okey-dokey, guys, thanks.

did a bit more research just now. according to my read of a welding
forum thread posted he
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=29891

and my reading of the airco-published "owner tanks" pdf (linked to in
the thread above, also pasted just below - a very long address)

http://www.weldingweb.com/attachment...7&d=1240486851

my tank (pictured on my argon tank site) is (what I'm gonna call a)
'plus star' tank. airco's pdf tells me my 'plus star' stamped tank was
born june '05, and it's due again for hydrotest (per what the pdf tells
me, anyway) TEN years from the date of manufacture, that being 2015
(because of the star stamped into my tank).

regarding hydro retest date: unless charles U, who said "get it filled
before June next year or you will be in the hook for the hydrotest fee"
knows more about tanks than the airco company ? and I'm not saying he
doesn't ? it seems to me (per airco's pdf, and their star mention, in
their diagram) "I'm good till june 2015, hydrotest-wise"

so, hmmm, perplexing...this "welding tank voodoo-hex numbers" stuff

the same airco pdf (seems to) tells me the (the plus symbol) indicates
the tank's good for a ten percent overfill...

martin: the EXACT height (and other dimensions) of my argon tank's
posted, in one of my 'argon tank' site images, he
http://machines.2x.nu/argon_cylinder...s/photo10.html

okey-dokes, thanks again you guys :-)

toolie :-)