Weight of regulators

[eelnoraa]

After cleaning and inspecting my regulator today, I fell bored and made some measurement. Not sure if anyone care.

G250V: 9.4oz. Like the construction, built quality is simplicity. Hate the use of specialized jam nuts. I wonder where I can find a standard replacement. Venturi adjustment isn't as easy to use as HOG's (or Scuabpro's own A700) implementation Overall, it feels the toughest of the bunch.


HOG classis: 10.2oz. It is the heaviest of the bunch because of the metal front cover ring. Very good build quality. Much better than any Oceanic/Hollis 2nd stages I have used. Like the quality/performance vs cost ratio. Venturi and breathing adjustment knob (biggest) are the easiest to use in the bunch. Jam nut and heatsink can be implemented better. Service kit cost has gone up to the same cost level as Scubapro and Atomic. If you service your own reg, the on going cost is the same.


Atomic B2: 5.9oz. Like the compactness and lightness. Ti inlet tube definitely have advantage again corrosion, zero sign of any corrosion. Atomics are the most complicated of the bunch, has most parts for each function. But fit and finish are the best of the bunch IMO. Venturi is auto adjusted, can't say it is a bad thing. Breather adjustment knob is not as easy to operate as HOG or G250v.



Atomic M1: 7.6oz. So I guess this mean brass inlet tube vs Ti inlet tube are different by 1.7oz. The M1 front cover really is better than B2 front cover for minimizing current induced free flow. But M1's extra wide exhaust does NOT work any better B2's exhaust, or I should say B2's is already quite good (wider than G250V, which is wider than HOG). In fact, M1's wide exhaust gets in the way of the adjustment knob. So if anyone is thinking of swapping B2 exhause for M1, don't unless you are going for the look.


Last is size difference from largest to smallest. As we all know, M1 and B2 are exactly the same size, so use B2 for reference. G250V is noticeably bigger than the rest. HOG classis may look the same size as Atomic from picture, but it is actually bigger in person


In term of performance, I have to say they are all very good. They all feels little different, but I won't say one is definitely better or worse then others. In terms of consistency, one of my HOGs seems to require a little adjustment on the orifice along the service interval, otherwise a perfectly adjust HOG will "leak" a little after some usage. But I think this has to do with the seat material, not the design. Scubapro and Atomic seat material seems better quality than the one came with my HOGs. But the new seat in HOG kit seems different than the original as well. So I will have to use it more to see if the new seat is better.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Atomic B2: 5.9oz....Atomic M1: 7.6oz. So I guess this mean brass inlet tube vs Ti inlet tube are different by 1.7oz

A substantial piece of that 1.7oz is likely the thick brass heat-sink on the M1, rather than the inlet tube itself.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Thanks for taking the time to do that eelnoraa. It is interesting for us regulator geeks (and I imagine even "normal" folks) to see those 2nd stages side by side.

Best wishes.

 

[Scared Silly]

A substantial piece of that 1.7oz is likely the thick brass heat-sink on the M1, rather than the inlet tube itself.

The difference between the Ti and Zirconium inlet tubes is about .4 oz the same difference as the jam nut and heat sink nut. A slightly greater contribution comes from the M1's wide exhaust and purge cover .5 oz.

FWIW the Tx1 with the Ti trim rings weighs the about the same as the B2.

Thanks for taking the time to do that eelnoraa. It is interesting for us regulator geeks (and I imagine even "normal" folks) to see those 2nd stages side by side.

When we bought new regs some 8 years ago I did similar comparisons. Two of the features that sold us on the AA regs was their compactness and weight. That still hold true today.

 

[eelnoraa]

First Stage Time

First is Mk20 that I am selling. At 1lb 6.8oz. Reason to sell is just because I don't need it. It is as great as Mk25, possibly even better in somewhere. If I have two of this, I would not have sold it.


Mk25 TIS (I guess this is what it is called). 1lb 5.2oz. I was surprised to see the number. From the feel of hand, size and shape, I though 25 would be heavier


Next surprise is Atomic M1 sealed. 1lb 6.4oz. I have always think Scubapro Mk2x are heavier.


Last for the sake of it, Atomic Ti 1st stage in Yoke. 15.2oz. Ti is 7oz lighter, or 30% lighter than brass model.


MK25 vs Atomic size. If I don't put them side by side, MK25 feel much bigger than Atomic. But in reality, they are so close in size.


From performance point of view, there really isn't any difference at all. IPs are very stable and lock up very positively. The metal DIN wheel of the Atomic is harder to use in cold water. Slippery, cold and wet make it more difficult to turn. For single tank setup, the side ports on the turret are better distributed in the Mk25/Mk20 than Atomic.

Atomic, as with their 2nd stage, has better fit/finish & craftsmanship IMO. It feels smaller but more substantial. I also like Atomic's finish the best, then MK20, then Mk25. For some reason, I feel the matte finish of Mk25 is the least tough and feel a little cheap in comparison to even Mk20