Oceanic or Apeks

[MATTBIN]

Decisions decisions.
I have Oceanic SP4/Alpha 7 + Occy, so far they have been good down to 7c but if I'm going to go to Stoney in mid winter i.e. <8c will they work. Or should I replace the first stage with the CDx or DX4 cold reg, both can take the Alpha second stage. Cost about £140/£150 or go for an Apeks TX40 with a DS first stage but no occy, I have a pony for AAS, cost about the same.
Is the Occy really required, buddy might think so! Are they that much better than Oceanics.
I'll choose 300 din either way, even though my tanks are 232.
Answers please.
Matt

[Mark Chase]

<font color='#000F22'>I have A7's and have used them under ice no problem. I have done a lot of diving in the sub 8 degrees zone this year and I have not had a freflow on any reg yet.

Mind I dont use a reg to fill an SMB thats strictly gas blob and or exaust gas time.

I have never taken any special precautions apart from the above and not breathing the regs to much on the surface.

I upgraded to Tx50 main and TX40 octo when I started diving sub 40m but still use and love my A7's which I have just converted to din to avoid my last little mishap hapening again and I use them for deco / travel gas. You can get TX 40's cheeper than A7 CDX if your byeing new but if your running A7's now I would stick with them.

There is no noticaible improvement in breath with the TX40 but it is less noisey in its operation. IMHO

That said TX 40's are urber Tec so definatly a good dive cred move &nbsp;

Mark Chase

[MATTBIN]

Mark
never being one to worry about fashion the street cred isnt an issue. Anyway I got a DX4/Delta3 last night for £179 at the local so will put my A7 occy on that and the Sp4/A7 goes on the pony. The Mares pony rig is going to a new home once I can sell it. Yes, the Oceanic is a bit noisy I suppose.

thanks for the advice.

Matt

[Kev Martin]

Matt

&quot;I'll choose 300 din either way, even though my tanks are 232.&quot;

Aren't the fittings on the DIN different between 300 and 232bar? &nbsp;

Just a thought.

Best wishes.

Kev

[MATTBIN]

Bit of thread poking out is what I'm told. The reg at 300 bar has more threads than the 232 reg/tank, so it wont go in as far but is still OK. As it happens they only had A clamp at the time so I took that on the understanding they will convert it to DIN for free.
Matt

[Mark]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Kev Martin @ Mar. 14 2003,13:38)]Aren't the fittings on the DIN different between 300 and 232bar?  

<font color='#000080'>300BAR DIN has 7 threads

232BAR DIN has 5 threads

You can use 300BAR DIN regs on both 300BAR &amp; 232BAR tank valves. 232BAR DIN regs &nbsp;don't work on 300BAR DIN tank valves as they don't screw in far enough to make the seal. Bearing that in mind it goes without saying that 300BAR DIN is the one to go for. Having the extra two threads is also considered to be safer.

HTH

Mark.

[Hobby]

Here's another of my old favourite links that shows this in detail and very clearly,HTH.
http://www.ukrecscuba.org.uk/ukdiver/dinyoke.htm
Hobby.

[MATTBIN]

One of the other things I noticed is that my 'old' sp4 has 300 bar engraved on the HP port even though its A clamp and when I looked at the Oceanics web page it indicated that both Sp4 and DX4 are sold as 330bar rated items available in DIN or A clamp , the limiting factor being the fixing. So it looks as though for ease of manufacture they make them all one rating and convert as required so that you dont convert a 232 body to a 300 bar DIN end fixing.

Is this common?

Matt

[John Gulliver]

Another great link, Aaron. Where do you find them all?

[Hobby]

Fruits of to much time at work digging on the net John.Sadly now to end,DOH!
Swine Audits
I'm off for the weekend,stay safe all.
Hobby.