SPG Questions

[simonbeans]

Chris from Weeki Wachee asked me a couple of questions about this SPG. I am not knowledgeable about it, maybe someone here might have the answers.



I have a couple of questions about vintage diving that I was hoping you could help me with. After running my tank down a couple of times, I decided it might be a good idea to get a pressure gauge. I bought a US Divers "UDT" pressure gauge off of Ebay. The gauge is in very good shape, but looks as if it was filled with oil at one time. Do you know much about the vintage gauges, how safe, etc.

Thanks for helping him out.
Allan

[crimediver]

I also have this guage. I am looking for info on it as well. Even though the guage says UDT on it I suspect that was a marketing ploy as I doubt it was used by UDT divers as it is pretty gaudy with the orange dial face and white hose. My LDS owner remembers when they came out in the 60's but that is all the light he could shed. Mine works well and is similar to a Sea-View guage. Very heavy duty. I wonder if someone has a catalog with it in it ?

[21]

The original US Dives guage was last sold in 1971. It was a black faced black hose unit IDed as #7018 last priced at $29.50

In 1972 to possibly complement the popular orange faced Doxa watch US Divers introduced the Orange faced black hose SPG (submersible Pressure Guage) model CPC # 1025 at $31.95.

21

[YankDownUnder]

Note also that the black plastic cover has been removed from the HP hose. The covers prevent the woven wrap from fraying. Sometimes the plastic cracks. It looks as though someone spent the afternoon picking off the cover to make it look better to sell.

[capn_tucker]

Note also that the black plastic cover has been removed from the HP hose. The covers prevent the woven wrap from fraying. Sometimes the plastic cracks. It looks as though someone spent the afternoon picking off the cover to make it look better to sell.

Umm, I have seen other gages like this with the white hose. In fact, I have a Voit SPG with a white hose also. I've also seen a US Divers model identical to my Voit gage, except the boot is black instead of blue, and different logo of course. I can find no trace of a black covering, even around the edges of the connectors.
Possibly some gages came like this in the early '60s?

[capn_tucker]

Note also that the black plastic cover has been removed from the HP hose. The covers prevent the woven wrap from fraying. Sometimes the plastic cracks. It looks as though someone spent the afternoon picking off the cover to make it look better to sell.

Umm, I have seen other gages like this with the white hose. In fact, I have a Voit SPG with a white hose also. I've also seen a US Divers model identical to my Voit gage, except the boot is black instead of blue, and different logo of course. I can find no trace of a black covering, even around the edges of the connectors.
Possibly some gages came like this in the early '60s?

OK, finally figured out why my pictures wouldn't upload. Here's a couple pics of my white hose Voit SPG..

[crimediver]

This is the 3rd one of these guages I have seen with the white hose so I have to believe this is how they were manufactured. I also have seen a german spg hose with a similar hose. Cannot remember the name though. The info 21 passed on sound pretty good as the guage is reminescent of a Doxa watch. I wish this guage was worth as much.

[YankDownUnder]

My comment about the missing vinyl cover is based on three things:

1. I dived during the period when these were sold and never saw one with only the white woven wrap.

2. I have never seen one like it in a catalog.

3. I bought two, where part of the plastic coating was damaged and I peeled away the cover and the white woven wrap was what was underneath. One was British, a Heinke and the other was made in the USA and was made by US Divers like yours.

I am sure I have not seen all catalogs and have not seen all gauge hoses. However, we all know hoses with wraps are subject to fraying. Some engine hoses have steel wire wraps, and are used where abrasion is not a problem. The aircraft I flew in the US Army had stainless steel wraps on almost all of the engine hoses, but none of these were were they could suffer friction. Most of us have seen wire wraps on car after-market engine hoses. Any wrap will snag and tear piece-by-piece, and eventually fray. The plastic coating does not provide much strength, it just reduces friction that causes fraying.

Allan, there are a couple of things you might wish to consider. If you feel the wrap might fray, you can coat it with neoprene paint. It is available through marine supply stores, and is used to re-surface inflatable boats. It is rather expensive, but has many uses, such as sealing harness webbing tips. Vinyl coatings are also available in hardware supply stores, like Home Depot, but I have never used them.

I have noticed a few things that I thought I remembered, but my recollection was wrong. I could be wrong about the wrap, and I would love to be shown a catalog picture, as it would expand my knowledge on the subject. If anyone has such a picture, it would make a good post. Catalog references are our best source on these things and are a lot better than my memory or my opinion.

[capn_tucker]

The curious thing about my Voit SPG, is that I have looked through every Voit catalog, and it appears nowhere. Being an end-reader, and having the blue rubber housing dates it to the early '60s (I think), but would be nice to know exactly when it was available...

[captain]

I had a Voit SPG and the hose jacket cracked and peeled off. They were not made that way. It was some type of plastic jacket rather than rubber. You could get a long piece of electrical shrink tubing and shrink it over the hose. Electronic supply stores usually have it in 3 and 4 foot lengths. I have done this on motorcycle control cables that were cut and scraped.

[capn_tucker]

I had a Voit SPG and the hose jacket cracked and peeled off. They were not made that way. It was some type of plastic jacket rather than rubber. You could get a long piece of electrical shrink tubing and shrink it over the hose. Electronic supply stores usually have it in 3 and 4 foot lengths. I have done this on motorcycle control cables that were cut and scraped.

That's a great idea, thanks! I've been wanting to use this gage, but not with the white part exposed. Off to find some shrink tubing..