Taking stock of my old regs

[Moogyboy]

Hi everyone

This is literally my first post in years, during which much has happened but unfortunately not much of it involved diving. I'm looking to change that soon, but I need to go through my old sack of gear and determine which of it is still serviceable. I hope some of you will be able to help with your up-to-date expertise.

I'll start with my regs. Here's what I have:

1) Dacor Enduro (1st, 2nd, octo). My first reg. Almost certainly junk as "real" Dacor service and parts are no longer available.

2) US Divers rig (SE2 1st, Pro Diver 2nd, standard [?] octo). My theoretically futureproof reg.

3) Dacor Viper TEC (1st, 2nd, octo) got the most use of all. Tentative sleuthing suggests that this is really a Mares design and possibly still a viable unit.

4) US Divers Pro Diver 1st stage. I was told years ago in these forums that this 1st was no longer serviceable so I pulled the 2nd off to create rig 2). Shame, it was a nice smooth breather when I tried it.

There is a Genesis Resource (I think) computer attached to either 2) or 3), the other has an analog gauge console.

So that's what I have to work with at the moment. Can anyone chime in on the viability of these items after appx 15 years of inactivity and progress in the dive gear world? I'm certainly open to new gear but I would like to use what I have if it's practical.

Thanks and cheers

Billy S.

 

[kelemvor]

There are shops out there who can and do service stuff that's very old such as your dacor gear. For example, my LDS got my old scubapro honker reg working perfectly and parts for that haven't been available for a long time. If you were in Florida I'd point you his way. I have no idea where you'd go for that kind of service in Ohio. You might have to mail your gear off somewhere to find someone with the skill and desire to work on it. Many shops only work on "current" regs for a variety of reasons such as wanting to make money selling you a new one or lack of a tech with the necessary skills.

That said, servicing old gear like that might be labor intensive. It MIGHT be cheaper (or close) to just buy an new or newish used reg. Although that honker is working, it was a few hundred bucks mostly for labor. I was happy to pay that to get the classic gear working but I've bought new regs for less than I paid to fix up that one.

If it's a question of cost, personally I'd replace them and sell the old stuff. Maybe post them on the scubaboard marketplace or ebay.

 

[James79]

Regarding the SE2 setup, Conshelf 1sts are all the same internally, should be no problem to have serviced. The seconds are probably of the 1st generation plastic us divers regs.... They are known for case cracks around the inlet fitting. I'm personally a big fan of the metal Conshelf 2nds... Dirt simple and bulletproof. If you want to go that route, I rebuild the old metal Conshelfs as a hobby, and have a few I could clear off the workbench! Not doing it for money, just what I have in them so I can buy more to rehab!
I've never opened up a pro-diver 1st, so I can't speak to that.
Same with Dacor.
Respectfully
James

 

[runsongas]

the us divers is serviceable as long as you don't need a new plastic 2nd stage casing. service kits are still available for the conshelf and VDH has a lot of the other parts in case you need them.

Dacor can be serviced too if you don't mind aftermarket parts and if you only need the standard service items. it gets problematic when you need things beyond the seat, orings, diaphragm, and filter.

 

[GJC]

The Conshelf SE2 is a good regulator, service kits are widely available and you should be able to find someone that will service it. The only odd thing about this reg is that it has one 1/2 inch LP port that is supposed to be for your primary reg. It's hard to find new hoses that fit it. You can always use the other ports for your primary or buy an adapter for that port to make it the normal size.

By the way you should replace all your hoses if they are 15 years old.

I don't trust old plastic second stages (prone to cracks). I would replace them, but some divers are OK with them. You may or may not be able to find someone willing to service them. Find a Mares shop for the Dacor ones and an Aqualung shop for the US Divers.

The Genesis computer is not nitrox capable, so you need to replace that if you want to dive nitrox.

I'm not familiar withe the Dacor stuff so someone else needs to chime in on that.

