Scubapro Mk10/Adjustable 109

[NoVaScuba]

I picked up this regulator at yard sale and I'm looking for a little info. From talking to the seller, I gathered that it hasn't been used in 13 years. The Mk10 is in great shape, not a mark on it, and from the posts I've seen is a good reg.

The primary second stage is an Adjustable 109 from the pictures on the Scubapro Museum site. Again it looks in great shape.

The octo is a 108 and is obviously older and more beat up than the rest of it. There are a lot of superficial scratches but there doesn't seem to be any damage that would affect function.

The coldest water I'm likely to be diving is around 40 degrees at the bottom of the quarry. Most of it will be warm water occasionally to around 100 ft but most often shallower.

Is this likely to be a good reg for me? Is there any way to tell if the 109 was upgraded to a Balanced Adjustable without taking it apart? If it wasn't upgraded, should I have that done when it is serviced? Is there any difficulty finding servicing for these older regs?

From my web research, this sounds like a solid dependable setup. I'd like to hear some more experienced opinions before I invest in servicing and hoses (I'm not going to trust hoses that are 13 years old.)

 

[herman]

Absolutely nothing wrong with that combo, solid and dependable workhorses. Unless you spend big bucks it's unlikely you will get a better setup. Parts and service should be easy to get. Short of dissambling the 109 there is no good way to tell if it has been modified but frankly I am not sure I would have it done but it's easy enough to do, basically it's just dropping in different parts during the rebuild and adjusting it. 13 yo hoses....those are still babys.

 

[herman]

Just saw you are in northern VA, you have a great SP tech near by.

 

[NoVaScuba]

Just saw you are in northern VA, you have a great SP tech near by.

The shop in DC? That's the only one I've seen in the area that handles Scubapro.

Thanks for the info!

 

[redacted]

How good are your eyes. If you remove the hose, you can shine a small focused flashlight down through the openiing in the orifice and see if it is balanced or unbalanced. With the balanced version, you will be able to see the black seat with a small round hole in the middle. With the original unbalanced version, all you will see is the black seat. Clearly no hole.

BTW, I am diving hoses that I'm sure are at least 20 years old. I don't blindly trust any hose, regardless of age. But I do inspect and test them and keep them in service if they pass.

 

[herman]

After you ask I realized I have no clue what shop he works for...I'll PM you.



Had not thought about that AWAP, that would do it....dang tiny hole to look through.

 

[halocline]

Good luck trying to see the balance chamber hole! It's really easy to take the reg apart, and probably you should rebuild it anyways, so it's not that big an issue. Unless it's been updated with the G200 poppet, you'll have to replace the poppet anyhow, so there's very little cost difference between getting the G200 (unbalanced) and G250 (balanced) poppet. You'd also have to get a balance chamber and spring to upgrade it to balanced, but those parts are not expensive.

The person to bring it to is DA Aquamaster who I believe now lives in your area. I'm sure that's who herman was thinking of.

The MK10 is a great workhorse 1st stage that you will almost certainly never outgrow, and the 109 2nd stage is IMO one of the great classic regulators of all time. Great find. The next time you go on a dive with someone who spent over $1000 on a titanium atomic, you can rightly feel superior for getting a great reg for almost nothing.

 

[Luis H]

Good luck trying to see the balance chamber hole! It's really easy to take the reg apart, and probably you should rebuild it anyways, so it's not that big an issue. Unless it's been updated with the G200 poppet, you'll have to replace the poppet anyhow, so there's very little cost difference between getting the G200 (unbalanced) and G250 (balanced) poppet. You'd also have to get a balance chamber and spring to upgrade it to balanced, but those parts are not expensive.

The person to bring it to is DA Aquamaster who I believe now lives in your area. I'm sure that's who herman was thinking of.

The MK10 is a great workhorse 1st stage that you will almost certainly never outgrow, and the 109 2nd stage is IMO one of the great classic regulators of all time. Great find. The next time you go on a dive with someone who spent over $1000 on a titanium atomic, you can rightly feel superior for getting a great reg for almost nothing.

Common… it is real easy to see and I know you have younger eyes that I do.
But, I agree that the information is not that important since the regulator needs a rebuild anyway.

That is a great regulator. The 109 (or 156 / Balanced adjustable) is IMO one of the best second stages of all time.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I do the reg service for Divers Den in Baltimore.

Divers Den

Divers Den has a very down to earth and freindly every one knows everyone else kind of feel to it - the kind of shop I grew up with - so it feels very homey.

There is another SP dealer in the NOVA area but, to be very honest, the reviews are mixed, not due to quality of the work but rather due to personality and an apparent lack of communication skills.

I am admittedly biased but I have dropped by a few times over the last couple years and have never been impressed and never felt welcome, let alone at home and comfortable there. It just does not have a freindly feel. But check them both out and form your own impressions.

The Mk 10 R109 "Adjustable" is very bullet proof. You can upgrade it to Balanced Adjustable status (R156) but with the most recent R109 poppet using generic R190/295, etc seats, it may make more sense to just stay with the 109 configuration. The seat wears a bit quicker on the R109 but can be flipped for a field expedient repair and seats are availabel almost anywhere as it is a generic part. And if properly tuned and used on a balanced second stage, there is basically no difference in inhalation effort.

You can tell without completely disassembling the reg. You will need to remove the retaining clip on the adjustment knob, then unscrew the knob taking care not to let the spring propel any parts out of the air barrel. If you have a tan-ish colored flat round nylon spring pad under the knob (and on top of the spring) you have a 109. If instead you see a white or black balance chamber sitting on top of the spring and balanced poppet, you have a 156. There is no need to remove anything from the airbarrel other than the adjustment knob.

 

[halocline]

Common… it is real easy to see and I know you have younger eyes that I do.
But, I agree that the information is not that important since the regulator needs a rebuild anyway.

That is a great regulator. The 109 (or 156 / Balanced adjustable) is IMO one of the best second stages of all time.

Okay, with a flashlight aimed just the right way and reading glasses I can see the hole in my G250, which currently is off the hose.