scba tank help

[Casey.Robertson]

I think this is the adapter you need per Joe's site (assuming you can't find a place that will adapt to your firehouse connector):

Per Joe's description:  DIN300 (SCUBA) to Hand Tight Stainless Steel SCBA Fitting.  For filling sCBA tanks at a SCUBA Dive Shop. $89

[crazyhorse]

Casey...Paint Ball tanks are NOT rated for 3000 psi fills...(so forget that idea) .....that guy on the yellow may not be with us much longer....ha ha ha..

[vhag]

but this one is only  rated to 3000 psi

[Casey.Robertson]

I think quite a few are 4500 psi rated these days.  Check these out:

http://www.velocitypaintballonline.com/product.php?productid=119&cat=59&page=1

Velocity Paintball will fill to 4500psi according to their website.  I think the guy on the Yellow's idea is to fit a more airgun-friendly valve onto a paintball style tank for buddy bottle usage.  Depending on valve price could be a ton cheaper than what the Airhog type folks charge.

[crazyhorse]

That Carbon Fiber tank  for paint ball use is regulated just for paint ball gun pressures...so tank valve/regulator would have to be replaced with higher pressure regulator..

Read this:

http://www.jdsairman.com/

Here is my "buddy tank" rig for my Discovery...I use it just for hunting as it fits in my day pack....it is regulated to 2000 psi fill which my Discovery takes...(JDS sells these rigs also)....







For my 850 HPA (which takes 3000 psi fill) I decided to use Sport Chalet aluminum scuba (3000 psi) as that was cheapest option at time for me...it will fill my 850 to about 2900 psi...but I get over 70 shots from 2900 - 1500 psi with this gun,so don't need to fill gun to 3000 psi...

[Casey.Robertson]

You are correct.....that would be for a screw-in bottle type application.  But the tanks themselves are rated at high enough PSI...but yes, you would have to have a valve and fitting suitable for airgun usage.  This is what I think the guy on the Yellow forum was driving at....take cheaper and/or used PB tanks and convert them for airgun usage.  Tim McMurray implied that the fire stations have been swapping out the type of connector Victor has for some kind of quick connect system....wonder what they are using.  I can't seem to find any references.  Any idea what hydro testing places the fire stations might use?

[crazyhorse]

I don't know who hydros/inspects the fire dept Scott air rigs....

When I first looked at buying a PCP,I looked at all options...the f irst one was buying "used" 4500 psi  carbon fiber tanks....but ruled that option out  because of issues with "dated"  hydro's,inspections and finding some someone to fill them..and the prices for Joes tanks are ridiculus...I know of a west coast Airgun shop that used to sell those Scott air 4500 psi carbon fiber (used tanks) for $120....but those tanks only come available when fire departments reject/or survey them out because of age/use...

That's why I bought the Discovery with the hand pump to "buy time" until I decided on scuba rigs....

[Casey.Robertson]

Very interesting...so likely Joe has a source for used tanks and then marks them up (maybe considerably?).

[crazyhorse]

Appears so....and obviously these tanks don't "turnover" fast..varies with fire departments.....so supply is limited somewhat...

So far,my $149.00 80 cu/ft Scuba from Sport Chalet is cheapest new tank option I've found...I prefer new and 5 years from now,they will hydro/re-certify tank...so I may end up dedicating the Chalet 80 cu/ft aluminum 3000 psi tank to the Disco and get their steel 3440 PSI steel one for the 850 HPA....dunno yet....but got time to think about it...one thing for sure...those two tanks are cheaper to own than one new Airhog 4500 psi tank of similar size...!! $430.00 vice $675....think about that...and more places to get fills...

(Note also,DIN valves are used on all HP steel scuba tanks over 3300 psi)

[vhag]

i found a place to fill it  up to 4000 psi so i am good for the moment

[crazyhorse]

I see this as a cost/math problem to solve:

Here is my example....(filling my 850 HPA to 3000 psi)

AIRHOG 88 cu/ft 4500 psi carbon fiber tank at $675.00....23 fills from 1500-to 3000 psi in gun......(My gun tank is 360 cc) 80 shots....

                                                                                 or....

Sport Chalet Alum 80 cu/ft 3000 psi tank at $149.00....13 fills from 1700 to 2700 psi.....( which yeilds 50 shots in my 850)

That is how I decided....

[Casey.Robertson]

Possible great deal on Yellow forum right now....

Mac1 is selling 66 cu ft CF tanks (made in 2004) for $225 + shipping.  I imagine if you drove up you could knock off the shipping cost.  Based on the numbers I've seen that sounds like a raging deal.

[vhag]

yes is a good deal

[vhag]

but youll be spending another 180 on the charging kit

[Casey.Robertson]

Very true.....man those fittings are expensive.  How about we rent a big ol' nitrogen tank for the range and just fill buddy bottles off of that?  Just doing some wishful thinking :-)