I have a crazy forum idea!

[Rusty Shackleford]

Why don't we have a knowledge base forum where we have eternal threads say titled MK-10, G-250, MK-2...etc. Where we can keep all knowledge for any legacy piece of equipment into an ongoing thread? Of course, it would likely have to be modded and cleaned up a bit from time to time but it would be like a quasi-wiki for brands and models. This would make it easier to look for past answers.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I think it’s a great idea! No more hunting through old threads trying to find a shred of random info I thought I saw somewhere. A lot of good information gets lost in general equipment threads. This would file it by brand and model.
I love it!

 

[tc]

Not to be a party pooper but compiling this information, searching it out for hundreds of models, sorting out what info is valuable vs nonsense and copying into the new format would literally take thousands of man hours to accomplish.

Any volunteers?

 

[rhwestfall]

@TC What if a new forum was created, and it's use could commence as "empty". If users came across stuff that was thought to be valuable if put in there, they could link it, and at periodic times, things found could be actually moved? That way, the many thousand hours could be mitigated.

Just a thought...

 

[RayfromTX]

TC, you warned them that it would take thousands of hours and then asked for volunteers. That is a terrible way to attract free labor. If they had told me how many hours I would spend as a moderator when I was asked it would have given pause but it's been in small bites. It has been worth it.

What we need is someone that is committable but not yet committed. Smokers smoke one cig at a time not cases of cigarettes. We need a smoker with a desire to do things. Is there anyone with the knowledge to do the task that can sort and vet one reg set model today? It will be so satisfying that you may want to do another tomorrow. It doesn't have to ever get done.

In 2015 I climbed a million vertical feet on my bicycle. I did some every day. I started with the knowledge that I could quit at any time but I was never going to get there if I didn't start. Looking back on it now it seems like a monumental thing but at the time I just rode one day at a time. Along the way I raised 20,000$ for MS. It was something to do with a benefit to others.

Anybody want to save the world, one old regulator at a time?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Start with something like “the SP MK 5 thread”.
Where to buy parts, specs, quirky side notes on things people have encountered, tools, etc.
There is enough expertise here and willingness to divulge information that I’ll bet it would grow very easily.
Then start another one on a different reg when the need arrises. It already does that but this would organize the info better.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

My thinking is let’s do a test thread.

We can see if it works. For starters, let me suggest the Scubapro MK-10

Someone (me in this case) will start a thread.

I will start the initial post and block off four more for overflow.

Everyone else will add info below and periodically, some of that info will be incorporated into the original five posts. Periodically, the subsequent posts will be cleaned and trimmed to avoid duplication and maintain compactness.

I am thinking the do it yourself repair forum as the test forum.

As far as previous threads. One of the five posts will have resource links to existing threads on this site and others. No need to erase the past.

We can use the MK-10 guinea pig thread to work out a standard format to be followed for other efforts.

This will be a group effort like a Wiki. If we can come up with a format, I see no reason it should not work. It works for Wikis.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Start with something like “the SP MK 5 thread”.
Where to buy parts, specs, quirky side notes on things people have encountered, tools, etc.
There is enough expertise here and willingness to divulge information that I’ll bet it would grow very easily.
Then start another one on a different reg when the need arrises. It already does that but this would organize the info better.

That sounds good. We can go MK-5 first. I have no sacred cows here. I just want this to be a true group effort.

 

[kelemvor]

Why not use an actual wiki for that? I have to agree with TC. If there is much contribution at all, the threads will quickly become very long and ungainly to read.

@The Chairman could install mediawiki on his webserver and add a link on the header next to chat. Installation is easy and quck... populating the encyclopedia with information is more time consuming but just as easy.

Download - MediaWiki

The forum would be a great thing to use alongside the wiki. Editors and owners of products could discuss the encyclopedia pages in the forum.

You could store info on all sorts of scuba gear rather than just regs. Contributors could come and go. It will be a utopia!

I think the wayback machine may have a copy of the original scubapro reg museum.. it had some good information on it before scubapro shut them down and created their own short lived and less useful version.

 

[Compressor]

Very interesting idea by @Rusty Shackleford. There are lots of equipment and ideas to catalog. For example Scubapro has fair number of 1st and 2nd stages. Same by other manufacturers. Then we will have the same issue for dyruits, wetsuits, and other gear. Once compiled then the gear may evolve and subseqently will need to be update. It certainly becomes very challenging. Doable for sure. A big task.