a.i.r. valve pressure gauge

[Mughhh]

I'm new to the sight, but not new to paintball. I owned a mag about 7 years ago. I bought it back from the kid I sold it to. I remembered seeing a regular at my home field that had a mag with a gauge tapped in the side of the valve; more specifically the dump chamber I assume. I was wondering if anyone had ever attempted such a mod or if anyone has any advice, I'm very mechanically inclined and have access to lathe and drill presses and such. I know that I'm going to have to cut some type of a slot down the side of the body so that the gauge follow the valve out of the body. Anyone have any measurements or anything that would be helpful. It would be very appreciated.

[Spider-TW]

"The electrician" did some level 7 and level 10 bolt measurements of dump chamber pressure, but I have not seen a mod like that. It would probably need to be a dampened gauge (with a good snubber), since the variations in pressure would slap an undampened gauge silly.

[Mughhh]

"The electrician" did some level 7 and level 10 bolt measurements of dump chamber pressure, but I have not seen a mod like that. It would probably need to be a dampened gauge (with a good snubber), since the variations in pressure would slap an undampened gauge silly.

Ahh, thanks for the imput. I'll try it with a regular gauge that I got in my kit, and if it works, then I'll find a dampened one. Ill try to post some pics after I'm done.

[questionful]

This will be really cool if you do it, keep us updated!

BTW what the heck is a dampened gauge? And a snubber?

[secretweaponevan]

This will be really cool if you do it, keep us updated!

BTW what the heck is a dampened gauge? And a snubber?

Might be liquid filled or have some sort of bumber in it to slow down the needle's travel?

My friend put a guage right by his valve input and that thing wore out in about 3 games due to the needle going from 1000 to slapping 0 and then back to 1000 on every shot.

[TwilightG]

Could it have been a SmartMag valve? Didn't their box tap into both the reg and dump chamber? I'm just guessing from memory of the pics I've seen.. I don't even have a pic in front of me.

[Mughhh]

I vaguely remember the smart valve mod that smart parts did. Not well enough to know that if it tapped into both. I think that if you tapped both and connected them with the same box you would have issues because you couldnt shut off airflow.

[Spider-TW]

IDK how to find a paintball gauge that would be suitable without testing them out. The Ashcroft site has a little information that is mostly sales level. They sell different "throttle plugs" which are the orifice that you see in the end of the gauge connection. I think its the AGD flatline gauges that have a sintered metal filter in them.

A snubber is just an add-on orifice or plug that slows down the high pressure flow to and from the gauge element. Liquid fill is really for vibration dampening as opposed to pressure pulsation dampening, but Ashcroft's "Flutter-gard" is supposed to help with both. I know they should have something that would survive, but I don't know if you would want it on top of your mag though.

I think the Bob Long gauges have a small hole in the connection. Take note of the connection on your first gauge and if it dies quickly you will need to find one with a smaller inlet (pin-hole) or other restrictor.

Just don't ask a 600 psi gauge to read 100 to 400 psi 15 times per second and it will live a lot longer. :D

[Spider-TW]

Might be liquid filled or have some sort of bumber in it to slow down the needle's travel?

My friend put a guage right by his valve input and that thing wore out in about 3 games due to the needle going from 1000 to slapping 0 and then back to 1000 on every shot.
If he had it mounted in-line he may have been getting some venturi effect where the inlet to the gauge is at a right angle to the high speed flow and the static pressure (at the gauge) drops below the flowing pressure. One cycle is like pulling a vacuum then stopping the flow and applying 1000 psi again.

You may see a little of that in the dump chamber, but not like you would in an 1/8" pipe tee.

[questionful]

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6442/smartmag2tc5.jpg

I don't even know how gauges work, but if putting a gauge right on the dump chamber would wear it out too fast, it would at least be cool to plug it, and install a gauge when tuning your L10 or something.

[Spider-TW]

^^^
That looks like the gas supply goes through the pipe nipple, straight to the reg, and the magic box just fits around it for support. The magic box just has the one hole tapped into the dump chamber.

It actually looks like the "box" is just a cover for that little dead end fitting on the dump chamber. A mag volumizer. A really ugly one that has considerably less gas volume than the space it takes up.

The electrician used an adapter to put a gauge on the front end of the power tube. He set the marker for 280 fps, de-gassed it and hooked up the adapter, then read the pressure. He was after the difference in pressure between the lvl 7 and lvl 10 bolts. (http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?t=149074&highlight=valve+pressure).

What would be swanky is a piezo pressure element wired to a digital display in the grip, like that ill-fated angel reg a while back. It should be able to take the pressure pulse directly.

Either way (mech or elec. gauge), it would be a decent velocity predictor.

[RogueFactor]

Something like this?... http://www.pblegion.com/showthread.php?p=37437#post37437

Of course, that one is for a XValve. :ninja:

[Mughhh]

Alright, I got the gauge tapped and it works. It definitely effed up the gauge though. Slapping the lower extreme of its measurement into submission the gauge reads 125 psi with no air in the gun. It says that it holds 500 psi in the dump chamber, rough calculations 375 psi (500 - 125). Its consistent but not accurate, but at least I can make a measurement relative to my velocity. I will post some pics and stuff a little later when I get someone to help me. Its pretty cool though.