My eBay winnings - CPS2500 and MXL
Repairs and replacement parts are getting better every day. Just last year the first CPS bladder replacement was done. I think most CPS water guns should last for many more years given that they are treated well. If you want water gun kits though, check my website next year. If you don't want to wait for a kit, nothing is stopping you from going to Home Depot and buying the parts. :;):
Funding for a homemade project really wouldn't be necessary because everything for a constant air pressure homemade water gun has been done in the past. No detailed testing and such is necessary at this point. While only two have been made, much has been accomplished. I made one last year and it does use a backpack (check my profile picture). The piston variation is new, but nothing too new to need more funding. The piston will make everything simpler. I did a test with a piston on my Supercannon II using the air compressor as a regulator. Sadly, due to the massive output I couldn't notice whether or not it made a difference, though I am sure it was more constant.
Once I find the time I will complete my smaller CAP (constant air pressure) water gun that'll take off where my older one started. It will feature a more compact design, similar power, and nearly as much water as the original. It also will have a bunch of neat smaller features like a pressure gauge on the gun part. The real advantage of the CAP system is that it can be made so you don't have to pump for shot after shot after shot. All you have to do is flip a valve and refill. Pretty cool.
There are plenty of CPS systems that can be made other than the two Super Soaker has used. I think the main reason they have not been used by manufacturers is because they are more often than not much more expensive than a simple rubber tube.
I personally don't think Hasbro will do much if a manufacturer even blatantly copies the CPS system. Hasbro lost against Ohio Art in a patent case, though they won the larger battle in that the ARM 4000 XL went off the shelves.
And whether Hasbro likes it or not, there were several water guns made before their CPS series that use the exact same technology. If these aging inventors cared, they could sue Hasbro and win huge. If I had my patent list in front of me, I could name 5 patents without any searching that are the same exact system. The earliest patent I saw was from the 70s. And at MIT in the 60s, people played water fights with the same rubber tubing used in CPS water guns. CPS through rubber tubing isn't anything new.
If some large company really wanted to produce CPS water guns, they could. Heck, back in the 90s the Speedloaders use CPS technology. Storm once used CPS technology. Of course, Speedloader was sued, but they actually made CPS water guns before Larami was granted a patent.
The problem is with smaller companies. They'll have to defend themselves in court and those fees often can kill a small company. Sad but true.
I personally think the most manufacturable CPS alternative would be spring piston CPS. While most springs do not offer constant force, constant force springs do exist and a larger constant force spring would be perfect. I looked into the conical springs needed for this in the past. Seems it would be too expensive for someone to make only one water gun like this, but it would be cheap for a company.
Edited By Ben_ on 1182372997
Funding for a homemade project really wouldn't be necessary because everything for a constant air pressure homemade water gun has been done in the past. No detailed testing and such is necessary at this point. While only two have been made, much has been accomplished. I made one last year and it does use a backpack (check my profile picture). The piston variation is new, but nothing too new to need more funding. The piston will make everything simpler. I did a test with a piston on my Supercannon II using the air compressor as a regulator. Sadly, due to the massive output I couldn't notice whether or not it made a difference, though I am sure it was more constant.
Once I find the time I will complete my smaller CAP (constant air pressure) water gun that'll take off where my older one started. It will feature a more compact design, similar power, and nearly as much water as the original. It also will have a bunch of neat smaller features like a pressure gauge on the gun part. The real advantage of the CAP system is that it can be made so you don't have to pump for shot after shot after shot. All you have to do is flip a valve and refill. Pretty cool.
There are plenty of CPS systems that can be made other than the two Super Soaker has used. I think the main reason they have not been used by manufacturers is because they are more often than not much more expensive than a simple rubber tube.
I personally don't think Hasbro will do much if a manufacturer even blatantly copies the CPS system. Hasbro lost against Ohio Art in a patent case, though they won the larger battle in that the ARM 4000 XL went off the shelves.
And whether Hasbro likes it or not, there were several water guns made before their CPS series that use the exact same technology. If these aging inventors cared, they could sue Hasbro and win huge. If I had my patent list in front of me, I could name 5 patents without any searching that are the same exact system. The earliest patent I saw was from the 70s. And at MIT in the 60s, people played water fights with the same rubber tubing used in CPS water guns. CPS through rubber tubing isn't anything new.
If some large company really wanted to produce CPS water guns, they could. Heck, back in the 90s the Speedloaders use CPS technology. Storm once used CPS technology. Of course, Speedloader was sued, but they actually made CPS water guns before Larami was granted a patent.
The problem is with smaller companies. They'll have to defend themselves in court and those fees often can kill a small company. Sad but true.
I personally think the most manufacturable CPS alternative would be spring piston CPS. While most springs do not offer constant force, constant force springs do exist and a larger constant force spring would be perfect. I looked into the conical springs needed for this in the past. Seems it would be too expensive for someone to make only one water gun like this, but it would be cheap for a company.
