Hello from the new guy. I was really excited to find this group as my contacts with modern dive shops regarding using vintage equipment have met with mixed results. So let me just dive right in...
I'm putting together a Thunderball collection, with the main area of interest being the equipment use by the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. divers. In Thunderball, the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. divers used a V-shaped manifold which I have. The problem from a use standpoint is it does not have a reserve lever and the one I have is equipped with a K-valve. I have watched Thunderball a number of times and could not spot any J-valve pull rods on the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. divers equipment. I am considering replacing the K-valve with a J-valve and making a custom pull rod which would mount in the usual location along side the tanks but allow activation of the reserve lever which would be center mounted.
Another option would be to add a tank pressure gauge to the K-Valve which is a Voit Viking VK. The K-valve has what appears to be two ports on the side opposite the on/off valve which might allow attachment of a high pressure hose. The V-shaped manifold also has a couple of attachment points on each end but these would make the modification much more visible. The K-valve modification would have the advantage of making the modification easily hidden or even removed for vintage dive events, and I could even go as far as adding a modern dive computer, instead of just a pressure gauge, in order to take advantage of all the options one of those would offer.
Any thoughts or suggestions on which way I should go would be greatly appreciated.