Old Atomic Titanium

[Ishkrbibbl]

I bought my Atomic Titanium reg set second hand through LDS 10 years ago - all it says on the purge cover it "Titanium" so not sure of the "model."
Nothing wrong with it I just have the same problem as most on here I always want to buy some scuba stuff.
I am a relative newbie - less than 20 dives - so I only have a little shopping problem.
Question is, do the new regs (T series and ST-1) breathe that much better/differently.
Is it worth looking into one of those and shifting mine to an Octo role?
Pics to come - I'm at work now and my mind just ain't in it.
Scuba - Scuba - Scuba...

Thoughts?

 

[Mobulai]

I bought my Atomic Titanium reg set second hand through LDS 10 years ago - all it says on the purge cover it "Titanium" so not sure of the "model."
Nothing wrong with it I just have the same problem as most on here I always want to buy some scuba stuff.
I am a relative newbie - less than 20 dives - so I only have a little shopping problem.
Question is, do the new regs (T series and ST-1) breathe that much better/differently.
Is it worth looking into one of those and shifting mine to an Octo role?
Pics to come - I'm at work now and my mind just ain't in it.
Scuba - Scuba - Scuba...

Thoughts?

I think (not100% but like 90%) that all Atomic seconds (beside the inflator integrated one) are all the same (replacement part numbers wise, they look all the same on schematics)

Besides the Ti vs non Ti versions (so the metal of the barrels would be ofc different), I think they are the same, beyond cosmetics

Maybe some purge cover plastic improvements, I don’t really know (someone with more experience can testify to that)

Ofcourse the TFX is a wholly different animal being a center balanced reg not a end balanced/barrel reg
If you can find it on it’s own, and wanna satisfy that buying urge, that’s a great place to throw money at (I’m waiting on a second stage alone or a — man can dream— a used one)

 

[Wookie]

I bought one of the very first titanium reg sets in 1996 from Dive Magic in Twin Falls Idaho, serial number XXXXXX37.

It has about 4500 dives on it. It’s my daily diver, or would be if I dove daily any more.

Just take it to a technician you trust and perform the upgrades, it will be one of the best investments you ever make for scuba.

 

[BoltSnap]

I bought my Atomic Titanium reg set second hand through LDS 10 years ago - all it says on the purge cover it "Titanium" so not sure of the "model."
Nothing wrong with it I just have the same problem as most on here I always want to buy some scuba stuff.
I am a relative newbie - less than 20 dives - so I only have a little shopping problem.
Question is, do the new regs (T series and ST-1) breathe that much better/differently.
Is it worth looking into one of those and shifting mine to an Octo role?
Pics to come - I'm at work now and my mind just ain't in it.
Scuba - Scuba - Scuba...

Thoughts?

Take the regulator to an authorized Atomic dealer with qualified tech. and have them service the regulator and update ALL parts per Atomic update guidelines and you will have a Ti regulator that performs as new.

I had a B1 regulator that was updated to a B2 by exchanging some parts and also a first generation Ti regulator that was updated to the latest possible Ti regulator and all was OK. (The Ti regulator was eventually stolen during one of the wars here, too bad). Atomic is really good about this update business.

 

[Mobulai]

I just realized that I misread second hand as second stage
So I gave you half truths

Well for 1st stages, they are all more or less the same, with one main difference (beside the metal of choice) — jet piston; but that’s an upgrade that you can get if you don’t have it, don’t buy a new reg
I read somewhere that some prefer the older piston vs the new Jet (?) I am not sure -- I think it was @Geo7 ; so he might have more thoughts on upgrading it or not
I have a B1 and B2 that I bought used from the same guy; the B1 still locks up perfect, the B2 has a slight creep (not that this is a metric for anything)

Easy tell if you don’t have the upgrade, the rubber seat carrier will look like this and not a "full rubber" cap

 

[Scared Silly]

The early Ti first stages (<=T2) were such that they were to be either air or nitrox but not both. The T2X was the first first stage that was both air and nitrox. AA swapped out a few parts like the piston and HP seat retainer to be monel instead of SS and Ti respectively.

Many, myself included have not made all of these changes other than to update the piston to the jet seat (either SS or monel) and for some, myself included to seal the reg. I happily dive air and nitrox.

As for the second stages there was change to the case around ~2006 to improve the flow. It was a minor change that if properly tuned most do not notice. Everything else on the second stage is bling.

If you post up pictures, including the top of the first and second stages I can easily tell what you have and what I would do in terms of updates.

 

[Mobulai]

Many, myself included have not made all of these changes other than to update the piston to the jet seat (either SS or monel) and for some, myself included to seal the reg. I happily dive air and nitrox.

now that you mentioned SS vs monel piston reminded me, I think that’s where I read it (further posts also in the thread)

That sounds about right for a summary, though I think replacing monel parts for steel and titanium would downgrade a T3/T2X reg to T2 or even T1X level, and if going by manufacturing specs that would lose the non-dedicated nitrox rating. That's what I chose though: upgraded T1X.

If serviced regularly, the Monel polishes out to like-new finish easily. Granted, a standard dive shop won't spend the time restoring these parts (or may not even know this "lost art"), but I'd hope they'll just use the lifetime warranty and put in a new Monel part. Can someone confirm this? If the lifetime warranty applies, then a typical customer should just go for modern models with Monel parts and forget about this whole issue.

For DIY owners the dilemma when overhauling a neglected reg remains. I think we may see different types of corrosion in steel vs monel. Perhaps a 316 steel piston might also see some surface rust, and I don't know if that'll be as easy to deal with. But no one reported any issues (see Boltsnap's earlier post).

 

[Geo7]

Great news: you own one of the best regs ever made, IMHO. I bought several 1990s Atomic titanium regs and upgraded them. As Wookie showed, they can last "forever".

The only mandatory upgrade is the modern piston with round edges, simply because there are no old seats to be found that go with the old sharp piston (except some techs like @rsingler that have a stash). But if you got it 10 years ago, it may already have that modern piston. If the cap on the 1st stage is rounded instead of a thin trim ring, the upgrade is done.

There was a change in the second stage housing with a larger mouthpiece bore (as Scared Silly wrote), but you'd only notice it on a testing machine. In fact I look for old housings (T1/B1/Z1) when I need regs for kids, as the smallest Apeks mouthpiece fits perfectly and makes it ultra comfortable. If you need an octo, sure I'd make the new Atomic the primary and the older one the octo. But they all breathe basically the same.

And as Scared Silly wrote, the newer 1st stages (T2X) and after have Monel alloy parts that allow a switch from "dirty" air to nitrox (to avoid dedicating the reg to nitrox only). I have not done these upgrades to mine and think they are not worth it. If someone really wants to go by the book for using nitrox, it may be cheaper to sell the T1 and get a T2X.

So as Wookie wrote, it just needs servicing by a good tech every 3 years, and you have an amazing reg for decades to come.

 

[happy-diver]

I bought my Atomic Titanium reg set second hand through LDS 10 years ago

I am a relative newbie - less than 20 dives

Pics to come - I'm at work now and my mind just ain't in it.
Scuba - Scuba - Scuba...

If you're at work not working how do you justify spending your bosses money and on something you don't use

 

[Ishkrbibbl]

If you're at work not working how do you justify spending your bosses money and on something you don't use

Nobody coming in this Friday and I'm the boss...