The Apeks 5th Port Upgrade adds a fifth low-pressure 3/8-24 UNF port (that is the standard LP port size) to the top of your Apeks DST first stage. This 5th port upgrade is only suitable for the Apex DST model swivel turret first stage and is not compatible with any other first stage regardless of brand or model. Full installation instructions are included (see Product Attachment tab above) but Dive Gear Express recommends the upgrade be performed by a service technician trained to service Apeks products.

When the 5-Port Upgrade kit is ordered together with any of our "DGX Custom" regulator packages or DGX Maintenance Service that include an Apeks DST first stage, a Dive Gear Express service technician trained to service Apeks products will optionally install the upgrade kit at no additional charge.

The kit does not include a low-pressure port plug; the assumption being an LP hose will immediately be installed in the new port. After installing a 5th Port Upgrade if you later need to reconfigure the hoses, you must simultaneously use a 15 mm or adjustable open-end wrench to hold the turret retaining bolt in place while using a different tool to remove the port plug or LP hose, especially if the plug or hose was over-torqued when originally installed. If you don't, then when removing the plug or hose from the 5th port more than likely the turret retaining bolt is going to loosen.

Compatibility Advisory: The turret retaining bolt (big shiny metal part with the o-rings pictured above) included in this Apeks 5th Port Upgrade has a larger diameter center than the standard bolt. Some non-Apeks brand port plugs or generic hose adapters might have enough extra threads that they will bottom out against the side of the larger bolt inside the DST first stage when installed in any of the four ports on the side of the swivel turret. This will either not allow the blanking plug o-ring to seal or lock the swivel in place if over-torqued enough to force a seal. The resolution is to use only native Apeks blanking plugs (if you have them) or relatively expensive but shorter Omniswivel brand versions of the port plugs and hose adapters that have fewer threads. Note this compatibility advisory is only for the Apeks 5th Port Upgrade to the DST first stage.