We decided to stock some of these to try them out. The backplates are a nice finish and the bend is very reminiscent of the DSS plates. They should work out well.
On the STA design, I think Highland missed the mark just a bit. Their STA is on the long side, which is not a problem in itself. However, the tank strap slots are very wide apart and this makes the use of 10L steel and other short tanks difficult. The lower strap hits right on the tank boot. Unfortunately, 10L steel is a common tank here in Japan.
I think Highland could have made this a much more flexible design by borrowing an idea from Dive Rite's STA which has 3 sets of tank band slots and the user can choose the close or far spread slots depending on their application (tank size).
Also, am I the only one that prefers the incredible convenience of having the carriage bolts permanently attached to the STA so they don't drop while putting it together? Over the years, they've fallen into lawns, grates, porches, etc.
On the STA design, I think Highland missed the mark just a bit. Their STA is on the long side, which is not a problem in itself. However, the tank strap slots are very wide apart and this makes the use of 10L steel and other short tanks difficult. The lower strap hits right on the tank boot. Unfortunately, 10L steel is a common tank here in Japan.
I think Highland could have made this a much more flexible design by borrowing an idea from Dive Rite's STA which has 3 sets of tank band slots and the user can choose the close or far spread slots depending on their application (tank size).
Also, am I the only one that prefers the incredible convenience of having the carriage bolts permanently attached to the STA so they don't drop while putting it together? Over the years, they've fallen into lawns, grates, porches, etc.
