What makes one regulator better than another?

[rsingler]

Nah! Chris and Landon talk to everyone! Just call 'em! Their only beef is with a vocal minority of critics who have repeatedly started bickerfests here on the Board. It gets tiresome reprising the same old arguments. Deep6 may not post here any more, but they pay attention.

It's gotta be tough when the thing you love best doesn't come with profit margins like Tiffany's. But he keeps trying for us. That counts in my book.

 

[rsingler]

Who has a new owner, Shearwater or D6? Who is the new owner?

Shearwater now majority owned by private equity firm

 

[Hoag]

Nah! Chris and Landon talk to everyone! Just call 'em! Their only beef is with a vocal minority of critics who have repeatedly started bickerfests here on the Board. It gets tiresome reprising the same old arguments. Deep6 may not post here any more, but they pay attention.

It's gotta be tough when the thing you love best doesn't come with profit margins like Tiffany's. But he keeps trying for us. That counts in my book.

My biggest gripe with Deep6 is that they have really cool T-Shirts, but they don't sell them in 3XL. That is, of course, more of a reflection on me than it is on them.

Besides, as it turns out, @cerich and I have a mutual (non-diving) friend.

 

[hotpocketdeath]

Next, I'm told that the Signatures now DO have a thrust washer for the second stage diaphragm! Anyone care to share a picture of the pieces? That makes this reg near perfect!

Wouldn't call it a thrust washer, but the diaphragm has a smooth, hard perimeter that the rubber from the purge button is pressed up against. That seems to prevent the diaphragm from binding as you put the front cover on.

My Deep6 Reg is only a couple of weeks old.

My biggest gripe with Deep6 is that they have really cool T-Shirts, but they don't sell them in 3XL. That is, of course, more of a reflection on me than it is on them.

Deep 6 gave me a free T-shirt when I went to their warehouse to pick up my regs directly. Nice people for sure.

 

[rsingler]

Just had a great chat with Landon at Deep6.
We talked about the new thrust washer. It's very thin, and provides that extra bit of anti-friction if you're spinning the faceplate on quickly.
I'm assuming that's how that one old Signature second arrived from the factory with that fold.
But as I've noted in the problem-free years since, if you close the faceplate slowly, the reg is designed (for cavers) to not require a thrust washer. I've certainly never had the issue arise again.

And I'm honor-bound to say mea culpa, regarding that broken exhaust cover tab in a post I made upthread: when I looked for the problem reg among my multiple Signatures, I couldn't find a broken one. But my HOG, (with a similar exhaust cover molding) DID have the crack I'd remembered. The plastic in the HOG is less durable, while the fiberglass impregnated plastic in the Deep6 case is stronger, and didn't break. I apologize for blaming the wrong guys. When Chris left HOG/Edge to form Deep6, he brought his good ideas with him.

All this talk about Apeks and HOG clones is generalizing off superficial similarities in cylindrical shape. Anyone who has disassembled the balance chamber of a Signature 1st next to a HOG D1 would never say that. I like my Signatures, and for the record, the environmental seal stays sealed much better than my new and expensive SP Mk19EVO. The IP spread from full to empty tank is better than Scubapro's, too. And that's despite the improvement in the Mk19EVO's IP stability over the Mk17. Deep6 Signature still beats it.

 

[BoltSnap]

The IP spread from full to empty tank is better than Scubapro's, too. And that's despite the improvement in the Mk19EVO's IP stability over the Mk17. Deep6 Signature still beats it.

What are the numbers you have for the IP spread for the MK19 please?

 

[rsingler]

What are the numbers you have for the IP spread for the MK19 please?

My Mk17's drift up in IP about 7-9 psi from 3000 to 300 tank pressure. Average typical diaphragm performance.
My Mk19EVO drifts up about 4 psi from full to empty. Better.
My Signature drifts down about 3 psi from full to empty, like a piston reg! That's very cool engineering of the balance chamber and poppet stem diameter to accomplish that! Crisp IP lockup and no creep. Only 12-15 psi dynamic IP drop on full purge from a good second stage on a half-full tank. That too is great performance.

 

[jejton]

Deep 6 signature regs are their own design and not a clone of anyone. I wish people would stop propogating that myth...

What happens to owners of their (or any other smaller brand, single product manufacturer) regs if/when they go out of business? Are they still serviceable using generic parts or are you SOL ?

 

[rsingler]

You mean, like Healthways? Or Dacor, or Aeris or SubTech. Or...
Those guys were medium to big dogs once upon a time. Try finding parts now.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

All this talk about Apeks and HOG clones is generalizing off superficial similarities in cylindrical shape. Anyone who has disassembled the balance chamber of a Signature 1st next to a HOG D1 would never say that. I like my Signatures, and for the record, the environmental seal stays sealed much better than my new and expensive SP Mk19EVO. The IP spread from full to empty tank is better than Scubapro's, too. And that's despite the improvement in the Mk19EVO's IP stability over the Mk17. Deep6 Signature still beats it.

People who keep repeating that nonsense are either idiots or have an agenda (some are obvious). Or both.

If anyone is going to make claims of copies, take apart the "original" and the "clone" and post a pic side by side.

And for fairness, take in a third to show how it is "different."