I saw this on another forum and thought all of you saltwater cruisers might be interested. Get your Katadyn/Pur Survivor 35 Watermaker Posted by: "dougnsalli" [EMAIL PROTECTED] dougnsalli Mon Oct 15, 2007 8:50 pm (PST) I just bought a brand new Survivor 35 watermaker on eBay for $250 about one sixth of the list price. I just tested it, and it works great, producing 1.7 gallons per hour, a bit more than the advertised rate of 1.4 gal/hr.
For your information, there seem to be quite a few of these for sale for about that price. They look like (military?) units that have been in storage for several years. Mine was dated Nov 2002, which would be 4 years 11 months. The eBay description said Katadyn tech support said it would need a new membrane, but experience has shown that if it hasn't dried out, it is just fine. In any case it is easy to test, just mix up 5 ounces of non-iodized salt to a gallon of water. Make sure you re-apply the biocide (available from Katadyn for about $20) when you are done. Katadyn gives conflicting information about the shelf life. On instructions for an older Survivor 35, they say: "The unit is designed to be stored continuously for up to 4 years." and later: "After 3-4 years of continuous storage, the desalinator should be tested and the storage procedure repeated. After 6-8 years of storage, the unit should be serviced: contact the manufacturer. " I must say this is one of those mechanical devices I just love to hold in my hands, and watching it turn salt water into fresh, is like watching an alchemist turn lead into gold. If you want one of these, now is the time to act. You can use the money you save to get an EPIRB. There is a great technical discussion/manual at http://www.seayeti. com/technical_ pages/watermaker /survivewithapow ersu rvivor.PDF No, I am not the seller. --------------------------------- Don't let your dream ride pass you by. Make it a reality with Yahoo! Autos. _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
