Hi All

[foefumm]

Just wanted to say hello to everyone. I just recently came across this site and am amazed at the camraderie of the people, and how you all help each other.
Anyway I am an old player who stopped playing regularly in 97. Since then I have probably played 3 times.
I am seriously thinking of playing again, since there is a field 15 min away. Prior to 97, I had to drive 90 miles every 2 weeks to play.
So the guns I have right now (to be cleaned) are a couple of stock Minimags purchased back in 1995. Before I go play I was thinking of upgrading a couple things. Reading the AGD site, the lvl10 bolt/x-valve sounds pretty nice, but I guess that requires HPS(i still have vertical 16oz CO2 ).
I am not too familiar with compressed air, so can anyone suggest a good(price/value) manufacturer to start with? I am thinking of a gun mounted tank, drop forward, so nothing too heavy . Would that also require a 2nd regulator? Or is the one on the Mag fine?

Also any suggestions on a mask? I loved the Vents Predator back when they still made them, because of the ease of cleaning. When Vents went out of business I stuck with JT's but never did llike them because it was always a pain to remove the lens for cleaning.

And lastly, a low cost but reliable hopper? I still have the original 3-piece viewloader. I don't mind being called ghetto(as a ref did when I went walkon 2 yrs ago) but am afraid it's sensor does not seem to be working too good anymore. I was thinking of having it fixed because when I bought the Viewloader I was told that it had a lifetime warranty, but I cant seem to find anything that refers to that on the Viewloader site .

Anyhow sorry for the long post. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[insixdays777]

lvl 10 works great on CO2! Welcome back!

[foefumm]

lvl 10 works great on CO2! Welcome back!

Thank you for the welcome ! And the info on Co2 . Does the Xvalve handle Co2 OK as well?
Actually another reason I am thinking of upgrading to HPS is because my CO2 tanks are so old...and heard(but may be mistaken) that they may fail eventually.

[insixdays777]

No the X valve does not handle C02. C02 will ruin a X-valve.

[foefumm]

No the X valve does not handle C02. C02 will ruin a X-valve.

Ahh OK noted...thanks again.

[RobOpel]

I've had good results with my crossfire tank. I also used a pure energy tank on my mag, with good results. Whatever type of hpa you get, make sure its a high pressure output, or adjustable. You won't need a secondary regulator, just make sure the output is about 850 psi or above, and your mag valve will take care of the rest.

As far as masks, I've always stuck with my flex 7 (JT) for comforts sake, although getting the lense out is a pain. The new vents (e-vents specifically) have an easily removable lense, but I've never worn one so all I can say about them is that I've heard they're uncomfortable.

Depending on the rate of fire you're trying to achieve, I would reccomend a viewloader revolution (0-13bps) or halo/empire B (0- ~24 bps) or viewloader vLocity (0-~25 bps). Realistically, the revolution will be the best low cost hopper, but the halo B's are a good bang for the buck if you want some high firepower.

Glad to have you here!

Rob

[foefumm]

I've had good results with my crossfire tank. I also used a pure energy tank on my mag, with good results. Whatever type of hpa you get, make sure its a high pressure output, or adjustable. You won't need a secondary regulator, just make sure the output is about 850 psi or above, and your mag valve will take care of the rest.

As far as masks, I've always stuck with my flex 7 (JT) for comforts sake, although getting the lense out is a pain. The new vents (e-vents specifically) have an easily removable lense, but I've never worn one so all I can say about them is that I've heard they're uncomfortable.

Depending on the rate of fire you're trying to achieve, I would reccomend a viewloader revolution (0-13bps) or halo/empire B (0- ~24 bps) or viewloader vLocity (0-~25 bps). Realistically, the revolution will be the best low cost hopper, but the halo B's are a good bang for the buck if you want some high firepower.

Glad to have you here!

Rob

Much appreciated Rob! Will look into the Hpa systems then. I was a bit confused about Hp & Lp.
I will also see if i can try on the Vents goggles first, rather than ordering online beforehand.
As far as loaders, you are right...the Revolution seems to be the most cost effective atm. I dont not want to spend too much on gear yet( <--- cheap [email protected] )...then get burned out on paintball again.

[punkncat]

I may be thinking of a different thing, but I would look into repairing the viewloader. Its an old 9v revi, or are we talking even older than that?

The newer "revis" have really hard brittle shells and break easily at the neck. The old soft shells are very desirable and the new internals will go right in. Assuming of course that you have what I think you have.
As far as your warranty, that would have passed away when the real company did after the K2, Brass Eagle buyout a few years back.

[Spider-TW]

Much appreciated Rob! Will look into the Hpa systems then. I was a bit confused about Hp & Lp.

Beware, there are high and low pressure adjustable tanks as well, especially on ebay. They don't make one too high for a mag.

I tried to string along my old three piece viewloader, until all the arms fell off the impeller. I bought a new 18v revvy with a thick camo shell, but of course the lid broke at the hinge. I used to bump into the guy that developed the viewloader at tournaments and he would trade lids for free out of the trunk of his car because so many broke. Some things haven't changed.

You might try playing a few times with your old setup to see what you have and what you want. I was happy with my old setup (CO2 classic) until I joined a team and wanted to have the capacity to standup a corner by myself.

