not a significant benefit? With the 40/50 and 100, any damage to the volcano orifice essentially kills the regulator (dressing the volcano orifice aside - VERY difficult to do inside the body). So with the 200, you can keep it "new" forever, by replacing the removable volcano orifice. Isn't that a big deal, completely apart from any flow improvements?

As far as I am concern the removable HP orifice has nothing to do with improved performance. It does make the "replacement" possible if you need it. But if you look after the 1st carefully then you may never need to replace it. It is a very good idea and should be applied to all other models.
I have one DS4 and one FSR installed on my twin set and to be honest I never noticed any differences at any depth.
I service both regs and may be my lack of technical skill fail to bring back the former glory of the FSR.
BTW, can you tell the differences yourself?

 

[rsingler]

I can feel no difference in performance between the two.
That said, I was responding to your post #3 in which you suggested that the expense of the 200 was unwarranted. To me, when I service liveaboard regs, there always seems to be a lot more verdigris I need to ultrasound off. And when the green has gotten as far as the volcano orifice, the reg is occasionally unserviceable. Did it get put away wet? Did sea water get inside the first stage? Maybe. But the abuse is part of the deal on some high volume liveaboards without on board service (and it's usually the luxury boats, where scuba isn't the primary activity).
My point was only that the extra expense is worth it, even if there's no improved performance, if all I have to do to save a green reg or a leaking reg whose orifice has been nicked by a careless technician is to flip in a new orifice. That's a huge improvement, in my mind.