Sherwood brut regulator

[edwants2dive]

Ok looking to maybe getting a pony bottle. That said I was looking for an inexpensive reg for that purpose and found a "deal" on the Sherwood brut regulator (less than $275 Shipping and tax included). I am wondering if this is a good reg or should I look for something else? Right now I am trying to outfit this on a small budget but don't want to buy crap either I was looking at used ones on CL and the classifieds here but what I find is either "junk" (CL) or out of my budget.

 

[lexvil]

That can work, better if you can get in DIN, you can do better with used, mix and match like a MK 11or 16 SP and HOG 2nd etc.

 

[elan]

If I remember correctly brut had a dry bleed system in the first stage which makes it suboptimal if you sling the pony and keep the reg pressurized but the valve closed. Dry bleed will bleed the gas down and may flood.

 

[Bob DBF]

If I remember correctly brut had a dry bleed system in the first stage which makes it suboptimal if you sling the pony and keep the reg pressurized but the valve closed. Dry bleed will bleed the gas down and may flood.

I just pressurize the reg just before I splash, and shut it down when I get out. A couple of cc per minute is nothing during a dive, but a day on the boat can add up. I use a 1980 Magnun that I dove for over thirty years and it never failed, so when I needed a pony reg I had one I could count on.

As for that particular rsg, you need to know what shape it's in, and when it was made, as that name has been recycled since the `70`s. If the dry bleed goes out on mine it becomes a paperweight, as parts are not available.

 

[inquis]

I just tested my brut regulator - pressurized & turned off. After 1 hour, it had lost 100 psi out of the line. Not sure how depth might affect that, but I've never had an issue while diving.

 

[Bob DBF]

I just tested my brut regulator - pressurized & turned off. After 1 hour, it had lost 100 psi out of the line. Not sure how depth might affect that, but I've never had an issue while diving.

The proper rate is about 10cc/min. That would be .0212 cuft/min or .127 cuft/hour. To check immerse in water and capture the bubbles in an small inverted measuring cup. Because I don't know the volume of air in your system after you isolate the tank, I don't know if a 100# drop is correct for that volume. Leave the tank on, in an hour the drop should not be noticeable.

Without a measure, there should be a stream of small deliberate bubbles, Anything else, the reg should be checked. By measuring bubbles, or seeing them elsewhere, you isolate your leak in the system.

 

[inquis]

The proper rate is about 10cc/min

Interesting diversion... That seems about 3x higher than my calculated rate. The bubbles are the same as they've been for decades (a steady stream of tiny, champagne bubbles). As for those calculations, an LP hose is about 0.6 cm diameter and mine's about 99 cm long. That puts the "water volume" at 0.28 cc. 100 psi is 6.8 atm, so it seems to have lost 190 cc of surface air in an hour. I suppose there may be a little more volume outside the hose itself though, which takes the calculated value a little closer to the spec.

OP, your call to leave the valve on or turn it off. A Brut shouldn't flood either way if hooked to a pony with enough pressure to be useful.

That said, $275 seems pretty high for that regulator in used condition. (I'm assuming one second stage comes with it.) You'll need to service it, so you're probably looking at another $75-$100 for that. You can get a brand new Brut Pro (yoke) for $330.

 

[inquis]

I can't tell if you've thought about the type of connection (DIN or yoke), but DIN is the more reliable and more compact (both good on a pony). This choice impacts both regulator and tank valve (though many new valves are convertible between both).

 

[rhwestfall]

honestly, my favorite pony bottle first stage is a ScubaPro MK-2, and paired with a balanced second (156/G250/g200b/HOG Classic/Deep6 etc.) It is a great system...

 

[Edward3c]

I dive a brut as my primary with a U.S. Divers Conshelf as an octopus. I have Scubapro on the pony.

The air bleed on the brut is so insignificant I don’t give a second thought.