tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28292719520104687222024-03-19T05:36:26.646-04:00Buffdaddy NerfNerf = Fun. Yep, that's about it.Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.comBlogger265125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-41098821615920748342018-07-02T21:27:00.000-04:002018-07-02T21:27:04.803-04:00Prometheus Tear-DownSince I'm mainly doing reviews over on Blasterhub...why not look more in-depth at the inside of things here? It's not being put to use at the moment, anyway.<br />
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First, the overall view.<br />
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The Prometheus is very much an elongated Nemesis, with extra long agitator and conveyor belt, in order to accommodate the increased rate of fire. If you've rewired a Nemesis, you're doing essentially the same thing here in terms of modifications. Each motor has a board soldered on it, etc. In the case of the Prometheus, however, the wires are a LOT longer, especially with the firing controls up on the rear handle. This is one of those cases where, if you have MOSFETs available, I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to rewire everything in the rear handle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of wires.</td></tr>
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The thumb safety moves a plastic piece out from behind the rev trigger (the lower one). Pressing the rev trigger naturally spins up the motors, but it also sends a voltage signal to the small board behind the agitator. The top trigger, meanwhile, operates the agitator/conveyor motor.<div>
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This little computerized board does a few things: turn on the handle's dual color LED, operate as determined by the battery voltage (green = charged, blinking red = low, solid red = blaster must be recharged). </div>
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8 cell NiMH <u style="font-style: italic;">might</u> be close enough to be able to replace with a 3S without harming the board, but don't quote me on that. I imagine most people modding a Prometheus don't really care about the extra LED, anyway, and will just wire it like a Nemesis.</div>
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Quick and dirty drawing of all the various wires. And yes, it's badly done, but I hope you can figure it out until I make a much better one not based on lack of sleep.</div>
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Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com250tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-34193194817472832122017-12-10T21:48:00.002-05:002017-12-10T21:48:22.933-05:00Doomsayer Files Up on Thingiverse!I've been doing lots of projects in my down time, one of which is getting back to an old mod I'm familiar with. I've built several Doomsayers, and noticed that aside from Polycarbonate spacers being made, that actual barrel spacers don't really exist. I went ahead and took care of that.<br />
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<a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2705066">Files for CPVC and PETG spacers</a> are online, free for anyone to use. In addition, for the fun of it, I also made <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2705097">drop-in barrels</a> that will friction fit within the existing support structure. That way, you can have a 12-shot Rotofury replacement if you so desire. Not that you really should, but you have the option. Eventually, I want to get around to modeling the rest of the cylinder so that you can swap them out for maximum silliness.</div>
Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-88566548104788028052017-11-29T19:11:00.002-05:002017-11-29T19:55:59.230-05:00Trademark and Patent Search Update - New Things for 2018!Apologies for leaving this blog blank. Long hours and lots of wars mean I have to more selectively choose where to upload info. While I've planned on doing things here, at Blasterhub, and on my Youtube channel, life has simply prevented me from uploading as much content as I have. So I decided to go with the option that (currently) has the best outreach, Blasterhub. Also, I still enjoy writing too much compared to doing videos.<br />
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Now for the trademarks that have been popping up! I'll list each one, what it's described for at the <a href="https://www.uspto.gov/">United States Patent and Trademark Office</a>, and filing date. I'll try to avoid listing things also on this <a href="https://www.blasterhub.com/2017/01/blaster-trademark-updates-long-list/">Blasterhub</a> post.<br />
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Prime Time Toys</h2>
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Prime Time, which makes both dart blasters and soakers, of course has plenty of names to claim.</div>
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Dart Blasters</h4>
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<li>Tactical Strike (March 8th, already in use as the Powerball name in Canadian Walmarts)</li>
<li>Accelerator (July 21st. <a href="https://www.blasterhub.com/2017/11/adventure-force-v-rival-conflict-expands/">Confirmed Rival-type blaster</a>)</li>
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Water Blasters/Related Items</h4>
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<li>Aqua Flash (April 14th)</li>
<li>Hydro Flare (April 14th)</li>
<li>Storm Squad (July 21st)</li>
<li>Stormer (July 21st)</li>
<li>Hydro Rebel (July 21st)</li>
<li>Aqua Fusion (July 21st)</li>
<li>Aqua Strike (July 21)</li>
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Buzz Bee Toys</h2>
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It looks like we have plenty of names to look forward to. Unknown how many are new blasters, and how many are simply renamed items (for example, Night Assault could just be a Night Tek).<br />
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In addition, I found the <a href="http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=09784524&IDKey=99744DA126B8%0D%0A&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D7%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3DPTXT%2526s1%3D%252522toy%252Bgun%252522%2526OS%3D%252522toy%252Bgun%252522%2526RS%3D%252522toy%252Bgun%252522">patent for the Monorail</a>.<br />
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At the Hong Kong Patent Office, <a href="http://ipsearch.ipd.gov.hk/patent/search/fssr01300_main.jsp?LANG=en&ITEM_KEY=8775112&PUB_CODE=A">I found a patent</a> for what amounts to a piston valve/backpressure system, but with water. Look under "Specifications" at the link for the English description and pictures.</div>
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Dart Blasters</h4>
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<li>Cyclops (Sept. 8th)</li>
<li>Night Assault (Sept. 26th)</li>
<li>Covert Squad (Sept. 26th)</li>
<li>Caliber (Sept. 27th)</li>
<li>Amplifier (Sept. 27th)</li>
<li>Berserker (Nov. 12th)</li>
<li>Demolisher (Nov. 12th)</li>
<li>Mutator (Nov. 16th)</li>
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Water Blasters</h4>
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<li>Saturator (July 12th)</li>
<li>Fast Splash (July 16th)</li>
<li>Outlander (July 19th)</li>
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Hasbro</h2>
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Interestingly, Hasbro officially has the <a href="http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=D0802681&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3DPTXT%2526s1%3DD802681%2526OS%3DD802681%2526RS%3DD802681&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page">US Design Patent</a> for the Accustrike Dart, as of two weeks ago (filed in October of last year). Should be fun to see what happens to all the copies of the dart already online, as "Accufakes" are very popular for the low cost and consistent accuracy out of modded flywheel blasters.</div>
Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-76338939568741859242017-08-29T20:17:00.000-04:002017-08-29T20:17:43.682-04:00Buzz Bee Toys 2017: Making the Old New Again (Part One)<div dir="ltr">
Buzz Bee Toys is having a stellar year. In addition to having new darts for distance and precision, they've managed to infiltrate store shelves with many new blasters. In the case of Walmart, they've even managed to fill out the majority of the "Adventure Force" line with versions of their blasters.</div>
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New offerings aren't the only thing on shelves, however. Many older blasters (or in a few cases, reshells) have come back, this time with updated range claims. Surely this can't purely be a function of the darts, right? Looks like it's time to open up and compare the different versions to see what differences are inside!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Buzz Bee Gem/Adventure Force Duel Force</i></b></span></div>
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The differences at the low end of the updated collection are merely cosmetic. Internally, the old and new versions are the same. </div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Buzz Bee Wizard/Adventure Force Combat Clash </span></b></i></div>
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These blasters feature larger plunger tubes than the Gem, but generational differences are again in looks, not guts.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Buzz Bee Jaguar/Adventure Force Cataclysm </i></b></span></div>
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This blaster is where internal updates begin to appear. As <a href="https://www.blasterhub.com/2017/01/buzz-bee-jaguar-review-new-breed-blaster/">detailed in an earlier post</a>, the Jaguar's Ultra-Tek update featured a brand new plunger tube for hitting the 72' range claims. The newest version adds half an inch to the shell, as well as the plunger tube and spring.</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Buzz Bee Predator/Adventure Force Alpha Rogue</span></b></i></div>
