Baby Booster...Your Thoughts

Lancer4545

Hi Guys,

I am going to buy a booster and have narrowed the market down to the Jetsam Baby Booster. My considerations have been:

Reliability
Availability of spare parts
Efficiency
Portability
value for money.

All these considerations taken into account , I think the Baby Booster will be my best option.

That's where you guys come in......If you have any experience with it that I should know about I'd appreciate it along with any other recommendations.

Yeah I know....Buy a Haskel......

Regards,

Lance

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jradomski

When I was looking at all the available portable boosters, I narrowed it down to the HI booster and the Jetsam.. The jetsam booster is a bit easier to travel with but ultimately decided on the HI becuase the drive gas section and product gas sections are guaranteed to be isolated.. If I was going to use the booster exclusively for traveling by plane I would have chosen the Jetsam booster..

The jetsam booster will require regular maintenance of the reed check valves so if you are afraid to take things apart its not for you.. That being said the service is pretty easy.. and Jetam is great with parts..

The are some minor changes on the HI booster as of around july of 2007.. All parts for the HI booster are readily available as is parts for the Jetsam booster.. If you have to send the booster back to the manufacturer for repair, it will be alot easier (and cheaper) dealing with a company in the US... Shipping to/from canada can be a pain in the ass.. I know someone who needed a $50 repair, that ended up costing him $400 in shipping and customs charges sending the booster from the US to canada and back..

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Joe Radomski
CCR Trimix Instructor Trainer
ANDI Instructor Trainer Director #10

All posts are personal opinions and DO NOT reflect any affiliated agency unless specifically stated.

diverklondike

I have a Baby Booster and am very happy with it. I agree with Joe's comment on reed valve maint but it's not a big deal.

For what it's worth I have not experianced the shipping charge issue that Joe mentioned in shipping back and forth with Canada.

I don't think you could go wrong with either.

Dive Safe

Mark

decoweenie

Not sure if that's universally correct.

I have my Jetsam baby booster (second one sold by Gordon, but sn: 007) for about 4 years, and used it everytime I fill my O2 tank. Yet I have never had to do anything to it (knock on wood!).

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Steve

I deal with Jetsam and US companies regularly and if anything Jetsam are cheaper to deal with than the US companies when talking about freight. Having said that. My booster has never gone back and to the best of my knowledge none of the ones I have sold have either.

I have had a Baby Booster about as long as Phi. Fantastic piece of gear. If the reed ever gets clogged it is a 5 min fix. It doesn't require regular ( read frequent) maintenance and is quite possibly one of my best ever dive related purchases.

I have never owned a HI booster so can't comment on them.

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jradomski

I guess its a matter of what gases its used with.. Most of the poeple that have told me that they have had to clean the reed valves ever few months have been using it to boost all sorts of gases not just o2 (and a getting gases from lots of different suppliers) .. AFter a few months of use the decline in performance with trimix is usually noticable..

With clean gas reed valves work well, they just are not very tolerant with any type of debris.. and if weight is a concern the baby booster is definately lighter than the others..

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Joe Radomski
CCR Trimix Instructor Trainer
ANDI Instructor Trainer Director #10

All posts are personal opinions and DO NOT reflect any affiliated agency unless specifically stated.

adventure

For those of you that like the Baby Booster and the way it works. Imagine it being improved. The early Babies were shipped without the swage filter. This lead to the frequent cleaning of the reed valves. Not a frequent issue now. It is a 3 min process after you've done it once. Over the past 1 1/2 years the the baby's quality control has dramatically improved , from the orientation of the piston bore and the exact alignment of the cylinder. All in house.
I had no. 2 ,it did fail and was sent back for repair. Gordon punished it and made it pump for 2 weeks straight. I now have no. 3 who travels with me frequently. I think I rather be without my car.

Alan

decoweenie

Mine doesn't have the filter installed, but I guess (as Joe said) it depends on the quality of gas one uses.

OK, glad that I turned that one down and chose no. 7 instead...

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"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

eanxdiver

Had one initially (baby booster) without the filter. Had to clean the reed valves. After adding the filter, I have not had to clean for the last 3yrs of semi-regular use, (boosting O2, helium).
I love mine, and have traveled with it in my carry-on even.

RonMicjan

got one, love it, over 3 years now. Great bit of kit. I originally didnt have the filter and had to clean the valves every couple months, now with the filter, havent cleaned since. Filter now comes standard.

I'm also a dealer for the booster, if you do not already have a source lined up, I would be happy to get one ordered for you. I have whips too.

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