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heyydude · 13th November 2007, 15:04

Of course the electronics work, Mark - just don't go drilling holes in the wrist units like the last time you owned a HH...

Now, on to the serious part. Here's a shot of yours truly wearing the rig in my shop:

P1010033.JPG.jpg

There are a number of important things about this unit, which we believe make it an attractive choice for CCR Divers:

1) The Head: The Head utilizes a detent-lock with a large spring-loaded delrin ring. There are 6 positive-locking lugs to hold the head in place. This eliminates clips and other items that can tangle or cut wet fingers.

P1010044.jpg

----> In keeping with the philosophy that we pioneered in the original Hammerhead for Inspiration, there is a 4th Cell built-in. You can use this 4th cell port for any 3rd party monitoring device. Again, we feel that it is a good thing to verify your ppO2, and rather than forcing you to trust just us, we give the diver the option to "trust, but verify."

P1010051.jpg

----> We are making a broad attempt to target one of the increasingly common issues with CCR's - Salt Water Corrosion of the internals to the Solenoid. This is not just a civilian problem - as everyone now knows, I have been working on the Mark 16's for years, and it is a problem common to all systems, military and civilian. The Hammerhead CCR has 2 stage filters in the O2 Line to help stop water from getting to the solenoid internals.

P1010052.jpg

Secondly, we have made the Solenoid relatively easy to replace. This is an important first step toward what I consider a future requirement on all CCR systems - a REGULAR replacement of the O2 Solenoid. Those of you who own Optima's can see the genesis of this idea in the Brady connectors linking the Solenoid to the Banana Block. When we designed the Optima Head, this was beginning to be a concern to me, so we incorporated a connector for easy replacement of this vital component.

----> The Banana Block : Again, a part which we pioneered - this allows you to throw away the part which corrodes the quickest - the "loom" as our English buddies call it, or the "O2 Sensor Harness" as it is called in our parts list. In any 100% humidity environment, wires WILL corrode. There is very little you can do to stop it, and any mitigating action you may take only compounds the complexity. The easiest answer is found in the Banana Block. The Female part (strangely called the "Jack") is made of solid Brass, which is Gold plated. This means that it not only resists corrosion, but has enough mass to be cleaned often. The male part (the "Plug"), is much more fragile, with small bent "wings" for compression inside the Jack - as such, it corrodes quicker. The solution, throw it away when it is too corroded.

P1010048.jpg

There has been a fair bit of talk about the Molex connectors used in the R-22's - the beauty of the O2 Sensor Harness idea is that you can make them up to suit whatever style O2 Sensor you happen to be using, even to the point of mixing and matching to each individual sensor (not something we recommend, but you get the idea).

---> mCCR/eCCR/meCCR : Which do you want? The idea behind the Hammerhead CCR was to give the end-user choice. You can use the Auxilliary port for an Orifice, and order the unit with a Secondary/DIVA only, or you can do the same and have the system equipped with the whole shebang (Primary/Secondary/DIVA/Orifice).

AuxPortHH.JPG.jpg

---> Pre-Scrubber Injection : Again, something we started with the Optima, and carried on with the Hammerhead CCR. I know there is a fair bit of discussion about this, whether or not it is necessary, but from tests I've done on the Viper E, it seems to have smoothed out the ppO2 control, so we went ahead and incorporated into the new rig as well.

P1010049.jpg

2) The Scrubber: Radial Scrubber : Spring-loaded compression plate, 7.8 lbs. A big scrubber, for sure. But we also have available a smaller <5 lb. "shortie" scrubber, and we are now working on an ExtendAir Cartridge design, all of which will be available in the coming months.

P1010059.jpg

P1010062.jpg

3) BOV (otherwise known to us old-timers as "OC/CC DSV"). One of the beauties of the Optima was the merging of successful technologies by 3 different companies (Micropore Cartridges, Dive Rite Gear & Design, Hammerhead Electronics) - in the new Hammerhead CCR, rather than try to design our own BOV, we took what works - the Golem model - and incorporated it on EVERY unit as Standard Equipment. Many divers want an integrated BOV on their rigs these days, and one of these (a Tracy Robinette model) saved my life on a deep dive many moons ago, so we decided that we're going to make it a standard feature of the set.

