How did J and K valves get their name?

[Walter]

Refresh my memory. Didn't the J's have some kind of audible warning when you hit 500? I remember a kind of B-R-R-N-G, like a cheap alarm clock. Or, am I just dreaming or Narced? And, as I recall, if the reserve rod setup was a little sloppy, it could accidently slip down, leaving you with no reserve.

I also think I remember such a valve, but it wasn't a normal J. I still dive my J valves frequently, they don't have an audible alarm.

 

[Wayward Son]

I don't recall a valve with an audio warning. The Scubapro Mk 7 regularor will honk at you when the gas gets low enough.

I've only used US Divers, Scubapro or DFacor J valves. With all 3 brands, engagement strikes me as pretty positive, they aren't sloppy at all. I have never had the reserve down when I expected it up.

Scubapro made theirs with the lever facing forward, where all other brands I've seen it's to the back. I'm told SP did this to reduce the possiblity of hitting the valve in an overhead environment, moving it down without the diver knowing it happened. It still works the same way, up to hold a reserve, down to breath it.

 

[ItsBruce]

I'm reliably told it was the US Divers' catalog.

 

[Hyper-limits]

I'm reliably told it was the US Divers' catalog.

You are right it was US Divers, The J valves were found in the section J of the catalog and you guess it the K valves were in section K, mask in the A section, fins in the B sections etc etc. So has nothing to do with the shape of the valve, but what section they were under. That it folks

Cheers

Al

 

[captain]

There were a couple of audio reserves. I believe both USD and Scubapro had a valve that had a clapper similar to that of a bell inside the tank that would start beating against the tank wall at about 500 to 700 psi. I have a early Healthways regulator called a Scubair 300 Sonic that begins making a loud clicking noise at about 300 psi.

 

[Wayward Son]

There were some guys in my dive club in Turkey that had Voit tanks & regulators. These things would make a very annoying whistle every time the diver inhaled, loud enough to hear UW. I never knew for sure if it was the valve or the reg, but it was not pressure dependant. It did this from full to empty. Drove me nuts, I preferred to not dive with these people just so I wouldn't have to listen to it.

 

[Rick Murchison]

There is no I.

Though not in the catalogue, there was a valve often called an "I" valve that had it's knob (well, more of a wing-nut than a knob) on top rather than on the side. The whole valve including the on-off knob was a skinny vertical "I"... hence the moniker.
I thought (but have no way to verify) that this "I" valve was originally the "K" valve from Aqualung.
Rick

 

[Walter]

Though not in the catalogue, there was a valve often called an "I" valve that had it's knob (well, more of a wing-nut than a knob) on top rather than on the side. The whole valve including the on-off knob was a skinny vertical "I"... hence the moniker.
I thought (but have no way to verify) that this "I" valve was originally the "K" valve from Aqualung.
Rick

That is the K valve. The first J & K valves have the "wing nut."

I'm reliably told it was the US Divers' catalog.

Almost. It was Aqualung which later became US Divers and recently became Aqualung once again.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I want to thank everyone for all the information and I want to thank Walter for the copy of the Aqualung catalog **HUGS**
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Bob3]

For you folks wanting to take a gander at the catalog, one of my buddies has it posted on his website: http://www.geocities.com/athens/atlantis/2427/divecat/index.html
There's some good reading material elsewhere on his website, good for a look.