Thinking of getting a Scuba Tank Fill station

[Stayhuge]

Hi everyone,

My buddies and I play in the woods near us a lot, at least for me (About 2 times a month). Everytime I play it costs me $10 in air fills fdor my 2 4500 psi tanks. I have a 45/4500 and a 70/4500. Now the store can never get the fill all the way up to 4500 psi (Usually only 3700 or so) I was contemplating buying a scuba tank. I went to the store today and priced a brand new one for $180. It was a Catalina 80square foot and can hold up to 3000psi and costs about $8 to fill. I understand that I will not be able to fill my gun tanks past 3000psi, and in fact the fills will be lower as the scuba tank runs low on air. So my questions are as follows:
- How many fills can I expect off of this tank? Keep in mind, everytime I play, I will need to fill both tanks.
- What type of drop off should I expect? Will I be able to get both tanks to 3000psi the first fill off the tank, and then 2900psi each the second fill and so on. or is the drop off much greater?
- Has anyone out there used these tanks, and how has it worked for you?
- Is there a specific fill station that is really good. I saw a bunch on Ebay for around $40 shipped. Are these junk, or are all the fill regs the same? I don't need anything that will blow up in my face (Literally!!)

Basically I can use any and all advice. Thank you everyone!!!

[Ruler_Mark]

Hi everyone,

My buddies and I play in the woods near us a lot, at least for me (About 2 times a month). Everytime I play it costs me $10 in air fills fdor my 2 4500 psi tanks. I have a 45/4500 and a 70/4500. Now the store can never get the fill all the way up to 4500 psi (Usually only 3700 or so) I was contemplating buying a scuba tank. I went to the store today and priced a brand new one for $180. It was a Catalina 80square foot and can hold up to 3000psi and costs about $8 to fill. I understand that I will not be able to fill my gun tanks past 3000psi, and in fact the fills will be lower as the scuba tank runs low on air. So my questions are as follows:
- How many fills can I expect off of this tank? Keep in mind, everytime I play, I will need to fill both tanks.
- What type of drop off should I expect? Will I be able to get both tanks to 3000psi the first fill off the tank, and then 2900psi each the second fill and so on. or is the drop off much greater?
- Has anyone out there used these tanks, and how has it worked for you?
- Is there a specific fill station that is really good. I saw a bunch on Ebay for around $40 shipped. Are these junk, or are all the fill regs the same? I don't need anything that will blow up in my face (Literally!!)

Basically I can use any and all advice. Thank you everyone!!!

years ago my friends and us outlaw balled alot.back when they played. My friend steve's parents use to be into diving so we all split a tap for the tank, we would get it filled to 3k at the dive shop and it would last a few weekends till it would be at 2k which is when we would refill. we didnt fill alot but a scuba tank will last you a long time. Wish i remembered the numbers.

[paintball72]

well i got a fill station from action village for $40 so i wouldnt go with ebay id stick with a dealer since there isnt any savings. but my experience with that sice of scuba tank a 80 cu 3000psi is that with a 68 45 tank or i guess a 68 30 tank too you loose 300 psi each time you fill your tank. so you start with near 3000 then 2700, 2400, 2100........ but i have read (havent tried yet, but itll definately work) that if you have 2 or more scuba tanks you can fill with your first tank then top off with the second and then the next time you fill you fill with the second and top off with the first, this gives you fuller fills longer. and the more scuba tanks you do this with the longer it will last.

http://www.ottersccustoms.com/filling.html

scroll down the page a bit and you will find info on filling a hpa bottle.

[Ruler_Mark]

well i got a fill station from action village for $40 so i wouldnt go with ebay id stick with a dealer since there isnt any savings. but my experience with that sice of scuba tank a 80 cu 3000psi is that with a 68 45 tank or i guess a 68 30 tank too you loose 300 psi each time you fill your tank. so you start with near 3000 then 2700, 2400, 2100........ but i have read (havent tried yet, but itll definately work) that if you have 2 or more scuba tanks you can fill with your first tank then top off with the second and then the next time you fill you fill with the second and top off with the first, this gives you fuller fills longer. and the more scuba tanks you do this with the longer it will last.

http://www.ottersccustoms.com/filling.html

scroll down the page a bit and you will find info on filling a hpa bottle.
i dont think you'll loose 300psi off of 1 fill.

80 (cubic feet) = 138 240 cubic inches

[Stayhuge]

300psi seems like quite a bit. I will have to think about it a little more. Thank you everyone for your input., I appreciate all help.

[Smoothice]

I'm on my phone right now but on my computer I have a web page book marked that has a scuba fill calculator. You plug in the size of your hp, how gas efficient your marker is, and at what psi you refill at. It then tells you what your psi will be after each fill. I think it is something like 6 to 7 decent fills. When I get home i'll post it up.

[Looper]

I'm on my phone right now but on my computer I have a web page book marked that has a scuba fill calculator. You plug in the size of your hp, how gas efficient your marker is, and at what psi you refill at. It then tells you what your psi will be after each fill. I think it is something like 6 to 7 decent fills. When I get home i'll post it up.
Scuba Fill Calculator
http://www.scubatoys.com/paintball/scubafills2.asp
PSI Shot Calculator
http://www.scubatoys.com/paintball/paintballshots.asp

And I use two SCUBAs one for the initial fill and the other one for topping off. When I go to get a tank filled I always get the Initial tank filed and that then becomes my top off tank and my old top off tank becomes the initial fill tank.

:cheers:

[Smoothice]

Scuba Fill Calculator
http://www.scubatoys.com/paintball/scubafills2.asp
PSI Shot Calculator
http://www.scubatoys.com/paintball/paintballshots.asp

And I use two SCUBAs one for the initial fill and the other one for topping off. When I go to get a tank filled I always get the Initial tank filed and that then becomes my top off tank and my old top off tank becomes the initial fill tank.

:cheers:


Those are the ones.

:cheers:

[longi]

You should get a lot of fills out of a scuba tank, out of a 15 litre 3000 psi tank, you should be getting around 6-7 3000 psi fills before it slowly starts to go down. i couldn't live without it! :)

[Hilltop Customs]

You should get a lot of fills out of a scuba tank, out of a 15 litre 3000 psi tank, you should be getting around 6-7 3000 psi fills before it slowly starts to go down. i couldn't live without it! :)

You must have magic scuba tanks or whoever is filling your tanks is taking them to 3800. There is no way you can get 6-7 fills @ 3000psi on a 3000psi 15 liter tank. The 15L may be a fairly large tank compared to the 80cf tank, but unless your getting highly overfilled that is impossible.


If you filling "empty" @1kpsi I would expect to get around 6 good fills off a single scuba....with the last being around 2k-2.2k psi. Thats from my experience, and it matches right with the chart thats posted above.


1 scuba fill should get you through around 2 days of play if you are used to using 2 4500 tanks pre day(thats assuming you dont completely empty them every time you play) If you do, the 7'th fill is going to be below 2k. Basically $8 for a scuba fill vs $20 for air tank fills 2 days of play for you.


Like Looper said, cascading works good when your trying to keep high pressure fills going longer. Ive got 2 scubas and thats what I do.


Fill stations dont have any type of reg on them. All they are is an adapter that goes from the yoke to a fill nipple. They all work the same. Dont get one that has a whip on it, it just wastes air.



If you do get a scuba, ALWAYS fill your air tanks as much as possible be4 refilling your scuba.... :cheers:

[automikey]

I dive with a high pressure steel tank that is typically filled to 3100psi but is "+" rated and can be safely overfilled to to 3442 psi.

I can fill up my 13/3000 HPA tank for, uhhh.... the whole summer? Lasts forever for me.

A steel tank like mine will cost you around $300. For diving it is well worth the cost, as a steel tank will usually last at least 20+ years vs. typically 10 for aluminum.

[MANN]

A steel tank like mine will cost you around $300. For diving it is well worth the cost, as a steel tank will usually last at least 20+ years vs. typically 10 for aluminum.

One of my alum tanks is now 22 years old. Got it rehydroed this feb. :clap:

[automikey]

Just remember that it's 22 years old and has (hopefully) been hydrotested 4 times so far, and the test (I believe) is to 5/3 the working pressure of the tank. That's a lot of stress on the tank. Aluminum tanks can easily fail hydro at 10-15 years (hydro #2 or 3). But divers fill them a lot more than paintballers, so there would be more stress on the tank. Cool that yours is still going. I have a steel tank from the 60's that still works.


I will add that for paintball, where our guns stop working at lower pressure (my mag at 800 psi, for example) the extra fill from a HP scuba tank really helps.

[MANN]

Just remember that it's 22 years old and has (hopefully) been hydrotested 4 times so far, and the test (I believe) is to 5/3 the working pressure of the tank.

It has been tested in 87, 95, 01 and now 08. I didnt think that they were even good that long. I asked the guy at the scuba place I buy from, and he said that as long as they pass hydro they could last forever. I picked up this tank for 10 bucks so even if it only last a few more years it will still be worth that in scrap alum (current price of alum is .65c in TN)

[Boy_Wonder]

Well, this is a little more expensive than a SCUBA tank but I just bought one and I think it's worth it so far because I'm in the same situation as Stayhuge.

http://www.airhog.com/cf_tanks.htm

The price there is actually higher than what they charge. I think mine was $525. The advantage of that carbon fiber tank as opposed to the steel tanks are that it's 4500 psi, smaller, and lighter. That price also includes an adapter so that's saving you ~$40. So far the tank is working great and SCUBA shops fill them all the way to 4500 so I'm filling all my tanks plus my friends tanks at the SCUBA shop and then getting it refilled again to top it off before I leave to go play. I haven't tested the exact amount of fills yet but I'm guessing it should be enough air to play all day for ~7-10 people. A lot of variables need to be figured in when filling a lot of different tanks but I think that's a fair guess based on our gameplay.

Now, there is still another cheaper option that should be available at the local SCUBA shops. Our local shop sells an aluminum 4350 psi 80 or 88cu. ft. (can't remember which) and I believe it was going for about $200. That's pretty close to the carbon fiber tank, it just weighs about 2x as much and is way more bulky. Plus, you would need an adapter for a DIN valve.

[paintball72]

were did you get that tank? for ten bucks :eek:

[punkncat]

I use three 80cf tanks in a cascade. Generally there are about 5-10 people that tap off them and can have a usable amount of air most of the day. By usable that is taking into consideration that not everyone is going paint crazy and that I am the only one using a mag. It stinks that once I am at 1k psi that I have to tap them again.
I would agree with the "roughly" 300 psi per fill to a 68ci tank use. I cascade mine to get better fills longer in the day. It is imperative that you keep someone around that is familiar with this and make sure and swap your fill station to the low tank EVERY time you are finished filling. One person sneaks out of the woods and hits the top tank to fill and everyone is screwed. I normally will just stash the fill station between games to avoid that happening.

Several of my friends got together and went in on additional tanks so its not uncommon for us to have around five.

I would recommend that since you are looking into a tank, go ahead and spring for the 100cf tank. Its is worth it in the long run.
Also talk to your local dive shop and make sure that you can work out with them to fill your tank without a diver cert card. My local shop just asked me to slap some paintball stickers on my tanks so that no questions would arise.