P1010085.jpg

4) Tank Attachment : Again, why invent something that someone else does better? We elected to use MetalSub Tank Attachments as standard equipment on the large canister model (Tiger Mounts are required for the shortie canister). These clip on and off like a dream, allowing you to keep extra tanks at the ready for your next dives. The thinking is thus: Why not make it really stupidly simple for a CCR Diver to just change tanks between dives? That way, each dive is started off with a fresh fill?

P1010050.jpg

5) ADV : An ADV must be tough, must work in any position, and flow as fast as a diver needs. I remember well watching Farb and McKenney diving their 15.5's and riding the Diluent button on the way down. Since I was diving a 16, I couldn't understand what they were doing. Turns out the 15.5 has an IP of around 130, and the 16 I was diving had an IP of 275 or so. Carrying a camera, or other gear and having to ride a Manual Add just to get a full breath is NOT an option in my book, so the new ADV needed to keep up with a divers demand. This one is super, and flows like a champ.

P1010077.jpg

Of course, we also included niceties like in-line shut-off valves for those times when you want to keep the ADV from messing with your buoyancy. Again, Options, Options, Options, all STANDARD on the Hammerhead CCR.

6) Electronics : What can I say? The Hammerhead has become the standard for replacement electronics in nearly every system out there. There are well over 300 Optimas now in service worldwide, on top of hundreds of Hammerhead for Inspiration/KISS/Meg/Mark 15, etc, etc. We are in CONTINUAL development of our system, constantly taking input from our customer base, listening to criticisms (as much as they may hurt), and trying to make our controls better for all.

Our sister company, Juergensen Defense Corporation now builds the total electronic system for the US Navy Mark 16 Mod 2 and Mod 3 (NSW), as well as the NATO Viper E. The core knowledge developed during the creation of these electronics only enhances our continued development of the civilian systems at Juergensen Marine, Inc. Not to mention that the stability we have gained through our association with Carleton and the USN means that our company will be around for a long time.

In the Hammerhead CCR, we use the latest Rev. C+ Electronics, which incorporate many new features (Battery Monitoring/Alarms, Stack Timers, etc), with BOTH Primary and Secondary capable of running Decompression.

Last point of this long post: I have touched upon the collaborative effort point above, but it's importance cannot be over stated. Many other CCR Manufacturers try to utilize only their technology to make a system. While this can be very successful, my personal feeling is that it can cause a condition I refer to as "falling in love with your own ideas." Recognizing that there are better ways of doing things, and working to avoid falling in love with ones own ideas is the hardest part of creation - I know, since my professional training as a Film Director gave me enough experience to see this first-hand.

With that in mind, and after a very successful collaboration with Lamar Hires and Tom McKenna on the Optima, we worked to develop the Hammerhead CCR with Jakub Rehacek and Bretislav Vaisar. Jakub is the owner of Golem Gear, as most people know, and a very experienced diver and inventor. Bretislav is lesser known, but a brilliant engineer and designer, and a extraordinarily capable diver to boot. When these two have an idea for how to make the system better, *I* listen.

As we move along in sales of the Hammerhead CCR, there will be new features, like Back Mounted Counterlungs (shown off at DEMA, and now being perfected), new Rev. D Electronics (which, like ALL of our upgrades in the past, be made available to all users of our system), ExtendAir cartridges (so you can have both options at once, loose-fill or cartridge, with just the change of a can). You can be assured that spare parts will be available from multiple sources - service will be available that is fast, and support will come from many different corners of the technical diving world (Joe Radomski is currently writing the Manual, and is a regular contributor to Hammerhead subjects on this board).

I'm sure there will be quite a few questions after this post - I'll do my best to post answers, but as more Instructors receive their units (the first run is completely sold out, and we are now building the second for end-of-the-year delivery) there will be more folks to field inquiries.

The Web Site is being updated too, and a link will soon be available which discusses these features in depth, as well as Prices, Ordering Info, etc.

Take care, and safe diving to all.

Kevin Juergensen
Juergensen Marine, Inc.

