The New Atomic TFX
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OP
My shop says it's "backordered".
While the second stage valve is machined here in the US, I gather that the case is imported from Taiwan.
Like many of the other manufacturers who are frustrated by episodic Taiwanese supply chain problems, Atomic may be in the same boat.
Or, there may be way more folks willing to fork out $2300 than we might have guessed, and Atomic's busy building more, and mine will be here shortly.
Dunno.
While the second stage valve is machined here in the US, I gather that the case is imported from Taiwan.
Like many of the other manufacturers who are frustrated by episodic Taiwanese supply chain problems, Atomic may be in the same boat.
Or, there may be way more folks willing to fork out $2300 than we might have guessed, and Atomic's busy building more, and mine will be here shortly.
Dunno.
Rearviewmirror
Contributor
OP
That's the plan!
Any excuse for a dive trip...
But we already know the inhalation part of the answer, which revolves around case geometry fault. The old D400 is likely very close to a TFX tuned to the same cracking effort. We talk about that valve in some detail when I compared it to the Scubapro D420 valve in this discussion:
When it comes to comparing with the Apeks TX50, we actually compared the standard case design to the coaxial design at high gas density in this discussion:
So I'm expecting the TFX to breathe in the inhalation half of the cycle like an even better D400. The big question in my mind is how it performs during exhalation, which was the one fault of the D400.
Any center balanced valve (TFX) is going to breathe lighter than a barrel reg design (TX50), simply because the balancing and lighter spring allows a lighter cracking effort.
But that advantage is nullified by case geometry in the face down position because the exhaust valve is higher in the water column than the center of the diaphragm. As a result, a lightly tuned valve will just open, and the reg will freeflow gently. If you have to stiffen up the tuning to make up for the case geometry, then who cares if you have a great valve?
And that's my problem with the D420. It has a valve that can go to 0.5", but has such a high posterior exhaust valve that you have to stiffen the reg to 1.2". Now in the standard diving position, the D420's low diaphragm preloads the valve, so that the reg valve is almost ready to open, and breathing is effortless. But in any other position, it's just average.
The same thing is true of the TX50. Its valve can handle 0.9", but it's case geometry requires 1.1". It breathes great in the standard position, and stiffens up in every other position.
That may be the magic of the TFX...
With a coaxial design, it won't care about position (like the D400). The big question is, how will it exhale if you're at high gas density (a deep dive in Nitrox in current)?
Now there are folks that pooh-pooh lightly tuned regs, and like a stiffer action. I just happen to disagree. Really strongly. Try swimming back to your buoy line on the Vandenberg in current in Key West at 100ft. You'll drop your stiff breather like a hot potato, once you get back to the boat.
Any excuse for a dive trip...
But we already know the inhalation part of the answer, which revolves around case geometry fault. The old D400 is likely very close to a TFX tuned to the same cracking effort. We talk about that valve in some detail when I compared it to the Scubapro D420 valve in this discussion:
When it comes to comparing with the Apeks TX50, we actually compared the standard case design to the coaxial design at high gas density in this discussion:
So I'm expecting the TFX to breathe in the inhalation half of the cycle like an even better D400. The big question in my mind is how it performs during exhalation, which was the one fault of the D400.
Any center balanced valve (TFX) is going to breathe lighter than a barrel reg design (TX50), simply because the balancing and lighter spring allows a lighter cracking effort.
But that advantage is nullified by case geometry in the face down position because the exhaust valve is higher in the water column than the center of the diaphragm. As a result, a lightly tuned valve will just open, and the reg will freeflow gently. If you have to stiffen up the tuning to make up for the case geometry, then who cares if you have a great valve?
And that's my problem with the D420. It has a valve that can go to 0.5", but has such a high posterior exhaust valve that you have to stiffen the reg to 1.2". Now in the standard diving position, the D420's low diaphragm preloads the valve, so that the reg valve is almost ready to open, and breathing is effortless. But in any other position, it's just average.
The same thing is true of the TX50. Its valve can handle 0.9", but it's case geometry requires 1.1". It breathes great in the standard position, and stiffens up in every other position.
That may be the magic of the TFX...
With a coaxial design, it won't care about position (like the D400). The big question is, how will it exhale if you're at high gas density (a deep dive in Nitrox in current)?
Now there are folks that pooh-pooh lightly tuned regs, and like a stiffer action. I just happen to disagree. Really strongly. Try swimming back to your buoy line on the Vandenberg in current in Key West at 100ft. You'll drop your stiff breather like a hot potato, once you get back to the boat.
"Open-circuit and finning are for peasants"
Looking at getting T-shirts made: OPEN-CIRCUIT & FINNING ARE FOR PEASANTS As we can never have enough dive related T-shirts, who would want one?
scrane
Contributor
For those who process video at my level, you can speed up or slow down output in the settings (gear) icon.
OP
Unfair, @Wibble. If you don't do a brown bag wine tasting when you're out on a date for a candlelight dinner, then what you just tasted was exquisite, because the bottle label was pretty. But side by side with something else when the bottles are hidden, it's "What was I thinking!? "
I've told this story before:
Years ago, my wife certified out in Hawaii, because there was no way she was going to dive Monterey's 52° water for her OW dives. She'd been using my gear for her pool sessions. And I did her Confined Water instruction. Needless to say, both our gear sets were tuned to my preferences.
Now she's in Maui, and doing great until OW4 and the OOA shared air ascent. She indicates OOA, and her referral instructor hands over her octo. My wife almost spits it out and bolts because it was so stiff she thought she wasn't getting any air.
But she kept it together and made the 20' ascent successfully. After she graduated, she said she'd never complain about my tinkering over tuning again. Her instructor had a POS low profile octo that was very stiff, and side by side (like a blind wine tasting) the difference was obvious.
Cracking effort matters. I bet your regs are fine. Not everyone can sense the difference unless it's side by side. Once they do, they might start chasing easy breathers like I do. Some people like pretty fish. Others like precision toys. Whatever floats your boat. Or sinks it, if you're a wreck diver...
SOOOOOO bloody tempting ... debating over whether to pull the trigger on an order.
I wish it had some connoisseur's actual "taste-tested" stamp of approval. Cough-cough @ Rob
I wish it had some connoisseur's actual "taste-tested" stamp of approval. Cough-cough @ Rob
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