Twin regulator recommendations

[Pearlman]

The O2 green regs I’ve seen aren’t meant for deeper use. I want a good reg. I took a new DR SM set and used one reg for deco. I just had that reg O2 cleaned and it was $40. I’m in the US, but you don’t seem to be. That is dedicated as a deco reg. It has a yellow hose to differentiate it from other regs. Your local practices may be different. I just used the yellow hose as my own method. You really need to dedicate a reg just for deco so it doesn’t get contaminated - just to be on the safe side.

Ok. A novice question - both 1st and 2nd stage need to be cleaned right? Anyone knows the typical cost for O2 cleaning in APAC. Indo/PP/TH/MY mostly?

I never bothered with O2 clean, just use O2 compatible grease to service all my regs including the 100% deco reg.

Does this greasing apply to unsealed piston regs only or also sealed diaphragm regs with a dry chamber?

 

[Shabaday]

If you can find them, XDeep regulators would be my choice.
They replaced my Apex XTX200, and I can tell you they blow the Apex out of the water easy.

The routing is by far the cleanest on any set Ive seen and tried, and they're pretty low profile and protected. So it's easy to get to your manifolds.

View attachment 709112

There was a recall on the xDeep regulators. I don't think they are available right now...tecdivegear is taking preorders

 

[admikar]

If you can find them, XDeep regulators would be my choice.
They replaced my Apex XTX200, and I can tell you they blow the Apex out of the water easy.

The routing is by far the cleanest on any set Ive seen and tried, and they're pretty low profile and protected. So it's easy to get to your manifolds.

View attachment 709112

5th port DST is even better. Same on routing but bit lower at manifolds. Service training available, so you can service them yourself.

 

[Centrals]

Does this greasing apply to unsealed piston regs only or also sealed diaphragm regs with a dry chamber?

I have only experience with Apeks reg(sealed or non-sealed). To use O2 compatible lube is to avoid cross contamination with silicon grease which is extremely to remove.
No need to O2 clean the 2nd stage because the ambient pressure is low.

 

[drakcheslav]

There was a recall on the xDeep regulators. I don't think they are available right now...tecdivegear is taking preorders

Yup. It was a but overcautious recall, since they found out that there is a possibility of premature wear on the diaphragm. No failure, just precautions.

We're all getting extra hoodies who send their regulators for service.
And you get v2 bodies on them.

Second gen should be available from march, april AFAIK

 

[drakcheslav]

5th port DST is even better. Same on routing but bit lower at manifolds. Service training available, so you can service them yourself.

Granted. Any 5th port works good.

Although, XDeep are a bit better for sidemount than Apeks. Bu i prefer the Xdeep 2nd stage compared to the Apex XTX50.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Ok. A novice question - both 1st and 2nd stage need to be cleaned right? Anyone knows the typical cost for O2 cleaning in APAC. Indo/PP/TH/MY mostly?

Does this greasing apply to unsealed piston regs only or also sealed diaphragm regs with a dry chamber?

2nd stages do not technically need to be O2 cleaned. The pressure to the 2nd stage is low enough that you do not need to worry about it. Just common sense cleaning, gloves, and O2 compatible lube.

O2 cleaning for a 1st stage is not rocket science and I really do not understand why shops charge extra for it. Every reg I touch gets treated as if it will be used with O2. If a shop charges extra for O2 cleaning I have to wonder what extra effort they are making and why it's extra? How sloppy are they? The kits are no more expensive, the lube cost is negligible, and why aren't they using gloves and doing proper cleaning as a matter of standard practice?

Gloves, cleaning, lube only with Tribolube, and all the service kits I get for the HOG and Deep Six regs have O2 compatible o-rings.
Only the Edge Nano kit doesn't contain them but I still use Tribolube and the same procedures.

Charging extra for O2 cleaning doesn't make sense if you set up a standard and stick to it.
Charge extra for Tribolube? For maybe 10 cents worth if you look at the actual amount used? Gouging.

If you are using an unsealed piston it still needs some lube on the internal o-rings.

 

[Shabaday]

Granted. Any 5th port works good.

Although, XDeep are a bit better for sidemount than Apeks. Bu i prefer the Xdeep 2nd stage compared to the Apex XTX50.

Why do you like it better? I have Apeks XTX200 with 5th port. The second stage breathes beautifully

 

[drakcheslav]

I've replaced my XTX200 with the XDeeps.
The Second stage is more compact, and lighter.
The faceplace is keyed, so it always orientates correctly (minor nitpick, but yeah, my apeks would drive me nuts to open and close by hand), also it's made so you can open it underwater if you have something stuck in it and the second stage won't fall apart.

The adjusters are quite noticable, and more usable than the Apeks. Apeks was way too much air, or a little less air. the xdeep is much smoother, and the venturi works better than on the apeks. But that's my subjective take.

As for the first stage, it's much better than anything else design wise. It's qiute out there, but it really works. Especially for sidemount. It's also super compact. The size of a DS4 compared to the huge DST, or the FRS.

Also, as far as I understood, it's pretty easy to service it, but I'm not sure it's OK to do it as of yet. But from what I've seen there are no proprietary tools for anything on this reg. Not even for opening the first stage.

 

[drakcheslav]

Do take in consideration.
I had a single tank setup, and I was planing on swapping the XTX200 for a pair of sidemount XTX50's and the Xdeeps are much cheaper. Cheaper than even 4 port DST's.

And they're on the level of quality and finish of 200s