Pony Bottle Gauge???

[NWBoiler]

Just curious as to what kind of gauge to use for a pony bottle, a micro gauge on the 1st stage or a stand alone pressure gauge on a short hose?

 

[Cheekymonkey]

I think it depends on the sort of diving you are doing, when its low viz or there are other situations that make it harder to see, or to concentrate on a smaller gauge the large gauge makes more sense. Otherwise te buttonsize gauge is great.

Also your saying pony bottle and not stage bottle, so I would imagine the button gauge would work for you so that you can check that the bottle is full before beginning your dive. And then if you need to use the bailout bottle, your bailing out anyway so the psi isnt that important at that point.

Then if you want to be able to check the pressure during the dive, you have to think about how you are mounting the bottle, are you slinging it or mounting it to a tank, these things change the size of the hose on the pressure gauge that is necessary.

 

[NWBoiler]

I would be using the pony (30cft) as a bailout bottle side mounted on a single rig. Thank you for your input!!

 

[Cheekymonkey]

Well I used to have a siimlar setup NWBoiler, I found that a reg and a button gauge were perfect for my uses, since if it came down to needing the pony bottle my dive would have been ended anyway, although I was fortunate to never have to use it for myself, but using it for ubddies is a different story.

 

[divad]

There's an in-between choice. I can't read the button gage, but when I went looking for an air spool, I found a one-inch diameter readable gauge from H2O Odyssey.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

any link to that evad?

 

[Leadking]

Short hose if for breathing gas otherwise a micro gauge

If you are breathing on it you need a more accurate gauge vs an argon bottle.

 

[PaulChristenson]

I use this
http://www.diveriteexpress.com/gas/checker.shtml
before I set up my pony...

And if I go to my pony...the dive is DONE...

 

[drbill]

I began with one of the micro gauges on the first stage. Since I mount my pony in the upside down position on my primary tank (to be able to reach the valve), I was worried about potential damage to the gauge. I was right... it got smashed during a rough landing on the boat's swim step. Lesson: don't use micro gauge if pony is mounted upside down, use SPG and hose.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

I use a pony bottle gauge, but be careful like Doc Bill says.....
http://www.diverightinscuba.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=469