blawler1
Guest
- Messages
- 368
- Reaction score
- 2
- # of dives
- I just don't log dives
I purchased a couple of the Mares limited edition proton metal regs last year for my wife and myself. While my wife hasn't complained about the breathing on hers, other than a whistling sound on inhale, I have not been pleased with the performance of mine since I got it. On the first dives I made a couple of weeks after I got it, after 70ft. down, I was having to work to get a breath. It whistled and made clicks when I had to breath deeply. Later on more shallow shore dives it seemed to loosen up a bit and breath OK.
I called the dealer when I got back and they said that the HP seat was probably tight and needed to be broken in with more dives. I took it to a dive shop tech who checked the IP and said it was in range. Well, approximately 40 dives and 18 months later it, still does not perform satisfactorily. Recently I had to switch to my back up regulator, a Sporasub Alto + (Mares MR12) because I couldn't get enough air from the LE for bug hunting at 80 ft.
I suspect there is something wrong with the first stage as the proton metal is a fairly widely used 2nd while this first stage is unique to this regulator of which only 2000 were manufactured. The first stage of this regulator is quite small and looks much like the MR 42, although it is supposed to be even lighter. One unique feature of this first stage is that the DFC feature is built into all LP ports, as opposed to just one as on every other Mares model. This makes me wonder if some of the effectiveness of the DFC system in reducing pressure drop on inhalation has been lost as all ports can use this? Just a thought.
Please if there are any Mares techs, dealers, representatives, or others having experience with this reg, please let me know. I know that the reg is about ready for servicing, so I am willing to send it to a certified Mares repair center for the annual as well as any other modifications/tweeking as needed to get it operating at a high level or else there is an Atomic Z2 in my near future.
I called the dealer when I got back and they said that the HP seat was probably tight and needed to be broken in with more dives. I took it to a dive shop tech who checked the IP and said it was in range. Well, approximately 40 dives and 18 months later it, still does not perform satisfactorily. Recently I had to switch to my back up regulator, a Sporasub Alto + (Mares MR12) because I couldn't get enough air from the LE for bug hunting at 80 ft.
I suspect there is something wrong with the first stage as the proton metal is a fairly widely used 2nd while this first stage is unique to this regulator of which only 2000 were manufactured. The first stage of this regulator is quite small and looks much like the MR 42, although it is supposed to be even lighter. One unique feature of this first stage is that the DFC feature is built into all LP ports, as opposed to just one as on every other Mares model. This makes me wonder if some of the effectiveness of the DFC system in reducing pressure drop on inhalation has been lost as all ports can use this? Just a thought.
Please if there are any Mares techs, dealers, representatives, or others having experience with this reg, please let me know. I know that the reg is about ready for servicing, so I am willing to send it to a certified Mares repair center for the annual as well as any other modifications/tweeking as needed to get it operating at a high level or else there is an Atomic Z2 in my near future.
