The 09 Impulse was released in 2009, several months prior to Smart Parts' financial issues which ultimately led to the discontinuation of SP equipment and conversion to GOG Paintball. The 09 Impulse markers are relatively rare because a limited number were sold, and they have little support from the manufacturer. GOG Paintball has some discontinued SP parts, but only while supplies last.
In 2013, a new JT Impulse marker was released after KEE acquired all of SP's intellectual property, but this is not a reinvention of the 09 Impulse. JT Impulses are much simpler in design and none of its parts are compatible. The JT Impulse was designed by GOG and sold by Empire's retailers, but it was also discontinued after slow sales.
History:
09 Impulses were available in mid-2009 with a pricetag of $1000 USD at the time. The marker was highly anticipated because it featured a good amount of enhancement over previous SP markers such as the Nerve. Originally the marker was meant to be a DLX product but was later switched to the Smart Parts brand to sell at a cheaper price. Despite the SP brand, the marker shared many parts with Luxes. Only around 900-1100 Imp 09 markers were sold before SP went out of business (the quantities are estimated).
Timeline:
2009.May - The 09 Impulse was officially unveiled (the purple promo picture with details). Details and pictures follow.
2009.June - The 09 Impulse was officially released at PSP Chicago 2009. Afterward, Smart Parts continues to manufacture and build markers from the first couple batches of parts.
2009.September - Conjecture: Smart Parts encounters banking problems with the source of their revolving credit, which is likely the means by which they paid wages to many of their employees (this is common for businesses with more then 100 employees). SP sends out a press release stating that they were forced to lay off a large percentage of their workforce until cashflow improves. The company remains in operation but at a reduced rate, still selling markers and equipment whenever possible. However, they were never able to recover.
2010.May - Smart Parts files chapter-11 bankrupcy. The company attempts to re-structure itself with existing product lines.
2010.May - Smart Parts holds an auction to liquidate their in-house manufacturing operation, raising over $4M in equipment sales.
2010.July - Smart Parts re-files for chapter-7 bankrupcy, meaning that the company cannot be restructured and must sell off its remaining assets to pay depts to creditors. Smart Parts patents are sold to KEE Action Sports.
2010.September - Gardner brothers create the new company GOG Paintball, operating out of Smart Parts former manufacturing facility (100 Station st). GOG Paintball continues to service SP markers so long as supplies last, and cheaper SP markers are re-branded as GOG markers.
09 Impulses in present times:
The remaining information is mostly my opinion based on tech experience with the marker and the community.
09 Impulses use the straightforward hammer/valve design similar to many other markers of the era (09 Ego, Bob Long G6R, MacDev Cyborg RX, etc) however the 09 Impulse had many deviations from the typical Smart Parts marker designs used between 2003-2008 (Shocker SFT, Ion, Nerve, Luxe). The Impulse design is very complicated, likely due to the high number of components packed into such a small marker, and I believe it to be the most complex Smart Parts marker by far. It's only my personal opinion, but the disassembly pictures show the basis for that thought. The complexity led to a few problems which likely would have been repaired if the marker were still in production, but Smart Parts never had the chance to redesign the problem components.
Problem 1. The feedneck is a boss-latch system similar to Eclipse's feedneck mount size. 09 Impulses were the first Smart Parts marker to use this system instead of threaded feednecks, however the implementation on the 09 Impulse body is extremely poor. The feedneck mounting boss is a separate component which will become loose after prolonged use. The feedneck is ultimately held in position using only a pair of tiny set screws, which eventually wear out and fail completely.
Fix A: The "factory" fix is to use JB-weld (epoxy) to permanently attach the feedneck. This will provide a very permanent fix, but care must be taken to avoid splashing epoxy all over the marker. Using epoxy to fix damaged feednecks is a long-standing repair used over the years for other markers, but has always been a last-ditch effort because it usually leaves an unclean appearance due to the grey epoxy layer surrounding the feedneck.
Fix B: I have created a replacement feedneck adapter which solves the problem by press-fitting the new adapter into the body in such a way that it cannot be removed. The new adapter must be installed using an arbor press, but it will solve the issue. The press-fit adapter is sold through Nummech Products and you must send your marker into them for the installation process. Two different adapters are available, depending on whether you want to use the stock feedneck or an alternative compatible with Empire's mounting size.
Problem 2. Eye wiring can wear out from the eye covers being hinged open over and over. This issue depends on a combination of paint, lubricant, and other unknown factors can cause the eye wires to work-harden and fail.
Fix: Fortunately the eye wires can be repaired with soldering knowledge. The marker uses "side-looker" anti-chop eyes common to some other markers (Eclipse markers, newer Dye markers, Mini/Axe, others). However, there is no permanent fix for this problem, becuase the hinged eye cover system is integrated into the marker itself.
Problem 3. Players have reported issues with valve stems (part number IPS116) which wear out and develop leaks over time, and the lack of Smart Parts support means there is not much solution for damaged valves. People have tried indexing the valve stem on a lathe in order to add an o-ring shelf with varying levels of success. The biggest issue with adding o-rings is that it requires more force to hold the valve shut, so simply adding an o-ring might not fix the issue.
Fix: GOG Paintball manufactured a replacement valve stem which is available while supplies last.
Future problems: There are some other common parts with the marker that may simply need replacements over time. Those parts might include the bolt (if it gets overly scratched), electronics parts, regulator base seats, and other items that may wear with use. Some components are shared with the DLX Luxe platform, such as the battery and charging cable hardware. The solenoid is identical to those of other SP and DLX markers (with different wiring). However, the 09 Impulse's circuit board is a unique part that can't be found elsewhere.
09 Impulses are still used on the field by various SP collectors. If the marker requires technical support, it's uncertain whether or not it would be repairable if the source of the problem cannot be solved by typical o-rings or the afore-mentioned common parts. This is a common issue with many vintage markers, which now includes the discontinued 09 Impulse line.