Edited By Ben_ on 1182372997
The piston variation is new, but nothing too new to need more funding.
Funding for a homemade project really wouldn't be necessary because everything for a constant air pressure homemade water gun has been done in the past.
I don't understand why money is not necessary to buy parts for a new homemade...you don't notice why all of my projects suddenly stopped...I'm nearly broke. "Funding" = $$$ last time I checked. I happen to have $12, which is not nearly enough for new valves, new fittings, and the double piston and its parts.
And while you may be comfortable with the past and the status quo in homemade building, I certainly am not. Not everything has been all figured out ["everything" cannot exist anyway, for "everything" would have to include "nothing", and "nothing" can't exist :p ]. If that were the case, then my whole team would be running and gunning with homemades more practical [and even with better ergonomics] than manufactured guns.
The methods of pressurization are done and known, same for the space between the pc and nozzle being linear. However, the rest of the gun, especially the layout of the reservoir and connecting parts, is totally up in the air. I personally am not fond of top-heavy guns, nor reservoirs that don't distribute weight throughout the gun, to the best of their ability.
But let's not get into that again, it's a silly argument.
Though, it is like saying that everything about tactics has been figured out in the past. There is truth to that, for every basic maneuver is known. However, more complex strategic tactics are still being invented by the week, showing that there is always room for improvement and new solutions to old problems.
Edited By Duxburian on 1182384759
marauder wrote:You have to explain things in terms that kids will understand, like videogames^ That's how I got Sam to stop using piston pumpers
I don't understand why money is not necessary to buy parts for a new homemade...you don't notice why all of my projects suddenly stopped...I'm nearly broke. "Funding" = $$$ last time I checked. I happen to have $12, which is not nearly enough for new valves, new fittings, and the double piston and its parts.
I meant donating when it's not completely necessary. Don't get me wrong. He could give you all the money he wants, but I don't think he understood that funding such endeavors isn't quite like funding cancer. It's not completely new. There's no serious experimentation. I had to do a lot of experiments last year and it burned my wallet up. I probably spent like $400 more than what I could have had I known what to do originally. That's what I meant.
And while you may be comfortable with the past and the status quo in homemade building, I certainly am not. Not everything has been all figured out ["everything" cannot exist anyway, for "everything" would have to include "nothing", and "nothing" can't exist :p ]. If that were the case, then my whole team would be running and gunning with homemades more practical [and even with better ergonomics] than manufactured guns.
The status quo is fine. I always felt the ergonomics of my homemade water guns were great. I'll point out a few problems with your ergonomics because you do seem to have avoided several ergonomic features.
You never seem to use a strap in your homemade water guns judging by the images I've seen. You also always seem to remove the handle. Those two are the biggest ergonomic and weight problems in your water guns that I can point out. My designs might be top-heavy, but with a strap and handle, they're balanced great. I never get tired carrying them. Weight issues are something I care about a lot too. That's why I usually use backpacks. Dividing up the weight between muscles is a good idea. If your hands are uncomfortable, take some bike handles and put them on the PVC where they should be. Also, use torque arms on the ball valves. I think I've done more for ergonomics in homemade water guns than anyone else has.
I think your experiences with homemade water guns was aggravated by the changes you made that affected ergonomics.
Another reason I use backpacks has been the gangly appearance and feel of PVC on-board reservoirs. There's a reason Larami stopped using cylinders for most water gun reservoirs. I think we need to avoid PVC and try something different, like perhaps plastic gas tanks. I have considered those before. With some effort I am sure they could be attached.
I think it comes down more to combining already created and proven elements into a more solid water gun. It is an iterative process. That's more of what I mean. Innovation certainly is important (I know that better than anyone else), but it also is important to slow down and combine the best of what is known.
Edited By Ben_ on 1182389086
Oh, ok, I see what you mean. I was thinking along the lines of you already know what you need to raise the money for, rather than for testing various options.
I never add a strap because I rarely ever use them, with any guns. I like to be able to move my gun around while dodging, skirmishing, jumping, sprinting, etc. Then again, I rarely use large and/or heavy guns for the above reasons as well. My ability to avoid dying is dependent on reflex actions, so the weight has to be in my hands and the gun has to be "free".
Now for my piston CPS, I am seriously considering using a backpack, though certainly not with PVC or anything else heavy. I'd probably use some kind of container placed inside a school backpack. Other thing is, if I use a backpack, it has to be at least as narrow as a person. What seems reasonably narrow may not be when you're trying to squeeze through a reed grove without getting stuck.
