Maxtec Cells

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Joshua Smith
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Maxtec Cells

Post by Joshua Smith »

Just tested one of these on a dive at Redondo. It replaces the teledyne r-22d cells that teledyne has quit making. After a particularly bad experience with AI cells a few years ago, I'm pretty hesitant to buy them again, although I have heard from multiple sources how much improved the new AIs are. I just want everyone to know that there's a perfectly good alternative made by Maxtec.
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Bric Martin
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Re: Maxtec Cells

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Maxtec has really good customer service!
http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14928
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Agent 47
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Re: Maxtec Cells

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Joshua Smith wrote:Just tested one of these on a dive at Redondo. It replaces the teledyne r-22d cells that teledyne has quit making. After a particularly bad experience with AI cells a few years ago, I'm pretty hesitant to buy them again, although I have heard from multiple sources how much improved the new AIs are. I just want everyone to know that there's a perfectly good alternative made by Maxtec.
Do you know how they are on longevity? I have heard that was one of the problems they were having.
I do have opinions of my own,,,very strong opinions!,, I just don't allways agree with them.

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Joshua Smith
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Re: Maxtec Cells

Post by Joshua Smith »

blackwater wrote:Maxtec has really good customer service!
http://www.nwdiveclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14928

I missed that story somehow- good to hear, though!
Agent 47 wrote:Do you know how they are on longevity? I have heard that was one of the problems they were having.
No idea. I have an hour on this one, so far!
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camerone
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Re: Maxtec Cells

Post by camerone »

LMK how they work out. My Evolution is sitting on the shelf (not that there's a lot of water in Colorado) because the cells are gone, and I've had horrible luck over the years with AI cells. In fairness, my last batch was two years ago, and Dive Gear Express took them back, no questions asked. I had to turn down a tech trip to Santa Rosa, NM (300' deep lake...) because I'm out of cell life and, although they read good, I'm not taking them underwater past the 18 month window.

Maxtec explicitly disclaims any responsibility for their cells in rebreather use, although, funny enough, they list them for the Meg on their site directly ;) I've heard second-hand that the hydrophobic membrane may not be great in them, but I'm curious to hear what you find for response time.

I've got some SMB->Molex adapters I soldered up in the garage waiting, so I can use these if the reports are good. I got tired of Silent Diving screwing me for Teledyne cells with the SMB connectors... they sold them for $120/ea in the US when the UK folks got them for $80 equivalent. It was highway robbery, so I put the adapters together to use the regular Molex cells; $40 ea * 4 cells was enough to pay for a keg of 'sorb and have some left over for beer!
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Joshua Smith
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Re: Maxtec Cells

Post by Joshua Smith »

I grew up in NM. A 300' deep lake in Santa Rosa? You've gotta be kidding me. You're not talking about the "blue hole" are you? I thought that one bottomed out around 70'.

As far as the maxtec cells go, I didn't know they had a CCR disclaimer. But my head had as much condensation as ever in it when I took it apart after the dive, and the cells were tracking just fine. I even did an 02 flush at the end of the dive at 20' just to see if there was any current limiting, and all 3 cells were positively perky.
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camerone
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Re: Maxtec Cells

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Blue Hole bottoms out at 80-ish, IIRC. The cave system is grated off at the bottom, but I hear they're in poor condition and may be bypassable in a few years. Doesn't matter, though - someone I know and respect deeply who's been in there says it's nasty enough that I'm not even tempted.

The lake I'm talking about is on private land and used for tech training...

Well, that may have sealed the deal for me, and I'll just have to order four of the MaxTec 305s...
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Joshua Smith
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Re: Maxtec Cells

Post by Joshua Smith »

camerone wrote:Blue Hole bottoms out at 80-ish, IIRC. The cave system is grated off at the bottom, but I hear they're in poor condition and may be bypassable in a few years. Doesn't matter, though - someone I know and respect deeply who's been in there says it's nasty enough that I'm not even tempted.

The lake I'm talking about is on private land and used for tech training...

Well, that may have sealed the deal for me, and I'll just have to order four of the MaxTec 305s...
I'll be darned. I just google earthed it, and there are more lakes around there than I thought there were. Growing up in NM, I was always curious about the people who scuba dived. Most of them would certify at the Blue Hole, then dive once a year or so in Mexico. I never saw the percentage in that. Still don't, honestly. Now, people who live there and do Tech training? That's a whole new level of crazy.

As far as the cells go: I'm definitely hearing reports that the new AI cells are much better. And I seem to be the vox clamatis in deserto about these maxtecs. But based on my dive today (60 minutes, 100 fsw, more condensation in head than normal, 02 flush at 20') I'm planning on sticking with the maxtecs until proven wrong. It calibrated and tracked right along with 2 trusted teledynes.

edit- just looked their site up and found this:
*For sensors in re-breather applications, Maxtec warrants the sensor to work according to the stated specifications under normal operating conditions. For sensors used in re-breather applications, Maxtec has not performed validation or verification testing and therefore cannot promote our sensors for use in this application and disclaims any liability for off-label use. Verification and validation for use in these applications is the responsibility of the equipment user and/or manufacturer.
I do wish Teledyne had just kept manufacturing the R-22D and added some legalese like this to their site.
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HydroGirl
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Re: Maxtec Cells

Post by HydroGirl »

A little off topic, but I taught in the Blue Hole Santa Rosa NW for a few years.
Apparently sometime late 80 early 90 an Open water instructor took 2 open water students to one of the cave at about 140 feet. I don’t know if you can call them caves, but more like arms extending away from the main spring. Don’t know how long and if any one did any real exploration.
After the body recovery, the city on Santa Rosa put the grate at about 80 feet. Some divers were still lifting the grate and diving the caves anyways.
It was after that the city brought a truck load of rocks to make sure no one could get pass.
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Joshua Smith
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Re: Re: Maxtec Cells

Post by Joshua Smith »

HydroGirl wrote:After the body recovery,

I know its just plain wrong for me to laugh, but that was funny. You didn't even need to fill in the blanks.
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Re: Maxtec Cells

Post by wedivebc »

Agent 47 wrote:
Joshua Smith wrote:Just tested one of these on a dive at Redondo. It replaces the teledyne r-22d cells that teledyne has quit making. After a particularly bad experience with AI cells a few years ago, I'm pretty hesitant to buy them again, although I have heard from multiple sources how much improved the new AIs are. I just want everyone to know that there's a perfectly good alternative made by Maxtec.
Do you know how they are on longevity? I have heard that was one of the problems they were having.
We tested some a while back and just as an experiment left one in to see how long it would last beyond normal use. I was replaced 2 years and one month after being put into service. Unfortunately the ones on my RB had to be replaced just 1.5 years later because I had my software upgraded and the voltage ranges were too high to pass the cell check ISC had installed on the 2.5 and later APECS. The new Maxtecs are drop in replacements to the R22D and seem to perform wonderfully. I have 2 on my meg right now with 6 months experience. Usually calibrate every month or so.
Maxtec is trying to break into the rebreather market and has posted a thread on RBW asking for input from users about cell requirements.
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