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Here is another blaster that has seen multiple generations. The original functioned like the classic Hunter/Hawk/Rapid Tek with its small plunger and inefficient tubing to barrel connection. The Ultra-Tek update saw a floating plunger tube sitting below and behind the dart. The newest update features an even larger (and stationary) plunger tube.</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Buzz Bee Night Tek</span></b></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF65F6QQNNnGu6kVnW9oeqyk8jMZQj-BtwceDqmFrzDxUqiuS-16Vr3ZKP1BP-BLwUkbhUI5s1UTRg6iHuL_fPJZfgVKvSTKmf6pDpwlfbltlqvAgAHnIpZ5qCqatK48YWtLtjJjo0j4WD/s1600/20170828_202324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF65F6QQNNnGu6kVnW9oeqyk8jMZQj-BtwceDqmFrzDxUqiuS-16Vr3ZKP1BP-BLwUkbhUI5s1UTRg6iHuL_fPJZfgVKvSTKmf6pDpwlfbltlqvAgAHnIpZ5qCqatK48YWtLtjJjo0j4WD/s320/20170828_202324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This blaster was left behind in the update; there are no differences aside from shell aesthetics (confetti on the old shell, straight lines on the new). It would seem the lighter Long Distance darts are enough to get the 100'+ ranges. At least <i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">some</i> of the time.</div>
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I'll be looking at the larger blasters next, comparing them to the previous entries (Champion/Reaper v. Tactical Storm, etc).</div>
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Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-12173826360108265562017-08-20T14:10:00.001-04:002017-08-29T19:23:35.733-04:00Stats Blast 2017 - Prime Time Toys Takes the Lead<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I found these blasters on the way to see the eclipse. They've shown up on the website at Toysrus, but aren't supposed to be on shelves until Sept. 30. At least that's what the system flagged when I went to the checkout. Since they were already on the shelf, though...I got the manager override, followed by a call to the the back asking why they were out.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCE4HRLcqlQNtIhhBv_3JiPIZs98naLMyFLZk9GIy40WDIGp1kA3eKBlT6WNY9xbGUalMb7Sx3ftbFNaHE9dbZker1CWXNUSykoikmDPqK9hq9E1FIG42AqvQAGhgIs_jNfASe_uPRPgFL/s1600/20170820_135857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCE4HRLcqlQNtIhhBv_3JiPIZs98naLMyFLZk9GIy40WDIGp1kA3eKBlT6WNY9xbGUalMb7Sx3ftbFNaHE9dbZker1CWXNUSykoikmDPqK9hq9E1FIG42AqvQAGhgIs_jNfASe_uPRPgFL/s400/20170820_135857.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">I only bought the large combo. All the new Stats Blast products say Powered by PT-DZ, etc, so Prime Time Toys is their main supplier for the in-house brand this year. Aside from carry-over products from Zuru and such, obviously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">The two smaller, slam-fire only blasters have been on the shelf for months now, and I recognize them as being on shelves perhaps seven years ago, but have yet to try them. The new take on the Flipfury/Xcess double cylinder pistol should also be interesting. $35 is high, but I'll spend it for science.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxIsK59hLLwTozK04o_bBrMlHdBDAKDu42oGoiFRCyTmNMrR16SnnG5oba1D1nJd9mwEUaCYjaaWl9FojFD1N3orn6XAXCqXBtWW1Q-dzgG7xWL8kvTiMc-2tThsOVHdqyHzzXWosac5I/s1600/20170820_135049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxIsK59hLLwTozK04o_bBrMlHdBDAKDu42oGoiFRCyTmNMrR16SnnG5oba1D1nJd9mwEUaCYjaaWl9FojFD1N3orn6XAXCqXBtWW1Q-dzgG7xWL8kvTiMc-2tThsOVHdqyHzzXWosac5I/s640/20170820_135049.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, the Cyclone X5 set ($20) and Tornado X2 pack ($15) all feature reshells of past Dart Zone blasters or recolors, in the case of that Trifire.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2FpwPTHRnVRia6OY6jVkjchCVP6wKRloMKbMffsyovcquv0AyawcpWbaTq2uOlg0A_pZnYYLMWaFi3GheqTEaTreUfgOb4i0Ssv3lF4T-SSkgDTYSwsgzJfz09zpfke6Z3UKNY1Ox6pk/s1600/stats-blast-hurricane-blaster-pack--88668C4F.zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP2FpwPTHRnVRia6OY6jVkjchCVP6wKRloMKbMffsyovcquv0AyawcpWbaTq2uOlg0A_pZnYYLMWaFi3GheqTEaTreUfgOb4i0Ssv3lF4T-SSkgDTYSwsgzJfz09zpfke6Z3UKNY1Ox6pk/s640/stats-blast-hurricane-blaster-pack--88668C4F.zoom.jpg" /> </a> </div>
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Finally, we have the Hurricane Blaster Pack, clocking in at $50. These are all blue versions of previous blasters, and frankly sit at an outrageous price. I know ToysRUs tends to have a markup, but this should be $35 at most, considering their individual prices at release. </div>
Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-25509267477624447652017-07-18T20:00:00.002-04:002017-07-18T20:08:20.857-04:00PrecisePro v Accustrike: The ComparisonWith the arrival of Buzz Bee Toys' newest product lineup comes their overhauled dart system. As was stated <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o8mxGqxiKU&">back at Toy Fair</a>, Buzz Bee split their darts according to what all their internal testing reflected. People loved their suction darts, which they do really well, but people also wanted distance and accuracy. For the last part, Buzz Bee developed and now sells PrecisePro darts. They get slightly less range than the long-distance darts, but are supposed to have superior accuracy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-2-c4QOvS4V5Fnoe9VxWZrHl-stF07yjMhwiul9-GavtQChAzjx6enPNkWNIRsckcPRcVgTqaQCWXO5-EDsVqtMZiSZP24QqpUqkZnWB46PGsMUWzA-GKyQKoWJuSdSZ3G8zXDOwR4P0/s1600/20170717_201515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-2-c4QOvS4V5Fnoe9VxWZrHl-stF07yjMhwiul9-GavtQChAzjx6enPNkWNIRsckcPRcVgTqaQCWXO5-EDsVqtMZiSZP24QqpUqkZnWB46PGsMUWzA-GKyQKoWJuSdSZ3G8zXDOwR4P0/s200/20170717_201515.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And they come in cute 14-dart packs.</td></tr>
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So how do they stack up against Hasbro's Accustrike line? Surprisingly superior!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>First, we have to weigh out the darts. They're very close in weight, as it turns out. I chose to weigh ten at a time. I'm sure you can do the math from there.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9pjMNSxrz0RLBwWKgkr31tJFNB6joWXAE4ku0U65gsQnAAt0JUXH3GzYfJXHWCU2MnUCpSLN0v-mClUrIXWhqgG9wiHtEzOsDWGu8wVFXW9GXYELCqgaSGVT_IiwXLwZY_kDFvvgSywt/s1600/20170717_200902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9pjMNSxrz0RLBwWKgkr31tJFNB6joWXAE4ku0U65gsQnAAt0JUXH3GzYfJXHWCU2MnUCpSLN0v-mClUrIXWhqgG9wiHtEzOsDWGu8wVFXW9GXYELCqgaSGVT_IiwXLwZY_kDFvvgSywt/s400/20170717_200902.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In case you can't, the PrecisePros on the left are 1.06g per dart. The Accustrikes are 1.07g each.</td></tr>
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Interestingly, when you tear a PrecisePro dart apart, you don't get a singular rubber piece. There's actually an insert that goes in the back of the dart head, with little or no adhesive in between the two rubber pieces. The pieces themselves are still glued to the foam, however. I assume Buzz Bee is relying on the air pocket within for cushioning, and the plug just helps to maintain the shape.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9Tr2OzY7iiB6vBFqcNdjzb6Q1f72giZzrWEXt1Ek2bmhlHk7C2FJ_yuznOHbodFhYNoY5oNvQcqBxT_k8hME17t9C60eEBJzi3QtHwiMe6UIEs47iwkZbtOK5hhIza40GZ4buI6nF7AK/s1600/20170717_205324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9Tr2OzY7iiB6vBFqcNdjzb6Q1f72giZzrWEXt1Ek2bmhlHk7C2FJ_yuznOHbodFhYNoY5oNvQcqBxT_k8hME17t9C60eEBJzi3QtHwiMe6UIEs47iwkZbtOK5hhIza40GZ4buI6nF7AK/s320/20170717_205324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now we get to the testing! It was a warm, humid, partly cloudy day with no wind, so I just elected to use the nearby park. To help with level shooting issues, I put a 5" ID ring on a stick 5' off the ground. Since I hold my blaster at roughly 5' high, that part lines up. Furthermore, I stood 5' back from the ring and forced myself to shoot all rounds through it, aiming for the middle. With this setup, being off <span style="font-family: inherit;">by </span>2.4° means you're hitting the ring. Being off by just 1.9° means that with a .50" diameter dart, you're already brushing the edge of the ring and visibly changing dart trajectory. In a pinch, it makes for an easy solution. Your setup may vary depending on how tall you are.<br /><br />For my first round of testing, I used a stock Raptorstrike, fifty shots for each separate category. Fitting, obviously. Let's start the data dump! In the interest of brevity, I'll list the end results. I have the raw data points, however, if you're so interested.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><u>PrecisePro</u> <u>Accustrike</u></span></i></b><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 320px;">
<colgroup><col span="5" style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt; width: 48pt;" width="64">Mean</td>
<td align="right" style="width: 48pt;" width="64">35.894</td>
<td style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></td>
<td style="width: 48pt;" width="64">Mean</td>
<td align="right" style="width: 48pt;" width="64">33.928</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">High</td>
<td align="right">46.3</td>
<td></td>
<td>High</td>
<td align="right">40.5</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">3rd Q.</td>
<td align="right">37.175</td>
<td></td>
<td>3rd Q.</td>
<td align="right">35.7</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Med.</td>
<td align="right">34.6</td>
<td></td>
<td>Med.</td>
<td align="right">33.7</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">1st Q.</td>
<td align="right">33.5</td>
<td></td>
<td>1st Q.</td>
<td align="right">31.975</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Low</td>
<td align="right">31.4</td>
<td></td>
<td>Low</td>
<td align="right">29.1</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Std. Dev</td>
