eelnoraa
Contributor
This may have been beaten to death. I am using an older Atomic Titanium 1st stage. Is it a concern with EAN32? Do I need a new 1st stage?
Older Atomic Titanium 1st stage with EAN32
- Thread starter eelnoraa
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My regulator is Atomic serial number 37. If you haven't done the jet seat upgrade, get it done. Aside from that, you may dive nitrox up to 40% with impunity.
Scared Silly
Contributor
You can use it with EAN but Atomic says it should be dedicated or either air or EAN. That is unless you upgrade which in that case the piston, swivel retainer, and HP seat retainer are replaced by their monel versions. I believe but not sure if you replace just the piston to the stainless jet seat version that Atomic recommends that it still must be dedicated to air or EAN.
I can not quite understand the logic of replacing the swivel and HP seat retainers with monel versions so one can use it with both air and EAN. Both can/will have the same level of impurities. The HP seat retainer never sees any gas and the swivel retainer which is stainless see only intermediate pressures. The piston on the other hand does see HP but I am not sure why it should be monel for both air and EAN. I can see the thought if using higher O2 mixtures such as in the M1.
BTW to do the full upgrade which will basically make your old Ti reg into an TX2 runs about $400 from Atomic.
Frank, the serial on the one I have is 72 but starts with EI.
I can not quite understand the logic of replacing the swivel and HP seat retainers with monel versions so one can use it with both air and EAN. Both can/will have the same level of impurities. The HP seat retainer never sees any gas and the swivel retainer which is stainless see only intermediate pressures. The piston on the other hand does see HP but I am not sure why it should be monel for both air and EAN. I can see the thought if using higher O2 mixtures such as in the M1.
BTW to do the full upgrade which will basically make your old Ti reg into an TX2 runs about $400 from Atomic.
Frank, the serial on the one I have is 72 but starts with EI.
OP
eelnoraa
Contributor
I found this
Atomic Regulator Service Manual - Page 1 of 12
It looks like even with M1, the interchangability between air and nitrox is up to 50%. If dedicated, then 80%
Scary Silly, I totally don't understand the interchangability part either. Why would it matter if I use air on a O2 clean reg? Does Atomic assume all "regular" air is NOT O2 clean and that cause contemination? And we are not talking about 100% O2 here.
I think the $400 retrofiting cost is ridiculous. I can go and buy a new B2 or M1 1st for that much.
The real problem for me now is my GUE fundies starts tomorrow. First time will be on Sat. Should I go hunt down a "EAN32 safe" 1st stage?
Atomic Regulator Service Manual - Page 1 of 12
It looks like even with M1, the interchangability between air and nitrox is up to 50%. If dedicated, then 80%
Scary Silly, I totally don't understand the interchangability part either. Why would it matter if I use air on a O2 clean reg? Does Atomic assume all "regular" air is NOT O2 clean and that cause contemination? And we are not talking about 100% O2 here.
I think the $400 retrofiting cost is ridiculous. I can go and buy a new B2 or M1 1st for that much.
The real problem for me now is my GUE fundies starts tomorrow. First time will be on Sat. Should I go hunt down a "EAN32 safe" 1st stage?
Downing
Contributor
I will certainly defer to those who know more about this, but I "upgraded" my T2 into a T2x for $75. Other than the "T2x" purge cap, I don't know what was replaced since my LDS handled it for me.
You may want to give Atomic a call to confirm what's involved and the cost. They'll want your serial number since the kits are different based on the models. My T2 was one of the last models before Atomic released the T2x (much to my annoyance at the time until I found out about the upgrade kits) so that may have had an effect on the cost.
(714) 375-1433
As with all things Atomic, the cost involved is higher than most other brands but, depending on what you paid for your T1 in the first place, if you're able to convert the reg into a functioning T2x for $400 then it isn't that bad. Emphasis on what you paid originally, of course.
You may want to give Atomic a call to confirm what's involved and the cost. They'll want your serial number since the kits are different based on the models. My T2 was one of the last models before Atomic released the T2x (much to my annoyance at the time until I found out about the upgrade kits) so that may have had an effect on the cost.
(714) 375-1433
As with all things Atomic, the cost involved is higher than most other brands but, depending on what you paid for your T1 in the first place, if you're able to convert the reg into a functioning T2x for $400 then it isn't that bad. Emphasis on what you paid originally, of course.
Last edited:
OP
eelnoraa
Contributor
Just called Darcy, T1 -> Nitrox compatible (I guess T2x internal) without service $345.
Scared Silly
Contributor
So what did she say about going back and forth between air and EAN???
OP
eelnoraa
Contributor
After that $345 conversion, it is OK to go back & forth with air and EAN. But she didn't want to explain why
halocline
Contributor
Gee, I wonder why that is?
Regarding the going back and forth, yes, the assumption is that you're not using air that's filtered to O2 clean standards when getting regular fills, and as such the reg is no longer O2 clean. But, unless I'm missing something, there are plenty of continuous blend systems that produce nitrox with regular air out of a regular scuba compressor, so what about those nitrox fills?
The whole issue is rife with contradictions, fear of liability, and lack of any substantive evidence. I would simply avoid it by selling the stupid titanium regulator and just get a brass atomic.
Dack
Contributor
My Atomic tech told me the conversion replaces some titanium parts (jet seat? dunno) with monel. I'd also understood the upgrade was cosmetic too, new T2X faceplate and exhaust so it is in the end an actual T2X.
The issue with switching on Ti regs is due to the hydrocarbons left by non-O2 clean equipment. If you were always to dive O2 clean tanks, no issue in ranges between EAN40 or EAN20. Monel doesn't have the same restriction as titanium.
Even with the upgrade the titanium regs aren't for anything above EAN40.
- Dack
The issue with switching on Ti regs is due to the hydrocarbons left by non-O2 clean equipment. If you were always to dive O2 clean tanks, no issue in ranges between EAN40 or EAN20. Monel doesn't have the same restriction as titanium.
Even with the upgrade the titanium regs aren't for anything above EAN40.
- Dack
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