LITTLE RGU GROWS UP
or How I spent under $1,000
and a lot of free time
raising the little tyke.
WARNING
This is a damn fool project. No one in their right mind would do this. If you repeat this you are a fool and will probably die using your creation, leaving some very unhappy loved ones. I did this just for the experience and to solve the technical problems. Everyone that I talk with says this unit is a piece of junk and should not be used as a life support system. Experimental life systems can be deadly. You have been warned. I will probably use the grown up version a couple of times, take some pictures and take the thing apart.
What a neat set of challenges faced me when I decided to raise the RGU to the next level. What is wrong with the RGU.as a candidate to be a serious rebreather? Let me count the ways and illustrate my deathtrap solutions to each.
1. The scrubber is a throwaway
2. Oxygen is injected into the inhalation side of the breathing loop
3. The tank has a weird 'ferren' fitting
4. The counterlung is too small
5. The color scheme is terrible
6. No oxygen sensors
7. The mouthpiece has no shutoff
8. It is a pure oxygen rebreather
Testing and diving the system at CoCo View Resort on Roatan, one of the Honduran Bay Islands in February 2002.
The tank pressure gauge is from e-bay.
I chased my tail for a while trying to find a filler adaptor for the growing pile of tanks of my RGUs. Someone on the list recommended a CGA 660. I got one free from a specialized gas company I deal with. It was beautifully made of stainless steel.I drove to the office playing with the new toy. It did not fit. The RGU tank valve was just a tad to large. I got a brass one and modified it to fit. It is my understanding that Dave Sutton can supply ones that do fit saving you lots of grief. Next I modified one of the gauges to make a filler attachment so the tank would not have to come out of the shell. Click here to see how that was done.
Side by side comparison. The old RGU and the Grown Up RGU. Which one would you prefer to dive and be seen with? Which one looks like it belongs in the water having fun. I am a fun diver and do not take myself too seriously---I guess it shows.
Color scheme from US Divers (1950s) Paint from Lowes.