<td align="right">3.683466</td>
<td></td>
<td>Std. Dev</td>
<td align="right">2.539568</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;"><br /></td><td align="right"></td>
<td></td><td></td><td style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: left;">
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</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The second round of testing involved firing at roughly a 40° angle. I was mainly concerned with watching the darts in flight, but I did my best to consistently aim at a distant point. Both kinds of darts maintained their arcs with little or no sideways deviation.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX0uJ8UxTdQoDnlJ5tjuhmzMiOByPXf9OD4JwlUjERjjC8elt4ZEAuU5Dh63t-yStQUjUG2GLSY_sSVZw7vn1PBFZS8a0ipW2sRSkN17yu-GQ9ljAVkTU9fjb4zFucVcRb3ow0vuNe2hU/s1600/Precise1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1600" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbX0uJ8UxTdQoDnlJ5tjuhmzMiOByPXf9OD4JwlUjERjjC8elt4ZEAuU5Dh63t-yStQUjUG2GLSY_sSVZw7vn1PBFZS8a0ipW2sRSkN17yu-GQ9ljAVkTU9fjb4zFucVcRb3ow0vuNe2hU/s400/Precise1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angled Accustrike on the left. One full drum of PrecisePro fired flat on the right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><u>PrecisePro</u> <u>Accustrike</u></span></i></b><div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 320px;">
<colgroup><col span="5" style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt; width: 48pt;" width="64">Mean</td>
<td align="right" style="width: 48pt;" width="64">78.48167</td>
<td style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></td>
<td style="width: 48pt;" width="64">Mean</td>
<td align="right" style="width: 48pt;" width="64">70.25167</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">High</td>
<td align="right">83.08333</td>
<td></td>
<td>High</td>
<td align="right">74.91667</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">3rd Q.</td>
<td align="right">80.14583</td>
<td></td>
<td>3rd Q.</td>
<td align="right">71.75</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Med.</td>
<td align="right">78.20833</td>
<td></td>
<td>Med.</td>
<td align="right">70.16667</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">1st Q.</td>
<td align="right">77.27083</td>
<td></td>
<td>1st Q.</td>
<td align="right">69.41667</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Low</td>
<td align="right">73.33333</td>
<td></td>
<td>Low</td>
<td align="right">63.83333</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Std. Dev</td>
<td align="right">2.277844</td>
<td></td>
<td>Std. Dev</td>
<td align="right">2.502068</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Var.</td>
<td align="right">5.188574</td>
<td></td>
<td>Var.</td>
<td align="right">6.260343</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
The final round of testing consisted of firing the darts flat from my modified Desolator. For reference, I have a 42mm OFP cage, Blasterparts flywheels, Meishel 2.0 motors, and a 1300mAh 30C Lipo battery. It's useful for tests like this because of the decent dart crush and high torque. As long as you're not REALLY spamming the trigger, identical darts will be treated, well, identically, and in a short amount of time.</div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><u>PrecisePro</u> <u>Accustrike</u></span></i></b><div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 320px;">
<colgroup><col span="5" style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt; width: 48pt;" width="64">Mean</td>
<td align="right" style="width: 48pt;" width="64">68.04167</td>
<td style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></td>
<td style="width: 48pt;" width="64">Mean</td>
<td align="right" style="width: 48pt;" width="64">62.59375</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">High</td>
<td align="right">83.41667</td>
<td></td>
<td>High</td>
<td align="right">69.91667</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">3rd Q.</td>
<td align="right">73.1875</td>
<td></td>
<td>3rd Q.</td>
<td align="right">64.33333</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Med.</td>
<td align="right">69.41667</td>
<td></td>
<td>Med.</td>
<td align="right">62.375</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">1st Q.</td>
<td align="right">63.66667</td>
<td></td>
<td>1st Q.</td>
<td align="right">60.75</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Low</td>
<td align="right">53</td>
<td></td>
<td>Low</td>
<td align="right">52</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Std. Dev</td>
<td align="right">6.862483</td>
<td></td>
<td>Std. Dev</td>
<td align="right">2.892919</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">Var.</td>
<td align="right">47.09368</td>
<td></td>
<td>Var.</td>
<td align="right">8.368979</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
As a bonus bit of anecdotal evidence, here's what happened firing at a shallow angle out of my modded 2S Hyperfire. The blue Elite darts traveled farther, but made a GIANT cloud in comparison to the other two dart types. Take from that what you will.</div>
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In the end, both types of darts were accurate as well as precise. You can reliably hit what you're aiming at, and you can repeat it consistently. The PrecisePro darts had the edge in range by a few feet, but they also tended to be <i>slightly</i> more spread out, if you check the standard deviations. There will also be more issues to consider with flywheel usage - since the foam has a unique profile immediately following the dart head, there could be issues in stock blasters. This will all simply become a case of finding time to test every possibility.</div>
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In any case, the PrecisePro darts will be the cheaper stock option, especially since Walmart will be selling <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Adventure-Force-Af-35-Exact-Strike-Dart-Refills/565372315">35 dart packs</a> under their Adventure Force in-store brand. When it comes to dart clones, however, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Refill-Bullets-Yamix-1000-Dart-accustrike/dp/B073RG3HNC/ref=sr_1_3?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1500422350&sr=1-3&refinements=p_89%3AYamix">Accustrike clones</a> already exist in inexpensive bulk quantities. At the very least, grab some and do some testing. More data points help!</div>
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Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-35854331524450819152017-07-09T15:53:00.000-04:002017-07-09T18:56:42.181-04:00Nerf Concept Compendium - Electric Flywheel Blasters<span style="font-family: inherit;">These blasters revolve around the use of a pair of motors to fling darts out of the blaster. Generally speaking, these motors drive two flywheels, spinning opposite each other, which grab darts as they are pushed between the wheels. This can be done manually (directly linked to trigger pull) or though the use of a motorized feeding system (Hyperfire belt, Rapidstrike pusher, etc). All of this is powered by a battery source, eliminating the need for any type of manual priming or pumping, but requiring an entirely different skill set when it comes to blaster modification.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is not meant to be a how-to guide for modding blasters, as plenty of good ones already exist. It is meant to help understand how things work on the inside, as well as why you may see certain modifications being done. I'm also going to shy away from accessories.</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html#Basic">Basic Components</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html#Modding">You're Modding; What Now?</a></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html#Motors">Motors</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html#Flywheels">Flywheels</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html#Cages">Cages</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html#Switches">Switches</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html#Batteries">Batteries</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html#Pushers">Pushers</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html#Wire">Wire</a></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html" name="Basic"><b>Basic Components</b></a></span> </i></span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0pE2hKcW4j7JxbqmBsnBdFqtO7p3AjzZvsdwitZuW85QB8C6qJIoNdKNs2x30LpHBwHcIfHEntcJBveTMEfzhR26knS-lS7Is-l1ue6wFtT46C8FqFZ-QEfqzqogL_bXr4ePTgvIkPra/s1600/20170709_110044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0pE2hKcW4j7JxbqmBsnBdFqtO7p3AjzZvsdwitZuW85QB8C6qJIoNdKNs2x30LpHBwHcIfHEntcJBveTMEfzhR26knS-lS7Is-l1ue6wFtT46C8FqFZ-QEfqzqogL_bXr4ePTgvIkPra/s320/20170709_110044.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Meishel 2.0 motors, sitting in a Nerf Modulus Regulator cage.</span></td></tr>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Motors - These draw current from the battery and convert electrical power into physical motion (spinning motor shaft, etc).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Flywheels - The wheels mounted on the motor shafts. These are the parts that come in contact with darts.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cage - The (usually plastic) assembly that holds the motors and flywheels in position as a single unit.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Switch - Used to turn a circuit on and off. Flywheel blasters will have multiple switches fulfilling different functions. Rev triggers will have a switch that turns on to feed power to the motors. Many blasters have safety switches that only complete the circuit under specific circumstances (magazine present, jam door closed, etc). Meant only for low currents.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Battery - Uses electrochemical cells to supply stored energy to a system. Most stock flywheel blasters use alkaline batteries.