Scuba DIN/K valve

[2slow2race]

Hi - I've been lurking for a few months now and there is GREAT information on the various forums. Now it's my turn to share.

I went to my local dive shop and asked about tanks and what I should use for AP. I brought in the adapter for my wife's Morini CM162EI Short to show them what I was planning on doing with it.

They were very informative. The guy I worked with said that I should get a tank with a DIN/K valve. It's a valve that has a removable insert to swap it from K valve to DIN.

Everything I've seen on the web has mentioned K valves. The DIN/K valve is extremely popular with dive shops and they don't have problems filling them. I also asked about any issues of filling it since I'm not a diver - NO problems, most shops are used to filling tanks for Paintballers. The major concerns were doing a visual check each year and the hydro test every 5 years. Other than that - $5 per fill.

I ended up buying a Luxfer 80 Aluminum tank and a Thermo DIN/K valve. Normal K valve was included, the shop swapped it out for $10. Then when I checked out - they gave me a $10 discount.

Dick

[Guest]

thanks for the suggestion Dick, although I rarely recommend this option. For most people, its a much easier setup to get the yoke-200 DIN. its much more versatile to have the yoke, you can fill off anybodys cylinder at any dive shop any time, if you are traveling, the yoke is always with you. Otherwise you are always trying to find some who has a DIN valve so you can screw in, and that can be a pain.

Actaully all of the dual systems I have seen have all been 300 DIN length which means you have to machine off about 1/4 inch of it to make it work with your airgun adpater.

The other problem, more so with schools that go back and forth, is loosing the DIN insert. For 99% of the users out there, the Yoke set up is far more versatile, and cheaper to boot

[David Levene]

Actaully all of the dual systems I have seen have all been 300 DIN length which means you have to machine off about 1/4 inch of it to make it work with your airgun adpater.

We are lucky that here in the UK, and most of the rest of Europe, it is extremely easy and convenient to have a cylinder fitted with a 232bar DIN valve so all of the adaptors work without modification. On both of my cylinders the valve also has a gauge and a bleed screw.

[airpistolero]

Hi, David.

May I ask you this: I have an universal adapter for 300, 232 and 200 bar DIN (custom made).
There is a bleed screw (pressure relieve turret) mounted. With FWB and Morini this works ok: when pressure is relieved, cylinder uncrews easily.

But with Steyr and Matchguns cylinders, use of the fleed screw will/can drain all air from the cylinder.
The reason is, I think, there are return valves integral in the FWB and Morini cylinder designs, but not in Steyr and Matchguns cylinders.

What are your experiences?

[JohnK]

Pistolero,
I have no problems using the bleed when filling my LP10 cylinders.
After filling I turn off the SCUBA tank.
Then back off the cylinder one to one and half turns.
Then open the bleeder.
Works great!
JLK

[David Levene]

But with Steyr and Matchguns cylinders, use of the fleed screw will/can drain all air from the cylinder.

With the Steyr, and presumably the Matchguns, the valve in the cylinder is opened mechanically by the stem on the filling adaptor. Screwing the adaptor on to a full cylinder will empty it.

With the Morini the valve in the cylinder is opened by the air pressure from the filling tank. Screwing the adaptor on to a full cylinder will NOT empty it.

For these reasons the gauge on the tank valve can be used to check the Steyr cylinder's remaining pressure without opening the valve. The same does not work with the Morini cylinder.

[Airpistolero]

I thank you both, JohnK and David.

I will try your procedure, JohnK.

The reason for the bleed-off drew is to make the unscrewing of the cylinder easier, and reduce wear of the threads. Uncrewing cylinder one and a half turn at full pressure is still a gain, though.

Regards,

The old air pistol "slinger".