Identify pressure gauge?

[antique diver]

I have an interesting pressure indicator/gauge that I am hoping someone can identify. Please let me know if you know the manufacturer and year of production. The end piece is a spring-loaded piston with colored bands to indicate relative pressure in your cylinder... plus it has an audible alarm when you get low on pressure. Actually sort of a rude noise. I think this might be a good way to dive in a vintage mode and still monitor pressure. I just overhauled it and it works great.

[crimediver]

Can't help you on the ID but have seen one a couple of years ago. Neat piece of gear.

[DiverTim]

Nice idea, but I've never seen one. Tim

[YankDownUnder]

The gauge that you have, I have not seen. However, the idea was first applied to diving in 1955 by Jim Ager of Air Dive in Australia. Jim told me that a friend took the idea to Healthways, who rejected it. Shortly after Healthways began to sell a thinly disquised variation. Small stem gauges were produced for US Divers and placed on K vavles. Most stem gauges rely upon a spring which must be correct for the application. Over time the spring will slowly collapse and need to be replaced. If yours has not been used under pressure, it may be just fine.

Police here in Australia insisted that Air Dive continue to produce the stem gauges for sometime, because of their 'black water' searches. The divers did not have to see the gauge, but could feel it under zero visibility circumstances. Sea Bee divers loved their stem gauges because they could just touch them, to determine the contents of their air tanks and did not have to bring it up to be seen. I have a Sea Bee regulator with an early stem gauge, and a later one which I use as a back up for a transmitter.

You have a prize which is worth keeping.

[antique diver]

Thanks for the info, YankDownUnder. Luckily the spring tension is internally adjustable with a nut that retains the spring on the piston shaft.
I have adjusted it to show the full green band at about 2200 psi, as shown in the photo. The audible warning uses a little air to make its noise, venting out the filter seen in this photo. Seems like a terrible tiime to waste air when you are already low, but it seems to be fairly small quantity in my test in the kitchen sink. I'll know more when I take it diving. I think I'm going to like this piece of equipment. I'm hoping to hear some more info on it!

[REDWINEPETER]

Hi All
Hope you guys are still around
I have acquired all the old Sea Bee stock from Airdive which includes some new unused pressure guages.
I have a Healthways copy on the way from the USA at present.
I will put both up as examples on my web site hardhatpeter.com.au under the Sea Bee tab so people can compare.

Now as for this guage it looks way too sophisticated for the era that the others were made for.

I am wondering if it was made for some other more modern application??.

[antique diver]

Thanks for all the interesting information that you have on your site. That original stem gauge from Sea Bee was very simple and looks great for just working by feel. I think the one I have may have been from Healthways, but I haven't researched that further. Guess I need to dig it out of my closet and take it diving again... I love the audible low-air warning as it starts to burp air from the end.

[ovalis]

I'm pretty confident that gauge is from Scubapro. I have the same one and it has the Scubapro "S" on the black portion of the gauge. That being said, it could very well likely be part of the Healthways line from that time period too.

[kgehring]

I got these from Australia.


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[REDWINEPETER]

Hi All
I just won an E bay Scubapro reg with the Healthways stem guage attached. Never seen one but body is different from Sea Bee. No doubt to get around patents.

Very interested to see "kgehring" got his from Australia when Yank Down Under and i do not recognize them.

The company where i picked up all the early Sea Bee items from was the exclusive Scubapro distributor in Australia and i did not find any there or any information on the audible guage.
I know from personal experience that Fire & Rescue breathing appratus do have audible guage at the end of a hose but not the same as these.

Interesting ??????? Hopefully the mistry will be solved soon
Will place query on our HDS site to see if anyone local knows it.
Peter

[regulatorbj]

This SPG appears in "Scubapro'" catalogue circa 1963 through to 1967 labelled as a "Sonic" gauge ,the same unit was also marketed by "Airflo"
As mentioned other company's had "Stem" gauges ie Heathway's /Submarine Products UK but the Scubapro was the only audible type.


john

[antique diver]

This SPG appears in "Scubapro'" catalogue circa 1963 through to 1967 labelled as a "Sonic" gauge ,the same unit was also marketed by "Airflo"
As mentioned other company's had "Stem" gauges ie Heathway's /Submarine Products UK but the Scubapro was the only audible type.


john

Thanks John... it's good to finally know more about my little noise-maker.

[REDWINEPETER]

Hi
It has been a while on this post.
FYI if anyone has any SEA BEE regs that may need parts you are welcome to contact me.
I am still moulding the diaphragm, covers and other parts on the original 1950’s compression moulding machines.
I would also love to see what SEA BEE regs are out there if you could send me pics

Peter
Www.hardhatpeter.com.au

[Herman]

Any chance the second stage diaphragms will fit Healthways second stages?


Off topic but you should drop the .au off your web address in your signature. It does not work with it.

[REDWINEPETER]

Hi Herman
Yep sorry about that forgetting ones own web site address
Re diaphragms what is O’Dowd of yours and maybe a pic and i can check for u.