07-18-2003, 05:19 PM
[cool]Well, I felt motivated, so I shot a couple of pics. Here's a bit more on some non-inner tube valves.
The first pic is a closeup of the Halkey Roberts valve on my Fat Cat. I didn't like it when I first tried to air it up by lung power alone. I about got a hernia (or a HISnia), and the cover was still not as tight as I like. And, as soon as I put my cat in the water, it lost some pressure and I had to huff and puff some more. I finally got smart and spent about $20 on a good Stearns two way high volume pump...in the next pic. I now love these valves. The little yellow knob can be twisted after pushing and it will hold open and totally deflate the craft in less than a minute. It is a pressure activated valve, for filling, and closes in between bursts of air inflow. If you pause for a moment, it does not release air on you. The connector locks in place and the whole thing just works great.
![[Image: SCOU1712CustomImage2698176.jpg]](http://web.ecomplanet.com/SCOU1712/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/SCOU1712CustomImage2698176.jpg)
The next pic shows two different types of high volume air pumps. The bigger one is the Stearns I bought for my Fat Cat. The smaller one came with the used Cat TubeBabe acquired. It is stocked at WalMart for only about $6, and is both lightweight and functional. Most pumps come with several adaptors to fit different types of valves. The 1/2" vinyl tubing is a good thing to have both for connecting the pump to the connector and to air up "Boston" valves...which usually have a 1/2" outside diameter, and are usually filled with lung power.
![[Image: SCOU1712CustomImage270391.jpg]](http://web.ecomplanet.com/SCOU1712/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/SCOU1712CustomImage270391.jpg)
The final pic shows the pump hose connected to the vinyl tubing, and the vinyl tubing fit over the end of the Boston Valve on my inflated seat air chamber. The Boston Valve is common on many air chambers of the newer Uboats and mini-pontoons. You can get them fairly tight with lung power, but a couple of strokes with a good pump will do a better job.
![[Image: SCOU1712CustomImage2714766.jpg]](http://web.ecomplanet.com/SCOU1712/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/SCOU1712CustomImage2714766.jpg)
Hope this helps. Post up any followup questions.
[signature]
The first pic is a closeup of the Halkey Roberts valve on my Fat Cat. I didn't like it when I first tried to air it up by lung power alone. I about got a hernia (or a HISnia), and the cover was still not as tight as I like. And, as soon as I put my cat in the water, it lost some pressure and I had to huff and puff some more. I finally got smart and spent about $20 on a good Stearns two way high volume pump...in the next pic. I now love these valves. The little yellow knob can be twisted after pushing and it will hold open and totally deflate the craft in less than a minute. It is a pressure activated valve, for filling, and closes in between bursts of air inflow. If you pause for a moment, it does not release air on you. The connector locks in place and the whole thing just works great.
The next pic shows two different types of high volume air pumps. The bigger one is the Stearns I bought for my Fat Cat. The smaller one came with the used Cat TubeBabe acquired. It is stocked at WalMart for only about $6, and is both lightweight and functional. Most pumps come with several adaptors to fit different types of valves. The 1/2" vinyl tubing is a good thing to have both for connecting the pump to the connector and to air up "Boston" valves...which usually have a 1/2" outside diameter, and are usually filled with lung power.
The final pic shows the pump hose connected to the vinyl tubing, and the vinyl tubing fit over the end of the Boston Valve on my inflated seat air chamber. The Boston Valve is common on many air chambers of the newer Uboats and mini-pontoons. You can get them fairly tight with lung power, but a couple of strokes with a good pump will do a better job.
Hope this helps. Post up any followup questions.
[signature]