13th November 2007, 15:04	#24 (permalink)
heyydude King of the Geeks Current Rebreather/s: MK 15.X Optima Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR Join Date: May 2005 Location: Addison, Pennsylvania Posts: 380	Re: My New Hammerhead CCR! Of course the electronics work, Mark - just don't go drilling holes in the wrist units like the last time you owned a HH... Now, on to the serious part. Here's a shot of yours truly wearing the rig in my shop: P1010033.JPG.jpg There are a number of important things about this unit, which we believe make it an attractive choice for CCR Divers: 1) The Head: The Head utilizes a detent-lock with a large spring-loaded delrin ring. There are 6 positive-locking lugs to hold the head in place. This eliminates clips and other items that can tangle or cut wet fingers. P1010044.jpg ----> In keeping with the philosophy that we pioneered in the original Hammerhead for Inspiration, there is a 4th Cell built-in. You can use this 4th cell port for any 3rd party monitoring device. Again, we feel that it is a good thing to verify your ppO2, and rather than forcing you to trust just us, we give the diver the option to "trust, but verify." P1010051.jpg ----> We are making a broad attempt to target one of the increasingly common issues with CCR's - Salt Water Corrosion of the internals to the Solenoid. This is not just a civilian problem - as everyone now knows, I have been working on the Mark 16's for years, and it is a problem common to all systems, military and civilian. The Hammerhead CCR has 2 stage filters in the O2 Line to help stop water from getting to the solenoid internals. P1010052.jpg Secondly, we have made the Solenoid relatively easy to replace. This is an important first step toward what I consider a future requirement on all CCR systems - a REGULAR replacement of the O2 Solenoid. Those of you who own Optima's can see the genesis of this idea in the Brady connectors linking the Solenoid to the Banana Block. When we designed the Optima Head, this was beginning to be a concern to me, so we incorporated a connector for easy replacement of this vital component. ----> The Banana Block : Again, a part which we pioneered - this allows you to throw away the part which corrodes the quickest - the "loom" as our English buddies call it, or the "O2 Sensor Harness" as it is called in our parts list. In any 100% humidity environment, wires WILL corrode. There is very little you can do to stop it, and any mitigating action you may take only compounds the complexity. The easiest answer is found in the Banana Block. The Female part (strangely called the "Jack") is made of solid Brass, which is Gold plated. This means that it not only resists corrosion, but has enough mass to be cleaned often. The male part (the "Plug"), is much more fragile, with small bent "wings" for compression inside the Jack - as such, it corrodes quicker. The solution, throw it away when it is too corroded. P1010048.jpg There has been a fair bit of talk about the Molex connectors used in the R-22's - the beauty of the O2 Sensor Harness idea is that you can make them up to suit whatever style O2 Sensor you happen to be using, even to the point of mixing and matching to each individual sensor (not something we recommend, but you get the idea). ---> mCCR/eCCR/meCCR : Which do you want? The idea behind the Hammerhead CCR was to give the end-user choice. You can use the Auxilliary port for an Orifice, and order the unit with a Secondary/DIVA only, or you can do the same and have the system equipped with the whole shebang (Primary/Secondary/DIVA/Orifice). AuxPortHH.JPG.jpg ---> Pre-Scrubber Injection : Again, something we started with the Optima, and carried on with the Hammerhead CCR. I know there is a fair bit of discussion about this, whether or not it is necessary, but from tests I've done on the Viper E, it seems to have smoothed out the ppO2 control, so we went ahead and incorporated into the new rig as well. P1010049.jpg 2) The Scrubber: Radial Scrubber : Spring-loaded compression plate, 7.8 lbs. A big scrubber, for sure. But we also have available a smaller <5 lb. "shortie" scrubber, and we are now working on an ExtendAir Cartridge design, all of which will be available in the coming months. P1010059.jpg P1010062.jpg 3) BOV (otherwise known to us old-timers as "OC/CC DSV"). One of the beauties of the Optima was the merging of successful technologies by 3 different companies (Micropore Cartridges, Dive Rite Gear & Design, Hammerhead Electronics) - in the new Hammerhead CCR, rather than try to design our own BOV, we took what works - the Golem model - and incorporated it on EVERY unit as Standard Equipment. Many divers want an integrated BOV on their rigs these days, and one of these (a Tracy Robinette model) saved my life on a deep dive many moons ago, so we decided that we're going to make