reguator question for newbie...

[hawpunch]

hi,

i'm relatively new to paintballing, but i've fallen in love with the sport relatively fast. it has to be one of the most exciting sports i've ever participated in. now onto my question. i have a minimag that i'm in the process of modifying. i've decided to add a ans gen-x2 regulator to my co2 hookup. i know that the regulator would be more ideal for a n2 setup, but i'm still a little green and lack the funds to go that far (i'm in law school). i was wondering at what pressure should i have the regulator set at. i know that there is a regulator already built into the valve of the minimag, but i figured a second regulator will help out and i don't want to get a expansion chamber (due to unreasonable aesthetic reasons ). please help.

aloha,

jae park

[FooTemps]

um... How do I break this to you...

WRONG! All those other regs are crap. The AGD regulator is provent to work best, period. It has been tested that the stock reg works and doesn't need a second reg unless on n2. If you want a reg to keep out co2 get a palmer rock reg or micro reg. Most ans parts for the automag aren't very nice.

[hawpunch]

thanks...

hi footemps,

thanks for educating a newbie. that's why i'm glad i found this forum. will having the ans regulator hooked up with the co2 tank setup harm the minimag in anyway? i'm eventually planning to get a n2 system and from what i've heard everyone else say, the ans gen-x2 regulator seems to be the way to go. thanks!

aloha,

jae park

[FooTemps]

Well, If you're going to get n2...

Once you get n2 ditch your secondary reg. You would be triple reg'ing the system and that might eventually lead to starving the valve. A co2 tank doesn't come with a reg so you might need a reg to keep co2 out and keep the pressure more stable but once you get n2 get rid of that reg and get a foregrip.

[hawpunch]

hi footemps,

thanks for the advice. can't wait to try this setup and see what happens. i just hope it doesn't explode in my face. .

aloha,

jae park

[a_malfunction]

You should definitely buy yourself a small preset HPA tank. It will cost about the same as the set-up you would need to keep liquid CO2 out of the valve. And no matter what you do to it, CO2 will never perform as well as HPA.

[Army]

Hello hawpunch, and welcome to AO!

Co2 does not need to be regulated on a 'Mag, and a gauge on a Co2 bottle will not tell you anything anyway, until all the liquid has boiled away.

A Pure Energy 68ci, 3000psi "stubby" tank will run you around $130 from most online P-ball stores. This is as much as you would spend on trying to make Co2 consistant.

If you are going to stay with Co2, I suggest the Palmers Stabilizer( http://www.palmer-pursuit.com/CATALOG/airsystems.htm ) It was designed for Co2 and will be best for the 'Mag.

[hawpunch]

thank you!

hi army and a-malfunction,

thank you both for the great advice! this board has been a great wealth of information! how hard is it to maintain an hpa system and to work with it? i've noticed on some posts that people have said they have to be rehydroed? how long can i use some of these tanks? in addition, what brands are good? what's the difference between fiber wrapped and aluminum based tanks (besides the weight)? thanks!

aloha,

jae park

[virus]

lets see.....

they usally dont need much maintance..... best thing to do if going with hpa is to get a fill nipple cover to help keep dirt out and if using a screwin type tank a thread protecter works wonders also......

now on having a tank rehydroed, basicly it breaks down like this
steel and aluminum tanks are good for 5 years and are good to use untill they fail a hydrotest or are damaged (dent, hole in sidewall, if in doubt have a pro look at it)

fiber wraped tanks are good for 3 years and have a max life of 15 years
now there are fiberwarped tanks that are good for 5 years between hydro but i forget which it is.... it is a specific DOT number for this...

best think to get is a tank cover... these are usally under $10 and protect the tank very well.....

as for the wieght this is some difference but to myself i really dont even notice it.....

[veteranmag]

hello hawpunch,

I bought my minimag when I was in law school (many years ago) and spent a good deal of money and effort to keep out liquid co2. CO2 is stored in the tank as liquid and gas. If liquid gets into a mag, the o-rings will fail prematurely, velocity drops during rapid fire and your mag can "freeze up" altogether for several minutes. To avoid this, I ran it remote (tank on my back with a long hose to gun), expansion chamber and regulator on-gun and it worked great except when the weather got cold.

I agree that with the amount of money you could spend on regulating co2 you can and should buy a nitro tank. The question is whether you have access to nitro fills. Do the fields that you usually play at have nitro fills? What pressure can they fill (up to 3000 psi or 4500 psi?) and how much are the fills?

One of my local fields can barely fill to 3000 psi whereas my other regular field can fill up to 4500 psi, but they charge $10 for nitro and CO2 if free! My friend still uses co2 (with my whole regulator, expansion, remote setup) during most of the year because he has the equipment and to save $10/day. If using co2, palmer stabilizer regulator is the best choice.

If you have access to nitro fills, then go with nitro and forget the secondary regulator (unless you've got the money - I do think that it is marginally useful for stabilizing velocity when using a preset tank). In any case, I wouldn't get the gen-x (I have one). It's fine but I'd get a Air America Vigilante because it works as well, if not better and it's cheaper.

With a mag you can buy a preset (output pressure) nitro tank (rather than an adjustable tank). The preset tanks are cheaper and have virtually no maintenance (the adjustable tanks have many more parts that leak and require periodic maintenance). I have heard good things about the pure energy brand tanks. My friend got the crossfire 68 cubic inch metal stubby. He has not had any problems with it yet, but I would get the pure energy if I were you.

You need to decide on the size of the tank (measured in cubic inches - 47, 68, 88, 114) and the pressure capacity (measured in "psi" 3000, 4500). You get roughly 10 shots per cubic inch for a 3000 psi tank and about 15 shots per cubic inch for a 4500 psi tank.

68/3000 psi is a good economical choice for most players (should last you 2-3 games, depending on how much ammo you shoot). I got the 88 cubic inch because the fields I play on are far from the air fill station and I didn't want to fill up as often.

good luck with paintball and law school. email me if you have any questions [email protected].

Good informative post. Thanks! Army

[hawpunch]

hello!

veteranmag,

its good to know that there's a soul who has gone through law school and still seems sane . thanks for the great advice. i was feeling really stressed with law school, but paintball gives me an avenue to vent my frustrations (you know how frustrating it can get). i'm finding it expensive, but i could be spending the money on other things like beer, so its not too bad. this is a great hobby. got any positions open for the summer ? j/k. see you around!

aloha,

jae park

[one2many247]

hawpunch,
what island are you from? im in maui and i have a mini-mag too
aloha,

[hawpunch]

hi one2many!

i'm from the island of oahu. i live right underneath tripler hospital. how's the paintballing in maui? i can't wait to get back home for some paintballing in warm weather. this ohio weather is driving me nuts! the only good thing is that it forced me to go nitro . hope the weather back home is good...

aloha,

jae park