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ScubaLawyer
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Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:47 pm

Ok, finally finished my Voit Navy V66 Phoenix HPR DBE DSV uber reg. Apologies to the purists but I don’t have any wall-hangers. I dive all my regs. Had to replace a few other internals like the spring retainer and bonnet adjusting screw with NOS parts as the old ones were all messed up with old wrench gouges. Chrome is original. Installed my faux band clamp knurled screw and can't tell it from the original. Breathes like a champ. IP holding at 135psi.

Yes, the hoses are neoprene. Yes, I understand all the superior qualities of silicone hoses and I have them on other regs. It's just that, well, I like neoprene hoses. I like their weight, I like their feel, I like their looks, I like their smell, I like it when they accidently on purpose rub up against your bare thigh under the covers at 3 am ............ but I digress.

Thanks to Bryan for the new HPR, DBE, DSV, Phoenix, at al..... Thanks to Sam for the NOS parts. Thanks to Mr. Klauda for the new can label. Now I just gotta go dive it.

Next project? Either refurbishing the VR-1 Sportsman, VR-2 Mariner or Healthways Gold Label that one of the guys who works in my LDS and knows I collect such old dangerous contraptions gave me the other day. Seems they were in the bottom of the box someone bought at an estate sale and he just donated the worthless things to the LDS. The Gold Label will need re-chroming and a ton of work but I think I'll wait to find a Hope Page mouthpiece to go with it before I tackle the unknowns (to me) of a HW. Too many projects. No time. I'll just have to suffer through. Mark
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"The diver who collects specimens of underwater life has fun and becomes a keen underwater observer. .. seek slow-moving or attached organisms such as corals, starfish, or shelled creatures." (Golden Guide to Scuba Diving, 1968) :D

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ScubaLawyer
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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Thu Nov 02, 2017 12:50 pm

Few more pics.
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"The diver who collects specimens of underwater life has fun and becomes a keen underwater observer. .. seek slow-moving or attached organisms such as corals, starfish, or shelled creatures." (Golden Guide to Scuba Diving, 1968) :D

swimjim
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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:16 pm

Looks pretty sweet to me. Nice job!

Jim

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Bryan
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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Thu Nov 02, 2017 9:07 pm

Probably the best breathing Voit Navy on the planet.

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Nemrod
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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Sun Nov 26, 2017 1:37 am

Bryan wrote:Probably the best breathing Voit Navy on the planet.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk
Y'all sure about that, why I will be your Daisy:

Image

It too is a Phoenix Gen II with HPR and DBE. Full rechrome, all the good stuff. It looks more spiffy when I let it borrow the wing nut yoke knob from one of my Series One Krakens. The installed hoses came from the gent in England (remember him :wink: ). Grey diaphragm too. I use the hour glass mouthpiece and PMDSV with it for the pleasing of the vintage gods.

And, just because, somewhere hiding in a box I am too tired to dig out, is a Navy Cyclone that will go toe to toe with it. Even my Krakens give the Navy Phoenix a wide birth :shock: . No sense picking a fight if not sure can win it :evil: .

And, just saying, neither the Navy Phoneix nor Navy Cyclone were made from a vintage intact Navy. All parts are either reproduction or scavenged from dead regs. I worked the cans back perfectly smooth and had a local shop (since gone out of business) do the chrome.

N

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ScubaLawyer
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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Sun Nov 26, 2017 12:38 pm

Nem, very nice i'll grant you. But did you jack up the venturi using extra HPR tabs to take advantage of a DSV baffle? I think not. 8) Anyway, great looking reg. Mark.
"The diver who collects specimens of underwater life has fun and becomes a keen underwater observer. .. seek slow-moving or attached organisms such as corals, starfish, or shelled creatures." (Golden Guide to Scuba Diving, 1968) :D

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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Sun Nov 26, 2017 4:36 pm

ScubaLawyer wrote:Nem, very nice i'll grant you. But did you jack up the venturi using extra HPR tabs to take advantage of a DSV baffle? I think not. 8) Anyway, great looking reg. Mark.
The short answer is yes. I tune my regs using Magnahelics and a flow meter. I have a DSV for the Navy, it is just not on it for that impromptu photo as that is the hose loop I generally use on a 50 Fathom.

I was working on my Kraken last evening, post Cozumel teardown and tune:

Image

Here, on the lower right side of the towel, you can see the tabs and shims and the "new" nuts for Venturi regulation:

Image

As to the tabs or nuts for regulating the Venturi, after Cozumel, I removed the "new" nuts from Kraken DD-6 and returned to using the shimmed tabs. I have my PRAM, PNavy and both Krakens set with one port fully blocked and the other half blocked and IP at 132 psi. With both bleed ports blocked with the nuts my Kraken would bypass and so does my PRAM and PNavy, even with a DSV installed.

I hear tell from my wife that there is a Kraken SE perhaps heading my way, got to clear the bench to build it up, sorry PNavy, you got to go get back in your box. :cry: And DD-6, you got to get your innards back inside your innards and shoo away also :wink: .

Just to reiterate so as not to anger the vintage gods, my PNavy and PRAM are built from spare parts, NIB bodies and OEM band clamps and either new cans or reworked cans. In fact, I destroyed no intact regulators. Aside from one NIB heavy yoke RAM and my Mistral I have owned forever and my Krakens, all of my DH regs are piece built.

You are for sure right, the DSV does look good on a Navy, I wonder if we can Cerakote the DSV grey 8) .

