Subject: Project Argonaut
Note: NO Aqua Master or Royal Aqua Master were harmed, sacrificed, or cannibalized for this project… Ok, the cans are temporarily on loan, but most parts are either new or they will be new.
Cracking effort: can be easily adjusted to as low as 0.3 inWC, but it is not recommended to be adjusted to less than 0.5 inWC.
Venturi flow: adjustable.
Maximum flow rate: more than you will ever need, even with a second diver using an octopus.
Operational temperature: It is an environmentally isolated double hose like the Aqua Master and RAM. I live in Maine. Ice diving will not be an issue, well, at least not for the regulator. Last year we didn’t have any good ice.
First stage: Balanced diaphragm, similar to Phoenix, but with improved air passages to diaphragm and second stage for improved IP response.
Second stage: highly adjustable, HPR type with improved volcano orifice.
This is a totally new regulator based on the cumulative experience of the RAM, the Phoenix RAM and the HPR second stage. It uses many standard components, but it incorporates many improvements, including an improved second stage (based on the HPR).
The main body also features improved air passages, optimized 3 LP ports and modern HP port.
It is very hard to improve on the breathing performance of a well tuned Phoenix HPR with the new diaphragm. Mechanically it is almost impossible, but the performance due to the regulator position is always user dependent.
Some of the improvements of the Argonaut:
• Ease of service
• Unitized construction with no gaskets between first and second stage
• Body is easy to hold, on any vise or with Crescent type wrench.
• Replaceable first and second stage volcano orifices
• Better port orientation
• Lighter weight
• More compact
• No need to cannibalize any vintage regulator for parts.
• Backwards and forward compatibility with parts of the most common vintage regulators. It can be customized with some vintage parts.
Recent diving in Cozumel with the Argonaut prototypes:
Note: I did not set the dive computer to local time. Therefore the times shown are two hours later than local.
• There were several Argonauts in the Cozumel trip.
• The maximum dive depth was around 150 ft (some went to 155 ft).
• The sum of the dive time was about 25 hours of diving on each regulator.
• One of the dives involved some very heavy current when crossing an underwater canyon. We were all probably breathing like Hoovers at that point. Regulator performance was never in question… It was outstanding.
• All regulators performed flawlessly in all dives.
More information to follow.