New diver cold water reg kit

[buddhasummer]

The cracking effort according to service manual should be set 1.4"-1.6" , I am interested as to how well it breathes in water, but not enough to actually buy one. Perhaps some one more liquid can take one for the team. There are 7 Apeks specific tools listed as being required for this reg, sounds almost as travel friendly as the Flight.

 

[buddhasummer]

XL4:

 

[buddhasummer]

Tools;

 

[Umuntu]

What is the advantage of XL4 over XTX or ATX?
I never trust any new model even if it comes from Apeks!

IMO, None, it's overly complicated and requires (?) specialized tools.

The design of XL4 is originated from “Flight” and that is enough for me to say NO.
Special tools? That is a JOKE.

The XL4 second stage is based on the flight and and as @buddhasummer says, the first stage is based on the DS4.

It was a marketing/design led effort intended to do a Cool looking mid-price regulator that could tick both the cold water and travel boxes. I think the designers won most of the arguments with the divers on the project team.

The high cracking effort is intended to tick the cold-water, no free flow box.

The plastic end cap idea has been used before, most recently in the Apeks Black Sapphire, which was yet another cool marketing / design product. But it does help to keep the weight down.

Although I like the idea of fins on the first stage body, and eliminating a pin spanner, overall I too prefer the original DS4 paired with either TX40 or XTX40 2nd Stages.

 

[buddhasummer]

I'm "think"you are mistaken, I bought and use BS enviro diaphragms on all my DS4s. The end cap I'm pretty sure was first introduced on the MTR-X. Happy to be corrected. As far as I'm aware currently only the DB4 and MTX-R are using the plastic end cap sans enviro diaphragm.

 

[buddhasummer]

Started to doubt myself, had to check:

 

[buddhasummer]

The end cap is part number AP2010 which is the same as the MTR-X

 

[Umuntu]

The end cap is part number AP2010 which is the sage asctge MTR-X

View attachment 457334

You are correct. The MTX and DB4 have one piece plastic end caps.

The previous end caps I was thinking of were 2 piece, with a separate hydrostatic diaphragm. The Apeks Reflex (a balanced piston regulator) had a plastic end cap, with a separate hydrostatic diaphragm.