Picked up a Scubapro Mk IX and old Sherwood Magnum over the weekend

[jacked_72]

I'll post some pictures when I get home, but I picked up a couple of regs over the weekend locally and had to share. Its been so long since I played around with my Scubpro stuff that I thought I had a MK V, but it turns out its smaller with a non-rotating turret, so I presume it is a MK IV. It comes complete with a G250 and Tekna diving console and Tekna bottom timer and old Zeagle BC (no model name or number on it) outfitted with a SP Air2 with orange buttons. Zeagle was ahead of its time. The BC is kind of a harness with a back wing. My best guess is that this setup was from circa 1983.

I also picked up a Sherwood Magnum (SRB3200) with a nifty Tusa Liberator as an octo. This also must be a pre '84 model as the manual I found for it on Frogkick says that the bleed valve was changed in January '84 to a one piece rubber deal. The primary for this set of regs is really in nice shape. The guy said he had them serviced at some point, but its got the old piston in it. Is there a source for Sherwood hard parts? I know the seats and o-rings are everywhere, but I haven't found anyone who says they sell things like pistons. I've seen some talk about using the old piston and just pressing the seat in and out past the crimp. Any advice there?

I've updated this post to show the pictures. I sure haven't seen much on the MK IX though. Usually Ebay is a good source for pictures a ton of Vs, some VIIs and even some VIs from time to time. I haven't seen any IXs though.

 

[redacted]

There used to be a very useful scubapro museum but some manufacturer felt it provided consumers more information than they wanted them to have and caused it to be taken down. It was not consistent with their standard answer of ask your authorized dealer.

So, is this the reg? Scuba Pro Regulator Seasport Meters Tested Professionally in Working Order | eBay

That is the turretless Mk5 which I believe is the Mk8. The turretless Mk10 is a Mk9.

 

[jacked_72]

I've updated the original post with pictures. The Sherwood reg has the old style piston in it. I'm not sure if the Scubapro 1st is a MK 8 or 9. Based on the old piston and the old bleed valve, the Sherwood is '83 or earlier, so the Scuba pro probably is too. My reg does not have the ambient holes if that makes a difference.

 

[redacted]

I've updated the original post with pictures. The Sherwood reg has the old style piston in it. I'm not sure if the Scubapro 1st is a MK 8 or 9. Based on the old piston and the old bleed valve, the Sherwood is '83 or earlier, so the Scuba pro probably is too. My reg does not have the ambient holes if that makes a difference.

It looks like the ambient chamber holes are in the body which would make it similar to a Mk10 rather than a Mk5.

 

[jacked_72]

Do you have any earthly idea on how to take that Tusa secondary apart? I can't get that outer metal ring to budge.

edit: figured it out. Metal ring screw to the right, looking at reg from the top. It took a bunch of heat and banging to get it to budge.

 

[redacted]

Do you have any earthly idea on how to take that Tusa secondary apart? I can't get that outer metal ring to budge.

I have no experience with TUSA regs but it looks like it unscrews from the mouthpiece side rather than the cover side. That would mean that unscrewing it from the cover side is tightening.


http://www.frogkick.dk/manuals/tusa/

 

[Bob DBF]

I picked up my Sherwood Magnum (SRB3200) in 1980 or 81 and used as my primary reg set for a couple of decades. It acted up once in the late '90's, I had it rebuilt and used it for several more years until I picked up a newer Sherwood. I now use it for my pony bottle since I know how reliable it is.



Bob
------------------------------------
I honestly feel I'm a better diver now. I learned to respect the ocean the hard way. One swallow at a time. Mark Derail

 

[Couv]

Yep, The Master called it right. That SP first stage is a MK 9. I converted one of my MK 10s to a 9 just because. To be honest, I do not miss having the turret at all and if Big Foot would not charge so much for the cap, I would convert a couple more.

 

[jacked_72]

Thanks guys. I really like this older Scubapro stuff, but I'm about at the point where I'm going to say "no mas" due to hassle of getting parts. I think I do have a line on some of the s-wing poppets and balance chambers for the BAs and conversions to the 109s, though so I should be good for a while. What I'm running into now is that the rubber is just deteriorating on the 109 soft parts, like the diaphragm cover and exhaust tees. I know SP still makes those, but what is it with not selling those simple, user-replaceable parts? Its nice that places like VDH are sourcing first stage parts. I'd prefer to be messing around with the Conshelf stuff due to the fact that parts seem to be a bit more available, but they just aren't as cool as the SP stuff. (At least my LDS sold me an exhaust tee.) Sigh, this is old news though. I did catch a thread on SB this weekend in which a SP "tech" had to turn to the DIYers for help on servicing a reg. His appropriate blasting made me smile. Thanks guys. I think it was Couv an Awap. I also think its funny when people argue that paying to have their regs rebuilt gets them factory parts. Right. Factory parts right out of the Trident catalog, just like we get from VDH, at factory parts prices. My SIL is taking the open water class now. I've given him the disclaimer that we're both going to die because I've rebuilt the regs. He seems OK with that risk; he likes the chrome too. Heck, I'm already dead man walking because I work on my own regs and dive alone in a quarry at 25 feet.

I took a look at the SP "time line" on its website to ID a couple of other regs. (It is a shadow of the information that was on the old SP museum site, but I wasn't around for that discussion.) The older stuff had a 20 year run of production, while the new stuff is a one-year production. I wonder what that means for replacement hard parts in the future for the newer stuff (primarily the secondaries). You know they're not going to keep making that stuff given the relatively low numbers of regs produce that would need such parts.

I guess I'm just ranting. I've been through this before and I don't really consider Scubapro now to be the same company it might have been in the past. Same with Aqualung, actually, but I understand it is a business and they're running it for profitability, not my convenience. I don't appreciate it, but I do understand it.

 

[Couv]

Glad to help Jacked_72. Hold on to your beautiful chrome SP regs. A while back we stirred up interest in having aftermarket diaphragm covers and exhaust tees made. I don't want to spill all the beans just yet as things aren't finalized, but the good folks at VDH are looking into pushing the button. Stay tuned!