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia71wTvvlTUX3vZqiqP1PbzvVl4l98FaZNSR7cHfbimn2SHXdgjtwKTsTXvMXSkC2Tl-annTYij7pNwt3QF48qe1YFU6f13Op0ddQiKM5JIecU6puI5u7ezAQ2OOWMbxggGE9V-R_vnAPv/s1600/strife-12-pic-0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="384" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia71wTvvlTUX3vZqiqP1PbzvVl4l98FaZNSR7cHfbimn2SHXdgjtwKTsTXvMXSkC2Tl-annTYij7pNwt3QF48qe1YFU6f13Op0ddQiKM5JIecU6puI5u7ezAQ2OOWMbxggGE9V-R_vnAPv/s200/strife-12-pic-0.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A PTC thermistor.</td></tr>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thermistor - A resistor that varies in value with temperature. PTC (positive temperature coefficient) thermistors are often included in flywheel blasters to prevent blaster damage. If too much current is present, the system will bleed off some power as heat. The PTC thermistor will respond by increasing its resistance and reducing the current. It's a safety mechanism. Upgraded blasters almost always see their removal.</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBZJHgiywAHUR2iqivVX15Dh9hzFCkGXzR2KRQvNkysNw2dWcIWzQUPegdmSYP2wsfGXHn9dVci1mh6TdgZUuLfa9ix7koxHJeDzMZCJNfe3CcmO1BVhXhB11nrjaxZY5eYZhJiyaCpBp/s1600/large.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBZJHgiywAHUR2iqivVX15Dh9hzFCkGXzR2KRQvNkysNw2dWcIWzQUPegdmSYP2wsfGXHn9dVci1mh6TdgZUuLfa9ix7koxHJeDzMZCJNfe3CcmO1BVhXhB11nrjaxZY5eYZhJiyaCpBp/s320/large.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slotted link mechanism, similar to that of a Rapidstrike pusher.</td></tr>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pusher - A general term for the mechanism feeding darts into the flywheels/into the cage. Semi-auto blasters like the Stryfe have a physical linkage attached to the main trigger. Rapidstrikes have a motor connected to a series of gears and a slotted link mechanism to produce. Hyperfires have a motor driving a rubber belt sitting above the dart magazine.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wire - an overlooked but important component, since it carries the electrical current. Stock blasters have very thin wires, meant only for the low current provided by alkaline batteries.</span></li>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Random - Manufacturers will have many other components added that serve to either make function more consistent or to meet standards like preventing RF interference with other electronic devices. These generally are removed upon modification, but it's important to know that they're initially present in the blaster for a reason</span>.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html" name="Modding">You're Modding. What Now?</a></b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Electric-powered blasters require component upgrades if you want better ranges, rate of fire, or blaster endurance. I'll try to give a good overview of each thing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><b><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html" name="Motors">Motors</a></b></i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Bqzqu0QQ5Frw7ucCCgSkz8zES2FZYu0ii_uYxhNqrKp-yhQ3lDTxjw0ZY0nL1EL-d-7qt5xVaxiKy4xb_H6YWPCJOrURW6xVPA5k-BttuXU3kb26pr4iNNkRJQZGSpba6EFKR975dPeV/s1600/motors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="1026" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Bqzqu0QQ5Frw7ucCCgSkz8zES2FZYu0ii_uYxhNqrKp-yhQ3lDTxjw0ZY0nL1EL-d-7qt5xVaxiKy4xb_H6YWPCJOrURW6xVPA5k-BttuXU3kb26pr4iNNkRJQZGSpba6EFKR975dPeV/s320/motors.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">A selection of motors, as seen on the <a href="http://www.containmentcrew.com/product-category/mtb/">Containment Crew</a> website.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stock flywheel motors will only draw a low amount of power for firing darts. To improve performance, better motors have to be installed. Think of it as replacing your inline four with a V8. Granted, you have to upgrade all associated systems, and have room to do it. Just don't stretch my analogy too far, ok?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are a large number of aftermarket motors in existence, all with varying power requirements and specifications. <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/tTur95T5WEhQN_x6dAwW7vg/htmlview">THIS DATABASE</a> offers a good summary of their characteristics.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because modded flywheel blasters usually operate from Lipos or from other high-output batteries, motor specs will usually be seen in relation to that. Match motors to the battery you'll be using. In addition, use motors that will fit. Stock dart blaster motors are usually 130-size motors. Larger motors (132, 180) may require cutting holes in the shell to accommodate the extra length, although the larger size will also correlate to more power.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Torque describes how much rotational force the motor can apply. When darts enter the flywheel cage, the flywheels slow down after imparting energy to the now-flying dart. Motors with higher torque can more quickly bring the flywheels back up to their no-load rotational speeds, making future shots perform more consistently. This becomes extremely important when using fully automatic blasters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Electric motors exert the most torque and use the most current when stalled (at startup, or if a dart jams inside the flywheel cage). It is good practice to rewire your blaster and choose batteries that can supply these high currents when necessary. That being said, if you have a dart stuck, TURN OFF YOUR BLASTER. With the motors stuck, all that current is being converted straight into heat, and you can burn things up quite nicely by mishandling your blaster.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html" name="Flywheels"><b>Flywheels</b></a></i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59uyXga4AcXjh6ni0oRLawL4p3THNCfy6hxeAlYB5Ehpw9QQO7VgNTak1qIXoqern_o4pGaElPYrYRrs67XajuZJeRA5UAjp3WVvegO9NRXlgNSYo7bd9B0kN751sBrKZmLQnWRX8UWsz/s1600/il_fullxfull.1139687486_kowi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1200" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59uyXga4AcXjh6ni0oRLawL4p3THNCfy6hxeAlYB5Ehpw9QQO7VgNTak1qIXoqern_o4pGaElPYrYRrs67XajuZJeRA5UAjp3WVvegO9NRXlgNSYo7bd9B0kN751sBrKZmLQnWRX8UWsz/s320/il_fullxfull.1139687486_kowi.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Blasterparts Flywheels, picture from the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/455482402/blasterparts-flywheel-set-pair">Out of Darts Etsy store</a>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Flywheels are a critical part, and yet (for modding purposes) are one of the most expensive things to upgrade. Blaster manufacturers use injection molding for most plastic parts due to the needs of mass production. For stock blasters, this is fine. For upgraded blasters running new motors and higher RPMs, flywheel imperfections become apparent with lots of noise and less than optimum performance. It's like driving a car with improperly balanced tires. As a result, there is a market for replacement flywheels, almost always machined to tight tolerances for both better performance and noise reduction. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html" name="Cages"><i><b>Cages</b></i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Replacing the cage is usually unnecessary. However, there are cases where a new cage will benefit users. For example, Hyperfires use canted cages - the motors are physically offset at an angle in order to induce a small amount of dart spin. This helps the accuracy of Elite darts at stock velocities, but upgraded motors tend to cause the darts to simply whirlybird out of control and not fly very far. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/openflywheelproject/">Open Flywheel Project</a> makes straight cages that fit within the shell in order to correct this issue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, aftermarket cages offer the ability to space the motors more closely in order to apply more crush to the darts. Essentially, the goal is to more tightly grip the dart head and spit out the dart, transferring more energy from the flywheels to the dart than before. This can result in higher dart velocities, but at the cost of wearing the darts faster. In addition, more current is needed because the motors have to apply more torque, and some darts with harder heads will more easily jam and stall the motors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Higher crush can have its uses, but there are disadvantages as well.</span><br />
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<i style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html" name="Switches"><b>Switches</b></a></span></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5-jAvcoxrQkBI-bY91H5CCw5hyphenhyphenrLRNTp5GGe2fXDwAXJ3PZAL61m1JeeLTtejnk2QO01sfkfkNDGgLHbeDBOmWwOCFNSsG0YB9sDljPdrmWLChk-89Xjqf5ZE2MDidgTaBuJ-pA-iPxf/s1600/s-l225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="554" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5-jAvcoxrQkBI-bY91H5CCw5hyphenhyphenrLRNTp5GGe2fXDwAXJ3PZAL61m1JeeLTtejnk2QO01sfkfkNDGgLHbeDBOmWwOCFNSsG0YB9sDljPdrmWLChk-89Xjqf5ZE2MDidgTaBuJ-pA-iPxf/s320/s-l225.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">A 15A microswitch, and a generic MOSFET.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stock switches in blasters are only meant for low current. This leaves a few option for those upgrading their blasters - replace the switches, or use them to trigger something else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Almost universally, safety switches will be removed, leaving only the ones necessary for operation. It's implied that if you're smart enough to redo the blaster circuitry, that you're also smart enough to operate your blaster safely without the extras.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In many cases, higher amperage microswitches are installed. These can handle the higher currents required by new motors, although they usually require manually cutting out parts of the shell in order to fit them inside. Even so, since upgraded blasters need their wiring replaced in order to handle the higher currents anyway, replacing the entire circuit is always a viable option.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are options that involve less shell modification, however. Components like relays or MOSFETs are designed to allow low currents to turn on high current circuits. In these cases, you can keep the stock switches and associated wire IF AND ONLY IF they serve to trigger the control circuit on the relay or the gate of the MOSFET. As long as sufficient space is free within the blaster, you can run better wire from the battery to the motors and back, with the MOSFET or relay serving as the junction point where the old system ties into the new one. </span><br />
