Coaxial Oxygen sensors

Dave Sutton · 5th June 2008, 13:39

Quote: (Originally Posted by koputai)

It's an SMI rework to be like a 15.5/16
My rig was also one of the developmental ones at SMI (the white one in magazine articles and in books, (like 'The Technical Diving Handbook' - Gentile pp176-177). Even though it looks nice in those pictures, when I got it it was a wreck. Col and Kane did a fantastic rebuild with tons of new parts.
Here's a pic of my original horse shoe block, minus the sensor bridge, which is stainless btw, not aluminium.

Yup, they are stainless. I work with too much aircraft aluminum structure painted zinc chromate green so when I see green painted metal I just snap to 'aluminum'. There's no aluminum in a Mark-15! Duh!!

In your photo you can see that the SMI folks simply added Winchesters to the old wires with the butt-splice between the old wires and the new ones. The original wires going down into the horseshoe board are aircraft specification silver wire, and after years of abuse they corrode down into the cores of the wires. If/when they break (generally flush with the horseshoe board, naturally), you are screwed. Chipping away potting compound to try to solder new wires to the ones embedded in the old horseshoe board potting (hard epoxy potting naturally).... well, let's just say that one of the good things that Kevin Juergenson did was to make new boards up so that new wires could be used. In any event, your rig was rewired from the point where those butt splices attach the Winchesters. If it were me? I know you have invested time into the coax fittings, but I'd figure out how to re-integrate the binding posts so you can use the R-10 cells. Using those cells is one of the nicest parts of having a Mark-15. Two to Three year cell life. Yippee! Let's see... make a cable with the other end of the SMA connector on it, run that to the back of the sensor bridge, and terminate on the back of the binding posts? Don't give up on the R-10's, they are worth the effort. Once you use them you realize what crap R-22's or K-1D's really are.

I have (soon to be 'had') the "other SMI Prototype" rig, a CCR-1000 (a real civilian CCR-1000) that was a SM-1600 electronics test bed. It too was an absolute POS, just utter crap. All of the mods were so amateurishly done that it's surprising that the thing worked at all. It took ripping out everything that had been bastardized and replacing it to make it right. Glad I'm not the only one!

Col and Kane do great work, don't they? Nice guys, quality stuff, and a pleasure to deal with. You using one of their pods? That plus the 4th cell for a VR-3 that I added to the center section have provided a very reliable rig, 100% reliability in fact. Simple = good. Your secondary tops it all off. Speaking of which, I like the little brackets for an arm strap on the back of the DS-1 so much that I'd like to bug you for a second pair of them for the Mark-15 secondary. Toss a set in the post when you get a sec? Keep that thing from dragging.... Come to think of it, I need a cable for the DS-1 to fit 2 pin VR-3 as well. PM and we'll sort it out. Crate headed your way soon as well.

Dave

.

koputai · 6th June 2008, 01:49

Quote: (Originally Posted by Dave Sutton)

The original wires going down into the horseshoe board are aircraft specification silver wire, and after years of abuse they corrode down into the cores of the wires. If/when they break (generally flush with the horseshoe board, naturally), you are screwed.

Nah, I know where there's a ready supply of new horse shoe boards.

Quote:

Using those cells is one of the nicest parts of having a Mark-15. Two to Three year cell life. Yippee! Let's see... make a cable with the other end of the SMA connector on it, run that to the back of the sensor bridge, and terminate on the back of the binding posts?

Yeah, I think you're right, I should stay with R-10's and just figure a better way of connecting them.

Quote:

Don't give up on the R-10's, they are worth the effort. Once you use them you realize what crap R-22's or K-1D's really are.

Hey you don't have to tell me, but it's only the Teledynes that are any good. Over the seven or eight years I've had the rig, I've tried A.I.'s (fairly crap) and I.T.'s (total and utter crap), but Teledyne R-10's just work, and last forever.

