Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

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narcosis Junky
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Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

Post by narcosis Junky »

Just curious if any one knows were you would get more info on the MK 15.5 CCR, who sells them, and maybe some websights to go to. I have been Googling a lot and I'm not getting much info. Help if you can. :dontknow:
Want to go dive in Oregon. I can help. Biginner or experienced it doesn't matter.
want to do some underwater photography I will help if I can. I'm a dive Junky. Cold or hot.
I spear fish, night dive, deep dive. I do it all. Contact me.
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camerone
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Re: Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

Post by camerone »

narcosis Junky wrote:Just curious if any one knows were you would get more info on the MK 15.5 CCR, who sells them, and maybe some websights to go to. I have been Googling a lot and I'm not getting much info. Help if you can. :dontknow:
AFAIK, they were all government units that somehow migrated (surplus?) to private hands. They pop up for sale a few times a year. Watch RebeatherWorld.com if you want to find one. There were some civilian equivalents produced for a while, too. ($20k range, IIRC)

BTW - they have an entire Mk 15.x forum there, on rebreatherworld, and a lot of knowledgable people.

I almost bought one a couple of years ago - a friend of mine was clearing out the garage and had one he wanted to unload cheaply (no spheres, damnit). I declined, in the end, though, as a few people more informed than I indicated that they are maintenance pigs. There's better electronics, machining, and other packages out there, now, too, to the point that the unit should be more regarded as a curiousity than something to dive, unless you're into the homebuilt scene.

Steam Machines http://www.steammachines.com still has parts.
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narcosis Junky
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Re: Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

Post by narcosis Junky »

They are used so much for really deep diving, that I'm surprised that they are not manufactured today and sold all over the world. I have been to the sights you mantioned. There is a lot of talk about them just not the kind of info I was looking for. What else is out there that is equivalent? I know about the insperon, kiss, and a few other CCR. I though that the MK 15.5 was still being manufactured but I guess not from what you are saying.
Want to go dive in Oregon. I can help. Biginner or experienced it doesn't matter.
want to do some underwater photography I will help if I can. I'm a dive Junky. Cold or hot.
I spear fish, night dive, deep dive. I do it all. Contact me.
http://flickr.com/photos/8680102@N04/
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Joshua Smith
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Re: Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

Post by Joshua Smith »

Nope. Most of the really deep stuff is being done on Inspirations/ Evolutions, Megalodons, KISS, Ourobouros, and the like. At least outside of the Military and Commercial arenas.
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camerone
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Re: Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

Post by camerone »

They've got a good reputation - particularly in the scrubber department, but I think most of it comes from the times that there just weren't many alternatives out there. If you weren't Mk15.x, CCR2000, Cis-Lunar (@ $20,000+), or the Inspiration, there wasn't much really viable until the last couple of years, and the Mk15.x was definitely the most "affordable" option, if you could find one, for some value of "affordable."

The reality is that there just aren't very many of them out there in private hands, so I think the "so much" comment about their deep diving isn't really a true statement...

If you remove the buzzer, the Inspiration is good to 500-ish feet, and the Megladon (eCCR version) and 'Boris are able to reach similar depths or beyond without much trouble, or so the reports say...I may be slightly crazy, but that's deeper than I'm ever headed. #-o mCCRs and hybrids (KISS, rEvo, Copis Meg, etc) can be modified to go deeper than the ~300-ish limit that a constant IP first stage / fixed orifice combination allows without too much trouble.

If you just want something similar to the Mk15 series, the Meg does have a radial scrubber available as an option, and you can put any number of different control packages on there - in fact, if nostalgia struck you, I'm sure it would be possible to even rig in the analog secondary (spare parts are available) if you so desired, although most people would be left scratching their heads and wondering "why?" since the meters are fairly fragile and need replacement ](*,) (That's why there are so many spares on 'em...the government wastes your tax money in bulk...)

So, you haven't told us what information you're really looking for w/r/t these units. Are you joining us on the darkside and trying to choose your machine? Are you a Pac-Man fan with a soft spot for 1970's/1980's grade technology? Was it just a random thing you stumbled across and wanted to learn more about?