The goggles are better, just shop around and talk to people first. Don't go by brand, go by model. Most manufacturers make the whole range of gogs and it's hard to tell from the hype what your getting. Some of the low-end brand-name sets are unbearable on long or hot games.

[Stayhuge]

Def go HPA, and make sure what ever you buy is High Pressure. Crossfire are good, and usually reasonable. Pure Energy are cheaper, and if you are not shooting high rate of fire, should be ok. You are probably best off with a 68ci 4500psi tank, which go for $100-$150 used. Make sure that the Hydro date is good, and you have some time left on it. Generally the tanks are 3 and 5 year Hydros. It will usually say it on the tank, or have a code that you could look up online. I don't know the website off hand, but I'm sure someone around here will drop it in: HINT HINT!! LOL. You can also go for a Stubby 70ci 4500psi, which is shorter and fatter. Basically a tighter tank. I suggest going to a Paintball store or field and looking at what's available. Put it on your gun and see what feels comfortable. Then take all of the info, and see if you can pick one up online, for cheaper. Just a suggestion though. You could also upgrade just the bolt on you minimag to a level 10 and not the valve. It depends on what you are looking for. Another possibility is to consider selling what you have and buying a new or slightly used ULE Custom. When you are talking about upgrading you current marker, an X valve will be in the neighborhood of $200, and you will still have the trigger frame and minimag body, which you may want to upgrade in the future, which is more money. Just a suggestion though, and I suppose it would depend on your budget. Just so you know, the minimags can probably fetch about $100-120 each. Good luck

[trethompson2]

Welcome back!
I just got back into the sport as well after almost 4 years out.

This site is awesome in every way. Every one is very mature and honest. I have yet, out of 6 deals in just last week come across a bad or even shady person.

You can get fiberwrapped tanks for 100.00 give or take.
I would look for an adjustable tank if you ever plan on getting a RT valve, if not, its still nice to have. There also around 100.00 give or take.

As for hoppers, just jump into a halo/reloader be. Used their around 50.00 and in the future you might need it. For smaller size the Egg3 is a good hopper.

As you noticed im sure alot of stuff is cheaper now and days.

But im glad to see some more old schoolers back.

[Zone Drifter]

Welcome back to the funner sport!

Suggestions? Well, as stated earlier, you have plenty of good tips, so instead I'll tell you what i have and what i like about them.

My only motorized hopper right now is a Ricochet Apache. It's not bad, can feed over 15 bps no problem, and has a simple construction. It uses a tab to "feel" when a ball needs to be fed, and it works quite well since the motor won't run continuously when you run out of paint. It is a bit noisy, but its also pretty light, one of the lightest higher speed hoppers out. Also, this hopper works great with a warp feed, so if you plan on getting a warp at all, you'll at least have a comfortable hopper to start with.

Ok, definitely get a lvl 10, but im sure you know that by now. There are instructions on this site with can help you set it up and tune it, just read over them a few times and you'll be a lvl 10 doc in no time.

As far as CO2 or HPA, personal pref really. CO2 has the convenience of being smaller and having more options in use (cartridges and many different sized tanks) but i personally would still have HPA, especially on a mag. I own 2 tanks currently, one is an older pure energy 68/3000 and the other is a newer draxxus 48/4500. The draxxus tank is pretty sweet, the smallest tank ive seen and can get as many shots as a 68/3000. If you want a nice compact tank that can run at least 3 matches with, i would recommend that. Although, I do believe a 68/4500 is a much better deal as far as cost vs. how many shots you get.

Other than that stuff... heck, a minimag is a wonderful marker, have fun customizing it or just leave it as is. can't go wrong either way!

[The Action Figure]

Get a Viewloader Revolution for like 35 bucks in the BST here.

[Stayhuge]

Get a Viewloader Revolution for like 35 bucks in the BST here.

I found one on Ebay for 25 shipped. Used expect to spend about $30. You can also find a used Evo2, which is my primary, for about $35-45. I love it, but hoppers are really preference. Good luck!!

[Lomarandil]

Just a note: Although I love using HPA to death (no more frozen seals in your valve from liquid CO2), make sure that the nearby field can fill tanks. Although nowadays most do, there are a few that can only do CO2. If you were to use your old CO2 tanks, you really had ought to rehydro them, being so old. Although at that point, picking up a new CO2 tank is usually more cost effective.

Hopper wise, I'm not a fan of the HALO hoppers, too heavy for my taste. Especially since I don't shoot much paint, I'm more a fan of the Ricochet Hoppers or something like the Revolutions or TSA Frontman hoppers. They aren't forcefeed, so you won't get much over 13bps, but that's plenty for me. I'm also partial to Qloaders, they take a little loving, but when you have them set, they are amazing, and faster than anything on the market.

As far as valves go, LVL10 is a good call if you'll be shooting fast, pretty well guaranteed to stop chopping. If you are looking for a speed upgrade, getting a newer valve is a nice way to do it. X valves are identical in operation to RT valves, Emag valves and the like, but lighter weight, and therefore more expensive. Anything beyond a classic/minimag valve will require HPA though

Hope that helps.. and don't worry about being "ghetto".. Nowadays you'll find a lot of players have decided to buy the new flashy gear rather than working on their skills, so it's still plenty possible to beat players using fancy electronic guns.. I'm personally a fan of using retro or pump markers, more fun that way.

Lo