<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2361">I have been working on my ballast valve design. (below)</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2374" dir="ltr">It's based on the drawing Vance handed out at the Islamorada convention, </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2392" dir="ltr">except it's operated by a solenoid rather than an air cylinder.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2496" dir="ltr">I am intending to have a similar valve on the bottom of my ballast tank,</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2527" dir="ltr">but modified so that the sealing gasket sits on the outside of the top plate</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2735" dir="ltr">& pushes away. </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2497" dir="ltr">I will be able to use the same wire on the top valve on the coil of the bottom</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2510" dir="ltr">valve so they work in unison. Just a matter of getting the right thickness</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2530" dir="ltr">of wire & number of turns. </div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2531" dir="ltr">If it fails you won't be able to release air to dive, but will always be able to</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2548" dir="ltr">fill the tanks with air.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2677" dir="ltr">The iron core of the plunger will need to be coated. The wiring of the solenoid</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2583" dir="ltr">is already coated but I'll add a bit of epoxy.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2615" dir="ltr">The intended assembly method is to cut a whole in the top of the ballast tank</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2678" dir="ltr">& drop the module in. Then use the bolt holes in the top plate as a template</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2641" dir="ltr">for holes through the ballast tank. The ballast tank holes are then oversized</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2674" dir="ltr">to receive threaded inserts that are epoxied in from the inside. Then the valve</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2676" dir="ltr">is dropped in & bolted down.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2728" dir="ltr">I am thinking of doing it all in hard anodized aluminum but are not quite sure.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2727" dir="ltr">I am intending to weld the body to the top plate.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2753" dir="ltr">Any thoughts???</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1476775047133_2754" dir="ltr">Alan <br></div></div></body></html>