question for Atomic users

[Hatul]

I believe most regs that have user adjusted cracking pressure are tuned for maximum performance, short of a leak with the adjustment knob in the easiest breathing position. Oceanic is the exception as it call for that tuning to be done with the adjustment knob set in a more central position which should result in a slight leak at the surface.

Being able to adjust to free flow may also be good for removing pressure from the seat, on regs without the seat saver. If the reg free-flows it means the valve is open and there is min or no pressure on the seat.

Adam

 

[Akimbo]

Being able to adjust to free flow may also be good for removing pressure from the seat, on regs without the seat saver. If the reg free-flows it means the valve is open and there is min or no pressure on the seat.

Adam

I have never seen one that releases so much pressure that the LP seat is not touching without supply pressure. But less spring pressure is better for extending the life of the seat. You can also store your regulator with the diaphragm/purge depresses using a rubber band and a small wood block. Atomic's solution is their Seat Saving Dynamic Orifice design.

Atomic Aquatics Second Stage Regulator Design

The seat is under spring pressure even on the Kirby-Morgan Dial-a-Breath. Its adjustment range is 14 full rotations of the knob. That is why the knob is so large. You can turn it with your palm/flat hand for rapid adjustment. The factory setting is something like 250 PSI to 80 PSI over bottom as I recall.

 

[redacted]

Being able to adjust to free flow may also be good for removing pressure from the seat, on regs without the seat saver. If the reg free-flows it means the valve is open and there is min or no pressure on the seat.

Adam

You would have to crank it out too far to remove all or even most of the pressure. I did that for a while with my old Scubapro metals but you have to remove the retaining clip and crank the adjuster almost all the way out to relieve all the spring tension. Much easier to simply store them with the purge slightly depressed. They used to be sold with such devices be they can be improvised.

BTW, the Scubapro seat saver on the G500/S600 relieves all spring pressure on the seat and I'm fairly sure the Atomic does also. (Actually, the Atomic does it not by relieving spring pressure but by allowing the orifice to be pull away from the soft seat when not pressurized.) That is why you must be very carfull soaking those regs off a tank as water can get upstream of the seat.