jerryn
Contributor
scubapro mk25/r190 o2 clean
What 1st and 2nd stage regs to you have on your deco bottle?
- Thread starter Michael Freeman
- Start date
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I have Scubapro Mk 5, 10 and 15 first stages in the closet but I prefer to use Mk 3's on my deco regs. Mk 3's (and Sp Mk 2's as well) are smaller, lighter and better suited to O2 use given their design as none of the reg is exposed to high pressure air past the seat. They are also extremely reliable and very simple with a minimium potetnial for failure. They are fitted with 300 Bar DIN kits for a bit more security and to streamline them a bit more and each have a button type SPG.
I use Balanced Adjustable second stages on the end of 40 inch hoses. They offer G250 performance in a smaller tougher chrome plated brass case and are physically quite different than the regulators used for my backgas (Mk 20 D400's), so I'd have to be a real moron to get them confused, even in zero viz.
A Mk 2 Plus R190 or R390 would make a very good deco reg once properly O2 cleaned and would offer adequate performance as a pony reg down to 130 ft.
Any of the Conshelf XII, XIV, XX, 22, etc first stages also make good deco regs in my opinion as they are again compact and have adequate performance for the job.
I use Balanced Adjustable second stages on the end of 40 inch hoses. They offer G250 performance in a smaller tougher chrome plated brass case and are physically quite different than the regulators used for my backgas (Mk 20 D400's), so I'd have to be a real moron to get them confused, even in zero viz.
A Mk 2 Plus R190 or R390 would make a very good deco reg once properly O2 cleaned and would offer adequate performance as a pony reg down to 130 ft.
Any of the Conshelf XII, XIV, XX, 22, etc first stages also make good deco regs in my opinion as they are again compact and have adequate performance for the job.
DiveRite's on my stage bottles and Aqualung Legend LX on my backgas.
Aqualung Titan LX - Din -- Aqualung Calypso -O2
Abyss Explorer Adjustable
Apex ATX-50s
All are top end regulators in performance and function.
Abyss Explorer Adjustable
Apex ATX-50s
All are top end regulators in performance and function.
OP
Michael Freeman
Contributor
I presently have scuba pro regs (x650/s600 on mk25). After reading the M1s were good to 80% O2 and the Xstream (white) was good up to 100%, I didn't know if all regs could be cleaned to 100% O2. I was looking at the Xstream but felt kind of silly spending that kind of money on a pony bottle reg. Sounds like one of the work horse type regs mentioned above would serve me best. Thanks for the input.
Second issue, my mk25 is a yoke config., and I'm looking into buying some HP PST E8 130s this summer. Should I start buying my first stages in DIN config for this pony bottle purchase? It is my understanding DIN is the only 300 bar configuration available for the Steel HP tanks and I can always use adapters to accept the Yoke config, but not the other way around, at least for the 300 bar valves that will be on the Steel tanks.
Thanks for your help.
Second issue, my mk25 is a yoke config., and I'm looking into buying some HP PST E8 130s this summer. Should I start buying my first stages in DIN config for this pony bottle purchase? It is my understanding DIN is the only 300 bar configuration available for the Steel HP tanks and I can always use adapters to accept the Yoke config, but not the other way around, at least for the 300 bar valves that will be on the Steel tanks.
Thanks for your help.
DIN makes for a much cleaner and more secure connection, particularly on a pony bottle as it reduces the protruding parts by 1/3. You should be able to get a pony with a 200 bar convertible DIN/K valve for about $10 more than a pony with a conventional K valve. This will give you flexibility later on as you can screw in the insert and use a conventional yoke equipped reg on the valve or remove the insert and use a either a 200 or 300 bar DIN configured regulator on the valve.
If the pony has a DIN valve it makes sense to go ahead and equip the pony reg with a DIN connection. Most will be 300 bar which is fine as you can use a 300 bar reg in a 200 bar DIN valve (5 hreads deep) or a 300 bar DIN valve (7 threads deep) but not vice versa.
Your HP tanks on the other hand will normally require a 300 Bar DIN valve that cannot be adapted to work with either a 200 bar DIN or yoke equipped reg as the valve is too deep to accept the shorter 200 bar DIN conection or insert. You need a 300 Bar DIN valve for your HP steel tanks so you will need to equip your Mk 25 with a 300 Bar DIN kit and then use a screw on yoke on trips where DIN is not available. This works well, but increases the lenght the reg sticks out from the slightly making it more likely to brush your head. This is however not as big an issue with the Mk 25 as some other regs given how it is designed with most of the reg pointing down rather than out.
A 300 DIN conversion kit is avilable for a Mk 25 (PN 10-045-030) and will run $35 to $60 depending on how much the dealer wants to make off the sale so it is a moderately cheap upgrade for your existing reg.
If the pony has a DIN valve it makes sense to go ahead and equip the pony reg with a DIN connection. Most will be 300 bar which is fine as you can use a 300 bar reg in a 200 bar DIN valve (5 hreads deep) or a 300 bar DIN valve (7 threads deep) but not vice versa.
Your HP tanks on the other hand will normally require a 300 Bar DIN valve that cannot be adapted to work with either a 200 bar DIN or yoke equipped reg as the valve is too deep to accept the shorter 200 bar DIN conection or insert. You need a 300 Bar DIN valve for your HP steel tanks so you will need to equip your Mk 25 with a 300 Bar DIN kit and then use a screw on yoke on trips where DIN is not available. This works well, but increases the lenght the reg sticks out from the slightly making it more likely to brush your head. This is however not as big an issue with the Mk 25 as some other regs given how it is designed with most of the reg pointing down rather than out.
A 300 DIN conversion kit is avilable for a Mk 25 (PN 10-045-030) and will run $35 to $60 depending on how much the dealer wants to make off the sale so it is a moderately cheap upgrade for your existing reg.
matt_unique
Guest
Annually serviced workhorse that never freezes - Sherwood Brut.
--Matt
--Matt
Apeks DS4s and TX40s, O2 clean
rescuediver009
Contributor
I don't think that there is anything here I wouldn't consider except the Brut guy. Bruts are notorious for being very shallow water regs, and if you want this to grow to something that you would be using at 70ft. stay away.
You want something simple and low profile. The last thing that you want is to have it catching on you every time you try to take it off or put it on. If you are just starting and don't have the luxury of a used older reg, consider one of the already clean regs available:like OMS or the Oceanic. They are both open port pistons (simple design) and low profile with decent performance. I would say that DIN is strongly recommended.
You want something simple and low profile. The last thing that you want is to have it catching on you every time you try to take it off or put it on. If you are just starting and don't have the luxury of a used older reg, consider one of the already clean regs available:like OMS or the Oceanic. They are both open port pistons (simple design) and low profile with decent performance. I would say that DIN is strongly recommended.
I use the same as my back gas. Apeks DS4 1st stages and Oceanic delta3 seconds. You want all regs to be interchangable and you want them to be high performance as you will generally spend more time on the deco regs than backgas, and it sure sucks if the regs are crap.
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