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<i style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html" name="Batteries"><b>Batteries</b></a></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Above stock performance, batteries become critical pieces of the puzzle, as you not only need to supply higher voltages, but also higher currents. There are several battery types, many of which may require external connections or otherwise may not fit within the existing battery tray. All with be rechargeable.</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cylindrical cells - Various rechargeable batteries in standard sizes (14500 = AA, etc) do exist, but should generally be avoided unless it's a specialty cell designed for high current or a particular usage. For example, this <a href="https://www.imrbatteries.com/efest-14500-650mah-button-top-battery-purple-series/">Lithium IMR battery</a> (assuming the listed specs are accurate) is only rated for 6.5A continuous current. Unless you're running stock or low-powered motors, you will be abusing the battery's ability to supply current and potentially damaging it.<br /><br />If the battery says it's not meant for e-cigarettes/vaping, that should be a red flag that it's not meant for high-drain applications.<br /><br />As always, exceptions exist. But don't base your blaster on exceptions. Go with what works. The more assumptions you make, the more likely that something will go wrong.<br /><br />For the love of all that is Nerfy, if you insist on using regular Lithium-ion cylindrical cells, ONLY USE IMR CHEMISTRY, DESPITE WHAT OLD YOUTUBE VIDEOS MAY SAY. That's the safest chemistry for that kind of battery, and is less likely to have something go wrong. The more recognizable the brand (Sony, etc), the more likely the specs are right.<br /><br />Finally, note that stock battery trays cannot much current beyond what alkalines supply before spring contacts heat up, and parts melt. Seriously, if you have to replace this much, just go for a proper rechargeable battery pack.</span></li>
</ul>
For a break from reading, see this video from Foam Data Services.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_YhhR6yi2XI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_YhhR6yi2XI?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The rest of this section will deal with rechargeable battery packs, which are designed for high current use. All will use some type of female connector (Deans, XT60, etc), which means your blaster will need a male connector of its own to allow you to plug them in.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">NiMH - A classic staple of rechargeable batteries. They are heavier than alkaline batteries of the same size, but have a much higher energy density and low internal resistance. Often used in airsoft batteries, and very reliable. Nominal voltage is 1.2V per cell. Not the best option, but very affordable and can handle low to medium currents.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lipo - Nominally 3.7V cells. Instead of a solid-case battery with a liquid electrolyte, these use a polymer electrolyte. A such, Lipos can be made into soft packs of varying shapes and sizes, usually with both high energy density and high discharge capabilities. Popular in both airsoft and paintball, and as such also very useful for electric Nerf blasters. Take proper care of them (follow manufacturer directions, don't short circuit, don't leave baking in your car on a warm day), and they'll take care of you. Fully charged cells are at 4.2V each, and discharge down to 3V. Do not discharge below 3.0V.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">LiFePO4 - Nominally 3.2V, and different enough in use for me to give it its own category. Among lith-ion chemistries, it is one of the safest available, and it highly resistant to abuse (I AM NOT ADVOCATING ABUSING YOUR BATTERY). It also tends to keep a consistant voltage through its discharge cycle and allow better charge and discharge rates, although energy density is lower than in Lipos. Fully charged cells are usually at 3.6V, and can operate down to 2.8V. At the moment, Lipos are still the easiest investment in terms of cost, reliability, and capacity.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html" name="Pushers"><b>Pushers</b></a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span>Generally speaking, the only thing that happens with pushers is the replacement of the motor, in order to match the power source. In some cases, however, extra circuitry can be added to allow a lower rate of fire, to make it variable, or simply to make it more precise. For example, Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) boils down to rapidly turning the motor on and off in order to lower the effective rate of fire, which is handy for blasters like the Nemesis that can shoot 18 balls per second on full blast. A lower voltage motor with step-down voltage convertors keeps a low rate of fire, but allows no variability. Rapidstrikes are often wired with an additional limiter switch to ensure that, once the main trigger is let go, the pusher fully retracts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition, kits exist that add full-auto capabilities to blasters like the Stryfe, using a rack and pinion mechanism for the pusher. These however endure lots of stress and are less reliable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Burst-fire does exist, most notably in the Nerf Modulus Regulator, but that is enabled by specialized electronics and programming, not the speed at which the motor is running.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2017/07/nerf-concept-compendium-electric.html" name="Wire"><b>Wire</b></a></i></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqNOINziO_B_SuG7_umMPxIJjD8JcoBWodeTtqBTolyj8Ha_skohrqyw6frijpsB-jZ5YnuHh4kbjwLg11DUIsWfLMwkWquGm-RdIZ8R9493Hfk4hqqZcJYu7_KFeD2LnpPYfwkdprSrt/s1600/20160809_213432101.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="350" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqNOINziO_B_SuG7_umMPxIJjD8JcoBWodeTtqBTolyj8Ha_skohrqyw6frijpsB-jZ5YnuHh4kbjwLg11DUIsWfLMwkWquGm-RdIZ8R9493Hfk4hqqZcJYu7_KFeD2LnpPYfwkdprSrt/s320/20160809_213432101.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">An example of stranded silicone hobby wire.</span></h4>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pipes are rated for certain volumes of water to flow through them at a certain pressure. The water flowing inherently meets some resistance with the pipe walls, etc, and ultimately if you need higher flow you need a larger diameter pipe. The same applies for electrical wire. If you don't want to bleed off energy as heat and want the proper current flow for the items downstream to work properly, you need larger diameter wire.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Any heavily modded blaster will need new wire running between the replacement battery and the new motors. Stock wire is too thin to carry enough current. Hobby wire is flexible and easy to work with, but more expensive. Primary wire is stiffer, but less expensive. Avoid the stiffer stuff from your hardware store that's just meant for buildings. Stranded wire should always be used, as it won't fatigue from the constant movement or vibration the way that solid wire will. Given the small lengths of wire we're using (I have yet to see a ten foot long blaster that needs twenty feet of wire), 16AWG is the minimum diameter wire you should be using.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">In short, if the wire somehow leads to the motors, replace it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
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Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-90981566198551234642017-03-03T14:00:00.001-05:002017-03-03T16:01:19.871-05:00Prime Time Toys, Water Warriors Update<p dir="ltr">Neither Prime Time Toys nor Buzz Bee Toys had brand new Dart Zone or Water Warriors (respectively) on display at Toy Fair. The only clue to anything new was the painted mural at Buzz Bee's booth, which featured a boy wielding a Steady Stream X.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Turns out Dollar General has that blaster on shelves for summer. And the back of the box has pictures!</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Steady Stream X is just a reshell of a staple in BBT's arsenal. It's at least better than the standard piston-type soaker, though.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The big news, however, is info on the Drench Force! It looks like a shotgun, and sounds like it has power, with 50' range claims!</p>
<p dir="ltr">In addition to the Steady Stream X, Dollar General is carrying a wider variety of PTT's lineup. The Quickfire Eagle was previously only part of Toysrus's Air Zone/Stats Blast collection. There are also two packs of the Quickfire Triblast.<br>
