[quote="leicamshooter"]Well I asked Bryan but he wasn't sure... Has anybody tried using twin tanks on this plate. And if so, how did you go about setting it up. I'm interested in using my twin 45's on this plate... which I'm currently using with the Penutking bands and an Alan vintage harness.
I like the idea of using the Penutking bands on this plate, with my 45's, but just wonder what the best way is to attach them to the plate?
Regards
Gonzalo[/quote]
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Seacraft made the original back plates in three models...see my previous post as follows:
In the late 1950s, Seacraft of Wilmington Mass, produced and marketed three models identified as a "Backplate" and indeed they were "Back plates." Flat with holes for attachment of cylinders,harnesses etc
They were listed in their catalogs as as follows:
*** A320 single back plate............................................. .......$15.95
*** A321 double, -or single-tank set up................................ $21.95
*** A322 Triple tank set up for three 40 cuft tanks...............$24.95
The units VDH will be marketing are modern improved copies of the A320 single back plate.
FYI
About 1957-8 US divers surplused all their 40 cuft clyinders indentified in the US Divers catalog as #0701, H3- 2250 PSI , 5" X 23", 14-1/2 pounds. As single tanks they were commonly idenified and marketed as as women's tanks, when manifolded as three clylinders they were often idnetified and marketed as Navy Units - # 0608-FJ3.
The local dive shop owner, Bob Ruetherford ( Sea Sabres Signaling System, Legends of diving,
www.portagequarry.com) purchased every one of the #0701s at a bargin price, some how Bob discovered Seacraft and their Back Plates and created the Orange County twin 44s (40cuft with 10% overfill)
I was a friend and neighbor of Bob (for you who are familar with Orange county, California, Bob lived on the corner of Brookhurst and Cerritos, I lived a half block away on Cerritos--Tommy Thompson a few streets south and south of Tommy was Fred Roberts-small world!)
Bob checked his sucker list and I was near the top so he sold me one of the first sets of "OC twin 44s." After a few dives I was hooked and begged for another set which I purchased for considerably more than the original set. As time went by I purchased several other sets, and now have 4 sets.
The Seacraft back plates are in my estimation one great secrets of the diving world. They are the most comfortable units ever designed and certainly most versible. Over the past fifty plus years I have modified and used them with a variety of PFV, BIUs, and Vests, all very adaptable and still very comfortable to dive.
The A322 tripple tank unit,(which I think mine are) is especially well suited for the double tank configuration. Once the clyinders are secured to the back plate via hose clamps it is an absolutely solid unit with no movement with the valve connections. I have used them with pig tails which I preferr as well as a normal double manifold with reserve..rock solid.
SDM
21Diving Pioneer Posts: 635Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 2:53 pmLocation: Central California