Fiona(Offline)

I am in the market for another twin set but is there really any difference in manifolds.

Options:

Halcyon, DIRzone or Agir


At the moment I don't do any maintenance, but I am sure given the knowledge that wouldn't be a problem. Do you need to maintain one less than the other but still keep quality.

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Fiona

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speedlime(Offline)

I have Halcyon valves on all my twin sets and stages, never had a problem with them. I do alot of cave diving and they have stood up to the task. Easy to service and clean. Hope that helps.

Dave Wallace(Offline)

Halcyon!

When you get into the detail you will find that they are very different!

To quote from the website...........

Halcyon customers have come to rely on the functional design and reliability of the Halcyon manifold. It is available as either a rugged 300 bar or 200 bar DIN isolator manifold featuring shock absorbing ribbed rubber hand wheels and a true double barrel o-ring isolator seal. The Halcyon valve has a “radial” seal o-ring, with split back-up ring. This radial o-ring maintains a seal on the stem and inner diameter of the bonnet nut at all times, regardless of the valve being open or closed.

Halcyon's valve design is superior to the more typical generic o-ring arrangements in many manifolds that have a “face” seal, which relies on the handle spring to provide an adequate seal until the pressure is applied by opening of the valve seat. This face seal design also tends to crush the o-ring and cause undue wear to the o-ring and the Teflon bushing, which is the other sealing surface required in this design. This wear can be observed during service of used manifolds.

The Halcyon M25-thread manifold is stamped with CE approval andHalcyon's "H" logo is now sculpted into the body of each valve. All Halcyon manifolds are assembled with Viton o-rings and oxygen-compatible lubricants.

Anyway, you know its Halcyon and you promised to put money into my pension fund

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David Wallace


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Brian Allen(Offline)

I have a write up about all the differences here...

http://www.ocean-explorers.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemi d=30

for the extra couple of quid it really is worth it to get the better valves...

FYI interest I have DIRzone, Scubatec and Halcyon valves, and the H ones need servicing least often.

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...dive planning again ...


GUE fundamentals and Halcyon Equipment Online www.ocean-explorers.co.uk

Data(Offline)

Correct me if I'm wrong,
Halcyon doesn't make manifolds, they are made by a manufacturer who also makes manifolds for others.
I have an Elite and a Halcyon setup and can't tell the difference between them (other than the H).
Although, the price was a huge difference.

One of the differences I would look at is the 200 bar vs 300 bar manifolds,
the number is misleading and from now on I would rather buy 200 bar manifolds.
If you ever would have to borrow a first stage from someone and all they have is a 200 bar DIN and you have a 300 bar manifold, you're in for a surprise, while with a 200 bar manifold you can take 200 bar and 300 bar first stages.

David

daviddem(Offline)

I probably would not want a 200bar manifold on a steel twinset that I regularly fill to 250bar though.

Most regs today have a 300bar DIN fitting, at least all the ones I would use in technical diving. The problem is more at the fill station, if they have only 200bar DIN fittings on their fill whips or if they have A-clamps only. With a 300bar manifold, you can't use the usual little insert to turn it into a yoke. With a 200bar, you can. So if you buy a 300bar manifold, it is wise to buy adapters: one to turn your 300 bar DIN female into a 200bar DIN female, and one to turn your 300bar DIN female into a yoke. This adds to the price, but it is handy to have anyway.

SparticleBrane(Offline)

"200 bar" and "300 bar" are NOT indications of max pressure the valves can take. 200 bar valves and 300 bar valves are equally strong. Read here for more info:

Valves, Regulator Fittings, Cylinder Neck Openings -- More than you wanted to know

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SparticleBrane(Offline)

So I'm trying to figure out why this is some sort of advantage. "Our valves look different"...

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daviddem(Offline)

I didn't know that. Thanks for the info and the good link. In this case of course, as they say at the end of the article, there appears to be no reason at all to buy a 300 bar manifold, other than the fact that they look a bit more robust and that your male DINS on the regs will go all the way into the female DIN on the manifold. 300bar is a little heavier so you will have a bit more weight near your head.

JohnKendall(Offline)

Halcyon!

Nicest manifold I've used in a long time, and I've got/had several.

See ya
J

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