</p><p dir="ltr">EDIT: after searching for more Drench Force info, I stumbled upon a Supervalu University presentation on market strategies for Summer 2017. Included are pictures of available water toys, including the Drench Force. Another surprise? WALKING DEAD WATER WARRIORS. They appear to be simple blasters, but we shall see in the future.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJj0Iexu98OBRILERi345Qqz7aPqYmoqp2F98Sku1Z40A5yMRz2hwFxm4x_gNmsP4sPXPRI3invnlfP6zzG93EpunbfUXi3HCvW-CSM3OrxRlOFyDsCwELQBghhWcTNZ8njThvYR04thn/s1600/20170303_133058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJj0Iexu98OBRILERi345Qqz7aPqYmoqp2F98Sku1Z40A5yMRz2hwFxm4x_gNmsP4sPXPRI3invnlfP6zzG93EpunbfUXi3HCvW-CSM3OrxRlOFyDsCwELQBghhWcTNZ8njThvYR04thn/s640/20170303_133058.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdHKQFAKbUW9X30flWWeOraEp9q9_7GBHQWrXzrF-DRWE0b-g0KcU82um6TYzXaRUWXpLpcf9IoOAI43ONFot2fbZX_l8DemQTYvRVzk0q0leHtu_nSvTwql1Pm-nZaYJz_xu6T_924Hj/s1600/20170303_133108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdHKQFAKbUW9X30flWWeOraEp9q9_7GBHQWrXzrF-DRWE0b-g0KcU82um6TYzXaRUWXpLpcf9IoOAI43ONFot2fbZX_l8DemQTYvRVzk0q0leHtu_nSvTwql1Pm-nZaYJz_xu6T_924Hj/s640/20170303_133108.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vU9BqK6ZX-QJAVZwg-U-GlLvj0hgBZXG4xveYuJKb2y7LHX-zX354Xtr7jUUvaWRjCJK29az78eqvOc5Fq1_k1i-SP1YzpjsCY0v5KCArBIlYQVw3x2TmoUu43ccEzR8Zj7SfnRfCc0N/s1600/20170303_133158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vU9BqK6ZX-QJAVZwg-U-GlLvj0hgBZXG4xveYuJKb2y7LHX-zX354Xtr7jUUvaWRjCJK29az78eqvOc5Fq1_k1i-SP1YzpjsCY0v5KCArBIlYQVw3x2TmoUu43ccEzR8Zj7SfnRfCc0N/s640/20170303_133158.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRooj98brxAuHXfFrvoZiVJYGX23kVZwNoucaMokbjSj2pO1NRpLg6bDZY8IXRHiAAUwBHk_S-gRfmRJIzio4VlEw8OBp8Qd2RASWHG57o-FY2wsuUb6nEna4ydqcT3ZE-HRXQ651iXDon/s1600/Screenshot_2017-03-03-15-29-06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRooj98brxAuHXfFrvoZiVJYGX23kVZwNoucaMokbjSj2pO1NRpLg6bDZY8IXRHiAAUwBHk_S-gRfmRJIzio4VlEw8OBp8Qd2RASWHG57o-FY2wsuUb6nEna4ydqcT3ZE-HRXQ651iXDon/s640/Screenshot_2017-03-03-15-29-06.png"> </a> </div>Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com89tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-13932612116158742122017-02-19T11:03:00.001-05:002017-02-19T11:03:56.048-05:00New York Toy Fair 2017 - THE SECOND DAY<p dir="ltr">Today is a bit of a slow day in terms of new information. I did get to speak with the VP of Sales at Buzz Bee this morning, discussing changes in business after joining Alex Brands. In addition, we spoke about a few changes in blaster focus. Sad to say, Air Max will be no more.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In the meantime, I get to spend a little time on me and feed my childhood fascination with giant flying machines. The Intrepid is a short walk from the Convention Center. Update you later!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvu164g9zGINJj5dckXlbWzNa8eD1DjBk55hTiEm7gPkNHOquocoSGZjYPyyirkgiL6ipqz6sKeI7oJIg4fyjHSXvkSHKVSckK9V8dMqGrPf2M9UYgLDzQX5cKGy6zsiO8_LF5mT8vpiF/s1600/20170219_105938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvu164g9zGINJj5dckXlbWzNa8eD1DjBk55hTiEm7gPkNHOquocoSGZjYPyyirkgiL6ipqz6sKeI7oJIg4fyjHSXvkSHKVSckK9V8dMqGrPf2M9UYgLDzQX5cKGy6zsiO8_LF5mT8vpiF/s640/20170219_105938.jpg"> </a> </div>Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-58691377658954483502017-02-18T09:09:00.001-05:002017-02-18T16:07:28.842-05:00New York Toy Fair 2017 - THE FIRST DAY<p dir="ltr">Here goes nothing! I will update this post throughout the day as I see things of interest, and will do a full article/summary over on Blasterhub at the end. Repeat cycle until the fair ends.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLzzCbi6cYfGG1Jv9Dm7mE5AXMVRkGxliBSLs6mfvJDpq2yhOw2nc75r4B6VAytZEnFN0_Gqqq81y1AgHBfHTTYH6PXS98apEUI9whGAniv4o8SZunyMiDTFQsWzsdaMJlQhyHFsAqhIE/s1600/20170218_090539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLzzCbi6cYfGG1Jv9Dm7mE5AXMVRkGxliBSLs6mfvJDpq2yhOw2nc75r4B6VAytZEnFN0_Gqqq81y1AgHBfHTTYH6PXS98apEUI9whGAniv4o8SZunyMiDTFQsWzsdaMJlQhyHFsAqhIE/s640/20170218_090539.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">11:30 UPDATE!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We have a contender for the next Big Blast, I think. Only the prototype was here, but it should be available in the fall for $25. It's an air blaster that launches slime balls 50'. For the more technically minded, the trigger is mounted on the pump, with a rod in the middle of the pump handle tube that moves forward. Morever, the pump has to be in the forward position for the trigger to fire the tank. Based purely on this, I would speculate that it's a large piston valve tank, with the pump check valve pulling double duty as the dump valve for the system.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hTXDYMPu1okR7k1o6Kyoxwpre9gsw42_ie-GKRxcOWRO9Wdyd_mTXtf3ZvamFjuzvvD_NPOzItjKcDnXRQk9IfzFJP-WP0v3RFSEl50Y8Y8lG7wGdiT_iA4DrpvSwPWEDxaYv-f-dBGy/s1600/20170218_092426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hTXDYMPu1okR7k1o6Kyoxwpre9gsw42_ie-GKRxcOWRO9Wdyd_mTXtf3ZvamFjuzvvD_NPOzItjKcDnXRQk9IfzFJP-WP0v3RFSEl50Y8Y8lG7wGdiT_iA4DrpvSwPWEDxaYv-f-dBGy/s640/20170218_092426.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Next, we have the World Tech Toy blasters we've seen the past few months. No new developments, aside from a neat blue color scheme.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOAs9STZE-9gvmBg4bLJP5YO-sOzVhh-3Lqc27lSFhubbfnPOsPWAh_OpXCR25gpk28P_dNbOs28RwPTykkajugS0BqhF7UlHnBN7vXL7FcnX7I8Z6YrvzSxlLrtdHP5LYX_aCTVe-emT/s1600/20170218_095035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOAs9STZE-9gvmBg4bLJP5YO-sOzVhh-3Lqc27lSFhubbfnPOsPWAh_OpXCR25gpk28P_dNbOs28RwPTykkajugS0BqhF7UlHnBN7vXL7FcnX7I8Z6YrvzSxlLrtdHP5LYX_aCTVe-emT/s640/20170218_095035.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">11:50 UPDATE!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Editing from my phone is proving interesting, to say the least. Anyway, we have the new items from Zuru, in several blaster lines. Along with already avaluable items, we have the new crossbow. After trying it out, it's very legit. Feels smoother and better than the Nerf Crossbow in my opinion.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB9LVZDV4I6TQwufTlCmadGEmKLD91CdEysNq0tK8tF_zO-Vz6pEvJeBb_tzYqWOHsMb0akF_FC63yS_phVkeJMzSE_0Bw3bwFN3c99TWRUUREtFnFg6E_017BUKjAuj9gB393kBMdRqj/s1600/20170218_093939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB9LVZDV4I6TQwufTlCmadGEmKLD91CdEysNq0tK8tF_zO-Vz6pEvJeBb_tzYqWOHsMb0akF_FC63yS_phVkeJMzSE_0Bw3bwFN3c99TWRUUREtFnFg6E_017BUKjAuj9gB393kBMdRqj/s640/20170218_093939.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Next we have the Excel line. On the right, you see one of the revolvers in a coming color scheme. At the bottom, you can see their large new blaster. Or at least the box - the prototype broke, but you can still see it on the far right bottom of the previous picture. 40 darts, pump action, in two circles of 20 darts each. A selector on the side picks the set of 20 you want to fire. Fire 20 darts, flip the switch, and reload one circle while you're firing from the other. Perfect for HvZ.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATLNN0QeK25-EdqihWw0pcwHvIlIkQyZo-bS8_FobdFsWr9NVvzZoJ3aYMX3dRQG-Zs6mvYazjW75-XDQuBH2JUrUdintXqwpGwfntgSMN9WrXT2ALUb6spp7jL_DHFaRNOf_72SzpZ02/s1600/20170218_093952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATLNN0QeK25-EdqihWw0pcwHvIlIkQyZo-bS8_FobdFsWr9NVvzZoJ3aYMX3dRQG-Zs6mvYazjW75-XDQuBH2JUrUdintXqwpGwfntgSMN9WrXT2ALUb6spp7jL_DHFaRNOf_72SzpZ02/s640/20170218_093952.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lastly, we have the Zuru answer to Modulus, and at a $20 price point to boot. It takes actual dart clips, which may disappoint some users. It's called the Regulator.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFg52QR9M6PCzROqGNM60PG2W2y4ilAVJAci7mh7zqHr81BcPiifqSapXWZEbyBgtkRkee95sl6GCqxxoikvueX2BU3xHESKgY4jnAIokHLJKLS5HdMohBxws8cEnlYWJY0IWwVkYdTj6a/s1600/20170218_094001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFg52QR9M6PCzROqGNM60PG2W2y4ilAVJAci7mh7zqHr81BcPiifqSapXWZEbyBgtkRkee95sl6GCqxxoikvueX2BU3xHESKgY4jnAIokHLJKLS5HdMohBxws8cEnlYWJY0IWwVkYdTj6a/s640/20170218_094001.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">12:10pm UPDATE</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lots of ground to cover here with the Buzz Bee releases. This is just what we have on display in the booth. More blaster news will come at their event on Monday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the meantime, high-res pics of the line. And then pictures of the shelves. Will be filling in words throughout the day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First, the darts. Buzz Bee, after doing their research into what people want in darts and what sells, is splitting their ammo into three streams. Normal suction, which they do really well; long distance, with a streamlined, rounded tip; and Precise pro darts, which give up a litthe range for accuracy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Internally, I don't know of any differences. That will have to wait until a later date so that I can tear product apart.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfMgfVS1Zwvg7NvwhajI5Hgp_1QJqo9_OHhcsObaP1NR8ADPe8O93jVB_783Q0cI2KycL1PtXFqnkHXItel3y40u-LI0TmUW45Q8WXOIdPrJBahaN9vsamIQVYkm8WkU7jeu9tko7IOsv/s1600/20170218_111254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfMgfVS1Zwvg7NvwhajI5Hgp_1QJqo9_OHhcsObaP1NR8ADPe8O93jVB_783Q0cI2KycL1PtXFqnkHXItel3y40u-LI0TmUW45Q8WXOIdPrJBahaN9vsamIQVYkm8WkU7jeu9tko7IOsv/s640/20170218_111254.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The new blasters start on page 2, with the Blizzard being the Sidewinder/Colossal Blitz hybrid setup. Still a purely manual blaster, but has two rotating, removable drums.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Rail Blaster has a tubular magazine, similar to an actual firearm. We wI'll have to see how well the loading mechanism plays with other dart brands, damaged darts, etc. But it could be a great scavenger-type blaster.