Questions on Building your own (DIY) Rebreather - Advice Please.

[Simon A]

On the course to building my own breather I have a couple of questions

1) This is KISS specific. In the brochure pictures it appears that the KISS valve comes over the RIGHT shoulder, is this correct?

2) On my Draeger Ray loop with the DSV in my mouth the gas flows right to left accross the mouthpiece. Am I right in assuming that the Inspiration flows the other way? Which way does the KISS flow across the DSV?

3) is the accepted convention for O2 and Diluent tanks? O2 Cylinder on the Right hand side of the unit and Diluent cylinder on the left hand side of the unit?

Thanks for any help you can give with these questions.

Simon A

[Ken]

Originally Posted by Simon A

On the course to building my own breather I have a couple of questions

1) This is KISS specific. In the brochure pictures it appears that the KISS valve comes over the RIGHT shoulder, is this correct?

2) On my Draeger Ray loop with the DSV in my mouth the gas flows right to left accross the mouthpiece. Am I right in assuming that the Inspiration flows the other way? Which way does the KISS flow across the DSV?

3) is the accepted convention for O2 and Diluent tanks? O2 Cylinder on the Right hand side of the unit and Diluent cylinder on the left hand side of the unit?

Thanks for any help you can give with these questions.

Simon A

The newer classic KISS valve comes over the right shoulder. Yes.

The older models had the KISS valve over the left. The flow of gas is now the same as the Inspiration. Scrubbed gas flows over the left shoulder and exhaled gas over the right shoulder into the canister.

As per conventions (to the best of my knowledge) Gordon reversed the flow of the KISS after recommendations that the flow follow the "standarized" conventions of high gas on the right side etc.


Ken

[beanie]

YBOD gas goes left to right
dil on left O2 on right

[turbanator]

Originally Posted by Simon A

On the course to building my own breather I have a couple of questions

1) This is KISS specific. In the brochure pictures it appears that the KISS valve comes over the RIGHT shoulder, is this correct?

Correct on newer versions.
The O2 clyl and the valve used to be on the left

Originally Posted by Simon A

2) On my Draeger Ray loop with the DSV in my mouth the gas flows right to left accross the mouthpiece. Am I right in assuming that the Inspiration flows the other way? Which way does the KISS flow across the DSV?

Left to right.

Originally Posted by Simon A

3) is the accepted convention for O2 and Diluent tanks? O2 Cylinder on the Right hand side of the unit and Diluent cylinder on the left hand side of the unit?

Thanks for any help you can give with these questions.

Simon A

It is now, but maybe because that the way AP do it and there are more of them about.
It used to be less specific and a useful mnemonic was "Left Is Life" to remember O2 was there when RBs were build with the O2 on the left

hth
Paul

[beanie]

the new oraboras (sp has dil left O2 right too (i think - the maual was posted recently)

[Digger]

It just made sense to me. Rich on the right, lean on the left. Same as everything I do.

You could easily enough reverse the gas flow by just turning the one way valves the other way round, but there's not a lot of point making the change if it works at the moment. But if you have inspo lungs you may find experienced inspo buddies getting a bit confused about what you're pressing and why on the way down if they expect you to hit dil or O2 and you hit the other one!

[Simon A]

Thanks for the fast feedback everyone, thats helped me fix the design so it follows "the norm"

Digger
Hopefully this will address your points.

Originally Posted by Digger

It just made sense to me. Rich on the right, lean on the left. Same as everything I do.

Same here, but I wanted to make sure if there was a convention I'd stick to it.

Originally Posted by Digger

You could easily enough reverse the gas flow by just turning the one way valves the other way round, but there's not a lot of point making the change if it works at the moment.

I've already thought about this, But the DSV has flow direction arrows moulded into it, and I reckon that the potential for error (a "Very Bad Thing tm") Is greater if the flow is different from the marked direction.

Originally Posted by Digger

But if you have inspo lungs you may find experienced inspo buddies getting a bit confused about what you're pressing and why on the way down if they expect you to hit dil or O2 and you hit the other one!

I'm going to be using a (genuine)KISS valve so the only injector on the lungs is going to be Diluent.

I've also got an Idea for your one way valve into the lung for the O2 feed if you still haven't sorted it.

Regards
Simon A

[turbanator]

Originally Posted by Simon A

I'm going to be using a (genuine)KISS valve so the only injector on the lungs is going to be Diluent.
Regards
Simon A

Simon,
Not sure how much you know about the Kiss, so forgive me if I'm doing the old eggs, suck, grandmother thing, but a Kiss does not have a manual Dil add to the c/l.
It has an ADV in the head. If this fails, because the DSV is easy to switch, then you switch to OC, breathe in, switch to CC and breathe out into the loop.

I've not had mine long, but this seems relatively easy.
The only two times I've used Inspo's, they had ADVs and it was only try dives, so I never got to use the manual Dil add buttons.

r
Paul

[Conor]

Hey Simon

I'm impressed with the project but am curious about one thing. Are you going to be able to get some general CCR training before you launch your prototype ? or are you going to risk it yourself?

Also curious about how you can test before you try? Does this mean you need additional control analysers?

Good luck and dive safe

Conor

[Simon A]

Connor,
This is going to be a breather made to work how I want it to, Basicaly it's going to be an Inspiration but with KISS style manual control and monitoring it's all going to be put together from comercialy available bits, or at least tried and tested designs.
As to training, there are acouple of us building almost identicle units, and there is a generic TDI rebreather course which one of the friendly Instructors on YD is looking to see if he can run for us (if he can, I'm sure I or the instructor will post the info).

Turbanator,
I'm using a KISS O2 setup but the Dil add is going to be Via an injector on the exhale lung (similar to the inspiration if you dont plump for the ADV). once I can manualy fly the unit (and get the training done) I'll then put an Inspiration ADV on the unit.
I'm currently of the opinion that whilst I'm doing sub 30m, no deco dives, on an air computer, the training has more value than the ADV. I'll side sling a 7 for bailout initialy.

Regards
Simon A