Quote:

I have (soon to be 'had') the "other SMI Prototype" rig, a CCR-1000 (a real civilian CCR-1000) that was a SM-1600 electronics test bed. It too was an absolute POS, just utter crap. All of the mods were so amateurishly done that it's surprising that the thing worked at all. It took ripping out everything that had been bastardized and replacing it to make it right. Glad I'm not the only one!

Yeah, mine had soft tubing in some places instead of stainless tubing, a carbon fibre rear cover that didn't even fit properly, but the pearler was the scrubber. It's a CCR-1000 stainless centre section, but it had a Mk15.5/16 cannister forced in to it, and a Mk15.5/16 plexidome over the top! All of this was 'sealed' in a realy dodgy manner, and seriously, you wouldn't have asked your worst enemy to dive it. Well, actually, your worst enemy was probably the best person to ask to dive it!

Cheers,
Jason.

Drmike · 6th June 2008, 05:57

Quote: (Originally Posted by Dave Sutton)

Might be a 15 v/s 15.5 difference. I've never seen cables with Winchesters wired directly to the horseshoe board. Was that a factory setup, or a rework of some sort?

.

all the 15.5s ive seen are wired up like jasons, um, 15.25

got a new horseshoe to go into mine, but my plan is to wire it up like daves 15, that way all i have to do is cut off the winchesters from the r10s and crimp, solder and laquer on a ring connector. that way as its soldered theres no connector issues to work about.

agree that everything that wasnt original on my sm1600 was below par and has been replaced to the state that my sm1600 is now a mk15.5

although have to say the prism electronics in my mk15.5 are very good indeed. auto setpoint switch at 6m and 100% reliable, not talking about secondary