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Zenith is a Night Tek in function, but molded a bit differently. The Sentry appears to be like the Air Mac Baron in function, though I can't say it will be the same inside. Don't get your hopes up too much just yet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Tactical Storm is their kinda modular blaster, which takes magazines.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yRWe1T6izNcp4VmbPhmsFoF6SeWgkusz_PfsuuG1nQiSLjTWOIW3Ade05wMT-rOK1uML12km5AzXjd0e9UPkWSaO58NeL1NXfeI1m_AI_HorrMKbXzaHfu4yZRNG9AeyepXI_Gpl4WbE/s1600/20170218_111433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yRWe1T6izNcp4VmbPhmsFoF6SeWgkusz_PfsuuG1nQiSLjTWOIW3Ade05wMT-rOK1uML12km5AzXjd0e9UPkWSaO58NeL1NXfeI1m_AI_HorrMKbXzaHfu4yZRNG9AeyepXI_Gpl4WbE/s640/20170218_111433.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the Walking Dead line, the big new thing is the magazine fed crossbow. I have yet to try it but will get on that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8kaC8hYISen1Y8wTT7bASDn0D7CUnk0qOq5axqL_B52BNHspfRSpHch5z3kCMAmrQwb8j_ki8uREcGqEFOWLKFtATqSICEXE_Em-6MxPXK8KI9HXavhpvd425If76Jm5XaX_FooSxEwA/s1600/20170218_111452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8kaC8hYISen1Y8wTT7bASDn0D7CUnk0qOq5axqL_B52BNHspfRSpHch5z3kCMAmrQwb8j_ki8uREcGqEFOWLKFtATqSICEXE_Em-6MxPXK8KI9HXavhpvd425If76Jm5XaX_FooSxEwA/s640/20170218_111452.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And finally, display pictures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTk_ESYZQ06GRyxtc1D9FNY9DZ11OVRSMaNVkl0IxZXP_8d3QD6S-Jbh1b3Basvnb6lNngCa_Bjun_pxokQ1EOlWWR2Vp_Mt3ghjQp0u4Aj_HEFGfRcjDqKRkGoB-7MdNqxf6OAhacy_Um/s1600/20170218_102208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTk_ESYZQ06GRyxtc1D9FNY9DZ11OVRSMaNVkl0IxZXP_8d3QD6S-Jbh1b3Basvnb6lNngCa_Bjun_pxokQ1EOlWWR2Vp_Mt3ghjQp0u4Aj_HEFGfRcjDqKRkGoB-7MdNqxf6OAhacy_Um/s640/20170218_102208.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HnFr3-gsjwTYfa6lYuPNz-W-j_xB0MAUnbIkIUwqAkFy2buB3yY6pz-8oZcRVIC698bJ4zhY4CoXIkmGBTSzXCK_PAdjVj92Egj-yYMnAo8lgFFoeUH_j48Xk_9Vl1730AJ5GEcTFFeh/s1600/20170218_102222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HnFr3-gsjwTYfa6lYuPNz-W-j_xB0MAUnbIkIUwqAkFy2buB3yY6pz-8oZcRVIC698bJ4zhY4CoXIkmGBTSzXCK_PAdjVj92Egj-yYMnAo8lgFFoeUH_j48Xk_9Vl1730AJ5GEcTFFeh/s640/20170218_102222.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">UPDATE 12:30PM</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">KNEX is still alive with the KFORCE brand! They're opting for no-nonsense construction toy packaging, and they have two new models coming out this year. Both are Rotoshot type blasters, with five rounds each. The Barracuda is pump action, although the setup for it is a bit awkward. I guess if your blaster is long enough, it can be made pump action.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghS_V4z1_uaMxd-MOW5kntUfaJGIj2PXJE7EswX8fOU6jmTKtmknE87uDUg38QgLgP_WwUama-atonme5rWTMP5tRmaas0qDWRFiqzEUTQsMijLyHq2Ej288rFd2zY0ajCGWOQlS8s1ucp/s1600/20170218_104614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghS_V4z1_uaMxd-MOW5kntUfaJGIj2PXJE7EswX8fOU6jmTKtmknE87uDUg38QgLgP_WwUama-atonme5rWTMP5tRmaas0qDWRFiqzEUTQsMijLyHq2Ej288rFd2zY0ajCGWOQlS8s1ucp/s640/20170218_104614.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The other blaster is a lever acton revolver. You pull back the lever to prime, and then push it all the way forward to fire. No trigger here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8i9tUhEHx21ln9yntxyy_jP6hgM7xxo3qRTLczCjGO1n9ynKp06mw8t5inV9TK8haNgxQFwRGx_fWcc1umZPPQuM4wSMyo9vpuc86Ht1vfWYd7xr9VZsb73KlKw427vLX2mK7LyEiO_6F/s1600/20170218_104606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8i9tUhEHx21ln9yntxyy_jP6hgM7xxo3qRTLczCjGO1n9ynKp06mw8t5inV9TK8haNgxQFwRGx_fWcc1umZPPQuM4wSMyo9vpuc86Ht1vfWYd7xr9VZsb73KlKw427vLX2mK7LyEiO_6F/s640/20170218_104606.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">UPDATE 12:35PM</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Marshmallow Fun Company had been busy. They've made a new version of the Blaster that just uses one handle, and depending on the model fires fabric snowballs, giant balls, etc. The Marshmallow version features break-action loading.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZSUBT5xZrru0afVHVMn6Jsp8htjNFrM4ekLJXb_JlRELu_6Qc_JLl1qVnG_Wq3274IrwStu7GIyrDURZBf3L_s-gidQa49fWYWigLFQAlHDjZziuWOrndP1393FdAAk2KrIpVmihpi-w/s1600/20170218_105656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZSUBT5xZrru0afVHVMn6Jsp8htjNFrM4ekLJXb_JlRELu_6Qc_JLl1qVnG_Wq3274IrwStu7GIyrDURZBf3L_s-gidQa49fWYWigLFQAlHDjZziuWOrndP1393FdAAk2KrIpVmihpi-w/s640/20170218_105656.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some of the regular line on display.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMeZZ_ABcqoG6GPcmKwswcYEs0m0dnIAtHIeg96XTG8RCOP4Wbn2D9kknDWh9TG25r8imuR8Gtss4Kh-_0EqH1nlFDfrGrKAMBcFclCq-1uw7Sl1JjxlzvPk4NoYhssCNm_eQN707-X4h/s1600/20170218_105639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMeZZ_ABcqoG6GPcmKwswcYEs0m0dnIAtHIeg96XTG8RCOP4Wbn2D9kknDWh9TG25r8imuR8Gtss4Kh-_0EqH1nlFDfrGrKAMBcFclCq-1uw7Sl1JjxlzvPk4NoYhssCNm_eQN707-X4h/s640/20170218_105639.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As a natural extension from firing balls and marshmallows, some models are now pet-oriented. One Extreme Blaster model is made for tennis balls. This old-model Blaster appears to be meant for firing treats...?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBw7rNSAdQ70YvwPoMWbZaD5qRjdbshotUeAnrsZ7F0U7_7EQmDN6QV2-dy3-YGExswzYo84EWAn7Mqg8Q_B6xh7wArrZrb46pRXVu62jUnxUBdJ-NP5bMwToDlm0GQ_3zDXjtd5ZUOaPw/s1600/20170218_105732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBw7rNSAdQ70YvwPoMWbZaD5qRjdbshotUeAnrsZ7F0U7_7EQmDN6QV2-dy3-YGExswzYo84EWAn7Mqg8Q_B6xh7wArrZrb46pRXVu62jUnxUBdJ-NP5bMwToDlm0GQ_3zDXjtd5ZUOaPw/s640/20170218_105732.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the R/C section, this baby is meant to fire small Nerf-type balls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMpnC8ZscjINjRwFqJOG5kCfEeCji3lQoJD4Gvta7a9xtsNn6Kam7H6sYKWz7dhss1FVm1vXc2WqFYEu9aYbB9txBvbA0fbMM1VPbd9uz7KipCxciFKw5scRtZ69nOJSoGyvOctEd97YI/s1600/20170218_094557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMpnC8ZscjINjRwFqJOG5kCfEeCji3lQoJD4Gvta7a9xtsNn6Kam7H6sYKWz7dhss1FVm1vXc2WqFYEu9aYbB9txBvbA0fbMM1VPbd9uz7KipCxciFKw5scRtZ69nOJSoGyvOctEd97YI/s640/20170218_094557.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">UPDATE 4:10pm</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Seems I have bettrr information to pass on! The robot on display was a handmade prototype, with the real thing expected in July in the $160 to $170 range. It has a revolving ammo chamber on top that holds twenty Nerf Rival type rounds (the ones used on display were the blue Cornucopia version, by the look of it). It operates off of a 4S LiFePO4 battery, judging by the voltage. It also has a laser sight and fires rounds in fairly rapid succession. I'll have a firing video up later, where I was the target. They enjoyed that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdEcU0mCOia_NyvtmDJTznbQBFcOwvE0QVcGWJgpQP4s2Xa35U5pOnGOMn2wFMwoTs86Y9Hy6ywmpdYYQtJZHbyvPlnziJEl2529VbAng-jW_qV2K6eTFW5vNeHW-F8gWHRX59Mua6ZNq/s1600/20170218_153910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdEcU0mCOia_NyvtmDJTznbQBFcOwvE0QVcGWJgpQP4s2Xa35U5pOnGOMn2wFMwoTs86Y9Hy6ywmpdYYQtJZHbyvPlnziJEl2529VbAng-jW_qV2K6eTFW5vNeHW-F8gWHRX59Mua6ZNq/s640/20170218_153910.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In Toysmith's display, we had fun things in their night sports section, including Capture the Flag units. When the flags are in their bases, everything glows the correct color. When taken out, the base shuts off and the flags glow the opposite color.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ztOl-Z7dkINePPy5tw75cm5dUbMH1n6uVuuxuhex71Xx-x1SQGdLAu9YbNyZA33dbzeWyObJilTasA64ij1nC9wTzxY388DR18FXISMnu4QAt36Y4dnwChaV4Xuf-qPb48-ZUPgKmJJt/s1600/20170218_144428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ztOl-Z7dkINePPy5tw75cm5dUbMH1n6uVuuxuhex71Xx-x1SQGdLAu9YbNyZA33dbzeWyObJilTasA64ij1nC9wTzxY388DR18FXISMnu4QAt36Y4dnwChaV4Xuf-qPb48-ZUPgKmJJt/s640/20170218_144428.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I got to take a look at Paper Shooters finally. I'm still not sure I would buy them, but the system works. And shooting spit balls is fun!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm1pebqO6Fo6TM_9vPi6uKT-Xx457lxeObpax3VRVXcENDbaEkjkQkYsf2r5ohhPYRXhShjmuyEl3zrh-PzSgpEER7rXe-1rBcyiLnZrRadOFMqYNbLaHQdKsyZimS4tkxzQ0YRp7at6t/s1600/20170218_130117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm1pebqO6Fo6TM_9vPi6uKT-Xx457lxeObpax3VRVXcENDbaEkjkQkYsf2r5ohhPYRXhShjmuyEl3zrh-PzSgpEER7rXe-1rBcyiLnZrRadOFMqYNbLaHQdKsyZimS4tkxzQ0YRp7at6t/s640/20170218_130117.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They have plastic molded kits coming, as well as more sci-fi looking products. Because people for some reason wanted blasters that work out of the box and not to need to assemble anything. Obviously the guys at KNEX would disagree with that point of view, but they're startan with a DIY crowd to begin with.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WF2bmck8l1s24ntCD4KiS9KVDgzjD4SEOG1ocNGVVLKHIMJNamgS9vgKuPJB22pCaTUO52QWCZ0yIJ2ukGLjAwfPmc8zU1Sjbe-9ufBY-7m9rzGRLee37woXq_iyzP-URbtvtsSsJ8SH/s1600/20170218_130158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WF2bmck8l1s24ntCD4KiS9KVDgzjD4SEOG1ocNGVVLKHIMJNamgS9vgKuPJB22pCaTUO52QWCZ0yIJ2ukGLjAwfPmc8zU1Sjbe-9ufBY-7m9rzGRLee37woXq_iyzP-URbtvtsSsJ8SH/s640/20170218_130158.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Marky Sparky, with their Faux Bow line expanding, looks to be adbancong well. Faux Bow Pro, in addition to being a tongue twister, features tubular safety arrows that can be used with a real bow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSmEdzURIPor_ORANNwKUdyIl78CNjDHfGg5AwTtTC7KtDqFVnSxmo5hPQQKy9n5I0CeiNGp01soEvswS3sCXDSZjndLlMPfW_Duf9plqeoA9b0-cd8q1TeLoA2DDvJXyZDc5bxfEaw_l/s1600/20170218_125022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSmEdzURIPor_ORANNwKUdyIl78CNjDHfGg5AwTtTC7KtDqFVnSxmo5hPQQKy9n5I0CeiNGp01soEvswS3sCXDSZjndLlMPfW_Duf9plqeoA9b0-cd8q1TeLoA2DDvJXyZDc5bxfEaw_l/s640/20170218_125022.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Faux Bow Two Point Oh comes in more colors than the original black with red arms, and has storage space for 12 arrows. There is a 3.0 version that also supposedly shoots farther than ever.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwJ5O4sIrSV6PNs18pLKPdykr2BcMkk7_pPUkea9VgCzg9SrQZVv8vZu0F6rvIo2Jh9wldVy3IPXFTl-aaqQpk0lH7k4VkViqLZgeB_duuVzZFL4dswqdzQndmQ_GkueZufzctpgt7x4Z/s1600/20170218_125221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwJ5O4sIrSV6PNs18pLKPdykr2BcMkk7_pPUkea9VgCzg9SrQZVv8vZu0F6rvIo2Jh9wldVy3IPXFTl-aaqQpk0lH7k4VkViqLZgeB_duuVzZFL4dswqdzQndmQ_GkueZufzctpgt7x4Z/s640/20170218_125221.jpg"> </a> </div>Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-77401004555842415482017-02-16T18:46:00.000-05:002017-02-16T18:46:19.609-05:00Going to Toy Fair!Just posting a quick update!<br />
