Maximizing the Performance of your Blaster(s) "sans mod"

General questions and discussions on water warfare regarding tactics and strategies.
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isoaker
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Maximizing the Performance of your Blaster(s) "sans mod"

Post by isoaker » Fri May 30, 2008 11:50 am

Maximizing the Performance of your Blaster(s) "sans mod" (i.e. without additional modding)

While properly done modifications can improve some stock blaster performances, thing is, many may not actually being using their blaster (stock, modded, or even built) to the fullest that a particular model can actually perform. Too often has I seen water blasters that have obviously been abused with their owners wondering why things don't seem to work so well. Other times, some users like how a model they're using, but wonder why others seem to be able to get more power and performance out of the same type of blaster.

The following list some tips and suggestions to help get the best performance possible out of a water blaster as is. There are undoubtedly other things that can also be done as well so if you have a tip that hasn't been covered by this short list, please post it up as well!

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Keep it clean - One of the biggest enemies to a properly performing water blaster is dirt. Debris can end up jamming trigger mechanisms, affecting pumping, or even clogging up tubing and nozzles, rendering a blaster useless. The simplest thing to do to avoid these problems is simply to keep your blasters in a generally good clean condition after every use. External dirt should be wiped and/or rinsed off as best as possible. Old toothbrushes are very effective at removing dirt caught in smaller parts, grooves, or openings. As well, while some are less stringent on water sources compared to others, it is still best to fill one's water blaster from as clean and clear water as possible to reduce the likelihood of larger debris from getting sucked into internal parts and clogging inner valves or filters. After use, if optimal water was not always used during the battle, a blaster should be flushed with clean water to minimize the amount of dirt that may end up depositing on the inner tubing as the water dries.

Clean blasters are easier to pump, easier to fill, and produce better streams than those which have been more abused.

Store it dry - Together with keeping it clean, Store it dry is what it says. When storing your blaster for extended periods of time (i.e. more than overnight), it is best to empty it and leave the cap loose to allow the blaster to fully dry. Residual moisture and/or dampness provides a good environment to allow fungus like mildew to grow, potentially eating into your blaster's inner workings and jamming up moving parts. As well, liquid on some parts of the blaster like pump rods or casing screws can end up causing rusting, damaging your blaster and making it more prone to breaking.

Prime before use - Many water blasters have a decent amount of internal tubing which needs to be filled with water during operation. If a blaster has not been used in awhile or if it has been recently emptied, it is likely that not all the internal tubings that need to have water actually are completely filled with water. As part of the refilling ritual, one should take a moment to prime your blaster before heading back into the field. Of course, different blaster pressurization systems require different methods of priming. The following briefly outlines some of the more commonly found pressurization systems:
- large syringe-style blasters : minimal priming needed. After filling, point the blaster vertically and pull on the pump to squeeze out any trapped air. Once nothing but water is coming out the nozzle, this blaster is fully primed.
- piston-based blasters : similar to syringe-type blasters, draw water from the reservoir into the pump, aim the nozzle vertically up, and pull the pump until nothing but water is coming out.
- air pressurized reservoir blasters - pump up the reservoir until pumping gets difficult and/or until the over-pressure-valve is activated. Pull the trigger briefly to fill the tubing from the reservoir to nozzle with water.
- separate air-pressure firing chamber blasters - pre-pump the pressure chambers 20-30 times with air to pre-pressurize the chambers. Pump in water and pull the trigger briefly to fill the rest of the inner tubing to the nozzle. Avoid firing too long without pumping so as to not lose the pre-pressurization. Top off the reservoir
- elastic pressure / CPS blasters - pump water into the pressure chamber. Hold the blaster such that the opening to the PC is pointing upwards (that may not necessarily mean that the blaster's nozzle is vertical; depends how the PC is attached). Pull the trigger until nothing but water is coming out of the nozzle. Top off the reservoir.
- motorized - activate motor after filling and shoot until nothing but water is coming out.

Don't overfill pressurized reservoir blasters - only applies to pressurized reservoir systems, but many blasters do use this technology. Simply put, if there's too much water in the reservoir, there's not much space left for pressurized air. Thus, even if maximum pressure is achieved, the limited amount of air in the reservoir means very little liquid much be pushed before pressure significantly drops. Of course, there's a balance between optimal performance and optimal capacity. In general, it is best not to fill a reservoir beyond 3/4 of its maximum capacity. This means that when a 3/4 reservoir is pumped to full pressure, it'll be able to shoot a decent amount of water before needing to be pumped more.

Choose your nozzle wisely - for blasters with a variety of nozzles from which to choose, the biggest is not always the best for one's needs. When selecting a nozzle for use, the best nozzle to choose depends on what sort of player you are and who you are up against. Smaller nozzles obviously better conserve water, but have lower output. Larger nozzles may have increased output, but depending on the blaster, may actually not have optimal range if the blaster's PC isn't providing enough force. Fan and blast settings can be good for closer drench attacks, but their limited range. Granted, you need to be familiar with how your blaster behaves to know how its different nozzles perform. This brings us to the next point.

Know your blaster(s) - the more innately familiar you are with your blaster(s), the more you will know on how to make it perform better and how to avoid causing problems. During non-water war times, spend some time practicing with your blaster to become better aware of how it performs, how different nozzle settings behave (if applicable), how long it takes you to refill and pressurize it, etc. Experience is vital to truly make the most of your equipment.

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This listing will be expanded as more ideas come forth. More ideas, tips, and suggestions welcome!

Soak on!

:cool:

:cool:
:: Leave NO one dry! :: iSoaker.com .:

HBWW
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Re: Maximizing the Performance of your Blaster(s) "sans mod"

Post by HBWW » Sat May 31, 2008 8:37 pm

For priming, I usually hold the trigger, point down, and pump until water comes out.
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