- thats a digital mk16 one now

5th June 2008, 13:39	#21 (permalink)
Dave Sutton Membership Cancelled Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss MK 15.X rEvo Other CCR Azimuth Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Classic Kiss rEvo Other CCR Azimuth Home Build Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Narragansett, Rhode Island and Hackettstown, New Jersey Posts: 2,637	Re: Coaxial Oxygen sensors Quote: (Originally Posted by koputai) It's an SMI rework to be like a 15.5/16 My rig was also one of the developmental ones at SMI (the white one in magazine articles and in books, (like 'The Technical Diving Handbook' - Gentile pp176-177). Even though it looks nice in those pictures, when I got it it was a wreck. Col and Kane did a fantastic rebuild with tons of new parts. Here's a pic of my original horse shoe block, minus the sensor bridge, which is stainless btw, not aluminium. Yup, they are stainless. I work with too much aircraft aluminum structure painted zinc chromate green so when I see green painted metal I just snap to 'aluminum'. There's no aluminum in a Mark-15! Duh!! In your photo you can see that the SMI folks simply added Winchesters to the old wires with the butt-splice between the old wires and the new ones. The original wires going down into the horseshoe board are aircraft specification silver wire, and after years of abuse they corrode down into the cores of the wires. If/when they break (generally flush with the horseshoe board, naturally), you are screwed. Chipping away potting compound to try to solder new wires to the ones embedded in the old horseshoe board potting (hard epoxy potting naturally).... well, let's just say that one of the good things that Kevin Juergenson did was to make new boards up so that new wires could be used. In any event, your rig was rewired from the point where those butt splices attach the Winchesters. If it were me? I know you have invested time into the coax fittings, but I'd figure out how to re-integrate the binding posts so you can use the R-10 cells. Using those cells is one of the nicest parts of having a Mark-15. Two to Three year cell life. Yippee! Let's see... make a cable with the other end of the SMA connector on it, run that to the back of the sensor bridge, and terminate on the back of the binding posts? Don't give up on the R-10's, they are worth the effort. Once you use them you realize what crap R-22's or K-1D's really are. I have (soon to be 'had') the "other SMI Prototype" rig, a CCR-1000 (a real civilian CCR-1000) that was a SM-1600 electronics test bed. It too was an absolute POS, just utter crap. All of the mods were so amateurishly done that it's surprising that the thing worked at all. It took ripping out everything that had been bastardized and replacing it to make it right. Glad I'm not the only one! Col and Kane do great work, don't they? Nice guys, quality stuff, and a pleasure to deal with. You using one of their pods? That plus the 4th cell for a VR-3 that I added to the center section have provided a very reliable rig, 100% reliability in fact. Simple = good. Your secondary tops it all off. Speaking of which, I like the little brackets for an arm strap on the back of the DS-1 so much that I'd like to bug you for a second pair of them for the Mark-15 secondary. Toss a set in the post when you get a sec? Keep that thing from dragging.... Come to think of it, I need a cable for the DS-1 to fit 2 pin VR-3 as well. PM and we'll sort it out. Crate headed your way soon as well. Dave . Last edited by Dave Sutton : 5th June 2008 at 13:49.
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6th June 2008, 01:49	#22 (permalink)
koputai Subsea Systems Current Rebreather/s: MK 15.X Other CCR Other SCR Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other CCR Other SCR Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 328	Re: Coaxial Oxygen sensors Quote: (Originally Posted by Dave Sutton) The original wires going down into the horseshoe board are aircraft specification silver wire, and after years of abuse they corrode down into the cores of the wires. If/when they break (generally flush with the horseshoe board, naturally), you are screwed. Nah, I know where there's a ready supply of new horse shoe boards. Quote: Using those cells is one of the nicest parts of having a Mark-15. Two to Three year cell life. Yippee! Let's see... make a cable with the other end of the SMA connector on it, run that to the back of the sensor bridge, and terminate on the back of the binding posts? Yeah, I think you're right, I should stay with R-10's and just figure a better way of connecting them. Quote: Don't give up on the R-10's, they are worth the effort. Once you use them you realize what crap R-22's or K-1D's really are. Hey you don't have to tell me, but it's only the Teledynes that are any good. Over the seven or eight years I've had the rig, I've tried A.I.'s (fairly crap) and I.T.'s (total and utter crap), but Teledyne R-10's just work, and last forever. Quote: I have (soon to be 'had') the "other SMI Prototype" rig, a CCR-1000 (a real civilian CCR-1000) that was a SM-1600 electronics test bed. It too was an absolute POS, just utter crap. All of the mods were so amateurishly done that it's surprising that the thing worked at all. It took ripping out everything that had been bastardized and replacing it to make it right. Glad I'm not the only one! Yeah, mine had soft tubing in some places instead of stainless tubing, a carbon fibre rear cover that didn't even fit properly, but the pearler was the scrubber. It's a CCR-1000 stainless centre section, but it had a Mk15.5/16 cannister forced in to it, and a Mk15.5/16 plexidome over the top! All of this was 'sealed' in a realy dodgy manner, and seriously, you wouldn't have asked your worst enemy to dive it. Well, actually, your worst enemy was probably the best person to ask to dive it! Cheers, Jason.
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6th June 2008, 05:57	#23 (permalink)
Drmike Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: MK 15.X Ouroboros Other CCR Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Home Build Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3,165	Re: Coaxial Oxygen sensors Quote: (Originally Posted by Dave Sutton) Might be a 15 v/s 15.5 difference. I've never seen cables with Winchesters wired directly to the horseshoe board. Was that a factory setup, or a rework of some sort? . all the 15.5s ive seen are wired up like jasons, um, 15.25 got a new horseshoe to go into mine, but my plan is to wire it up like daves 15, that way all i have to do is cut off the winchesters from the r10s and crimp, solder and laquer on a ring connector. that way as its soldered theres no connector issues to work about. agree that everything that wasnt original on my sm1600 was below par and has been replaced to the state that my sm1600 is now a mk15.5 although have to say the prism electronics in my mk15.5 are very good indeed. auto setpoint switch at 6m and 100% reliable, not talking about secondary - thats a digital mk16 one now __________________ Cave diving is a sport Wreck diving is a sport Diving in general is a sport 'Rebreather diving' is not a sport its the delusional obsession with a highly dangerous and often inappropriate piece of equipment Last edited by Drmike : 6th June 2008 at 06:04.
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