Scubapro regs

[pepperbelly]

If this is a PX2 first stage then it is a balanced piston regulator. When I started asking questions about buying another reg I was wanting a balanced first stage, and thought what I had was not.

BTW, uploading pics here is easy.

 

[fmerkel]

You can do a bit of your own research here.
www.frogkick.dk - /

These are the manual schematics that are used to overhaul regs. That's what I went and looked at based on your description. The PX2 is a step above the SP-5 which is an unbalanced piston. I have several Oceanic 1st and 2nd stage regs, as well as ScubaPro, Mares, Sherwood, and Aqualung. They all work fine.
It's important the the small parts of the adjustment mechanism in the 2nd is working well and not corroded or it makes it breathe poorly, or at least it did on one of mine.

Addendum based on pix; I have the exact same 1st stage and have used it quite a bit. It's fine. I have similar 2nd stages, so I think that should be fine also.

 

[pepperbelly]

Thanks fmerkel.

 

[pepperbelly]

Some of the reasons I have been thinking about a different reg set may be due to the shop I bought the Oceanic set from. I bought it used with a rebuild. On my first dive the hose going to my spg was leaking small bubbles. It cost another $50 to replace it then when I picked it up the hose had bedn installed on the wrong port. Not a big deal but the tech putting all of yhe hoses coming over my right shoulder didn't make me feel confident about anything else he did. I need to have the regs checked out by Scubatoys.

 

[tbone1004]

$50 for a HP hose? You got ripped off.... Should have been no more than $30.....

That is definitely not confidence inspiring and if the regs are going to leave a bad taste in your mouth from previous history, best to cut them loose and get something that aren't attached to bad memories and distrust.

 

[fmerkel]

That kind of stuff won't be helped by any brand you buy, that's shop issues, mostly.
The tiny 003 O-rings on SPG spools are some of the hardest working and most likely to go bad on a kit. The hole out of the 1st stage is a pinhole. The hole through the device called a spool is also a pinhole. A leak out of the SPG connection is mostly unremarkable. Dive it, fix it later, you'll not lose much air. Cheap, easy to fix, just get some. FWIW there are 3 'styles', mostly interchangeable.

While you are at it get an intermediate pressure gauge. For that reg (most regs) you should be seeing 135-145psi with no creep, which is pressure increasing slowly between breaths. Invaluable for checking the basic function of the 1st stage.

While you are buying get a 45-degree Oral Power Inflator. That's about 1/3 the cost of your LDS replacing yours with probably a worse product. If you are game for it get the overhaul parts kit on the same page. It's easy to do, takes about 15-30", less once you know what you are doing. A leaking BC inflator is one of the most common problems at a dive site. This and a zip tie and you are back in action in 5"

 

[pepperbelly]

I was told the Oceanic hoses are proprietary and cost more.
I haven't finally decided whether or not to replace this reg set, but if I keep it I will definitely have them checked. The shop that I bought them through did Scuba as a side business, and he was rushed and behind on a lot of reg servicing.

 

[pepperbelly]

That kind of stuff won't be helped by any brand you buy, that's shop issues, mostly.
The tiny 003 O-rings on SPG spools are some of the hardest working and most likely to go bad on a kit. The hole out of the 1st stage is a pinhole. The hole through the device called a spool is also a pinhole. A leak out of the SPG connection is mostly unremarkable. Dive it, fix it later, you'll not lose much air. Cheap, easy to fix, just get some. FWIW there are 3 'styles', mostly interchangeable.

While you are at it get an intermediate pressure gauge. For that reg (most regs) you should be seeing 135-145psi with no creep, which is pressure increasing slowly between breaths. Invaluable for checking the basic function of the 1st stage.

While you are buying get a 45-degree Oral Power Inflator. That's about 1/3 the cost of your LDS replacing yours with probably a worse product. If you are game for it get the overhaul parts kit on the same page. It's easy to do, takes about 15-30", less once you know what you are doing. A leaking BC inflator is one of the most common problems at a dive site. This and a zip tie and you are back in action in 5"

It wasn't leaking at the connection. The hose itself had small bubbles coming out of it over a 2 to 3 inch length above the connection.

 

[scubafanatic]

I was told the Oceanic hoses are proprietary and cost more.
I haven't finally decided whether or not to replace this reg set, but if I keep it I will definitely have them checked. The shop that I bought them through did Scuba as a side business, and he was rushed and behind on a lot of reg servicing.

My old Oceanic Datamax Pro computers do require a special proprietary hose as the HP hose is 'fused' to the special HP connector that plugs into the computer, so they may be correct on the higher priced HP hose.

 

[pepperbelly]

My old Oceanic Datamax Pro computers do require a special proprietary hose as the HP hose is 'fused' to the special HP connector that plugs into the computer, so they may be correct on the higher priced HP hose.

No computer, just the hose going to the SPG-glass and brass.