Empire Reloader problems

[FordPrefect]

I just got an Empire Reloader, and was using it in the Amundsen tournament @ CPX today. It didn't seem to be working right. It would only spin if I started shooting fast. But when I was going to chrono before the games, if there was a lot of people shooting, it would go crazy and keep spinning until most of it stopped.

I was mad, because I got a bunch of chops today, and we could have done better if my hopper worked, I do believe.

[FordPrefect]

Up. Is the Reloader supposed to spin on every shot, or just every group of fast shots? I thought it was on every shot, as someone made the analogy between the Reloader and intellifeed. Maybe I'm just interperating it wrong.

[digitard]

Its not supposed to spin on every shot, its got a vibration sensor in it, and when the vibration sensor feel's a succession of balls moving around it keeps spinning (not just the feed neck sensor).

The only way to spin "every" shot would be to hardwire an intelli cause thats the only way it will know you truly fired.

Sincerely,
Dave K

[xen_100]

I thought the empire reloader used a sound sensor so that is would spin every shot......correct me if I am wrong.

http://www.empirepaintball.com/html/reloader.asp

[FrAuStY]

The empire reloader is sound activated... if you gently thump on the lid with the hopper empty.. it should agitate 1/2 revolution. This would feed 3 balls for every shot. I myself just recently got a reload kit.. and it appears to be failing in the way of the impeller. I'll have to do the same I did with my eggo1 modded impeller. Boil it.. then while it's still hot.. bend the prongs up a little bit.

The chopping may have been that the impeller actually chewed up a ball in the loader.. not sure if you looked =/ but it's sound activated... which.. as digitard said it could be considered vibration since sounds is on a "pedantic" level vibration, it's still sound actiavted.. you can have the loader of a gun and fire another next to it.. and it will spin, or should spin. Good luck.. I'll et you know how my impeller mod turns out.




*EDIT*- Run-On Sentences Pwn!

[FordPrefect]

Well, the chopping wasn't because the hopper chewed a ball, but that has happened to me once. And it was chopping too often for the hopper to be doing it, I'd think. It chopped maybe twice a pod, sometimes more.

The hopper does spin if I put my gun down, or tap on the lid, like you said. It just doesn't do it on the gun very often. I'll try it out again this weekend, see if it is just what you guys said.

[kilaueakid]

Frausty,
Before you boil the propeller, try fliping the plug that goes to the board around. This will cause the propeller to spin the opposite direction and the balls should no longer get caught up. Also it seems to drop them into the neck better instead of stirring them up. Basically all you are doing is reversing the polarity so that the motor spins the other way.

kila

[LaW]

Originally posted by kilaueakid
Frausty,
Before you boil the propeller, try fliping the plug that goes to the board around. This will cause the propeller to spin the opposite direction and the balls should no longer get caught up. Also it seems to drop them into the neck better instead of stirring them up. Basically all you are doing is reversing the polarity so that the motor spins the other way.

kila

so it would be spinning counterclockwise then? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of the designed impeller?

[pcolapaint]

I am also having similar problems with my reloader. Mine will just quit in the middle of a game and I have to open the lid and physically turn the impellers and then it will work again. Mine also will eat up the batteries. If I use Duracells I can get maybe two days worth of paintball before the batteries are drained. If I use energizers the motor will not turn with the same force and the batteries will not last the day. On the other hand a friend of mine bought his at the same time and from the same place and he has no probs with his. I love it when it works but it’s a pain when it starts to act up. In defense of the empire/PMI folks, I emailed them about my problem and they sent me an email right back and said to mail it to them for a full repair. You might try and email them with your problem.

[lamby]

I would recommend staying away from the reloader hopper. I had to modify mine for the warp feed hose. Stupid me did that before I checked to see how well it works. Well, it doesn't it cycles about one out of 5 shots with my JJ barrel and everytime with my piece of C*** stock emag barrel. so I determianed that the sound level of the marker is not enough to cycle the loader. Empire also has TERRIBLE tech support, and does not even have replacement shells. So now I am back to my richochet(which I do not like either) which works everytime I pull the trigger.

[LaW]

Originally posted by lamby
I would recommend staying away from the reloader hopper. I had to modify mine for the warp feed hose. Stupid me did that before I checked to see how well it works. Well, it doesn't it cycles about one out of 5 shots with my JJ barrel and everytime with my piece of C*** stock emag barrel. so I determianed that the sound level of the marker is not enough to cycle the loader. Empire also has TERRIBLE tech support, and does not even have replacement shells. So now I am back to my richochet(which I do not like either) which works everytime I pull the trigger.

the concept definately doesn't work with a warp and one could (not saying that someone would) realize this before purchasing it. It uses a very sensitive microphone it seems and basically is setoff by the (blowback, blowing of air) of the marker everytime its shot. Attached to a warp there is nothing to set it off since there are no sharp noises anywhere near the microphone

the shells are still made by viewloader/be i believe....