The " ALIBOX "

michael hearn · 25th August 2006, 12:10

Quote: (Originally Posted by divelermentov)

Hi Joe

sorry to disapoint you, but our bodies do react to titanium, quite a bit more than we would have hoped.
In the last years we do see an increasing amount of stuides showing triggering of autoimmun disorders when titanium is incorporated.
Therefore over the last 10 years or so we do see a growing trend in surgery to replace titanium with suitable ceramics such as ZrO2 or similar.
I personally do not use any titanium implants anymore, and in many cases prefer either zirconium for permanent implants or lactid acid for temporary work.

Sorry just had to put my .02 in here.

However for marine purposes i agree titanium is extrem corrsion resistant, mainly due to it is forming a Titanium oxide layer (defacto ceramic layer) which than is difficult to remove and therefore does not corrode further.
In surgical appliances the manufacturer therefore make sure that all titanium surfaces are oxidized before geting in contact with other components.

unless you swallow your titan box, dont think you will have to much to worry about

divelermentov · 26th August 2006, 23:42

Quote: (Originally Posted by michael hearn)

unless you swallow your titan box, dont think you will have to much to worry about

That's true, will have to train to be able to swallow so

terenceanderson · 15th April 2008, 16:01

Quote: (Originally Posted by michael hearn)

Here are the new pics of the ALIBOX. More pics in the gallery.
Made of 4 mm marine grade aluminium and hard anodized.
Weight of box apr. 4 kg with the stainless steel stand.
2 Cambands for each bottle.
Model seen is toploading, backloading system also available ( seen TITANBOX also in this forum ).
Holes predrilled for Metalsub mounts for extra bottles or battery packs.
Hope you like.
Mike.

I am a new owner of an Alibox. For the most part I am happy with it. My one critcism has to do with the current base that looks NOTHING like the picture posted at the top of this thread. The current base is a very hard rough edge that has already gouged a boat's seat and caused me to be banned from bringing the box back onboard until I make some sort of mod to protect the boat from the Alibox.

So, why the change from the smooth tubular stainless steel as pictured to the current rough unfinished squared edge that is not friendly towards boats or hands?

Can I get a tubular stainless steel base as a replacement?

**aainslie** · 15th April 2008, 18:47

On a similar note - my alibox came without the metal pieces donw the sides that would have made a nice system for keeping cylinders in place. It came with NO cylinder mounts; Terry's came with mounts, but very different mounts from the ones in the pictures.

The workmanship seems pretty inconsistent.

I've also changed out the latches - I bought some from Salvo, who use much more industrial ones on their lights.

The metal bit on the bottom has not only damaged boats, but also my car. I feel like I'm wandering around with a knife with a 50 lb weight attached to the top!

Overall, I think that this could be a great product with some small changes. And I too encourage you to ship units that are the same as those on your website.

diverklondike · 15th April 2008, 19:42

My experiance is that Mike does make an excellent product. I used one with my Inspiration for quite a while and it worked great. It should be noted that you do not need heavy latches on the case since they really just provide alignment for the knob to be screwed on.

Mark

michael hearn · 15th April 2008, 20:03

Quote: (Originally Posted by aainslie)

On a similar note - my alibox came without the metal pieces donw the sides that would have made a nice system for keeping cylinders in place. It came with NO cylinder mounts; Terry's came with mounts, but very different mounts from the ones in the pictures.

The workmanship seems pretty inconsistent.

I've also changed out the latches - I bought some from Salvo, who use much more industrial ones on their lights.

The metal bit on the bottom has not only damaged boats, but also my car. I feel like I'm wandering around with a knife with a 50 lb weight attached to the top!

Overall, I think that this could be a great product with some small changes. And I too encourage you to ship units that are the same as those on your website.

hi
i very rarely get negative comments and have probably got the box about as good as it canbe and i think that most of the new owners are very happy with the product , i rarley get problems with the clips and as has been said the centre bolt is the main stay of the lid.the box in the begining of this thread is the very first prototype that i ever made and i still have this box , all the stands on boxes that were sold are like the one that you have.perfection i will never create but i think that the quality of the product speaks for its self and am always trying to make small improvements to make it better so thanks for the comments.
mike

**aainslie** · 15th April 2008, 21:40

Michael,

I DO like it overall. I should send you pics of mine with the Salvo style latches, I've done away with the screw (which I could never get to line up properly0 and it now works great.

