J valve

[Angelo Farina]

The difference should be between "vintage" equipment and equipment manufactured 50 years ago, but never became "vintage" as people continued using (and in most case manufacturing) till now. Those are better named "classic".
My four MK5, four 109 and two 156 are classic, not vintage. They have continuously been used since when I bought the first one, in 1975, and serviced (by me) at least every 2 years, upgrading them with modern parts and converting the 109 to BA.
All the parts subjected to wear are periodically replaced, and their functionality is currently equal or better than most "modern" plastic regulators, with some additional advantages (for example two of my MK5 are the later model with SPEC, and the chromed brass second stage are not drying your mouth so much as their modern counterparts).
I see no reason for replacing them with anything else. Definitely they are not less safe, and they are also well proven. And they are absolutely NOT OUTDATED !!!

 

[lowviz]

And they are absolutely NOT OUTDATED !!!

New is not always better.

Fun to sit back and watch the terror that the manufacturers try to instill in their customers.

Yin/Yang. Some changes are improvements, some changes are just hype...

 

[Bigbella]

The difference should be between "vintage" equipment and equipment manufactured 50 years ago, but never became "vintage" as people continued using (and in most case manufacturing) till now. Those are better named "classic".
My four MK5, four 109 and two 156 are classic, not vintage. They have continuously been used since when I bought the first one, in 1975, and serviced (by me) at least every 2 years, upgrading them with modern parts and converting the 109 to BA.
All the parts subjected to wear are periodically replaced, and their functionality is currently equal or better than most "modern" plastic regulators, with some additional advantages (for example two of my MK5 are the later model with SPEC, and the chromed brass second stage are not drying your mouth so much as their modern counterparts).
I see no reason for replacing them with anything else. Definitely they are not less safe, and they are also well proven. And they are absolutely NOT OUTDATED !!!

The same could be said about some of my older Poseidon regulators, which haven't changed much, in terms of their design, since they were introduced in the late 1950s. I still prefer the older stainless steel Cyklon second stages to their later plastic counterparts; and there are those who have even suggested that they breathe a bit better, due to the metal body's slightly different interior shape. I do now prefer the newer balanced first stages over the earlier unbalanced, so-called "compensated" models; but I still use them on bail-out bottles and some recreational diving with lower pressure tanks. All breathe like a dream.

Similarly, I have replaced parts that have been updated with more modern materials and rebuild my gear as necessary. While I have a good deal of modern equipment on hand, I have also seen no reason whatsoever, to relegate my thirty to forty-plus year old regulators to the trash heap . . .

 

[Nemrod]

I too trained on J valves and my Calypso J regulator had one built in. At the times the SPG was a luxury item and not common. A BC, what is that, not really invented yet either because diver during that time were water people and could swim.

I used a J valve recently. I got talked into a dark water recovery dive. Do not ask, I was pestered until I agreed. The viz was 0 as in zero, none. I could have held the SPG to my mask and still not been able to read it (actually, it is possible). The water was 30 feet or so and the J valve was adequate to the planned 30 minute dive. At 30 feet I could probably stay in good reserves for close to two hours. Not like I was pushing limits. The J valve was a good choice and since I was solo with possible entanglement, I also had a 30cf aux bottle slung.

N

 

[AfterDark]

I have a Calypso J on my pony bottle.