Lost R380 cover/diaphragm - anyone have parts?

[Aloha Joe]

I dived with a 109 and love it - It’s my new primary reg I’m thinking I’ll back it up with Halocline”s 190, and use my 250 and an old 190 as a backup reg.

I don’t yet get the need for a high performance alternate....

I thought there was a performance difference between the 109 and 250 but I think it’s actually a lever issue with the 250. The 109 is super smooth and linear, and my 250 kind of forces air with deeper breaths. When assembling the valves there is a noticeable diffeeence in the lever/poppet interaction (s-wing vs duro poppet).

 

[halocline]

The 109 with the duro poppet is unbalanced; the G250 with s-wing poppet is balanced. If you're getting smoother breathing from your 109, that indicates a couple of things:
1. There's very little difference in performance between a good unbalanced 2nd stage and a balanced of the same design.
2. There might be a lever issue with your G250 as you mention. The older square-feet lever (which wa sused on older G250s) sometimes doesn't work great with the s wing poppet. This is also true with the 109 when converted to either of the newer poppets. It seems to be a bit random. The fix I have always used is to get the newer curved-feet lever. I've never had to do this on a G250, but I've only owned a few of them. I also have a few G200Bs, which is exactly the same lever/poppet arrangement, and have never experienced the kind of uneven breathing you are describing. But I have experienced it on several 109s. Who knows.
3. IMO, the metal case makes for smoother breathing all around, and I'm not sure, but I could guess that the extra mass might dampen vibrations in the air barrel, but that's a wild guess and could be totally wrong. I honestly don't know why well tuned, balanced 109s seem to perform better (to me, it is subjective) than G250s. Many people would not agree.

 

[halocline]

I
I don’t yet get the need for a high performance alternate....

There are lots of us who dive with a long hose on the primary and a short hose on the alternate, which means we donate the primary during air sharing and breathe off of the alternate. So we appreciate having a good quality alternate.

 

[Bob DBF]

I don’t yet get the need for a high performance alternate....

There is a fine line between need and want. Sure I have sucked off some poor regs 'cause I'm not picky and that's what I had, but I prefer something better, especially on more demanding dives. Picking up a good used metal second and putting it back in service has been an less expensive way for me to increase the average quality of my seconds.



Bob

 

[shurite7]

I don’t yet get the need for a high performance alternate....

halocline has mentioned a significant point. Another point is a person who wants a cheap alternate second stage is making it clear his or her buddy is not worth much. Granted, it is rare (preferably never) that one may have to donate the alternate, but which would you prefer in an out of situation, a cheap difficult to breathe alternate or an easy to breathe good performing second stage?

 

[halocline]

Decent quality simple downstream unbalanced 2nd stages can breathe quite well, and if they're in decent working condition, there's really not enough of a performance downgrade to bother anyone, especially someone in an emergency. It's just some of the cheapest compact octos are pretty lousy to breathe from and those should be avoided.

 

[Couv]

I’m thinking I’ll back it up with Halocline”s 190, and use my 250 and an old 190 as a backup reg.

This is a good plan. All the points about a cheap alternate are valid; however the R190 is no slouch of a regulator. If the price he's offering it at is what's making you second guess your decision-just ask him to raise the cost to make it more attractive.

Of course, if you want metal I know someone who has plenty for sale.

 

[Aloha Joe]

Another point is a person who wants a cheap alternate second stage is making it clear his or her buddy is not worth much. Granted, it is rare (preferably never) that one may have to donate the alternate, but which would you prefer in an out of situation, a cheap difficult to breathe alternate or an easy to breathe good performing second stage?

I hope people feel that way. Considering most people I dive with use rental gear, breathing off my regs might only make them feel spoiled.

 

[Aloha Joe]

Picking up a good used metal second and putting it back in service has been an less expensive way for me to increase the average quality of my seconds.
Bob

Do you mean something like this??

I couldn’t help myself.

 

[Bob DBF]

Do you mean something like this??

I couldn’t help myself.

View attachment 462499

Well yeah. If I was in the market, one of us would not have gotten as good a deal. Instead of seconds, right now I'm rounding up some SPG's so I don't have to switch the ones I have around when I switch to my less used reg sets. One of these days I'm going to sell something, honest.



Bob