I'm surprised no one else has complained about the sharp edges on the bottom. They made a mess of the paintowrk on the boat we were on, and I suspect on a RIB thety would cause major damage. I've temporarily ziptied some inner tubing on the bottom, and our next move will be to get some hydraulic hose of the right diameter and affix that in place over the steel. For the cylinder mounts, I'm going to hunt down some half-round stainless or aluminium rod, and drill, tap and screw it in place.

I have two other suggestions - (1) there are more hoses (computer, HUD, inflator, manual dil add etc) coming out the left side than the right side from the lid and manifold, so i'd suggest making the slots asymmetric, i.e. deeper and/or longer on the left than the right. I intend doing this mod too. Otherwise one runs the risk of having the hoses compress the breathing loop and impede airflow. And (2) a "manual" with assembly instructions would have helped. I love lego kits as much as the next person, but it definitely would have saved me some time to know how to assemble it without using trial and error. I initially cursed the "fact" that the manifold didn't fit anywhere properly - and then suddenly realized that your placement is actually more elegant than in the original Inspo box!

Things I LOVE - it is VERY solid and does a great job of protecting the innards in the case of even the most egregious abuse. Great for caves, wrecks and travelling which was my intent. Also the location of the slots for things like the metalsub, the manifold, etc are well done. Overall, I think that with tinkering it's going to be great.

michael hearn · 16th April 2008, 14:15

Quote: (Originally Posted by aainslie)

Michael,

I DO like it overall. I should send you pics of mine with the Salvo style latches, I've done away with the screw (which I could never get to line up properly0 and it now works great.

I'm surprised no one else has complained about the sharp edges on the bottom. They made a mess of the paintowrk on the boat we were on, and I suspect on a RIB thety would cause major damage. I've temporarily ziptied some inner tubing on the bottom, and our next move will be to get some hydraulic hose of the right diameter and affix that in place over the steel. For the cylinder mounts, I'm going to hunt down some half-round stainless or aluminium rod, and drill, tap and screw it in place.

I have two other suggestions - (1) there are more hoses (computer, HUD, inflator, manual dil add etc) coming out the left side than the right side from the lid and manifold, so i'd suggest making the slots asymmetric, i.e. deeper and/or longer on the left than the right. I intend doing this mod too. Otherwise one runs the risk of having the hoses compress the breathing loop and impede airflow. And (2) a "manual" with assembly instructions would have helped. I love lego kits as much as the next person, but it definitely would have saved me some time to know how to assemble it without using trial and error. I initially cursed the "fact" that the manifold didn't fit anywhere properly - and then suddenly realized that your placement is actually more elegant than in the original Inspo box!

Things I LOVE - it is VERY solid and does a great job of protecting the innards in the case of even the most egregious abuse. Great for caves, wrecks and travelling which was my intent. Also the location of the slots for things like the metalsub, the manifold, etc are well done. Overall, I think that with tinkering it's going to be great.

.
thanks
i always tell customers that assembley is the same as the origonal yellow box ,all the slots are more or less the same proportions as the yellow box , the manifold does have its own little place to sit , i do have pics of the assembly routine but most manage it ok. i wont be making any major changes as it is pretty ok for the most inspo users who dont change their configuration,i do make an alu stand which is much softer than the ss stand, but less strong . you must understand that milling complex edges is quite expensive and a cost that has to be passed on. i have to try and keep the boxes at a fair price .thanks for your coments and will certainly keep them in mind.
mike

diverklondike · 16th April 2008, 14:49

As mentioned I have had lots of success with Mike's ALIBOX over the last couple of years. He has been kind enough to create a couple custom bases for me over that time.

One of the many things that I like about the AliBox is that it allows me to raise the center of gravity on the kit which gives you much better trim.

With that here are some examples of the various cfg options that I have used.

Liability Release: Please note that I am not suggesting that anyone do this the same way as I have. Just sharing what I have done.

Dive Safe

Mark

**aainslie** · 16th April 2008, 16:43

Hey Mark,

Thanks for the pics (and for emailing me the doc as well!). You don't have a pic of the rig in travel/cave mode by any chance do you?

Mike,

I understand the costs involved. Still I really would have liked it if mine came with the two vertical rods on each side to keep cylinders in place as shown in your pictures on your website. I'll make something up myself to replicate what's in your pictures.

