What is a "Vintage Double Hose Regulator"?

[SurfLung]

Another Twist... "Faux" Vintage Regulator Projects
- I've built "Faux 50 Fathom" and "Faux Jet Air" double hose regulators using The Scuba Museum (Rob's) reproduction cans, hoses, and even Mistral guts. I also built the "Faux" Voit VR1 pictured below... Repaired and re-chromed cans, repro label, hoses, etc... With Mistral guts.

- These are vintage designs at the component level but not authentic due to repro-parts and substituted parts. I consider them vintage because they are vintage STYLE.

 

[trapezus]

I have VOIT FX Titan ,Jet-Air and Trieste II from Thescubamuseum in my collection . Rob sold them. I have tried at 100 feet FX Titan it gives good result.
It has long yoke and used with banjoo for finimeter.

 

[rhwestfall]

Another Twist... "Faux" Vintage Regulator Projects
- I've built "Faux 50 Fathom" and "Faux Jet Air" double hose regulators using The Scuba Museum (Rob's) reproduction cans, hoses, and even Mistral guts. I also built the "Faux" Voit VR1 pictured below... Repaired and re-chromed cans, repro label, hoses, etc... With Mistral guts.
View attachment 212823
- These are vintage designs at the component level but not authentic due to repro-parts and substituted parts. I consider them vintage because they are vintage STYLE.

Like a Cobra kit car.....

 

[Nemrod]

I would not consider reproduction parts that are authentic in appearance and function to be not-vintage. Does adding a band clamp to my 58 Mistral make it not vintage compliant? If so I will just have to be in violation because 1) I am quite sure divers did exactly that in period and 2) the clamp does not alter the function and 3) the convenience of the clamp outweighs any reasonable argument against unless you are the most devout of purists. This being an example, same with the reproduction and greatly, vastly improved diaphragms and for that mater the DBEV. You cannot see it, it does not alter the function of the regulator, again, only the most devout of vintage high priests would insist upon using a duckbill.

The difference being, previously in purest vintage form my Mistral was a foul creature with stiff hoses, stiffer cage valves, worn out seat and breathed like sucking through a straw and the duckbill was constantly stuck together despite my putting copious amounts of talc upon it, now it is a perfectly useful and dive-able regulator. Of course it does not like 3,000 psi air!

It would not hurt my feelings is there were a new, New Mistral single stage with a replaceable volcano orifice and a HP port, vintage or not, as the volcano orifice, well, things can only go so far. But, mine is in good shape (for now), do not know about y'alls. Yes, one can gently resurface/profile the orifice but that only gets so far before they just do not lock up solid and consistent.

Is it real or is it Memorex?

N

 

[trapezus]

Nemrod , I have same NAVY regulator bought from Rob ( reproduction) . How many psi should I use maximum in my tanks ?

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Nemrod,I vote for your regulator being "vintage," as it is as you describe. I have a DX Overpressure Breathing regulator, which I have put a band clamp (from the 1980s), longer hoses (from SCBA hoses), and replaced the internal hose (venturi hose to the mouthpiece) with a plastic hose, and a long yolk for a SPG, and I consider it "vintage."
Diving my DX Overpressure Breathing regulator in May, 2015, with my twin 42 cubic foot tanks (PJ tanks).

SeaRat

 

[Nemrod]

Well, the answer is, that is a Navy with new hoses, mouthpiece and new silicone grey diaphragm. I have another, same stuff but also a Phoenix, but it was pieced together, including a faux label. Both have been converted to HPR. The HPR conversion is a REAL game changer. We talk about the Phoenix and the Kraken but at the heart of both the real deal is the HPR second stage valve. It significantly increases the performance and overall tractability of the regulator. And the DBEV is a godsend. Thanks to Luis.

So, say a top/bottom can is damaged beyond repair, you pick another good can to replace the damaged one. Does this make it not vintage? You do not think a diver in the period would not have replaced the can? It may not be original but it is still vintage era.

I am tempted to sell off one of my Phoenix HPR units but cannot bear to do so. I do not know. How many regulators does a guy need? Thing is, my original Phoenix, with my JRW initials on it, thanks VDH, it goes head to head with my Krakens and only gives a little on the exhaust effort and the Kraken has a stronger Venturi. It is the HPR second stage that is the game changer in both. I do not think, realistically, that I have ebough dives left in my life to justify what I currently own in terms of SCUBA equipment.

The first single hose regulators were around about 1951? Give or take. We argue, obsess even, over what is vintage.

All original RAM, it came with a box, it is not an ebait reg, it may have been dived in fresh water a few times, long yoke and I have two of them:

N

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

4. Argonaut Kraken, orders being taken I do believe, I am not sure where dh evolution could go beyond here unless as I wished for and Luis shot it all up a pnuematic servo boosted design with a dry piston first? Just dreaming.


James

Nemrod, the idea of a servo-powered Kraken has got me drooling. What a nice dream . . .

 

[Nemrod]

Nemrod, the idea of a servo-powered Kraken has got me drooling. What a nice dream . . .

Well , it would not be vintage for sure. Nor would it be based on a Kraken because there is no reason in servo boosted regulators to have a large ambient diaphragm thus the case can be much smaller. And by the way, in my vision, the servo valve would be remote located to the mouthpiece and connected to the IP by a tube and activated by a small diaphragm in the mouthpiece. Main flow would be initiated by the servo and directed down the inhalation hose by a powerful Venturi in a conventional manner. An adjustable servo with a knob on the front of the mouthpiece would be needed to prevent free flow in the loop (since the exhaust valve would see a lower ambient pressure than would the servo valve and servo mini-diaghram).

Another, conventional non servo second stage design, might be cool, integrate the exhaust valve into the center of the ambient diaphragm, both hoses return to the lower can, the upper can is a simple dome of minimal clearance to allow diaphragm excursions and exhaust valve clearance. The upper can would be perforated with hundreds of holes at about a #60 size to break up the bubble stream to further reduce noise.

James

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Well , it would not be vintage for sure. Nor would it be based on a Kraken because there is no reason in servo boosted regulators to have a large ambient diaphragm thus the case can be much smaller. And by the way, in my vision, the servo valve would be remote located to the mouthpiece and connected to the IP by a tube and activated by a small diaphragm in the mouthpiece. Main flow would be initiated by the servo and directed down the inhalation hose by a powerful Venturi in a conventional manner. An adjustable servo with a knob on the front of the mouthpiece would be needed to prevent free flow in the loop (since the exhaust valve would see a lower ambient pressure than would the servo valve and servo mini-diaghram). Another, conventional non servo second stage design, might be cool, integrate the exhaust valve into the center of the ambient diaphragm, both hoses return to the lower can, the upper can is a simple dome of minimal clearance to allow diaphragm excursions and exhaust valve clearance. The upper can would be perforated with hundreds of holes at about a #60 size to break up the bubble stream to further reduce noise.James

James,That latter paragraph is an interesting concept, but it has already been tried. This was the concept of the Northill Air Lung, from the 1950s. It must have been a hard breather, as the exhaust was around the periphery of the main diaphragm, some two inches or a bit more from the diaphragm's center. But that was the concept. It was also a single stage regulator, and very, very heavy. But it had another advanced concept, in that there was a mouthpiece valve that allowed the flow to be shut off by twisting the hoses. SeaRat