Quote: (Originally Posted by
divetheworld)
=All of these were made with OC full face masks in mind for changing gas supplies without removing the FFM.
Exactly... something missed by many.
The KM one is the same system as used on their band masks and helmets, and the globe-valve and checkvalve system is bulletproof. Just remember to turn OFF the supply to the checkvalve after opening the supply fed thru globe valve. It's designed to be used by an umbilical fed diver, who upon loss of umbilical gas (fed thru the checkvalve) simply opens the globe valve and ascends. The ones I had in the shop magically had their guts removed, were screwed to the sides of my Mark-15, and are now fed from the backside thru newly drilled and tapped ports and are the offboard 02 and diluent external manifolds... so much for using them as switchblocks...
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The Sartek one (have one in my hand actually...) is a slider-type, well enough made from Delrin, (2) 3/8-24 inputs and (1) 3/8-24 output (or one input available to two outputs, you choose). The removable clip to prevent inadvertant change is, err..... well...... OK I guess..... but I'd never rely on it for life critical 'lockout'. Mine was given to me as an engineering sample at least ten years ago, and although I have played with it for years, it's NEVER actually been diving and is now a paperweight (thus the fact that it's in my hand as I write this).
Group Hug Now....
Dave
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