25th August 2006, 12:10	#31 (permalink)
michael hearn RBW Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: belgium Posts: 118	Re: The " ALIBOX " Quote: (Originally Posted by divelermentov) Hi Joe sorry to disapoint you, but our bodies do react to titanium, quite a bit more than we would have hoped. In the last years we do see an increasing amount of stuides showing triggering of autoimmun disorders when titanium is incorporated. Therefore over the last 10 years or so we do see a growing trend in surgery to replace titanium with suitable ceramics such as ZrO2 or similar. I personally do not use any titanium implants anymore, and in many cases prefer either zirconium for permanent implants or lactid acid for temporary work. Sorry just had to put my .02 in here. However for marine purposes i agree titanium is extrem corrsion resistant, mainly due to it is forming a Titanium oxide layer (defacto ceramic layer) which than is difficult to remove and therefore does not corrode further. In surgical appliances the manufacturer therefore make sure that all titanium surfaces are oxidized before geting in contact with other components. unless you swallow your titan box, dont think you will have to much to worry about
(Offline)

26th August 2006, 23:42	#32 (permalink)
divelermentov Nutty dentist - uwdriller Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Home Build Join Date: May 2006 Location: Auckland Posts: 665	Re: The " ALIBOX " Quote: (Originally Posted by michael hearn) unless you swallow your titan box, dont think you will have to much to worry about That's true, will have to train to be able to swallow so __________________ May The Sorb Be With You
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15th April 2008, 16:01	#33 (permalink)
terenceanderson RBW Member Current Rebreather/s: Evolution Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Redondo Beach Posts: 7	Re: The " ALIBOX " Quote: (Originally Posted by michael hearn) Here are the new pics of the ALIBOX. More pics in the gallery. Made of 4 mm marine grade aluminium and hard anodized. Weight of box apr. 4 kg with the stainless steel stand. 2 Cambands for each bottle. Model seen is toploading, backloading system also available ( seen TITANBOX also in this forum ). Holes predrilled for Metalsub mounts for extra bottles or battery packs. Hope you like. Mike. I am a new owner of an Alibox. For the most part I am happy with it. My one critcism has to do with the current base that looks NOTHING like the picture posted at the top of this thread. The current base is a very hard rough edge that has already gouged a boat's seat and caused me to be banned from bringing the box back onboard until I make some sort of mod to protect the boat from the Alibox. So, why the change from the smooth tubular stainless steel as pictured to the current rough unfinished squared edge that is not friendly towards boats or hands? Can I get a tubular stainless steel base as a replacement?
(Offline)

15th April 2008, 18:47	#34 (permalink)
aainslie So Cal Tech Diver Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: LA Posts: 262	Re: The " ALIBOX " On a similar note - my alibox came without the metal pieces donw the sides that would have made a nice system for keeping cylinders in place. It came with NO cylinder mounts; Terry's came with mounts, but very different mounts from the ones in the pictures. The workmanship seems pretty inconsistent. I've also changed out the latches - I bought some from Salvo, who use much more industrial ones on their lights. The metal bit on the bottom has not only damaged boats, but also my car. I feel like I'm wandering around with a knife with a 50 lb weight attached to the top! Overall, I think that this could be a great product with some small changes. And I too encourage you to ship units that are the same as those on your website. __________________ Andrew Ainslie
(Offline)

15th April 2008, 19:42	#35 (permalink)
diverklondike RBW Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Delaware, USA Posts: 1,714	Re: The " ALIBOX " My experiance is that Mike does make an excellent product. I used one with my Inspiration for quite a while and it worked great. It should be noted that you do not need heavy latches on the case since they really just provide alignment for the knob to be screwed on. Mark
(Offline)

15th April 2008, 20:03	#36 (permalink)
michael hearn RBW Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: belgium Posts: 118	Re: The " ALIBOX " Quote: (Originally Posted by aainslie) On a similar note - my alibox came without the metal pieces donw the sides that would have made a nice system for keeping cylinders in place. It came with NO cylinder mounts; Terry's came with mounts, but very different mounts from the ones in the pictures. The workmanship seems pretty inconsistent. I've also changed out the latches - I bought some from Salvo, who use much more industrial ones on their lights. The metal bit on the bottom has not only damaged boats, but also my car. I feel like I'm wandering around with a knife with a 50 lb weight attached to the top! Overall, I think that this could be a great product with some small changes. And I too encourage you to ship units that are the same as those on your website. hi i very rarely get negative comments and have probably got the box about as good as it canbe and i think that most of the new owners are very happy with the product , i rarley get problems with the clips and as has been said the centre bolt is the main stay of the lid.the box in the begining of this thread is the very first prototype that i ever made and i still have this box , all the stands on boxes that were sold are like the one that you have.perfection i will never create but i think that the quality of the product speaks for its self and am always trying to make small improvements to make it better so thanks for the comments. mike
(Offline)

