ScubaPro Mk VII Advice needed
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 12:25 pm
Hello everyone,
This is my first post on DoubleHose. I have a lot of old diving equipment from the 70s that I still want to use. In the collection is a 1st generation Scubapro Mark VII regulator that I plan to service and get working again. I know that the later generation Mark VII regs had heavier yokes for higher pressure tanks but I'm wondering if anyone has used the first generation Mark VII units with the lightest rated yokes on 3000 psi or 3300 psi rated tanks. The new (used) tank I just bought is a 100 cu ft 3,300 psi AL tank and I would like to use my old Mk VII reg on it. I'm an engineer and I know things are usually designed with a fairly healthy factor of safety built in so I have a hard time believing that the reg will fly apart as soon as I crack the valve and put 3,300 psi into the reg but I'd like to know if anyone's successfully used one of those 1st Gen Mark VIIs on a 3,300 psi tank or knows of instances where the yokes on these regs have failed at higher pressures. (P.S. Don't worry about getting sued for responding to this question or offering an opinion: I'm Canadian and we haven't yet made a national sport out of suing everyone for every possible thing.
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Another issue I have is that the BC I've always used is also from the 70s and is strictly manual inflate with no provision for direct/tank inflate. Because of that, the Mark VII does not have an accessory LP hose for inflating a BCD, nor does it have a back-up/secondary second stage. I don't have the reg with me right now but I understand there is a second LP port I can tap into for that. My question is, do I need a special Scubapro splitter to tap into that port and run additional hoses off or can I just use a generic fitting for that? If a generic fitting will do, is there a specific thread size I need for that port? I don't know a lot about regulators so I'm not sure if port sizes and thread pitches are standardized or brand specific.
Thanks for your help.
This is my first post on DoubleHose. I have a lot of old diving equipment from the 70s that I still want to use. In the collection is a 1st generation Scubapro Mark VII regulator that I plan to service and get working again. I know that the later generation Mark VII regs had heavier yokes for higher pressure tanks but I'm wondering if anyone has used the first generation Mark VII units with the lightest rated yokes on 3000 psi or 3300 psi rated tanks. The new (used) tank I just bought is a 100 cu ft 3,300 psi AL tank and I would like to use my old Mk VII reg on it. I'm an engineer and I know things are usually designed with a fairly healthy factor of safety built in so I have a hard time believing that the reg will fly apart as soon as I crack the valve and put 3,300 psi into the reg but I'd like to know if anyone's successfully used one of those 1st Gen Mark VIIs on a 3,300 psi tank or knows of instances where the yokes on these regs have failed at higher pressures. (P.S. Don't worry about getting sued for responding to this question or offering an opinion: I'm Canadian and we haven't yet made a national sport out of suing everyone for every possible thing.
)Another issue I have is that the BC I've always used is also from the 70s and is strictly manual inflate with no provision for direct/tank inflate. Because of that, the Mark VII does not have an accessory LP hose for inflating a BCD, nor does it have a back-up/secondary second stage. I don't have the reg with me right now but I understand there is a second LP port I can tap into for that. My question is, do I need a special Scubapro splitter to tap into that port and run additional hoses off or can I just use a generic fitting for that? If a generic fitting will do, is there a specific thread size I need for that port? I don't know a lot about regulators so I'm not sure if port sizes and thread pitches are standardized or brand specific.
Thanks for your help.