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As of tomorrow, I'll be traveling to New York Toy Fair 2017 to see many of the new items coming to the world of foam flinging. I'm going to be reporting the goodies over on Blasterhub. In between, however, I'll be posting near-live updates on here, as well as videos on my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUQ-QXIsaY9VrPBu707C55w" target="_blank">Youtube channel</a>.<br />
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<br />Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-78104628109003565182017-01-20T04:53:00.000-05:002017-01-20T04:53:04.855-05:00Adventure Force Super Storm Review - The "Baby Gargantua"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Among the many offerings in this year's water blaster crop is the Adventure Force Super Storm. Available at Walmart, it is one of many blasters being produced by Prime Time Toys (the same company that makes the high-quality Dart Zone blasters). It's also one of the only Adventure Force water blasters with a working trigger - the other is a faux Gatling Gun made by Toy Things, which uses a simple pinch trigger.</div>
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The Super Storm is the only blaster in this line I'll be reviewing, simply because of its potential - it not only has a working trigger, but it also advertises constant pressure (as per its <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Adventure-Force-Super-Storm-Constant-Pressure-Water-Gun/55208701#about-item" target="_blank">online description</a>). In fact, if I knew nothing about blaster styling, I would swear that it was a Water Warriors blaster. And that's a good thing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigrfE2Wln0DBnD4HPgMFBYEvWFhY9VElF1NIeAip2ePHyK6TEL6kOeUHfUEpkpTNSB8J7ZBffUl3GWYTK-CVwwBz0Ft0_7aMsHitwYZ0Kc740alLkWPD4EyMJUfYF4UKJ9x2s-KMhyphenhyphen0KG/s1600/bf817bb6-f818-4d60-b6d1-42b2710688f6_1.ee82d8a5019a2b8f01709bde939b6913.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigrfE2Wln0DBnD4HPgMFBYEvWFhY9VElF1NIeAip2ePHyK6TEL6kOeUHfUEpkpTNSB8J7ZBffUl3GWYTK-CVwwBz0Ft0_7aMsHitwYZ0Kc740alLkWPD4EyMJUfYF4UKJ9x2s-KMhyphenhyphen0KG/s320/bf817bb6-f818-4d60-b6d1-42b2710688f6_1.ee82d8a5019a2b8f01709bde939b6913.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Super Storm has a somewhat narrow body, but devotes the entire rear half of the shell to the reservoir (which is molded very nicely into a shoulder stock). It does in fact hold the advertised 68 oz. of water. The pump handle is sturdy and adequate; people with larger hands may find their pinkie fingers short on space.<br />
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There are three settings on the nozzle: thin stream, medium stream, and a four stream flood setting.<br />
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With the shell opened up, we can see the CPS tech sitting inside the Super Storm. The pressure chamber fires roughly 80 mL of water per shot, as per a day's worth of testing. In essence, we have a <a href="http://www.isoaker.com/Armoury/Analysis/2016/water_warriors_gargantua.php" target="_blank">Buzz Bee Gargantua</a> with half of the chamber capacity. Shot times are therefore limited. On the plus side, you have nearly twice as many shots to take before needing to refill the reservoir.<br />
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The pump, as it turns out, is rather on the small side. Adding up the pump diameter and draw gives us about 8.8 mL of volume. It's a rather small amount of water to be moving on each stroke. There is very little pump lag, however, so the strokes needed for a full firing chamber happen quickly.<br />
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There is one noticeable issue with the trigger. Once you pull it, the valve refuses to close until the firing chamber is empty! This is a small issue since the shot times are already short, but it's still annoying that if you miss a shot, you are forced to lose the entire shot. It's simply a matter of the trigger valve having too large a surface area!<br />
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Put it another way - sure, there may be a spring holding it closed at first, but once you start opening the valve, it behaves like a piston valve and moves all the way back, letting out all of the pressurized fluid. Only after the chamber is empty can the spring once again close the valve.<br />
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In testing, I was easily hitting 40' angled ranges with the medium stream setting. Even when firing flat, I was passing 30'. The narrow stream had a few feet less range, as did the flood setting.<br />
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Overall, the Super Storm is a fine addition to any modern water blaster collection, and for $16.88 is a great entry on the part of Prime Time Toys. In the modern era of soaking, Buzz Bee Toys has been the best. Why not emulate them?<br />
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Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-37771176825225067552016-10-01T23:54:00.002-04:002016-10-01T23:54:39.257-04:00THE BLOG IS ALIVE! Also, Blaster Sightings<div dir="ltr">
Wow, has it really been that long, between work and moving into a new apartment, I've had little time for posting reviews, editing footage, and being a participant and the world of Nerf. Hopefully life will approach normalcy once again with the new month.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soon to be covered in blasters and darts.</td></tr>
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Enough about me, though. Let's look at some of the things appearing on shelves this holiday season!<br />
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<i>FAMILY DOLLAR</i></h3>
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The quintessential value shopping store only has a few blasters of note this holiday season, and they're both Zuru Xshot blasters. First, we have the Max Attack, one of Zuru's clip-fed entries. It's the first time I've seen it in a store in the US. Performance is ok, but it's not compatible with most darts, due to the Excel darts being shorter in length. The fake barrel has rifle grooving and fits 1" diameter stefans perfectly, should you want to do some rifling experiments.</div>
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Also available is the Reflex Revolver. You've already seen this blaster in green as part of the Bug Attack series, but this version comes with lots of extra darts and target cans. This blaster is worth a look.<br />
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<i>Walmart</i></h3>
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Another Xshot product line has appeared at Walmart, consisting of several types of melee weapons, all for $5. Pirate? Ninja? Knight? Take your pick. If your store has them, it will be in the novelty toy section.</div>
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FINALLY! Every Walmart I've seen has been slow to clear out the original Predators.<br />
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If for some reason you need lots of cheap foam melee weapons, hit up the Halloween seasonal aisles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUF1IfK7yyf1KY-_01SdLTppuBypEa5AB10BBDQDD-HFvIa5sEzivRPOyI-0EF9b_iG_r78H1pSIn9Uvc3Yif-QZTXe4b4y4jSMJ1Xs8NB0-aQUS8IYTNshjCwHxkTi83IK_4hdHpMaMT/s1600/20160924_115010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUF1IfK7yyf1KY-_01SdLTppuBypEa5AB10BBDQDD-HFvIa5sEzivRPOyI-0EF9b_iG_r78H1pSIn9Uvc3Yif-QZTXe4b4y4jSMJ1Xs8NB0-aQUS8IYTNshjCwHxkTi83IK_4hdHpMaMT/s320/20160924_115010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<i>Toys R Us</i></h3>
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It seems that the Stats Blast line is having a bit of a makeover. First, here are the new dart packs, which show the slight changes in the logo.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCezbc36cEMTurSYXitJVHYjBUErHlp83pMiwK3eKoKSGzcPR_CAMvhXEq7TAtrC0dFZPpMoFGmdXwGUpiGtGkVBc1j6zn899B-EAZ1Xyj9gbxns-2AB0A5X9bBOI41xA9hWOeoi5w2ul/s1600/20160928_131730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCezbc36cEMTurSYXitJVHYjBUErHlp83pMiwK3eKoKSGzcPR_CAMvhXEq7TAtrC0dFZPpMoFGmdXwGUpiGtGkVBc1j6zn899B-EAZ1Xyj9gbxns-2AB0A5X9bBOI41xA9hWOeoi5w2ul/s320/20160928_131730.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next, we have Prime Time Toys' Powerbolt Belt Blaster in a rather unique blue paint scheme. So, that means we've now seen it in Dart Zone, Stats Blast, AND Adventure Force versions. Still $20. Plus, it's the latest version that's compatible with most darts now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmIlqXRpDcrbT6L7CKccLsciJSIQbFn76DKcExdhyUOalLlGBi9sWB76on5h7hhfVcgJUangOUqcOvNmeqtsdfIEEVFsMeJ28AuLrraJQe12GwY0dkaepI8Rue0yh8NEyXgWWDphJw_Eb/s1600/20160928_131648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmIlqXRpDcrbT6L7CKccLsciJSIQbFn76DKcExdhyUOalLlGBi9sWB76on5h7hhfVcgJUangOUqcOvNmeqtsdfIEEVFsMeJ28AuLrraJQe12GwY0dkaepI8Rue0yh8NEyXgWWDphJw_Eb/s320/20160928_131648.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are some tiny pistols in the same color palette. