Subject: Viking animation
From: Nishan G.
Hello, I am looking for an animation of how the 04 AKA Viking works. I thought I had seen one on your site but now I can’t find it, do you have one or know were I might find one?
Thank you for your time
Nishan G.
Re: Viking animation
Subject: HP tank parts
Re: HP tank parts
Subject: Rap4 marker
Thanks. GREAT site,
Re: Rap4 marker
Re: Re: Rap4 marker
Re: Re: Re: Rap4 marker
Anyway, sorry but I don't have any mags sitting around at the moment, I'm actually looking for some damaged ones myself (lol) the old mech ones are pretty cheap, even in working condition, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding one.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Rap4 marker
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rap4 marker
Subject: DM4 solenoid...faster?
Re: DM4 solenoid...faster?
Generally these types of solenoids are able to shoot around 24-bps in markers like DMs but it varies depending on the marker settings such as dwell and such. If you're not shooting that fast yet then the hopper might be the place to look since they like to cap out around 20-bps or a little higher if the motor starts to wear out. But the only way to test that is to get a new motor and try it out.
Subject: Impulse ramping board
Re: Impulse ramping board
Re: Re: Impulse ramping board
Re: Re: Re: Impulse ramping board
Retrofitting a Shocker board is possible but takes quite a bit of work. You need to not only install the lower board itself, but also the upper board too (then connect the solenoid, eyes, and a power button). I did this install once back in 2004 but it was pretty expensive in the end...yeesh
Subject: Sidewinder reg diagram
Re: Sidewinder reg diagram
Re: Re: Sidewinder reg diagram
Re: Re: Re: Sidewinder reg diagram
Sometimes it can make a difference if the ledge on one end of the stack has a large hole in its middle. If the hole is large enough, the disk would only work if the larger end came in contact with it (since the smaller end would sink down too far...the disk would basically be nullified). I'm not sure if there are any regs that are designed like this but I wouldn't be surprised if there were....although it would be a horrible design mistake! you never know.
Subject: Mechanical Ion LPR
Re: Mechanical Ion LPR
Re: Re: Mechanical Ion LPR
Re: Re: Re: Mechanical Ion LPR
Subject: CP reg macroline fittings
Re: CP reg macroline fittings
Anyway, about Rail vs Ion, the bottomline between the two is that the Rail is probably a little easier to work on and perhaps more reliable, since it doesn't have internal hoses, but the Ion is much more upgradeable. You can get many of the basic upgrades for a Rail too, like grips, trigger, feedneck, frame (if you like the ultralites) but naturally you'll spend a lot of money on either one if you decide to upgrade it gradually.
Subject: Stripped screw removal
Re: Stripped screw removal
Whenever I come into situations like this with repairs thrown my way, what I try to do is take a torx screw bit and jam it into the head of the screw. If you looked at a pack of them you'd see there are a number of ones that are similar size, and some that are slightly larger...I usually use a number 5 or number 6 torx bit. They're just oversized for the allen wrench hex and what you do is hammer it into the top then *hope* it stays in position as you unscrew it. This often works, especially with the little screws, but it's not a guaranteed fix.
Subject: Impulse solenoid screws
Re: Impulse solenoid screws
The best way to solve this problem is to take a solenoid that you know works good, and install it on the gun to see if the gasket still leaks. If it did leak then you'd know the gasket is the problem. If it didn't leak anymore, you'd know the solenoid was actually the problem.
But of course I know you might not have a spare solenoid available. As you mentioned, Impulse parts are hard to find, but they're not totally gone. If you need a new solenoid you can get it from airsoldier.com, you would have to solder the wire harness up to it, but that would work. They're expensive parts.
Subject: Luxe in Germany
Re: Luxe in Germany
Re: Re: Luxe in Germany
Re: Re: Re: Luxe in Germany
These messages were in regards to the symbolic "F-stamp" which is required by German law to allow legal ownership/use of projectiles. The symbol has appeared on Impulses, Ions, Shockers, and Nerves...however isn't present on most other paintball markers.
Subject: Loader speed cap?
Re: Loader speed cap?
I hear the new Magna clutch system for Halos can be tuned for VERY fast bursts, where the burst fire speed actually IS faster than the "sustained" fire speed (something Halos have claimed ever since they were released, although it wasn't really true very often). I saw a video of an Intimidator using a preproduction Magna system firing at 27-bps consistent for a good burst of shots, or some similarly high speed. But the tradeoff is that you have to set up the Magna clutch for it, and make it really hard on paint in the process, so you would likely break some balls if you were out on the field like that.
Re: Re: Loader speed cap?
Re: Re: Re: Loader speed cap?
They're low maintenance markers though so there's barely anything in terms of regular maintenance. The regs need to be cleaned more than anything else, and the regs don't need to be cleaned very often so it goes to show you how the rest of the marker is for maintenance too.
Subject: Camcorder
Re: Camcorder
Subject: O-ring compatiblity question
Re: O-ring compatiblity question
Subject: Dwell and accuracy?
Re: Dwell and accuracy?
I'd suggest trying to decrease the dwell setting and see if you can get it to cycle at a lower amount than you previously used...maybe it'll start acting correctly after some tinkering.
He actually didn't specifically state which marker he was using, whether a stacked-tube hammer/valve marker, or a spool valve marker. There are bound to be inherant difference between them.
Subject: Halo victory boards
Re: Halo victory boards
Subject: Max-Flo micro, tanks?
Re: Max-Flo micro, tanks?
Subject: Halo Magna, Pulse...
Re: Halo Magna, Pulse...
Subject: New reg
Re: New reg
Subject: Nova o-rings
Re: Nova o-rings
Re: Re: Nova o-rings
Re: Re: Re: Nova o-rings
Subject: Spyder bottomline screws
Re: Spyder bottomline screws
Subject: Marker reliability
Re: Marker reliability
I figure there's two main ways for a marker to break, one is user error, and the other is the gun breaking from regular use on its own. The user serviceable stuff branches into the realm of the marker's design more than anything else. You mentioned a number of other guns that just seem to be "down all the time", well the first thought there is that a systemic problem occurring over and over...well that's nothing short of a design flaw. Maybe not a total "flaw" per-se, but if it's an issue that appears so much, then it's something that *should* have been made different in the design phase. That goes along with trying to remove problems before people have the chance to screw it up.
I think a good number of that comes with adjusting parts and configuring parts to be compatible with one-another. Vikings and Excals are almost reminiscent of the previous marker design era, where small size wasn't the super huge marketing ploy that it is now. These days you can't get a gun selling the numbers you want unless it can fit in your pocket....and all today's super tiny guns are still using the same technology from 10 years ago, except now it's crammed into ultra tiny packages and packed right together. It seems like just about every "trayless" gun is like that. Shockers are a great example since they're designed by the same people that made the Shocker Sport and Impulse, which were big honkin guns to nowadays standards (I should note they're not actually designed by the same individual engineers, but hey). The single biggest issue with Shockers is their upper board that gets damaged by grip panel screws since the circuit board just happens to be aligned right behind the screw holes. Nowadays everybody has to watch their grip panel screw lengths so it doesn't damage anything under....do you care what the screw lengths are with your Viking? Do you even know the lengths? Hah, probably not, you don't have a reason to bother with them since all the sensitive stuff is up under the body, away from the stupid screws.
I dunno, it's hard to gauge the overall reliability of things, but I guess just some designs end up working better than others. For instance most hammer/valve markers seem to be pretty reasonable in terms of downtime, which is likely due to their maintenance being so simple (and non-thorough). The designs with less o-rings just end up being serviced less than spoolers with 6-7 moving o-rings in them. The real goal for those of us working with spooler markers is getting into a median zone where it's not as bad.
Subject: Pulse 9v mod
Re: Pulse 9v mod
Subject: Pure Energy tank output
Re: Pure Energy tank output
Subject: Out of the game
I'm looking to get something cheaper, reliable, light weight, and fast. If the epiphany lives up to the hype I like it because it reminds me of my old shocker. Anyway, anything you can tell me would be appreciated.
Re: Out of the game
The hoses are the main cost-cutting feature of the guns, and in turn influences just about all the other cost-cutting characteristics of the markers as well. It's the only real drawback to the guns in my opinion, and while not necessarily a "drawback" per-se, it's definitely true that hoses aren't as reliable as a base-mounted solenoid setup (such as you'd find on a Shocker, or most other "high-end" guns). The Ion platform is great, and as we all know they shoot pretty well...if you can shake the n00b status of using an Ion (lol). Epiphanies are much more rare since they're upgraded, and work a little better as a result, but are still the same gun when looking at the basics. If that's okay with you then it'd be a good choice while supplies last.
In answer to your other question, yes SP has standardized all their barrels to the Ion/Impulse thread. Current Shockers (as well as new SP guns) will use them as well. If you're not looking at an Ion or Epiph, there are some other nice guns out there too...although all of them have their own finnikey disadvantages too. For instance one of the popular things at the moment is the Invert Mini from Kee (formally NPS). Minis are nice but the only real thing they have going for them is their small size, which is a huge gimmick with some tangible advantage, although it's subjective. Internally the guns cut a number of design features in light of production cost (and small size) so they can be very troublesome. For instance the regular can't be disassembled.
In brief, there's a plethora of mid-range electros out there from which to choose, and they all work good...but you'd definitely be happier in terms of sheer reliability with something more expensive. But that's always the way it goes (lol). The new IonXE and EOS markers are very good in that regard since they help to take care of many problems related to disassembly.
Subject: Valve "air transfer" hole
Re: Valve "air transfer" hole
Re: Re: Valve "air transfer" hole
Re: Re: Re: Valve "air transfer" hole
Re: Re: Re: Re: Valve "air transfer" hole
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Valve "air transfer" hole
Subject: Invert Mini reg leak
Re: Invert Mini reg leak
Subject: Old max-flo o-rings/rebuild/manual
I'm guessing I need an oring replacement or even a total rebuild of the reg. I can't find any online manuals that show how to take one apart. I also cannot find any o-ring kits. I checked your site and cannot find anything for this old style.
Do you have a manual? Do you have an oring kit?
Re: Old max-flo o-rings/rebuild/manual
The animation page you were looking for is probably this one: zdspb.com/tech/misc/animations.html. I don't have an actual animation for the Viking, but I do have animations for similar markers....it uses a fairly traditional hammer/valve design which is also used by Impulses, Angels, Bushmasters, etc. I have an animation of the Excalibur which is of course more complex than a Viking but it would give you a little insight to the arrangement of parts and such.
Ideally I'd like to modify the Excal animation I have right now so it would show the Viking layout instead, but I'm not sure when that'll happen...lol
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Miggy
Hey YDNA, just wondering if on a tank reg, are the guage, fill nipple, and 7.5k burst disk all interchangeable? Thanks.
Yes, all the high-pressure side components can be swapped around, since they all lead to the tank. Naturally the output burst disk, macroline fitting, and output gauge wouldn't be included in those parts.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Trevor W.
Hi,
You have not posted any discussion of the RAP4 markers. I am quite interested in how the latest generation operates- no electronics. A completely mechanical/pneumatic system which fires semi and auto with a shell eject. Do you have any plans to delve into that system for a post?
Trevor W.
Kennesaw, GA
Yeah, they're really cool little guns. On the inside they operate similar to an Automag, but the cartridge system is pretty neat as you mentioned. I owned one for a brief period of time but had to sell it to get some extra cash. I'm hoping to get a few pretty soon and make at least a small tech section of the site for it...not sure when that'll happen though.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Trevor W.
I just received mine and disassembled for inspection- very interesting gun. It was similar to an automag like you said, but this extra plug/tremor assembly for pneumatic auto-fire was quite interesting- very ingenious. However, I can't even imagine what this cost to tool-up... all those die cast molds and special machining fixtures to drill the air lines- no wonder these things are so expensive.
Question for you- do you have any non-func automags sitting around? I need to crack one of those open to get some measurements.
Yeah I had the same impression. I talked about it for a little bit back in 2005 when the markers were in pre-production, likely machined on a 5-axis mill so the angled ports weren't too problematic. Although I know those machines are more expensive to run, but have smaller setup times...so it's a tradeoff. I don't know if that's how they make the actual production parts though. But those cast things were definitely expensive to make...I'm sure the popularity of the marker is a good balance for it.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Trevor W.
Used automag for pretty cheap? Ha yea I've heard that before, then some kid runs the ebay auction up to 250 bucks. But I'll see what I can find. :)
Yea I'm looking at this RAP marker hoping to goodness they are pulling around 10k units/annum- otherwise I have no idea how long it would take to amortize all those metal/plastic molds (with some interesting side actions) and stamping dies... even at 550US retail. Or maybe I just don't understand how 'inexpensive' Chinese manufacturing truly is.
Hey while I've got you- what is a good pressure sealant for setscrews? I backed off one of these airline set screw plugs, and now it leaks (go figure huh?). Use a reusable loctite or is there something special?
Thanks again,
hah, well you're right about that resale. It seems like they're expensive for the base models, but the weird thing is the fully upgraded electro models are only $100-150 more. Or at least that's the way it was when I was in the market a few months back...things may be different now. The secondhard market is an interesting thing for those so-called classic markers
Anyway, for that set screw I would recommend some liquid loctite, that should do the trick. If you have loctite stick sitting around it might work but that stuff doesn't penetrate as well as the liquid so that's what I recommend for those small screws and their threading. Of course ideally a screw with a head on it (and an o-ring under the head) would be ideal but that isn't always an option.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Tom G.
I'm wondering if there was a solenoid that can cycle ROF on a DM4 faster than the stock solenoid. I'm using a virtue board with a HALO/cheetah board but I believe the the stock selenoid is not fast enough. If there's a faster one for this marker, would any other mod need to be made? ..and do you guys do this type of work?
Thanks
Tom
Well, it's true that the solenoid is a limiting factor, but there really isn't much that can be done about it. The choke-point is the amount of air that can pass through the solenoid's spool valve at once...sometimes people look at the bottom of the valve and see the huge gaping air ports that are dug into it, and think "those ports are much bigger than other solenoids" but the fact of the matter is the spool valve still allows only the same air volume through it at once. It's pretty similar with all other solenoids due to how the valves work.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Rob K.
I've had my impulse since the body style came out... but I've kept the same stock board all these years and now I want to get one with a few more modes then just semi.... I've been searching a lot and I cant seem to find any websites with boards, I even emailed graphiti to see if they sitll flashed baords but never got a reply, so I was wondering if you happen to know where i could get ahold of one. Id like it to have ramping on it....
Thanks.
-Rob
I don't think they do the ECS board flashing anymore...at least that was the impression I got.
Anyway, these days the Impulse aftermarket is pretty quiet so you're kindof limited to one of two choices, you can either get the Blackheart board from SP which will do everything you want pretty well, or you could have a non-Impulse board retrofitted into the gun. The custom board option would take a lot of work though so it wouldn't be too cheap. But on the other hand the Blackheart boards cost $100 by themselves, which is a good percentage of the marker's value anyway (lol). It does come with all the necessary Vision eye parts though so if you don't have those then you automatically get the upgrade, or you end up with spares.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Rob K.
haha, I couldn't even find the blackheart boards anymore. but, I was thinking of trying to make a shocker board fit in it... I dunno how I'd connect the board to the eye and noid board.... and I dunno how I'd make it work because I have an I-Frame. guess I need to find someone who can cheaply write me a 13 bps ramping code and flash it in there haha.
Try looking at punisherspb.com, if they don't have them on the site then call them up to be certain. As far as I know it SP will have those parts available for quite some time...and if SP has it, then punishers can get it for sure (lol).
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: w/h
Did you make the CAD models of the Sidewinder reg on the how regs work page? If I am not mistaken, the spring pack in the Sidewinder model is misarranged, it's )()()()( rather than ()()()() according to the manual.
ahhh, the manual does indeed show the pack like that. It won't make any change to the spring force though, it's just a slightly different arrangement.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: w/h
I always wondered about that, just how critical is correct arrangement?
Typically it won't make a difference, although there are natural differences in which stack pattern is easier to handle with one's hands. Pairing them up is often easier to handle, but not required.
Because of that the safest thing is to install the belleville disks like you mentioned, )()()( , instead of pairing them up. I typically show them the other way since it's easier to count and can be easier to handle like I said.
What really gets ya is the regs that use an uneven number of disks, like the older CP regs (not sure if they still do)...LOL
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Jakob L.
Hi,
First: thank you very much for sharing all that knowledge on your website.
I have a short question: Your mechanical ION LPR Version-1 ( zdspb.com/media/customwork/ion/mechion_oldv1_wide2.JPG ), which LPR is that? I've never seen such a bulky LPR with 1/8 fittings and my Palmer Cocker LPR hasn't enough meat to tap a 1/8 thread.
I'm converting an Ion into a (electronic) pump and I would like to place a LPR in a home-made-rail (instead of an inline reg + asa).
Greetings from Germany,
Jakob
ahh, that's actually not an LPR, although it regulates down to low pressures. That reg is one of the old Max-Flo's that were used on the Impulse and older Shockers before vertical regulators became popular. I used it there since it would connect right up to the stock ASA.
As you probably noted, I ended up switching to a regular vertical reg setup when I refined the mod a little bit. There really wasn't a reason for it, I just didn't want to use that stock "duckbill" ASA with the reg attached.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Jakob L.
OK, thank you. Just one last question: I have an old Classic Valve in my ole stuffbox and I'm thinking about gutting and boring the regulator completely to use it as a volumizer. An inline reg would do its job. Did you try something like that? There is an info on your custom page, that you're something planning.
Thanks,
Jakob
Yeah, I planned on doing a similar modification to my Mag. I never got around to it though and no longer own the marker. It wouldn't have been too difficult but I knew I was going to make a new endcap piece, which is why I kept putting it off. I'd still like to get that done with another mag, but am unsure when it'll happen.
I have some pics saved of people who had done similar mods to their Mags too. It looks pretty cool since the body size can be reduced if you just block it off, or you can make it into a volumizer like you mentioned.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Jon St. P.
Hi, I've a question about macroline fittings. What is the best way to remove macro fittings, I've a CP reg with an installed macro fitting that I'd like to swap for an elbow fitting. Do they need to be heated for removal, what is done at the factory, etc. I'd like to avoid busting my reg. Also as a side thought for an experienced player, what is your oppinion on the Ion vs the Proto Rail. I've a brother looking at the rail and I've thought of upgrading but would like an experienced persons oppinion. Thanks for all your help.
Jon
The fittings are indeed loctited so it'll take an amount of force to remove them cleanly. What I would do in your position is stick the velocity adjuster allen wrench (1/8") into the set screw in the side of the reg, then use it for leverage when unscrewing the fitting. Heating the parts up will help to break the loctite seal but it can be hard to do since the parts are often too hot to handle (lol). Also the reg would have to be disassembled so you don't damage any seals, if you were to heat it up.
Heating the reg is often the "suggested" method to get it off easiest, it's just that it's not always required.
If you're into buying used parts then Ions would probably be better since there's so many parts floating around for them, but it might not matter.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Jonathon C.
Hey YDNA,
I have a Lucky Stage 5.1 Ion Body and I accidentally stripped the eye cover screw (shown in picture). I was curious if you would be able to remove it without damaging the body; I am willing to pay. The screw is a hex key head (2-56 X 1/8 BHCS) that is slightly stripped from the head (threads are fine I think, and I do have backups here at home). If you are unable to perform this service could you either point me in another direction or provide some tips on how to remove it. I've heard things from screw grab to J B Weld and an allen wrench to using a screw extractor kit. Please help YDNA, you're my last hope, seeing as how you know how to treat paintball equipment.
Unfortunately there isn't much I can do for it myself since I don't have access to my regular machine tools these days. A few years ago it would be easy to simply machine off using a mill, or something could be welded to it and used to unscrew, but I can't do any of that right now.
I haven't ever had luck with gluing things into the allen wrench hole. I've tried that with all sorts of glue, epoxy, JB weld, it never seems to work for me (lol). There's so little surface are coming in contact that it often breaks off. Welding of course is a different story, but takes a bit more preperation...
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Thomas H.
Hi
Just bought two broke Impulses to fix on my own. Rebuilt one that i just bought. Just read your tech page and lots of info!
I only have one question. I just lubed the spool and reinstalled the noid to the body. It's leaking with the pressure 120psi and dwell is like 30 bleeps.
When I shoot the ram makes a weird sound and air is hearing where the noid is sitting. There's a little scratch where the little screw is, and is heading in a straight line like 4 mm, is it possible that it leaks there? (it's not where the 3 holes are)
I also lubed the gasket, dont know if that's right?
Can I screw it harder? afraid to break the screw.
Are there still parts for the Impulse? They're hard to get here in holland/netherlands.
Tnx for the time reading this.
Regards,
Thomas, Holland/netherlands
Well, I would definitely suggest being very careful with making the solenoid screws tight. The solenoid *should* seal up with the screws lightly installed....you shouldn't have to screw them very tight to get a good seal. There are some situations where screwing them harder will seal it up, but it's not common. You want to be careful not to strip the aluminum screw threads in the body.
The solenoid gasket shouldn't have to be greased, but it also shouldn't be dry. I'd suggest wiping off the excess grease from it, so it will be moist but not covered in grease. That's the way it should work...greasing it usually doesn't cause any problems though.
Airsoldier also has replacement gaskets and screws. I used to sell them but I've run out.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Dean H.
One question for you..it's really simple, since its made by SP, (i know sold and distr. by DLX) does it come with the F-mark in it like all NXTs do now?
I play all over Europe, and often in Germany, where this is required, since Germany is about 40% more expensive for odd reasons then any other place on earth, I always get my markers from other places. One HUGE advantage the SP NXTs have is that all of them come with the infamous "F-Mark" on them.
I would love to know if such a mark is present on the LUXE?? I would simply not even consider it if its only from german dealers as they transfer the dollar rate directly for euros, making the LUXE cost around 3 Grand total. in US currency.
Anyways i tried to get an answer from audrey at DLX, but no answer in any form so far, so hoping you might be able to shed som light on this.
Best regards
Dean
That's a good question...I will check on it later when I get home. I don't specifcally recall an F stamp but I have to think it's indeed present since virtually all SP markers have them.
If it's not on there, you may be able to arrange it to be placed by DLX direct then sent through one of the retailers (presumably the one from which you would buy the marker), however I'm not sure how that process would work or if it's possible. I assume it can happen though since SP goes out of their way with the other markers. Anyways, I'll let you know what I find.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Dean H.
Fantastic. Either way its good to know regarding this. And thank you for a fast reply.
ehh, well I checked all around the marker (including the internals) but I can't find an F stamp. The only engraving is for the serial number, but unless I missed it there doesn't seem to be one.
If I were you I'd try to contact Darryl Trent at DLX and see what he can do. Like I said I'm not sure if there's a workaround for producing the stamp on the marker, but he'd be the one to tell you.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Damon S.
Hi...
Just wondering if you have any information on Loaders etc. I seem to be running into the same dilema... There are tons of markers that claim to be very high speed. The problem is there is no loader that I know of that force feeds at a rate better than about 22-23 bps? Do you know of any and if not how, and what upgrades can be made to make existing hoopers faster.
Thanks,
Damon S.
Well, as you've found out there's often a pretty hard limitation on the feedrate of these drivecone loaders like Halos and Pulses and such. Whenever I need to do super-speed testing I use a special loader I made myself, but I can't give out any real details on it (not that it'd help since it's not a practical device you could use in a game at this point) although if you're interested I've posted the results here zdspb.com/customwork/prototypeloader.html
I haven't had the chance to try it out myself but I'm hoping to do it pretty soon.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Damon S.
Thanks Andrew, I will look into that. I am also wondering if you guys can put an animation up for the new Angel 1... I have recently acquired one, and I can tell you that the dwell is currently set really low, is ususes hardly no gas and is consistently getting to 25bps, at the required 280fps. I would like to know how to maintain it etc. Thanks Let me know if you can do this.
Damon S.
Yeah, I'd like to make an animation for one if I could actually sit down and make good prints of the marker. Every time I get one in for repair or tuning it goes right back out so I never have the chance for a total disassembly (lol). Same thing happens with most stacked tube markers these days, it's why I haven't made animations of most of them at this point.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Drew P.
Hey, saw your comment you left on youtube....so I decided to ask you some quick questions.
What camcorder did you use for Monster Game '07? Did ya see Greg Hastings there last year?
If ya have time to drop me an e-mail...
Yep I saw Greg there, funny thing is I only attend a few events each year and he always seems to be at the same ones I attend. weird.
Anyway, a buddy of mine does all the filming for us at the HS games. Well he doesn't always do the actual filming, but he provides the camera...haha
He made a little lexan box to protect the majority of the camera from debris and paint. I wrote up a short page about it which you can find here zdspb.com/customwork/cameracase.html
I'm not sure what type of camera he uses, he's into all those audio-video products so I'm sure it's some kind of relatively high quality thing, but like I said I don't know the exact type. It works pretty good though, we're able to get up in the action and see what's going on pretty well. We usually use a remote microphone that one guy wears as he's out on the field so all the audio ends up coming from his direction, it doesn't always work very good but usually ends up okay.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Moveslikeashadow
Question,
Are HPA tank O-rings and CO2 O-rings generally made of same material?
Which material would make a good O-ring for both tanks? ( universal )
What is the I.D. and the O.D. of said O-ring?
What is the Durometer of said O-ring?
They're size 15 o-rings, which have an ID-OD of 9/16" and 11/16" respectively. I typically suggest using 90 durometer rings for these, although 70 duro rings will also work okay. (maybe not last as long though, depending on how rough you are with them).
In terms of material, really anything will work pretty well. Most tank o-rings out there are urethane but cheaper "buna" will also work.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Justin
Hey real quick question in sfts have you ever heard of too high of a dwell setting affecting ball flight. I have a 05 sft stock bolt with hater board, and the first time after the hater board my balls were curving everywhere. swapped out to my old nerve board and there wasn't a single problem. so I redid my dwell settings and they fly fantastic now. Didn't know if in your experience if you/d ever heard of that sort of thing? If you email me back that'd be awesome sir. Thanks alot for you time.
justin
I don't think I've heard of that type of thing but I wouldn't put it totally out of mind. One of the weird things that can happen with longer dwell times is the recoil can go up slightly, which might make you kick the barrel a small amount and effect the ball flight. Not sure how practical that is though. Long dwell times can also cause ball breakage which might be due to the same issue, not sure.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Trace D.
I was wondering if you can tell me how to tell the difference between the V35 and stock board by looking at it. Is there a serial #.
Thank you
Trace
I don't think there's a visual difference on all of them. The newer v35 boards come with a big "V35" sticker on the back, but that's only something that started within the past year.
What you can try is hooking the board up and attempt to adjust the firing speed. (check the v35 board manual). If you can't adjust it then it's a regular ole Z-code board. If it does adjust then it's a victory board for sure.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Michael F.
Hi,
I'm sorry for bothering you with this, but I have asked the question on many forum and went on many website, and none can provide a clear answer... I currently have a Max-Flo Micro 3000 PSI, and I wish to convert it to a 4500 PSI to put a 4500 PSI tank on it. I went on SP website and they said that they have an upgrade kit specialy for that, but I couldn't find it in their store, so I asked which exact piece I needed to do this, but couldn't get a clear answer about it (Some where saying that you only need to change one burst disk, other saying that you need to change the spring...). Can you help me on this matter?
Thank you very much for your time.
Yep you heard correct, the only difference between them is the burst disk. Well the other difference is the little jewel sticker on the bottom of the reg..if that matters....
So yes you just need to swap the burst disk with the higher pressuure version (I believe it's a 7500-psi burst disk) and it'll be good to go.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Tracy D.
I love your tech site, keep up the good work. My question is this. Does the RF transmitter for a magna drive loader install the same on a nxt shocker as the pulse rf install in your article in "Pulse Loader RF Transmitter tech"?
Thanks.
Yep it's essentially the same wiring and such. The physical size of the teansmitter is the main difference between them.
Most ads for the Mags system say it won't work for certain markers, but really it's just because you have to solder. It'll work okay when properly soldered down.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Atlas
Hi Ydna,
I have been away from paintball for a year or so. I bought my brother an 04 shocker that came with a CP reg. He is looking for something with a faster recharge rate. From what I remember, the AKA 2-Liter or the Evolve were the best. Now the new Max Flo on the NXT seems to be great. I wanted to ask you on what you would recommend?
Many thanks!
Atlas
Yeah, the Ion reg (same as the NXT Shocker reg) works very well, faster than the CP in fact. Not as fast as the Evolve Pi or 2-liter though.
The Evolve Pi regs were discontinued since Evovle is no longer around. However thy may return in the future (if that matters...)
Another reg that's as good as the NXT one is the Dye Hyper2. They Hyper3 regs are supposed to be "better" (according to Dye) but I haven't had the chance to test them out yet myself.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Andrew F.
I know, I know, not much chance of that happening, but I have to ask... Do you have an o-ring kit for a nova 700? Also do you have the small buffer spring for the regulator in the nova? I know its a long shot, but this "basket case" marker deserves a new life.
Thanks for your time,
Andrew F.
I do have some of the crazy Nova o-rings available, but I'll have to check and see which things I have for sure next time I'm in the workshop. I can sell you some but the kit will probably not be as economical as the other ones listed on the site (since the o-rings are actually a bit more expensive, since they're so much larger).
I don't have any other real parts for the gun though. On the Nova I used to own, I found out eventually that my reg didn't even work (lol) it was just bypassed because of the base seal gone bad (I think). I never had the chance to troubleshoot it, rather just used an LP tank whenever I had to air the gun up.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Andrew F.
It really was just a shot in the dark on parts. I had a feeling that I was going to have to go with an external reg. Any help with o-rings would be great. Any recomendations on a reg that works well at < 100psi?
Andrew
With mine I used a Max-Flo manifold, but they're really made for over 100-psi instead of the sub pressures that Novas and all those other similar markers use (Mayhem, Assault-80, etc)
It'd be really ideal if you could find one of those CCI regs that came on Mayhem bottomlines. Novas even came on them when they were turned into the SuperNovas (the reg was removed from the body and replaced with a bug honking volumizer). But it'd be tricky to find that in specific.
The palmer Stabilizer might be able to do it good but I'm not sure on their exact output range, it might be the same as the Max-Flos in that regard.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Eric K.
I need replacement bottomline screws for my backup spyder imagine, are the screws you sell (5/32" X 7/8")? Because that is what the imagine uses, please let me know.
Eric K.
University of Maryland
As long as the Spyder threads are 10-32, it'll work okay. However I'm not sure of it myself since I don't happen to have any here to try out. I know some of the threads on Spyders are metric, but I don't think ALL of them are. I'd suggest looking around to see if you can find screw thread info for the marker, and see if the bottomline screws are metric or imperial.
If they are indeed imperial, then the screws I list on the zds "store" page will work just fine. I've got them in shorter and longer versions.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Orlando R.
I have a rather general question that has been bothing me for quite a while. What contributes to a realiable marker? I can't seem to put my finger on it. Being an owner of a Viking, I am spoiled when it comes to realiability but I would like to move on to a new marker while retaining this excellent charateristic. It would seem that the simpler the design, the more reliable. My Viking just works, works, and works some more while I see DMs, EGOs, and other markers going down all the time. And not to mention the lack of maintinece needed for the Viking. Assuming a marker is perfectly maintained, why do some have more problems than others? I have a plethora of questions on the subject but I believe those two sum them up quite well.