 

[spoolin01]

It can all be made to work fairly readily, assuming only standard service parts are needed. If you want assurance it could be serviced quickly anywhere I'd say the SE2 1st would be the better choice, as compatible HP seats and diaphragms should be widely available, and the couple of o-rings involved are standard and common. That Enduro probably has 20 o-rings, of 15 different sizes, 5 of which are found nowhere but Dacor regs and maybe some old gear no one's used in decades. Not a good choice to drop on a basic reg tech.

Most unbalanced 2nd stages can probably be considered universally serviceable for standard wear parts. Those USD seconds might stand the test of serviceability time better than some newer, short-lived boutique model or brand, as lots were sold and are still available on the 2nd hand market, should some piece break. In 10 years' time, which will that still hold true for? And you'll be able to buy a parts reg for the same price you'd pay for any one piece of a modern reg you have to buy from a dealer. Of course, if you want some new gear, why not?

 

[Moogyboy]

Great info folks, thanks. There will probably be some gear upgrades for sure, but I figure if it works and has a chance to keep on working, I might as well keep it working. That was my aim for migrating to a tried and true platform like the Conshelf when I learned that Dacor had checked out. (I also considered eBayng together a Scubapro rig at the time...I may still do, just for fun.) I didn't know about the cracking problem in the plastic Conshelf 2nd stages though. Has that been a significant problem for reliability in your experience?

I'm still fascinated by the Pro Diver 1st stage, it just seems like such an oddball design. I may get my hands on another Conshelf 2nd stage just to put the two Pro Diver stages together again.

Cheers

Billy S.

 

[Perryed]

I believe pretty much anything is rebuildable. Time and patience is what`s hard to come by. Most 2nd stagers and quite a few 1st stages just need new O-rings and a good cleaning and lube. The people here are a fantastic resource as far as info and parts are concerned. Have you ever considered doing it yourself?

 

[JackD342]

Hi everyone

This is literally my first post in years, during which much has happened but unfortunately not much of it involved diving. I'm looking to change that soon, but I need to go through my old sack of gear and determine which of it is still serviceable. I hope some of you will be able to help with your up-to-date expertise.

I'll start with my regs. Here's what I have:

1) Dacor Enduro (1st, 2nd, octo). My first reg. Almost certainly junk as "real" Dacor service and parts are no longer available.

2) US Divers rig (SE2 1st, Pro Diver 2nd, standard [?] octo). My theoretically futureproof reg.

3) Dacor Viper TEC (1st, 2nd, octo) got the most use of all. Tentative sleuthing suggests that this is really a Mares design and possibly still a viable unit.

4) US Divers Pro Diver 1st stage. I was told years ago in these forums that this 1st was no longer serviceable so I pulled the 2nd off to create rig 2). Shame, it was a nice smooth breather when I tried it.

There is a Genesis Resource (I think) computer attached to either 2) or 3), the other has an analog gauge console.

So that's what I have to work with at the moment. Can anyone chime in on the viability of these items after appx 15 years of inactivity and progress in the dive gear world? I'm certainly open to new gear but I would like to use what I have if it's practical.

Thanks and cheers

Billy S.

The Dacor Vyper is definitely Mares. Assuming no major issues, service should be available with current stock Mares kits. First stage may need a one time ACT valve upgrade.

 

[spoolin01]

<snip>I didn't know about the cracking problem in the plastic Conshelf 2nd stages though. Has that been a significant problem for reliability in your experience? <snip>

I can't speak to whether the USD/AL plastic 2nd stages are exceptionally prone to cracking, but I've seen a variety of cracked plastic 2nd brands. Most of those can be inferred to be from lack of care during disassembly/assembly, often attendant to corrosion causing the parts to stick. Some no doubt break when dropped or crushed. I would hope that the plastic formulations have improved over the years - but brittleness is probably a feature of any plastic 2nd to some extent still. I've been using and self-servicing an Aqua Lung plastic 2nd without problem since I bought my 2nd reg set, but am switching over to metal 2nds. I like the look and feel, and ruggedness.