Scuba Pro Regulator setup

[lobo]

Hello all

I was just givin a new MK2 First stage and R190 Second and octo plus gagues.. I have been diving for quite sometime but never purchased my onw Reg.. I just want to make sure I assemble the Reg properely can anyone give me any advise or point me to a good manual.. or simply tell me any tricks etc..

thx again

 

[MechDiver]

Hello all

I was just givin a new MK2 First stage and R190 Second and octo plus gagues.. I have been diving for quite sometime but never purchased my onw Reg.. I just want to make sure I assemble the Reg properely can anyone give me any advise or point me to a good manual.. or simply tell me any tricks etc..

thx again

If you have been diving for awhile, and are as yet unfamiliar with how a regulator is assembled, I would suggest you take it to a diveshop and have them do it for you.

Also, the MK2/R190 is the low end SP system and is not balanced, nor especially easy breathing. You might want to have it serviced to make sure its performing as well as possible.

MD

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Installing the various components is not difficult as the HP port is marked (HP) and uses a large thread size. WIth a MK 2, it usually works best to install the HP hose/gauges and then orient the reg on the tank so that the HP port points down at about a 4 or 5 o'clock position. The inflator hose can then be installed above the HP port (usually skipping a port which is where a dry suit hose would normally go) to route over your left shoulder. The primary second stage then is installed across in a port to route over your right shoulder and the octo is installed in the remaining port routed down the other side at about 7 or 8 o'clock.

This keeps the hose routing fairly straight forward. The connections should be made just beyond hand tight. Too much force on the wrench can strip them. It is the 0-ring that makes the seal, not the tightness of the nut and you just need it tight enough not to come loose on it's own.

But it is also a good idea to have the reg checked by a tech to ensure the octo is compatible with the IP of the first stage and to also ensure the primary second stage is adjusted properly and that there are no quality control issues.

What is considered proper adjustment depends on the tech and also on what you want. The specs put forth by SP are a little on the high side in terms of cracking effort (1.2 to 1.8 for primaries and 1.4 to 1.8 for octos) and are intended to prevent inadvertant freeflows. You defintely want it adjusted on the low end of the range at 1.2 and even then the R190 is capable of lighter breathing performance in the .9 to 1.0 range and when set up that way can be a very nice performing reg.

There are some potential issues with that and it is not uncommon for a slight freeflow to develop after a dive or two requiring some readjustment if 1) the tech does not adequately compensate for the seating groove that develops as the seat is broken in or 2) does not adjust the second stage with a tank or bench pressure at 3000 psi. So going under the specs needs to be an informed choice on the part of the customer with the awareness that they may need to bring it back in for a qucik adjustment. Ideally the tech would leave the reg pressurized overnight or setting for a week unpressurized before making the final adjustment on the second stage, but that is not always practical.