I've put quite a bit of thought into the subject myself. Designing my own marker platforms I run into clearance issues with nearby parts more than anything else. I think that's the biggest concern I have when trying to hash out a layout that WORKS...things that are close by just don't hold up, due to improper installation (user side problem) as well as things just going awry on their own (designer side problem). You have to try to take responsibility for the user's mistakes, and try to make sure they can't screw things up even if they tried. Unfortunately that's kindof a hard task to perform since it's hard to find something that can't be damaged if you really try...lol. With a Viking in particular, the marker is nice and spread out, and requires such little maintenance that there isn't much available to go wrong. The drawback is the spread-out arrangement makes the marker larger than the style people these days look for.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Chris N.
I recently bought a Pulse from a friend. I am having a little trouble with it. There is a home-made dual 9V mod, and I know for a fact that he used to tinker with the potentiometers on the board. Here are my questions...
1) Where do the pots sit when shipped from the factory?
2) I put 2 brand new 9Vs in it last weekend, played about five games (turning it off between games) and the battery lights were blinking and then shutting off. I thought maybe the mod was bad, but I hooked one 9V at a time to either side and both deliver power. Any thoughts? I thought the dual 9Vs was supposed to give you extended battery life? Also, when it pulses, it will pulse a couple of times and then stop....my old pulse always kept pulsing....I need help!!!! If it helps, I am running it in standard mode (not RF).
Thanks so much...You have always had the answers I need in a time of crisis.
Chris
From what I've found the dual 9v setup doesn't last as long as the 6xAA battery pack, but it still shouldn't be telling you "low battery" that quick. When running the synched mode I would get around 3000 shots, give or take a bit. If you're shooting that much then that might be the reason, otherwise I'm not sure. I suppose the batteries could have been not at their maximum when you plugged them in, but that's unlikely for new batts.
For the pot settings, the one on the mainboard controls the time length for the pulses, more time being a longer pule, less time being shorter. On mine the stock setting was right in the middle (the 12 o'clock position) although I'm not sure if that's the "universal" stock setting. The other pot (located on the small circuit board inside the hopper) is the max feedrate, I think that comes from the factory set to the maximum setting (full clockwise).
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Victor W.
Good day
1st off thanks for the excellent site!!
I would like to know what is the standard output pressure for an 110cu 4500psi hpa tank. I bought 2 pure energy hpa tanks same batch and all, but they both are different, the one gives 900psi the other 800psi? How can I get these two closer to each others pressure?
Your help will be highly appreciated!
Grateful regards
Vic
From what I understand about how the regulators work, they're supposed to output around 900-psi when totally filled, and once the tank nears empty the pressure goes down a little to around 800-psi. However these numbers aren't exact, since every reg is a little different. It has to do with a slight pressure difference inside the input section of the reg.
For most markers you shouldn't run into many problems running one of those tanks then switching to the other. You may have to adjust the pressure or velocity a little bit (depending on the type of marker) but even then it *should* be just a small change. I know there are some companies out there that use 900-psi as the output pressure, and others that use 750-psi output pressure, and those two things are supposed to be compatible, but who knows.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Mirrorimage21
Ydna (Andy),
What's going on man? Don't know if you remember me, I used to be mirrorimage21 on shockerowners.com.
I've been out of the loop for about 2 and a half years now and I'm wanting to get back into it. I see this Epiphany marker by Smart Parts. How are they? It looks like a better gun than the Ion, but I notice the price is lower. Are they going to discontinue that marker? Is the 199.95 a special price and if so how long will it last? Are they reliable? Fast? Are there many upgrades? I haven't looked past punisher's site yet, but I didn't see any specific parts like triggers or feednecks. Will Ion triggers work on the epiphany? I'm pretty sure smart parts started going toward a standard thread for their barrels when I was getting out of it... I'm pretty sure they were moving toward the impulse threads for all the guns. Is that correct? Anyway, if you've got the time to humor my 2 year lapse from the paintball world I'd appreciate it.
-Kevin
Sure I remember you, I believe I shipped something your way once upon a time....at least I think so. In quick answer, Epiphanies are very similar to Ions, in fact they're virtually identical in function. The differences between them and Ions are the support things, such as the stock exoskeleton, some stock upgrades, frame shape, etc. Most Ion parts are the same for Epiphanies (although triggers actually aren't one of them...not compatible very well anyway). Both Epiphanies and Ions are on closeout right now because they're being replaced with the EOS and IonXE markers, respectively. Those two are upgraded versions of the previous models (Ion and Epiph), and feature a bolt-out-back disassembly so you don't have to screw around with the internal hoses.
Another alternative would be the new Proto SLG, if you can stand using an electronic sear-tripper. They work similar to Ions except they use a sear. There's also the Proto Rail, which is a reasonably nice, cheaper version of the Matrix/DM...although it's very cramped internally so disassembly is a pain. You can also land deals on Shocker NXTs at the moment since they're being partially phased-out. A new high-end SP marker is on the way in the near future, which will replace the Shocker as SP's high-end platform.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: WH
I'm looking through your animations....in my cocker, I noticed that the hole that the air passes through when air is released is behind the feedneck. Is there any reason as to why other than keeping it clean? I have an idea, and this will help in the development.
The reason it's back there is to keep it separate from the breech, but it's true that it could be placed in the bottom of the chamber if required. The downside is it's kindof taboo to put holes in the bottom of the marker's chamber just in case the ball gets clipped when the bolt moves, or something along those lines.
