Chirana
The Chirana PL-40 is a two stage regulator and its design
is very similar to the first regulators of La Spirotechnique, the CG45.
It was built from 1961 to 1964. It was also supplied to Svazarm
(the largest paramilitar organisation in Communist Czecoslovakia)
diving clubs, where it was used for divers training.
The production of these automations ended in 1964 and was produced about 750 pieces. It was replaced with the set
PL-401.
The PL-401 was a two stage regulator and was produced until
1967. A few hundred per year of the Pl-401 have been produced in
that period.
These regulators had a chrome-plated housing and they were
much more modern and high quality compared to the Rekord AV1 / AV2
The mouthpiece contained no directional valves, but there were lockable versions.
In one version, the mouthpiece was unscrewable, so that one
could exchange it for a full face mask. Hoses were connected to the regulator by appropriate nozzles
screwed on to easily remove them.
They were used exclusively in the CSSR (Czechoslovak Socialist Republic) and were not intended for export.
Only after the turn of 1989, a few copies arrived in the hands
of the collectors all over the world.
The company Chirana, located in Stará Turá, city of the
Czech Republic, was founded in 1935. The activity was the production of parts for water meters and gas meters. The current production line is for the manufacture of medical and ondontological products.
Reference:
1. http://www.lola.cz/cs/muzeum/scuba-vintage-museum/automatiky---regulators/evropa/czechoslovakia/chirana/chirana-pl-40--pl-401
2. http://www.vsc-ds.cz/sbirka/dvouhadicove-automatiky-regulatory/chirana-pl-40
3. http://www.chirana-eshop.com/webchirana/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=26&Itemid=38
4. Saturn - die
Zweischlauch-Legende aus
der CSSR - Von
Dr. -Ing. L. Seveke, D. Šurani
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