James

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ScubaLawyer
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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Sun Nov 26, 2017 5:30 pm

I stand humbled. :D
"The diver who collects specimens of underwater life has fun and becomes a keen underwater observer. .. seek slow-moving or attached organisms such as corals, starfish, or shelled creatures." (Golden Guide to Scuba Diving, 1968) :D

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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Sun Nov 26, 2017 7:54 pm

ScubaLawyer wrote:I stand humbled. :D
Nah, you have neoprene hoses :lol: and that is worth something. I know what you mean about the full experience gotten with neoprene.

I may have to order a set so I can be on the same tier. I think VSS has some and they are original length too which works well for those of us not overly large folks.

Your reg is beautiful and intimidating with that DSV. Does your Kraken SE get along with it :?:

James

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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:27 pm

Nemrod wrote: I wonder if we can Cerakote the DSV grey 8) .

James
NO......do not try to cerakote your mouthpiece! They are developing a cold process for cerakoting but it won't work on them either......I have had samples done with both processes and they get an F.

Your SE should be on the way end of next week as I get caught up.
Doing it right should include some common sense, not just blindly following specs and instructions. .Gary D, AWAP on SB

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ScubaLawyer
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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Sun Nov 26, 2017 9:52 pm

Nemrod wrote:Your reg is beautiful and intimidating with that DSV. Does your Kraken SE get along with it :?:
Don't have an SE, but still have Kraken DD 14-021. My Kraken and my Phoenix(s) are like dueling banjos. Sometimes I think the Kraken has the edge on breathing ease and then I use a tuned up Phoenix/HPR and my view flip flops. Then I use my trusty '58 Mistral on a low pressure tank and swear i'll never go back to a two-stage anything. Course, next dive i'm back to my Kraken which I love. My head hurts. :lol:
"The diver who collects specimens of underwater life has fun and becomes a keen underwater observer. .. seek slow-moving or attached organisms such as corals, starfish, or shelled creatures." (Golden Guide to Scuba Diving, 1968) :D

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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Sun Nov 26, 2017 10:32 pm

Bryan wrote:
Nemrod wrote: I wonder if we can Cerakote the DSV grey 8) .

James
NO......do not try to cerakote your mouthpiece! They are developing a cold process for cerakoting but it won't work on them either......I have had samples done with both processes and they get an F.

Your SE should be on the way end of next week as I get caught up.
Oh dear, the suspense is killing me. :shock:

And ScubaLawyer, that is a beautiful Navy in all seriousness, I just been teasing with you. And I was watching Tombstone. :lol:

James

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ScubaLawyer
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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:31 pm

Nem,

Quoting Doc Holliday in Tombstone,

"Nonsense, I have not yet begun to defile myself."

Appreciate the comments. If i'm not teasing, i'm bored. :D Mark
"The diver who collects specimens of underwater life has fun and becomes a keen underwater observer. .. seek slow-moving or attached organisms such as corals, starfish, or shelled creatures." (Golden Guide to Scuba Diving, 1968) :D

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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Tue Nov 28, 2017 11:42 am

- Hey Mark, sorry I missed this post... It's not on the top of the category like other new posts and I just noticed the recent date.
- Anyway, congratulations on your beautiful Voit Navy Phoenix HPR. Man those Voit Cans are attractive. Nicely photographed, too.
- I have had an original Voit Navy for about 4 years and it really deserves more attention than I gave it. My rebuild/service job was flawed so that it would kind of HONK when I breathed above water. The honk would go away under water. But I never bothered to fix it and I didn't end up diving it much. Last Winter, I took the gray hose loop off and gave it to my buddy Rich to use on his DAAM at Sea Hunt Forever. So now it is sitting there dejected, unused and with no hoses... I'm so ashamed. :oops:
- Your project has inspired me to get that thing back in shape for diving.
SurfLung
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Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.

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ScubaLawyer
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Re: Bastardization (or improvement) of a Voit Navy

Tue Nov 28, 2017 12:20 pm

SurfLung wrote:- Hey Mark, sorry I missed this post... It's not on the top of the category like other new posts and I just noticed the recent date.
- Anyway, congratulations on your beautiful Voit Navy Phoenix HPR. Man those Voit Cans are attractive. Nicely photographed, too.
- I have had an original Voit Navy for about 4 years and it really deserves more attention than I gave it. My rebuild/service job was flawed so that it would kind of HONK when I breathed above water. The honk would go away under water. But I never bothered to fix it and I didn't end up diving it much. Last Winter, I took the gray hose loop off and gave it to my buddy Rich to use on his DAAM at Sea Hunt Forever. So now it is sitting there dejected, unused and with no hoses... I'm so ashamed. :oops:
- Your project has inspired me to get that thing back in shape for diving.
Thanks Eben. What? Another project regulator sitting on the shelf? I've never heard of such a thing. :D i'm working on a VR-1 project now. When i finish that I have several more regs of different types waiting in the wings. People keep giving me their old unsafe good for nothing regs and i keep sticking them in a box in the garage. One dive buddy from back in the day was using his chrome 50 fathom as a doorstop for the garden shed out back of his house. That one cost me a six pack of Bohemia and a plate of tacos and he still thinks he got the better end of the deal. 8)

Good luck with your NAVY restore! Mark
"The diver who collects specimens of underwater life has fun and becomes a keen underwater observer. .. seek slow-moving or attached organisms such as corals, starfish, or shelled creatures." (Golden Guide to Scuba Diving, 1968) :D

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