Now it's true there are probably ways around that but some of them start getting a little odd. One design I made a while ago involved a bolt that surrounded the ball and moved with it, closing off that little air port when it was open. The problem with that design was the huge diameter requried. Not really a problem, but not ideal...lol. There are probably other possibilities too. I haven't done much with them myself though.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
Thank you kindly. you rock! :) just one question - wouldn't a screen solve that problem? I guess it would be a pain in the ass to remove and replace...
Make another question. I was looking at your excal animation, and I saw that it may have been possible to reverse the bolt ram, and have the pull pin forward more like on a viking. If a 16 year old kid saw this, im wondering why Aaron K didn't? Unless it was to have a gentler closing force, I see nothing but drawbacks in having the bolt ram situated the way it was.
Well the layout in Excals and Vikings is more dictated by the arrangement of the internal cartridges. With Excals the bolt cartridge and LPR are in the left bore, with the valve and valve cartridge in the opposite bore. With vikings the bolt has to be hooked to the hammer, and the valve has to be in front of the hammer. Theoretically it could be set up so the bolt would get "pulled" like with an Excal, but if that were the case then the layout would have to be changed so the bolt's piston and the valve were in two separate bores. In a Viking, that would be possible since it already had two bores available, but I don't think there's much of a practical reason to do it. It's true the force would be lower like you mentioned, but I wouldn't think chopping paint was too much of a problem they wanted to guard against since AKA markers use fairly low LPR pressures already. (at least once they get broken in)
This was right around the time that anti-chop eyes were starting to get popular, so many people were likely starting to forget about mechanical anti-chop methods and rather start relying on eyes. Of course we skip ahead a few years to nowadays, and eye have become the principal feature to guard against chopping. Kindof ironic since some companies have very more unreliable eye systems compared to some others.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
Now I have another question. The ram(mer) on most markers has a much larger acting surface area on one side of the ram than the other. Why has nobody fixed this? The way I see it, it would heighten ROF by balancing out the opening and closing times of rams, and it would be fairly simple. Jack Wood seems to be trying to get every last cps out of his markers, and he hasn't done anything about this...it confuses me. Wait...assuming, like an ego, the closing force is greater, it's trying to overcome the poppit pressure since there is no hammer? And speaking of that, why have there only been two (that I know of) companies that install balanced valves in their markers?!?! Bob Long and now Vanguard (or w/e it's called, I got lost in the 239389734 name changes)
In terms of the surface area difference on the ram, there have been a few small attempts to "fix" that over the years but frankly not much ever seems to come of it. There's a very small increase in efficiency that occurs since a little less air is used per shot, but as you mentioned you end up loosing a lot of the force needed to push the hammer forward at the same time. It forces the LPR pressure to be increased a bit, and the ram moves slower on the forward stroke since it loses the speed control that happens with the surface area difference. (by the way, that "speed control" is largely not a design factor of most markers, rather it's just something that happens and companies can't avoid it)
The first big attempt to balance the piston was Evil's "upgrade" ram for Impulses back in the day, but it was largely a failure due to unreliability. A little later the Nerve used a similar concept but it was more a byproduct of the hammer being behind the piston, with valve still in front...so that piston has to be dual-sided no matter what.
With Egos, I think the reason Jack avoids it is because it would add stroke length to the ram, which is already very long. Eclipse is completely obsessed with making their equipment as small and light as possible so I couldn't see him doing it for that reason alone (lol). Although, incidentally, Egos and Intimidators use the longest rams of any other stacked tube marker, except the ones that "balance" it out like Evil Pimp/Nerve. It has to do with them relying an an outside o-ring on the middle of the ram, instead of using an inside o-ring groove like everybody else. It's much cheaper to produce that way which explains why Intimidators have it like that....but I was always confused at the decision for Egos since they want to make everything so small. oh well.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Kurt A.
I have a problem with an Invert Mini, the reg dosent work so the guage spikes when I screw in the tank and air pores out the barrel. Do you work on Minis?
I've seen this many times before so it may be the usual problems. Usually this is an issue with the regulator's endcap being installed too far inward. What you should try is removing the endcap (there's a set screw in the side that holds it in position) and air the marker up, no pressure should be exiting the reg. You can then screw the endcap back on slowly until the moment air starts to pass through the reg. Reinstall that set screw and that's the new endcap position. Not sure about air leaking out the barrel though. The poppets are easy to damage by scratching, the urethane seal seems pretty fragile. What I do is remove the velocity adjuster and push the poppet closed tightly, then next time when you air it up it should stick in the closed position. Soemtimes they get some friction and don't move closed when they marker gets initially pressurized. Anyway, see if any of that helps...like I said common stuff so hopefully that'll do the trick.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
From: Walter H.
Hi Andrew, I have an old Max Flo(68/3000) that came with my 98' Evolution Autococker bought together from Smart Parts way back when. It's the manifold type with the big black bottom that is round in front (not the manifold with the hex type head). I've recently developed a leak on the opposite side(big allen side) of the adjuster knob.
Internally, they're fairly similar to the max-flo 4500 systems that SP sold a little later after the version you have. I have a maintenance guide with diagrams and such on this page if you haven't seen it already: www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/regs/main_manifold.html
Chances are (if I udnerstand you correctly) the o-rings on the brass "poppet guide" are to blame, that's the component right inside the hex nut, which *should* be the same as the 4500 system. But you'd have to take it apart and compare to the pictures to be sure.
-from Andrew "Ydna" DuBuc - [ZDSPB.com]
