Questions Re: MR42T/Proton Metal

[dje4msu]

I am considering the purchase of an MR42T Proton Metal and was reviewing the owner's manual belonging to a friend who just acquired one. I have a few questions I am hoping the Mares reps or experienced users may be able to answer:

(1) With regard to Nitrox usage, the manual says that in North America the MR42T
may be used with up to EAN40, but in Europe it may only be used with air. Are
there different versions of the MR42T for the US and Europe, or the same reg
with different standards being applied? If there are differences in the equipment
what are those differences?

(2) I will be diving in the great lakes where, at times, the water temps can be in the
very low 40's. Is the standard reg up to those temps? What conditions would
require the cold air kit to be installed?

(3) What is the difference between the "preferential low pressure port" for the
primary second stage and the other low pressure ports? Why aren't the octopus
and primary interchangeable between these ports?

Thanks for your advice.

 

[300bar]

1.Not sure what the "T"stands for,but if it has any thing to do with titanium,Europe say's you can't dive it with eanx.Are we right NO WAY up to 40% there is no problem.But the whole problem is caused by EU officials(non diving)and they heard something about HIGH O2 % and Ti.

2.As for all Mares regs,they are open 1st stages and although Mares say's there fine and they mostly are,I had some freeze up's with them.(mr22/v16) yes get a coldwater kit If you go Mares.
They make some great regs but they still lack the enviro seal.

3.Port differance is that the (mandatory)port for your primary reg is a High flow port.
You can't switch primary and octo.

My biggest problem with the Mares regs,has always been the fact,that they are to heavy.
Mares did cut down on the overall weight,by cutting down the MR22 into the Mr42.
But the 2nd stage,in my case the Abyss,is way to heavy.(been diving it for 15 years)
It's alway's been a very good reg.but since I went for a different brand,I never had a freeze up any more.

Guess the Mares reps will come in pretty soon.

 

[Greg Barlow]

I am considering the purchase of an MR42T Proton Metal and was reviewing the owner's manual belonging to a friend who just acquired one. I have a few questions I am hoping the Mares reps or experienced users may be able to answer:

(1) With regard to Nitrox usage, the manual says that in North America the MR42T
may be used with up to EAN40, but in Europe it may only be used with air. Are
there different versions of the MR42T for the US and Europe, or the same reg
with different standards being applied? If there are differences in the equipment
what are those differences?

(2) I will be diving in the great lakes where, at times, the water temps can be in the
very low 40's. Is the standard reg up to those temps? What conditions would
require the cold air kit to be installed?

(3) What is the difference between the "preferential low pressure port" for the
primary second stage and the other low pressure ports? Why aren't the octopus
and primary interchangeable between these ports?

Thanks for your advice.

The European Union has very strict regulations for nitrox. Your reg is perfectly fine for blends up to 40%. The same reg is sold throughout the world, it just is that the EU requires nitrox regs and tanks to have specific valves.

I have hundreds of cold water dives on Mares regs, and none of mine are environmentally sealed. An ice diving instructor friend of mine uses two unsealed V16 first stages for his ice dives, and has yet to experience a problem. The 42 first stage uses a dry sealed system that is easily installled. It is the only Mares reg that uses such a device, as the others use silicone oil to isolate the spring chamber from the water. I have the earlier version of your reg, the V42 Proton Metal. It uses the SCS system (spherical core seal) rather than the tri-material first stage HP valve. The "T" does not stand for titanium, it designates the tri-material valve.

The primary port has somewhat better gas flow due to an internal chamber that has direct gas flow from the area just below the first stage diaphragm. In all honesty, the other ports offer more than enough gas flow to meet any diver's hardest breathing rate. My particular reg uses a 7' primary hose and a bungeed back-up reg on a 22" hose. I use Proton Metal second stages for both.

The Proton Metal regs are excellent breathers. They are simple to tune, and offer great performance with super reliability. I also own and dive with MR12 and V16 first stages. I prefer the hose routing of the MR/V42 model for single tank diving.

I have also converted all of my Mares first stages over to the tri-material valve, and have found it to be the most dependable, and long lasting valve assembly that Mares has ever produced.

Greg Barlow

 

[CODMAN]

I have a V16 and have used it in cold water without an environmental seal without problems (down to 44ºF). Works great. Although if you,re going to regularly be diving very cold temps, or dirty water, an environmental seal is always a good idea. But definetly not absolutely necessary...

Greg has pretty much anwered all your questions. He is a very good source of knowledge!

 

[Zak OHara]

Well I think you have all summed it up pretty well. Greg is spot on. In most cases cold water "freeze ups" in regulators is a result of operator technique rather than the reg and enviornment alone. If you have any other questions please feel free to post.

Sincerely,

 

[dje4msu]

Thank you for your prompt and informative responses. Sounds as though the MR42T and Proton Metal are good to go for nitrox and cold water. It also appears that the concern Mares regs are "too heavy" may have been addressed by design changes in the new models. Thanks again.