...anything that requires special adapters to fill is a PITA... Again, anything that requires a special part to get a fill is bad news. Forget it or lose it and your investment either becomes worthless or more expensive.
The big strength of a standard cylinder with a standard regulator set is that they serve more than 1 function... You cannot use any of these dedicated pony "systems" for any purpose beyond a pony.
Your reasoning is sound, and should be taken into consideration when getting a redundant air system. I don't want to argue so much as to make a counterpoint.
Having just recently gone through the whole process of figuring out and purchasing a system that works best for me, I opted for the Zeagle Razor combo first stage/valve assembly.
Yes, it is vulnerable to the problems you mention, for example if you lose the fill adaptor you're out of luck. What mitigates this is that Zeagle makes both a yoke fill adaptor as well as a transfill adaptor so you can fill your pony yourself from another tank - I think it's wise to get one of each. Also, the fill orifice is actually a standard in the paintball world, and many scuba shops have a fill whip for paintball tanks that works fine without any adaptor (that is the case with my LDS here in Florida - just make sure it's coming off the same compressor/filter system they use for scuba fills).
As for maintenance, it's a Zeagle. Any argument against purchasing a Zeagle Razor as far as maintenance is concerned is an argument against buying anything from Zeagle, but they are a widely-respected scuba vendor so I wouldn't be too concerned there. Anyone authorized to work on Zeagles should be able to work on a Razor.
And yes, if you configure your pony with a combo valve/reg like the Razor, you're limiting its use for other functions. However, if you know you are going to dedicate your pony for use strictly as a bailout, then there are some real benefits.
The primary benefits are size and reliability. Compared to even a compact DIN setup, the Razor is much smaller, lighter, and more streamlined. Additionally, it means fewer o-rings and seals to worry about leaking: with the second stage itself hard-mounted to a dedicated valve/first stage, confidence is very high - just as it should be for a bailout system.
Cost might also be a factor in the Razor's favor if you don't already have a second DIN rig to use for your pony. I did not, so the cost of the Razor system was cheaper for me than a second DIN setup (unless I went with a REALLY cheap DIN rig).
I think it comes down to function: if you want to dedicate a tank exclusively as a bailout, then I would seriously consider a combo valve/reg like the Razor. But if you plan to use your pony for other functions, or if you already have one to use, then stick with a DIN rig.
>*< Fritz
P.S. While I do not know for sure about the H2Odyssey systems, from what I've seen their dedicated valve/reg combo is very similar in construction to the Razor. The main difference is that their second stage is also hard-mounted (and I mean HARD-mounted - no hose!) to the first stage/valve so you only breathe it baby-bottle style. Edit: I stand corrected - Only some of the H2Odyssey systems are hoseless hard-mounts.
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