15th April 2008, 21:40	#37 (permalink)
aainslie So Cal Tech Diver Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: LA Posts: 262	Re: The " ALIBOX " Michael, I DO like it overall. I should send you pics of mine with the Salvo style latches, I've done away with the screw (which I could never get to line up properly0 and it now works great. I'm surprised no one else has complained about the sharp edges on the bottom. They made a mess of the paintowrk on the boat we were on, and I suspect on a RIB thety would cause major damage. I've temporarily ziptied some inner tubing on the bottom, and our next move will be to get some hydraulic hose of the right diameter and affix that in place over the steel. For the cylinder mounts, I'm going to hunt down some half-round stainless or aluminium rod, and drill, tap and screw it in place. I have two other suggestions - (1) there are more hoses (computer, HUD, inflator, manual dil add etc) coming out the left side than the right side from the lid and manifold, so i'd suggest making the slots asymmetric, i.e. deeper and/or longer on the left than the right. I intend doing this mod too. Otherwise one runs the risk of having the hoses compress the breathing loop and impede airflow. And (2) a "manual" with assembly instructions would have helped. I love lego kits as much as the next person, but it definitely would have saved me some time to know how to assemble it without using trial and error. I initially cursed the "fact" that the manifold didn't fit anywhere properly - and then suddenly realized that your placement is actually more elegant than in the original Inspo box! Things I LOVE - it is VERY solid and does a great job of protecting the innards in the case of even the most egregious abuse. Great for caves, wrecks and travelling which was my intent. Also the location of the slots for things like the metalsub, the manifold, etc are well done. Overall, I think that with tinkering it's going to be great. __________________ Andrew Ainslie Last edited by aainslie : 15th April 2008 at 21:44.
(Offline)

16th April 2008, 14:15	#38 (permalink)
michael hearn RBW Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: belgium Posts: 118	Re: The " ALIBOX " Quote: (Originally Posted by aainslie) Michael, I DO like it overall. I should send you pics of mine with the Salvo style latches, I've done away with the screw (which I could never get to line up properly0 and it now works great. I'm surprised no one else has complained about the sharp edges on the bottom. They made a mess of the paintowrk on the boat we were on, and I suspect on a RIB thety would cause major damage. I've temporarily ziptied some inner tubing on the bottom, and our next move will be to get some hydraulic hose of the right diameter and affix that in place over the steel. For the cylinder mounts, I'm going to hunt down some half-round stainless or aluminium rod, and drill, tap and screw it in place. I have two other suggestions - (1) there are more hoses (computer, HUD, inflator, manual dil add etc) coming out the left side than the right side from the lid and manifold, so i'd suggest making the slots asymmetric, i.e. deeper and/or longer on the left than the right. I intend doing this mod too. Otherwise one runs the risk of having the hoses compress the breathing loop and impede airflow. And (2) a "manual" with assembly instructions would have helped. I love lego kits as much as the next person, but it definitely would have saved me some time to know how to assemble it without using trial and error. I initially cursed the "fact" that the manifold didn't fit anywhere properly - and then suddenly realized that your placement is actually more elegant than in the original Inspo box! Things I LOVE - it is VERY solid and does a great job of protecting the innards in the case of even the most egregious abuse. Great for caves, wrecks and travelling which was my intent. Also the location of the slots for things like the metalsub, the manifold, etc are well done. Overall, I think that with tinkering it's going to be great. . thanks i always tell customers that assembley is the same as the origonal yellow box ,all the slots are more or less the same proportions as the yellow box , the manifold does have its own little place to sit , i do have pics of the assembly routine but most manage it ok. i wont be making any major changes as it is pretty ok for the most inspo users who dont change their configuration,i do make an alu stand which is much softer than the ss stand, but less strong . you must understand that milling complex edges is quite expensive and a cost that has to be passed on. i have to try and keep the boxes at a fair price .thanks for your coments and will certainly keep them in mind. mike
(Offline)

16th April 2008, 16:43	#40 (permalink)
aainslie So Cal Tech Diver Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: LA Posts: 262	Re: The " ALIBOX " Hey Mark, Thanks for the pics (and for emailing me the doc as well!). You don't have a pic of the rig in travel/cave mode by any chance do you? Mike, I understand the costs involved. Still I really would have liked it if mine came with the two vertical rods on each side to keep cylinders in place as shown in your pictures on your website. I'll make something up myself to replicate what's in your pictures. __________________ Andrew Ainslie
(Offline)

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