Mini Haskel Booster Problem?

what2be

Greetings from the Philippines,

Im here diving for the week and brought my haskel booster. The problem is it wont boost past about 3100-3200psi. I thought maybe the problem was the supply gas pressure (the o2 here is about 1500psi at best on a new bottle) but even boosting air off a Al 80 w/ 3000 psi as the supply gas I still only can boost to 3100-3200. Im using a AL 80 with a Scuba pro piston first stage set @ 150psi for the drive gas and the whips are from golem gear. It boosts okay to about 3000, then the cycling gets *very* slow. sometimes a minute or so between cycles. At about 3150-3200 it stops cycling completely.

Anybody have any ideas? The booster has very low hours on it.

FWIW, when I boost at home off my dewalt compressor @150psi, it will boost to 3400-3500 (maybe higher , thats just all I boost to) quite easily.

Sorry if this is post is a bit convuluted, im late to the dive boat..

Ciao.

__________________
"If I die with any money at all in my bank account I know I miscalculated"

Joe

You might try playing with the adjustment on top of the booster. (The brass colored valve on top.) That is supposed to slow or speed up the booster. I've never done it but a good friend who has one has so YMMV .......

USSMEG

Check the Regulator for the drive gas and make sure its putting out. Is it cold? could it be freezing inside? grab another and see if that helps.

Paul

Hanssing

Correctme if I'm wrong but the the booster is a 20:1 single stage right?
Then in no way can the inlet boost-gas pressure be the issue, unless its over the wanted end-pressure.

The booster will stall when the output absolute pressure reaches the booste-ratio x drivegas-pressure_absolute. The cycle-speed will depend on inletflow and outlet-flow of drive-gas, so assuming that theres no restriction in the drivegas-lines, and that its boost fine with lower-pressures, it indicates that the drive-gas pressure is too low, and stalling around 3150. Ie. your drivegass is roughly 3150 / 20 = 157 psi'ish.

Increase the pressure to boost beyound that, and make sure the first-stage you use doesnt drop the pressure as soon as a little flow is used; most do, wich can impeede preformance.

Regards
Nicolai

__________________
Woohooo - I can change my rEvo!
Its going to be bitchin' tricked out piece of gear

what2be

Thanks for the tip, I believe it has to do with the drive gas as well, since I didnt have this problem when Its driven by my home compressor. I dont have a pressure gauge on the drive gas side, which I should probably add.
I am hesitant to bring the pressure up on my drive gas, as the Haskel manual specifically states it is 150 PSI max. I thought the haskel was 25:1 ratio, but I could be wrong. Ill have to look it up.

Maybe Ill try another reg and/or increase the IP of the reg a little to see what happens.

Thanks for the reply.

__________________
"If I die with any money at all in my bank account I know I miscalculated"

Outlaw

just a suggestion.

i think this is because the lP of scubapro is 8.5 bar (please correct me if i am wrong) and your home compressor is giving out 10, which is exactly what haskel uses.

i have the same booster, and it works fine. please try and change reg, before you unsettle your booster and maybe you make it heat up faster later on.

Thanks.

__________________
CMAS - IANTD - TDI
Kamikazi Instrustor Trainer
DIRRebreather Team Member
----------------------------
"Once an Outlaw, always an Outlaw"

USSMEG

If you have anybody with a Buddy on the boat, they may carry one of the small test gauges for the rig. Like this one. (the lower one on the page)

A.P.Valves

You can plug this right into the reg's bc hose and see the pressure. 150 PSI is 10.2 Bar.

Paul

what2be

Yes, I used my IP gauge from my Evolution kit and it read 120psi. I changed to a apeks reg i had for my bailout bottle and it went to 130. It now pumps to 3200 easily. I belive thats about right (3210/25=128.4 psi) I guess I was incorrect earlier when I said I tested the Scuba pro reg. I must have gotten it confused with something else at home when I was checking stuff. When I get home Ill get a shim kit for the scuba pro and get it to 150psi.

Thanks for all the replies!

__________________
"If I die with any money at all in my bank account I know I miscalculated"