Ha! I have an extra yellow cargo strap, now I know what I'm going to do with it :thumbsup5:
[...].
Super easy build:-)
This stuff is so cheap in China, I don't mind building stuff on a spur of the moment thing. I got a 1.5m alu rectangular profile, the scale, some bolts and the cargo strap (thanks for the proper name) and made it in an hour.
I've since taken a tape measurer and added to the alu profile in case I need to see elongation, too.
Here are few more snaps:
What is the method to measure inside that Device? Strain gauge maybe? maybe a spring, but not sure how they get a digital signal from that.
I got a couple Dillion force gauges that use a deflection beam with a dial indicator on it. These are spendy, but I found some deals on ebay.
Dillon X-Series Compression, Tension and Push Pull Force Gauges
The ratchet strap is got idea , I set mine up with some pulleys for the small gauge and just pull it by hand.
For the 1000 lb gauge I use log chains and a hand come-along I carry behind the seat of my truck. not the best way, just used what I had. Guarding for breakage is more messy with plywood stacked around it.
Dan had a nice setup ( on one of these threads ) testing mono line.
It's not a spring. I am not exactly sure how it works but I think its a certain material that might change voltage drop or resistance as it gets strained. So, it is kind or a S or Z shaped piece of metal(?) inside with the top leg being the top eye of the scale and the bottom being where the load attaches. And then you run a current through it and a micro processor with an algorithm puts out a value. At least that's what I think.
All this tech/chips/sensors have become so cheap and accessible.
E.g. look at the DJI drone. 1000 bucks for something that is much more advanced than 100.000 USD military UAVs from just 5-10 years back. I know MIL spec is a different ball game, but tech is becoming way cheaper.
In reg. to the ratchet strap, I blatantly stole that idea from some dude on youtube testing fishing lines:-)
Just did some tests in the pool. The guns now are perfectly balanced with the neoprene sleeves. I hadn't the chance of trying them before. Next week will be the field test with real fish. Hope we find good weather. I'm taking my kids to a very good spot 5 hours from the city and we are planning to spend 3 days spearfishing. Yep! 
The Salvimar reel blocked again. 
Now I have something to do today..
It's not a spring. I am not exactly sure how it works but I think its a certain material that might change voltage drop or resistance as it gets strained. So, it is kind or a S or Z shaped piece of metal(?) inside with the top leg being the top eye of the scale and the bottom being where the load attaches. And then you run a current through it and a micro processor with an algorithm puts out a value. At least that's what I think.
All this tech/chips/sensors have become so cheap and accessible.
E.g. look at the DJI drone. 1000 bucks for something that is much more advanced than 100.000 USD military UAVs from just 5-10 years back. I know MIL spec is a different ball game, but tech is becoming way cheaper.
In reg. to the ratchet strap, I blatantly stole that idea from some dude on youtube testing fishing lines:-)
Strain gauge then, that's what I thought, without research. Lots of new FLAVORS of them I figure too.
Just did some tests in the pool. The guns now are perfectly balanced with the neoprene sleeves. I hadn't the chance of trying them before. Next week will be the field test with real fish. Hope we find good weather. I'm taking my kids to a very good spot 5 hours from the city and we are planning to spend 3 days spearfishing. Yep!
The Salvimar reel blocked again.
Now I have something to do today..
Marco what happens when the neoprene sleeve crushes if you dive to 30 meters as a wet suit does?
Cheers, Don
Marco what happens when the neoprene sleeve crushes if you dive to 30 meters as a wet suit does?
Cheers, Don
You know the answer, Don;-)
Obviously, the gun starts to freeze as the wetsuit looses thickeess!
And possibly, the gun slightly becomes heavier. And I guess after a few seasons the sleeve has lost some of its volume;-).
In general, I do find that shorter pneumatics can be hard to balance - some of them are a tad heavy but normally the longer ones are OK. Basically, they have the same parts in them, same heavy parts like bulkhead, nose cone and handle but the longer ones gain some buoyancy that the shorter ones don't as the added material to make a longer gun is just outer reservoir and inner shooting barrel and a section of that is positive in itself. (Hope I made sense.)
But as mentioned elsewhere, the Salvi plastic parts seem denser and heavier, but a dry muzzle gains buoyancy, too as the barrel wont flood - so, I was kinda thinking Marco's long guns should balance nicely as is.
Real shame about the reel, Marco:(:(. That's uncool and could loose you a gun, I reckon. Hope you sort it out and I will take a good look at mine, too. Since I might end up gifting my new Salvi 85 to a friend of mine, a newcomer to spearing, I might drop the reel and make her a floatline and lifeguard can setup instead.
These pneumatics were bought for big fish in murky water (Pacific side of Panama). I have been using them without the sleeves and they are just a little nose heavy. Nothing that compromises a comfortable spearing day. I got the sleeves for 15 euros each when I ordered the line release and a couple more parts.
The answer of course is that the guns will become a little heavy again at 100', but I spend 1'30" average in each dive, with half a minute in the bottom (and not deeper than 50' lately), while most of the time I'm swimming in the surface. All in all I'm happy the way they are now. I need to try them in the sea. That will happen this December 27.
I also bought a hard foam float to shape it and tape it somehow below the barrell but I don't see the need to do it now. Maybe if I change my mind later, I'll let you know and you'll see the pictures. 
Gecko: I disassembled the reel and is working now but I'm going to change it when I have a chance. I got a good one laying around...
By the way, very happy with the neoprene sleeve. The Mares barely floats (nose down) with the shaft in and it's very light to handle up to 26 meters, which was my deepest dive. I'll let you know how long it takes to loose thickness and buoyancy.
Just a postscript about the "Cyrano Evo". Mares quietly fixed it by changing to a new model, now it is the "Cyrano" and the “Evo” (or more appropriately “Devo”) designation has been dropped. The parts have changed as you cannot retrofit the earlier orange highlights gun with the trigger parts from the new and hopefully improved blue version. The fore-aft adjustable trigger has also been given the flick.
This is where the problems lay in the earlier "Evo".
The new "Cyrano" gun now comes in 11 mm and 13 mm ID inner barrel models, but only the 11 mm version has a hydroformed tank option, the guns reverting to cylindical tanks.
I purchased a 13 mm model, the "Cyrano 1.3", to check it out. I think that unless you really hanker for a side mounted line release that the ever reliable "Sten" will maintain its grip on this market segment for the bigger bore barrel. Actually 13 mm or 0.5 inch was once the standard size for a pneumatic gun inner barrel, there were even 14 mm inner barrel guns. At first 11 mm was seen as an aberration to throw skinny shafts which eventually took off as they, for the same start pressure, are easier guns to load compared with the 13 mm models. Less water surrounding the spear in the barrel, but then less piston area facing the gun's shooting pressure.
One use of the high mounted inner barrel "Cyrano" is to build a pumping barrel version as was used in the Mares "Mirage". Mares never really eliminated the strangled internal airflow of that gun and seem to be too lazy to make an updated version using the improved air flow of the latest "Cyrano". Diving Gecko decided to do it himself and this gun should be a worthy "Bazooka" in the shooting power stakes as it should be able to utilize 40 bar start pressure and be cocked by the average user.
Moving further up the KABOOM spearfishing shooting power ladder it would be possible to run a 14 mm inner barrel gun with a 10 mm ID pumping barrel, especially with a vacuum barrel muzzle.
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