-c
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narcosis Junky
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Re: Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

Post by narcosis Junky »

I'm a tech diver, but I would love to join the dark side. The darker the better. I have read a lot of aticles over the years about divers like Richard Harris who does cave dives down to 600' and other divers who do deep wrecks all over the world, And even on National Geographic, you see people diving deep and they seem more often than not to be using the Mk 15.5 or similar rebreathers. I assumed that if they chose to use that perticular rebreather, than it must be a good one. And the fact that the UK royale Navie made a multi million dollar purchase and contract for that perticular CCR. I would think it means that it is good. i didn't realize that it was that old of a design. I my self, have been interested in the KISS. I like the simplicity and having control and not so dependable on electronics. That's just me. I'm reading a lot on rebreather and doing my homework. you all know that it is a big investement. I don't want to regret my choice down the road. So I appreciate any information that you have given me so far. I'm taking it all in.
Want to go dive in Oregon. I can help. Biginner or experienced it doesn't matter.
want to do some underwater photography I will help if I can. I'm a dive Junky. Cold or hot.
I spear fish, night dive, deep dive. I do it all. Contact me.
http://flickr.com/photos/8680102@N04/
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camerone
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Re: Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

Post by camerone »

narcosis Junky wrote: I don't want to regret my choice down the road. So I appreciate any information that you have given me so far. I'm taking it all in.
If you're serious about switching over, you ought to come out when Curt and Mel are running a "try it" demo day. They usually manage to gather up at least three or four different models and have a pool session with them. I know they've got some KISS units, Megs, and rEvos around, and they usually manage to find an Inspiration or Evolution as well.

I've got open-water time on the Evolution, the classic Inspiration, the KISS, and the Drager Dolphin SCR. I've pulled apart a Meg and seen the rEvo in the flesh... the choice for me was easy - most capable electronics to back up my brain, and that meant the Vision on the Evolution. All that's left of the original unit in my garage are the first stages, electronics/scrubber, and lungs. Everything else has been replaced/upgraded/modified/etc to make it into what _I_ want to dive. No regrets, though :)

It's pretty easy to justify if you're diving a lot, and you're diving trimix. Used to be it only took around 100 - 200 tech dives or so to reach the "break even" point on price if you were diving 'mix regularly. Of course, that was depending on dive times, doubles sizes, etc, and didn't include annual service (but did take into account scrubber fills, gas top offs, etc.) Mixing your own shifts that point higher, buying 'mix from a shop knocks it lower.

I'm definitely an eCCR guy, myself, but then again, I've got an mCCR under construction/conversion (but I've not been working too hard on it.) I just like to tinker, and when I eventually get around to it, it'll be nice to have a backup unit...

-C
There are no stupid questions, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots...
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narcosis Junky
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Re: Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

Post by narcosis Junky »

thanks for the info. I dive every weekend. Not deep all the time, but when I can get away and go deep it seems to be the only time that I'm truly loving it, and feel like I'm on vacation. Of course, I'm in Oregon, I have discovered a lot of great places to deep dive. To bad I don't have any body to do it with down here, So I solo. i know what people say about that. It's Ok, I consider my self a very piki person when it comes to my equipement and safety. I'm a very redundant person when it comes to safety. Any ways. It would be more fun if I had some one to share the dives with. My wife said she is not ready for that next step. I'm ok with that. But rebreather is something that I have always had an interest in and I have read a lot about. Do I know the ins and outs NO. Would I like to go out and try one Yes. The hardest part is justifying to my wife, that I need a $10,000 piece of equipement to dive in Oregon. All I can say is I love my toys. And I will own one. Besides, the biggest problem down here, is no one can sell me O2 higher than 50%. And no one sells tri mix. I have to get it from Washington. That's the sad part. But that's my problem.. I'm working on building my own mix station. It's the only choic I have really. Any ways, just babling. Again thank you for the info.
Want to go dive in Oregon. I can help. Biginner or experienced it doesn't matter.
want to do some underwater photography I will help if I can. I'm a dive Junky. Cold or hot.
I spear fish, night dive, deep dive. I do it all. Contact me.
http://flickr.com/photos/8680102@N04/
AndrewB
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Re: Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

Post by AndrewB »

If you are serious about a Mk15.5 the only people to speak to are the folks that still repair them. That means you need to contact Kevin Juergensen (Juergensen Marine) http://www.rebreather.us and/or Peter Ready at http://www.Steammachines.com although I don't know if they are still doing Mk work.
Realistically it would be a huge investment to enter rebreather diving with a legacy rig like an Mk but others have done it that way. Good luck and take care.
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narcosis Junky
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Re: Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

Post by narcosis Junky »

Thank you for the info. I'm still researching some of my options on other rebreathers. But I will make a note of the information you gave me. Again thank you.
Want to go dive in Oregon. I can help. Biginner or experienced it doesn't matter.
want to do some underwater photography I will help if I can. I'm a dive Junky. Cold or hot.
I spear fish, night dive, deep dive. I do it all. Contact me.
http://flickr.com/photos/8680102@N04/
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ryanone
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Re: Were to buy a MK 15.5 in the USA

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