That's another major difference we have in homemade experiences. From what I've read, you don't have to run/crawl through leafy reed groves so dense that you can't see 10ft in any direction. Most engagements at Waterbridge take place in the most ungodly thick vegetation you could imagine, including brier groves nearly as tall as the reeds themselves [often taller than myself]. That obviously affects what works and what doesn't. A 60x homemade riot blast won't penetrate more than 10ft into a grove, but a 5x may if you aim in and through. Likewise, a streamlined CPS 2500 will plow in, but a SuperCAP with a huge backpack will be rejected at the fringe. Now it is different at the Goffle, but there, you've got to watch your water, as engagements tend to be long and drawn out. I've noticed that homemades consume water much faster compared to a stock gun with a similar reservoir size.
As for handles, the position of the main handle is never where I naturally grip. With all the guns I use, my left goes on the pump and right somewhere nearest the most weighty area. I often end up using the bottom of a pc for a main grip.
I also don't like having the pump so far away from the ball valve. Since my left hand has to do both, I prefer to have the pump as close to the valve as possible. Allows me to tap-pump with ease.
As for why I can't be satisfied with the status quo, I think it might have more to do with me as a person than what I build. I wasn't satisfied with the current political labels, so I made one for myself. I wasn't satisfied with the voting options, so I founded a third party, which will actually be registered. I wasn't even satisfied with ethnic labels, so I made my own. And when I arrive at college, I'm designing my own major because I don't like the current choices, even though there are tons of them. This is both beneficial and hurtful. Good in that I'm constantly looking for new ways to improve things, but bad because I don't see enough value in the systems that already exist.
It's just something that I have to personally work on. Though I won't believe that a standard APH is battle practical for my fighting style until I see an experienced user bring one out with great success. Teammates and enemies alike have laughed at mine. It's one of my "dinosaurs", along with the air pressure water cannon, which is a dinosaur next to the piston-based Ruta Cannon.
Now water cannons can be used to great effect here, even though they are hardly practical. One-shot superweapons can make multiple kills with that one shot. When cached and used for brief amounts of time, they do not need to be practical.
Hasn't worked the same way with normal homemades, except for river guns.
I never add a strap because I rarely ever use them, with any guns. I like to be able to move my gun around while dodging, skirmishing, jumping, sprinting, etc. Then again, I rarely use large and/or heavy guns for the above reasons as well. My ability to avoid dying is dependent on reflex actions, so the weight has to be in my hands and the gun has to be "free".
Now for my piston CPS, I am seriously considering using a backpack, though certainly not with PVC or anything else heavy. I'd probably use some kind of container placed inside a school backpack. Other thing is, if I use a backpack, it has to be at least as narrow as a person. What seems reasonably narrow may not be when you're trying to squeeze through a reed grove without getting stuck.
That's another major difference we have in homemade experiences. From what I've read, you don't have to run/crawl through leafy reed groves so dense that you can't see 10ft in any direction. Most engagements at Waterbridge take place in the most ungodly thick vegetation you could imagine, including brier groves nearly as tall as the reeds themselves [often taller than myself]. That obviously affects what works and what doesn't. A 60x homemade riot blast won't penetrate more than 10ft into a grove, but a 5x may if you aim in and through. Likewise, a streamlined CPS 2500 will plow in, but a SuperCAP with a huge backpack will be rejected at the fringe. Now it is different at the Goffle, but there, you've got to watch your water, as engagements tend to be long and drawn out. I've noticed that homemades consume water much faster compared to a stock gun with a similar reservoir size.
As for handles, the position of the main handle is never where I naturally grip. With all the guns I use, my left goes on the pump and right somewhere nearest the most weighty area. I often end up using the bottom of a pc for a main grip.
I also don't like having the pump so far away from the ball valve. Since my left hand has to do both, I prefer to have the pump as close to the valve as possible. Allows me to tap-pump with ease.
As for why I can't be satisfied with the status quo, I think it might have more to do with me as a person than what I build. I wasn't satisfied with the current political labels, so I made one for myself. I wasn't satisfied with the voting options, so I founded a third party, which will actually be registered. I wasn't even satisfied with ethnic labels, so I made my own. And when I arrive at college, I'm designing my own major because I don't like the current choices, even though there are tons of them. This is both beneficial and hurtful. Good in that I'm constantly looking for new ways to improve things, but bad because I don't see enough value in the systems that already exist.
It's just something that I have to personally work on. Though I won't believe that a standard APH is battle practical for my fighting style until I see an experienced user bring one out with great success. Teammates and enemies alike have laughed at mine. It's one of my "dinosaurs", along with the air pressure water cannon, which is a dinosaur next to the piston-based Ruta Cannon.
Now water cannons can be used to great effect here, even though they are hardly practical. One-shot superweapons can make multiple kills with that one shot. When cached and used for brief amounts of time, they do not need to be practical.
Hasn't worked the same way with normal homemades, except for river guns.
marauder wrote:You have to explain things in terms that kids will understand, like videogames^ That's how I got Sam to stop using piston pumpers
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