Sidemount - SPG and Transmitter - HP Splitter? Button SPG?

[VsubT]

Thanks to everyone for the information, photos, links, and entertainment! This topic sure gets interesting quickly.

Going to start with Swift transmitters on short hoses (not lollipop style) with quick disconnects. I like to move the transmitters around between various reg configurations. Might add button gauges on the opposite HP ports later.

@Shearwater , if you're seeing any of this, maybe a combo transmitter+SPG could be a thing someday?

Lance

 

[eja12a]

Thanks to everyone for the information, photos, links, and entertainment! This topic sure gets interesting quickly.

Going to start with Swift transmitters on short hoses (not lollipop style) with quick disconnects. I like to move the transmitters around between various reg configurations. Might add button gauges on the opposite HP ports later.

@Shearwater , if you're seeing any of this, maybe a combo transmitter+SPG could be a thing someday?

Lance

I think if you’re going to do this you can just screw/unscrew the transmitter and omit the quick disconnects. It takes about 30 seconds to remove the plug and the swift is super quick to screw on and off.

I’m not a stickler for failure points but you genuinely introducing several failure points to save yourself seconds…

 

[VsubT]

I think if you’re going to do this you can just screw/unscrew the transmitter and omit the quick disconnects. It takes about 30 seconds to remove the plug and the swift is super quick to screw on and off.

I’m not a stickler for failure points but you genuinely introducing several failure points to save yourself seconds…

Appreciate the thoughts, but I’m very comfortable keeping the QD fittings. I’ve used them for years on back mount singles + doubles and they’re pretty bombproof for a tool-less coupling. During that same time I’ve had several HP hoses and a Swift transmitter actually fail, but the QD’s have been rock solid.

Lance

 

[mr_v]

Thanks to everyone for the information, photos, links, and entertainment! This topic sure gets interesting quickly.

Going to start with Swift transmitters on short hoses (not lollipop style) with quick disconnects. I like to move the transmitters around between various reg configurations. Might add button gauges on the opposite HP ports later.

@Shearwater , if you're seeing any of this, maybe a combo transmitter+SPG could be a thing someday?

Lance

Why?

Button gauges are hard to see. They are okay on in some scenarios, but I would avoid them on a SM rig.

AI Transmitters are $400 each. That's $800 for a pair, excluding the hoses. You can spend the same amount on a SM setup from DGX:

DGX Custom - DGX Gears XTRA Sidemount Reg Package

The DGX Gears XTRA Sidemount Regulator Package contains everything you need for an extreme performance regulator setup in a sidemount style configuration.

www.divegearexpress.com

Keep it simple.

 

[lostsheep]

Going to start with Swift transmitters on short hoses…

… During that same time I’ve had several HP hoses….

Lance

Just in case anyone missed this combo.

OP…seriously listen to the more experienced divers here. Why come in here, ask a question, and then decide to completely ignore the answers and do what you had in mind in the first place?

Pick either SPGs or Ai, but not both.

If Ai , screw them directly into the first stage.


.

 

[VsubT]

OP…seriously listen to the more experienced divers here. Why come in here, ask a question, and then decide to completely ignore the answers and do what you had in mind in the first place?

I get that you see this as inconsistent, no worries. For background, what I had in mind in the first place was using a splitter with both an SPG and transmitter on the end of a HP hose, but the splitters on the market are not set up to attach to the end of a HP hose and the posts here helped me settle on AI transmitters. All of the HP hose failures I've experienced have been on the surface, pre-dive. I also have a wee bit of experience as a mechanical engineer that helps with figuring out risks I'm personally willing to tolerate in a system (even a simple one like a scuba regulator).

As I said in a previous post, I'm not planning to use both, just the AI transmitter. I see the short HP hose as a tradeoff that limits potential breakage on the surface, and I'm comfortable with that since I'll be diving this configuration in the ocean for beach entries more than caves.

Will keep everyone posted if I die horribly due to HP hose failure on a redundant tank that's easy to shut down or feather on/off. Thanks for the concern - ?

Lance

PS - Thanks to everyone who provided legit info, it was helpful.

 

[rjack321]

Appreciate the thoughts, but I’m very comfortable keeping the QD fittings. I’ve used them for years on back mount singles + doubles and they’re pretty bombproof for a tool-less coupling. During that same time I’ve had several HP hoses and a Swift transmitter actually fail, but the QD’s have been rock solid.

Lance

QDs are far more likely to introduce water into the hose connection than just screwing the transmitter into the 1st stage in the first place. Not to mention ridiculously bulky.

 

[InWay2Deep]

Happy Halloween!

I hope SPGs are also Florida style forward facing lollipops. With the transmitter extension they can now reach the mask and act like two nerds - one into each eye!

So on the lollipop style...I have heard that this comes from a very, very well known and respected cave diver that runs SPGs lollipop style due to scootering. Having them face up like that makes it so one can easily see their pressures when their hands are fully occupied. There was a cave death in MO several years ago due to a loss of gas while on trigger (flow was pushing the purge button) and when he got to depth didn't have enough gas to get out. Would have lollipop SPG's saved his life? Dunno, I have always chuckled at the lollipop style SPG but maybe we shouldn't?

 

[Underwater Tourist]

So on the lollipop style...I have heard that this comes from a very, very well known and respected cave diver that runs SPGs lollipop style due to scootering. Having them face up like that makes it so one can easily see their pressures when their hands are fully occupied. There was a cave death in MO several years ago due to a loss of gas while on trigger (flow was pushing the purge button) and when he got to depth didn't have enough gas to get out. Would have lollipop SPG's saved his life? Dunno, I have always chuckled at the lollipop style SPG but maybe we shouldn't?

On the scooter point, I dont have dpv cert, but people in MX scooter all the time and nobody dives lollipop style spgs there and they are surviving

but its really not even worth the discussion imo, just dive ur spgs whichever way you like

to me lollipops always looked completely degen, plus how can you not make a couple of jokes about an old guy coming out with a floppy spg that doesnt stay up anymore

 

[gschaut]

All my regs have two HP ports on first stage. Transmitter and button gauge both screwed into HP ports. 1st stage clocked so that transmitter is on protected side, against tank shoulder.