My "new" independent doubles setup

[lexvil]

ok, ok, I'll pipe down! lol

Don’t worry many are long dead.

 

[Gone for diving]

(conshelf is one of those Regs, like a MK 2 that you can dig out of a scrap box and more often than not use it without service)

Oh boy YOU WILL DIE!!!!!! Its life support system in a scrap box!!!!! Do not use!!

 

[lexvil]

Oh boy YOU WILL DIE!!!!!! Its life support system in a scrap box!!!!! Do not use!!

It’s a simple pressure reducing and demand use system, just about everything used for diving is life support.

 

[AfterDark]

The armor takes its licks and shows it, I don’t use 109 any longer because I don’t want to bang them up, now I prefer the “plastic” seconds but bottom line reality is it regulator design stopped with the MK 5 and 109 we would all be ok and alive.

Well, you saw mine in the 1st picture, they have years of diving on'em and it shows but, like my 8mm Mauser rifle is for shooting not wall hanging (non-matching serial #s) my 109s(now156s balanced) and MK5s are for diving not gazing.

 

[AfterDark]

Did a little research on the board today
NC dive reports
These dive were done with independent doubles with 2 1st stages no inline switches, elbows or swivels.

Side mount demo day; suggestions?
Here's my try out with SM thread

MK5 / 109 end of life? :(
This is when I began my journey into regulator service.

Newport ri dive report
A dive report mentioning my 50cuft ID setup

 

[AfterDark]

@Open Ocean Diver I did the IP check on the 2 MK5s that I use for ID. The MK5 used on the left tank is designated as the primary because it has the inflator hose and the console information center. The MK5 used on the right tank is secondary because the left is primary. These were serviced by me in 2017.

Results:
Primary
@300 psi 120psi no drift
@3000 psi 132?psi <130 >135 no drift

Secondary
@300psi 120psi no drift
@3000psi 130psi no drift

As you can see they are solid and a good match for use in Project A.I.R. I almost hate to service them!

I have 2 other MK5s one has a main seat or piston O ring failure. It failed per-dive with the inline on/off valves closed on both 2nd stages (pri and octo) like an earlier post stated I've dived with these inline valves a long time. The free flow of course purged out the OVR on the 1st stage LP.
The other MK5 works, it's a spare; also serviced in 2017 but only used a few times since.

I should get my old self in gear and service the bad MK5 with the IP of the working MK5 as a target.
Then, with a little luck I'll have 2 MK5s ready to rock.

 

[Open Ocean Diver]

@Open Ocean Diver I did the IP check on the 2 MK5s that I use for ID. The MK5 used on the left tank is designated as the primary because it has the inflator hose and the console information center. The MK5 used on the right tank is secondary because the left is primary. These were serviced by me in 2017.

Results:
Primary
@300 psi 120psi no drift
@3000 psi 132?psi <130 >135 no drift

Secondary
@300psi 120psi no drift
@3000psi 130psi no drift

As you can see they are solid and a good match for use in Project A.I.R. I almost hate to service them!

I have 2 other MK5s one has a main seat or piston O ring failure. It failed per-dive with the inline on/off valves closed on both 2nd stages (pri and octo) like an earlier post stated I've dived with these inline valves a long time. The free flow of course purged out the OVR on the 1st stage LP.
The other MK5 works, it's a spare; also serviced in 2017 but only used a few times since.

I should get my old self in gear and service the bad MK5 with the IP of the working MK5 as a target.
Then, with a little luck I'll have 2 MK5s ready to rock.

Next would be interesting to see how the tanks empty. Breath on your Air and watch your two SPG’s.

Your MK5 match is amazing.
Oh wait you don’t have two tanks yet I forgot.

 

[AfterDark]

Next would be interesting to see how the tanks empty. Breath on your Air and watch your two SPG’s.

Your MK5 match is amazing.
Oh wait you don’t have two tanks yet I forgot.

I didn't intend to mislead you about the IP match it has changed since I last checked it before today.
They are still plenty good enough however!

Do you mean the 2 50s I mentioned? Yeah that's right I don't have those VIP'd, yet but they are done being painted and sealed. Two spray cans of cold galvanized and 2 cans of clear coat on each tank, wet sanded with 600 before every coat and 0000 steel wool after the final coat. Ready for VIP.

I dressed them up with my double hose and took a picture.

 

[Angelo Farina]

The pilot was a giant leap forward in regulator performance but has you say not so much in the servicing. The US Navy gave it high marks for performance but low in service. My understanding is that the A.I.R. I was an attempt to remedy the service issue while keeping as large a degree of performance as possible. IMO they again did the performance well enough but the servicing was still a bit complex. Again, IMO if the AIR had been metal instead of plastic it may have been more popular.!

At the time the Air-1 was released, a number of Pilot users "upgraded" their regs, installing the parts of the Air-1. So you had an Air-1 with metal case!
I made a similar thing on my 109s. As soon as the BA was released, I upgraded my 109s with the balanced poppet...
And upgrade after upgrade, my 109s are now using parts of the G260.
SP regs have always shown this upgradability, which is great in my opinion.

 

[AfterDark]

At the time the Air-1 was released, a number of Pilot users "upgraded" their regs, installing the parts of the Air-1. So you had an Air-1 with metal case!
I made a similar thing on my 109s. As soon as the BA was released, I upgraded my 109s with the balanced poppet...
And upgrade after upgrade, my 109s are now using parts of the G260.
SP regs have always shown this upgradability, which is great in my opinion.

+1! All my SP regs have been upgraded/retro fit thru the years. When I buy a MK5 on EBAY I only buy the 2HP 5LP models and service them with VDH.com nitrox service kits. The outside is 20th century the inside is 21st. I've tried other regulators a friends, or a rental but I keep coming back to my SP regs IMO there are no equals. Nice new shiny and pretty ones that breath great but are not metal and I suspect there will be no owners praising the 50 years of service they got out of them.