This page is dedicated to a special project for new loading device of mine in the 2007-2008 timeframe. It's called the Cap loader. Don't get your hopes up too soon...this is merely a custom project and that's how it will stay for the time being.
The loader isn't exactly a practical hopper in terms of its shape. It's not similar to a Halo, Rotor, Spire, or anything in between. It doesn't use a spring or drivecone-type setup. It's completely different, and there's nothing like it on the market today. This prototype version of mine is more like a hand-made conceptual model. This version is large and bulky, so it couldn't be used on a field. This was designed on purpose so that it would be easy to adjust, operate, and refine. As you can tell from the information displayed here, the loader functions extremely well and can crank out fire rates that most mainstream loaders can't even touch.
Initial Testing: (December 20, 2006)
Here are some sample videos using a Shocker. During these trials, the device topped out at 25-bps, however a lot of this is due to the Shocker's dwell time being too lengthy since it was taken right off the field and had been set for maximum efficiency, not maximum cycling speed. This Shocker was also using a Humphrey CRCB solenoid which tends to cycle a little slower than the Parker K-series solenoids.
Shocker video trial 1: 25-bps
Shocker video trial 2: 26-bps with two 32-bps peaks
Shocker video trial 3: 25-bps
Other trials were made but they're more or less the same result. At this initial point, I feared the loader was capped at this speed; however I fortunately found evidence to the contrary. I tested this marker afterwards and deduced it was able to completely cycle at about 39 milliseconds per shot, which leads to the speed of 25-bps seen in the video. (please note I'm assuming reasonable margin for error in my cycling speed test).
Anyway, this means marker was limiting the firing speed, not the loader.
Interestingly, in the last video, you can actually hear the regulator topping out. The reg had definitely excerted itself more than usual throughout these high-speed tests, so some maintenance would have helped. The fastest I've tested this style Max-Flo regulator is 32-ms recharge cycle, so this audible cap arond 25-bps is somewhat justified. Some of this time is taken up after the solenoid is de-energized, but not all of it (since the marker is still drawing pressure from the reg during this time, as the bolt retracts). Additionally, 32-ms is the ideal recharge time, and the reg was undoubtedly recharging any number of milliseconds slower. These vertical Max-Flo's are plenty fast when shooting around 20-bps or less, but anything faster than around 25 and you may run into issues.
I then tried the loader using a Nerve, but the results were slightly worse, initially leading me to believe the Nerve's settings were slowing it down even further (it was using a different board, for instance).
Nerve video trial 1: 24-bps
I haven't done as extensive pressure/venting tests with a Nerve so I don't have any definitive data towards its maximum cycling times, however it's obvious that Nerves take less time to cycle due to the consumed air pressure being much less in volume, and the ram being much closer to the solenoid. The only thing that could affect it would be the moving mass, which is considerably heavier than that of a Shocker. Obviously, further testing is recommended; I hesitate to draw any definitive conclusions since I only performed one trial.
I will make more trial videos as I refine the design further, and examine the raw data from these tests. The most important thing on my side was that these trials allowed me to form a psychological connection between facts I knew from pressure testing and their actual, practical causality when put into use. I will use this new connection to deduce trends used in other markers, and try to optimize the cycling time further without massively compromising velocity (I want to fire as fast as possible using unbalanced settings if necessary, but that's definitely not practical...but then again shooting as fast as possible isn't practical either...I digress).
Update January 17: (2007)
I've made some small refinements to some moving parts to the loader, and as a result I needed to test them out to see what differences occur higher-up in the system. Although I should use a Shocker for testing just because I've used it so heavily with the previous tests, I decided to try these trials with one of my Ions. The reasoning for this is because I've compared the cycling times of a basic Ion to that of a Shocker, and an Ion equipped with a QEV tends to cycle slightly faster overall. It's just a factor of the QEV design.
I prepared the marker for some high speed firing by decreasing the dwell setting to a minimum level needed to fire the gun with any semblance of consistency. It was around 13-ms in the below videos; not hte lowest for an Ion with QEV, but note that I'm using a Smart Parts 360 QEV which doesn't vent quite as much compared to a Clippard or Eclipse QEV. The marker is using the following parts: HE-modified stock bolt, slightly altered SP 360 QEV, stock solenoid, Tadao Raider board. Other than the board, the Ion used in these videos is functionally stock.
Some tweaking was needed to find the correct balance between dwell and input pressure. Normally (in a marker other than an Ion), one would be able to increase the input pressure to compensate for the drop in dwell time, but due to how the Ion solenoid fires this would actually slow the performance since a higher pressure equates more force needed to actuate the solenoid. This in turn leads to a longer dwell setting to achieve the same firing performance. This particular marker didn't enjoy being set to less than 10-ms dwell, as you can see in the first video below (balls roll out the barrel due to short-stroking).
Ion video trial 1: 25-28 bps (dwell 10-ms)
Ion video trial 2: 27-34 bps (dwell 13-ms)
Here's a graph of the firing speed for the second (faster) video, based on an average between every two shots:
These results are very impressive. The firing speed of the second video wasn't too consistent, it varied from shot to shot, but it was as fast as 34-bps at some gaps. This video is a good example of super-fast firing markers not being perfectly consistent in terms of speed. If the firing cycle takes just a few milliseconds more or less, the firing speed can vary by several shots-per-second. Accordingly, it's impractical for a marker to fire "only" 32-bps, it would instead go up and down as shown in this video.
Dwell doesn't have a practical effect on the maximum speed when firing 20-bps and under, but when you start going this fast it does make a difference (this is why I didn't adjust it in the above Shocker videos). I'll have to adjust things and go back to the drawing board on this one.
Update January 19: (2007)
I tested out the loader using my Nerve today. The results weren't any better or less than the previous test I did a few weeks ago.
Nerve video trial 2: 22-23 bps
Nerve video trial 3: 23-24 bps
The marker was using a dwell setting of 9-ms which is relatively low for the Humphrey solenoid, input pressure 200-psi and a high LPR pressure of 120-psi. I believe I'll need to test the cycle times on this Nerve to shed light on what's going on. I've got a lot of info to prune right now.
Testing continues...
Update April 20: (2008)
It's been a while! I shelved this project in light of other work, but I've had some ongoing ideas for it, and I need a project to continue, so I decided to revisit the loader. I've made some videos using items not yet released, and they are quite impressive, though not better than the above Ion videos. The marker being tested fires over 30-bps with a standard loader (Magnahalo) so you can get the idea of what happens when I use the CAP loader.
Anyway, the newly-redesigned loader has a few small changes I've made with regards to areas I was unsure about. I've been using some special software-based physics analysis systems to highlight the physical limits of some components, letting me push them as far as I can go. To this end I've taken the time to machine several new precision components for the new loader.
Update 2011:
This project died off because the usefulness of ridicuously fast laoders died off as time continued on. I still use this loader for testing but it's too impractical to be sold for any other purpose. I'm afraid this may be the end!