Originally posted by bengiddins
I just had a play with my ACB+, there is only one grommet on a very short tail. I couldn't get the grommet to fit through the backplate slot either, and left it the way it was, wrapping around the edge of the backplate instead.
Sounds like you and I have the same setup.
Few points to pick with Halcyon....
1. All of the weight is left on the single grommet when the rig is removed - I can already see the web fraying around the grommet, and there's only a few dives on it. And the webbing is sewn onto the ACB+ pouch and doesn't look easily replaced without an industrial sewing machine. The through-the-backplate method would definitely reduce the wear and tear.
Agreed, which is why I tried to change to the 'through the BP' attachment method. It sounds like they've changed the design again to make it easier. However, I've been lucky, and so far haven't had any significant fraying, but I've only got a couple dozen dives on mine so far, which about half of them requiring any signficant weight.
2. Just noticed my harness webbing is cut partly through where it passes through a backplate slot - the slot's upper end was not finished off with a file, and is like a knife-edge! It's cutting the webbing in half, as it's a high load point on the webbing. I'm going to have to replace the webbing shortly, and buy a circular file and dress the slot myself.
That's no good. I'd call Halcyon on the phone and see if they would do it for free. I had to dress my wife's FredT STA, and it wasn't too bad, but I did it by hand and it took me about 45 minutes.
3. Stupid integrated STA on 36lb wing. The larger wing is designed for heavier steel tanks, and those two little rods are not enough (for me anyway) to stabilise the tank.
I'm of two minds on the STA. If I get it on straight, it seems to work pretty well if I tighten it up really well (thank goodness for the SS buckles). However, a couple of times I've had it just a little bit cockeyed, and any sharp movement causes it to slop around. I'm diving with Al80s, so I can imagine the slop is much more pronounced with bigger steel tanks.
We use a STA on my wife's rig, and putting a tank on it is *way* easier than on the built-in STA. The only downside to the STA is weight, so when we do our Coz trip in June, we're going to use the built-in STA, and hope it holds the LP120 tanks the dive operator is using. That's alot of tank for the little STA.
4. Lack of trim adjustability - the older Pioneer wings had 6 grommets instead of the 2 of the current model, for vertical trim adjustment.
I can't compare, since I've never dove with any other wing besides the Pioneers. My wife and I both have problems with feet-up problems in our warm-water gear, but I'm not sure how feasible it would be to move the wing higher, or the tank lower.
However, in our drysuits, the setup works great for both of us, although since we're still getting used to them, our trim isn't yet dialed in. I might be wishing for a more adjustable wing once I get more comfortable with the drysuit bouyancy issues and have time to perfect our drysuit trim.
Nate
