Dad's Voit 40 Fathom... Restored
- This is the actual regulator my Dad taught himself to scuba dive with. I think it is a 1960 or '61 model. I've been fooling around with it for 3-5 years because there weren't any replacement diaphragms. This diaphragm exhausts thru the middle with a little mushroom valve. I gave a half hearted effort at making a new diaphragm a few years ago but didn't finish. Then a few weeks ago, Herman put a New Old Stock original Calypso diaphragm up for sale on Ebay. These were essentially the same regulators with different company's labels. So I ordered Herman's diaphragm.
- I still needed a mushroom valve for the exhaust port in the center. I ordered the 23mm mushroom from VDH and it was almost perfect. I had to drill out the center hole just a little to get the center to pull all the way thru. But once done, it fit perfectly.
- I took a few tries to figure out how to align and adjust the lever. The LP seat leaked but I was able to just flip it over for a nice new surface. And now, it actually works! It breathes easy, doesn't feel weird or unstable or anything. A very nice regulator, so far.
- Oh but that nasty old Voit First Stage... You don't see it in this picture and that's on purpose. This regulator also happens to be the one that I had my first scuba experiences with when Dad let me dive around the dock. The old first stage was about 6 inches long and 1 inch in diameter and it stuck out from the tank valve to hit me right in the back of the head... Over and over. So after about 55 years I got my revenge on that thing and replaced it with a nice short Conshelf 1st stage.
- The original plan was to use it as my Safe 2nd... So I'd be carrying a remembrance of my Dad. But, I use my Argonaut with Argonaut 2nd when I dive modern style. So, I might just set this Voit 40 Fathom up as a primary regulator and take it diving once in awhile... Like my DHs.
Here's my original re-build thread: http://vintagedoublehose.com/forum/view ... =40+fathom