First stage honking is usually caused by insufficient lubrication of the piston stem and o-ring and/or a polished piston stem. Remove the mirror polish finish from the stem and re-lube with a generous amount of grease.
But let's back up here for just a minute. The OP tried his second stage on multiple first stages and the problem followed. My guess is the lever height is just a little off causing a vibration during inhalation.
Give the un-pressurized 109 a good shake. Any rattling present could indicate the lever is a tad low.
Pull the cover off. Does the diaphragm just kiss the case? If the diaphragm needs too much help to seat in the groove, then the lever height may be a tad high.
See the video
or the G250 rebuild vid and I'm sure you'll find the issue.
BTW I'm not a Star Wars fan, but that movie came out in 1977 and the Darth Vader iconic sound was from a Dacor regulator.
The Dacor Scuba Reg Behind Darth Vader's Breathing
But let's back up here for just a minute. The OP tried his second stage on multiple first stages and the problem followed. My guess is the lever height is just a little off causing a vibration during inhalation.
Give the un-pressurized 109 a good shake. Any rattling present could indicate the lever is a tad low.
Pull the cover off. Does the diaphragm just kiss the case? If the diaphragm needs too much help to seat in the groove, then the lever height may be a tad high.
See the video
or the G250 rebuild vid and I'm sure you'll find the issue.
BTW I'm not a Star Wars fan, but that movie came out in 1977 and the Darth Vader iconic sound was from a Dacor regulator.
The Dacor Scuba Reg Behind Darth Vader's Breathing
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