Nope. Sorry, Rob- I'm not "wrong".
Unfortunately, there seems to be a problem of "not all of the information" that goes on within our community sometimes. Safety takes priority to blind allegiance and back patting.
I chanced to meet another diver while vacationing who happened to have one of those thin banjos. He commented to me that he didn't feel comfortable with how it would seriously leak air whenever he would would tug on the SPG hose. I took a look at it, and I could see where the air channel hole had been machined at such an angle that the tool had blown through, making a hole in the inside corner where the o-ring sits. The o-ring was ineffective at keeping the air from working around it's edge and out.
That night, I went to email my observation to another vintage diver when I saw I had already received an email from him. Upon opening the email I read that he had a reproduction thin banjo belonging to a friend of his whose o-ring had blown, and upon examination he had found that a hole under the o-ring was the likely cause. We had never discussed the thin banjos before, and here we were SIMULTANEOUSLY discovering the SAME problem INDEPENDENTLY of one another on the SAME DAY! That's proof enough for me (not to mention to him as well) that the "problem" was not an isolated incident, or a fluke of just one being machined wrong. In fact, the reproduction seller later said that these reproductions were true to his Mar-Mac original, right down to the holes on both sides of the o-ring; So, I think it's safe to assume that they are all machined that way. I don't doubt that the reproduction seller's original Mar-Mac banjo has a hole under the o-ring- he said so-, but it doesn't take much to figure out that the edge of the drill had clipped the inside corner of the o-ring groove, and that it was a machining error rather than done on purpose. There is no reason at all to have that second hole there where the o-ring can't seal the pressure off effectively. He should have corrected that mistake when he had his reproductions made.
Anyhow, if yours works fine, then that's great. If I had one of the thin banjos having that hole under the o-ring, I wouldn't dive it, especially after having heard that one had blown an o-ring (though, again, I can't honestly see how that could happen if the regulator was tightened onto the valve). For the sake of safety, I again strongly suggest using a long yoke and a standard banjo until the thin ones can be made correctly.
As Mike Nelson in the Sea Hunt TV series often said, "Skin diving is fun and adventure for young and old, but it can be dangerous; so, know the sport well and don't take any chances."
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Poog, have you had a chance to dive your Aqua-Master yet?
Diving double hose regulators does require knowing some special techniques. Since you dived the new "Mistral", is it safe to assume you are aware of how to purge and clear your hoses, or how to properly position the tank for optimum breathing? The position of the tank can really affect breathing characteristics.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a problem of "not all of the information" that goes on within our community sometimes. Safety takes priority to blind allegiance and back patting.
I chanced to meet another diver while vacationing who happened to have one of those thin banjos. He commented to me that he didn't feel comfortable with how it would seriously leak air whenever he would would tug on the SPG hose. I took a look at it, and I could see where the air channel hole had been machined at such an angle that the tool had blown through, making a hole in the inside corner where the o-ring sits. The o-ring was ineffective at keeping the air from working around it's edge and out.
That night, I went to email my observation to another vintage diver when I saw I had already received an email from him. Upon opening the email I read that he had a reproduction thin banjo belonging to a friend of his whose o-ring had blown, and upon examination he had found that a hole under the o-ring was the likely cause. We had never discussed the thin banjos before, and here we were SIMULTANEOUSLY discovering the SAME problem INDEPENDENTLY of one another on the SAME DAY! That's proof enough for me (not to mention to him as well) that the "problem" was not an isolated incident, or a fluke of just one being machined wrong. In fact, the reproduction seller later said that these reproductions were true to his Mar-Mac original, right down to the holes on both sides of the o-ring; So, I think it's safe to assume that they are all machined that way. I don't doubt that the reproduction seller's original Mar-Mac banjo has a hole under the o-ring- he said so-, but it doesn't take much to figure out that the edge of the drill had clipped the inside corner of the o-ring groove, and that it was a machining error rather than done on purpose. There is no reason at all to have that second hole there where the o-ring can't seal the pressure off effectively. He should have corrected that mistake when he had his reproductions made.
Anyhow, if yours works fine, then that's great. If I had one of the thin banjos having that hole under the o-ring, I wouldn't dive it, especially after having heard that one had blown an o-ring (though, again, I can't honestly see how that could happen if the regulator was tightened onto the valve). For the sake of safety, I again strongly suggest using a long yoke and a standard banjo until the thin ones can be made correctly.
As Mike Nelson in the Sea Hunt TV series often said, "Skin diving is fun and adventure for young and old, but it can be dangerous; so, know the sport well and don't take any chances."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poog, have you had a chance to dive your Aqua-Master yet?
Diving double hose regulators does require knowing some special techniques. Since you dived the new "Mistral", is it safe to assume you are aware of how to purge and clear your hoses, or how to properly position the tank for optimum breathing? The position of the tank can really affect breathing characteristics.
Thanks for all your info, I'll post a few pics and tell ya how it goes!