it a standard feature of the set. P1010085.jpg 4) Tank Attachment : Again, why invent something that someone else does better? We elected to use MetalSub Tank Attachments as standard equipment on the large canister model (Tiger Mounts are required for the shortie canister). These clip on and off like a dream, allowing you to keep extra tanks at the ready for your next dives. The thinking is thus: Why not make it really stupidly simple for a CCR Diver to just change tanks between dives? That way, each dive is started off with a fresh fill? P1010050.jpg 5) ADV : An ADV must be tough, must work in any position, and flow as fast as a diver needs. I remember well watching Farb and McKenney diving their 15.5's and riding the Diluent button on the way down. Since I was diving a 16, I couldn't understand what they were doing. Turns out the 15.5 has an IP of around 130, and the 16 I was diving had an IP of 275 or so. Carrying a camera, or other gear and having to ride a Manual Add just to get a full breath is NOT an option in my book, so the new ADV needed to keep up with a divers demand. This one is super, and flows like a champ. P1010077.jpg Of course, we also included niceties like in-line shut-off valves for those times when you want to keep the ADV from messing with your buoyancy. Again, Options, Options, Options, all STANDARD on the Hammerhead CCR. 6) Electronics : What can I say? The Hammerhead has become the standard for replacement electronics in nearly every system out there. There are well over 300 Optimas now in service worldwide, on top of hundreds of Hammerhead for Inspiration/KISS/Meg/Mark 15, etc, etc. We are in CONTINUAL development of our system, constantly taking input from our customer base, listening to criticisms (as much as they may hurt), and trying to make our controls better for all. Our sister company, Juergensen Defense Corporation now builds the total electronic system for the US Navy Mark 16 Mod 2 and Mod 3 (NSW), as well as the NATO Viper E. The core knowledge developed during the creation of these electronics only enhances our continued development of the civilian systems at Juergensen Marine, Inc. Not to mention that the stability we have gained through our association with Carleton and the USN means that our company will be around for a long time. In the Hammerhead CCR, we use the latest Rev. C+ Electronics, which incorporate many new features (Battery Monitoring/Alarms, Stack Timers, etc), with BOTH Primary and Secondary capable of running Decompression. Last point of this long post: I have touched upon the collaborative effort point above, but it's importance cannot be over stated. Many other CCR Manufacturers try to utilize only their technology to make a system. While this can be very successful, my personal feeling is that it can cause a condition I refer to as "falling in love with your own ideas." Recognizing that there are better ways of doing things, and working to avoid falling in love with ones own ideas is the hardest part of creation - I know, since my professional training as a Film Director gave me enough experience to see this first-hand. With that in mind, and after a very successful collaboration with Lamar Hires and Tom McKenna on the Optima, we worked to develop the Hammerhead CCR with Jakub Rehacek and Bretislav Vaisar. Jakub is the owner of Golem Gear, as most people know, and a very experienced diver and inventor. Bretislav is lesser known, but a brilliant engineer and designer, and a extraordinarily capable diver to boot. When these two have an idea for how to make the system better, I listen. As we move along in sales of the Hammerhead CCR, there will be new features, like Back Mounted Counterlungs (shown off at DEMA, and now being perfected), new Rev. D Electronics (which, like ALL of our upgrades in the past, be made available to all users of our system), ExtendAir cartridges (so you can have both options at once, loose-fill or cartridge, with just the change of a can). You can be assured that spare parts will be available from multiple sources - service will be available that is fast, and support will come from many different corners of the technical diving world (Joe Radomski is currently writing the Manual, and is a regular contributor to Hammerhead subjects on this board). I'm sure there will be quite a few questions after this post - I'll do my best to post answers, but as more Instructors receive their units (the first run is completely sold out, and we are now building the second for end-of-the-year delivery) there will be more folks to field inquiries. The Web Site is being updated too, and a link will soon be available which discusses these features in depth, as well as Prices, Ordering Info, etc. Take care, and safe diving to all. Kevin Juergensen Juergensen Marine, Inc.
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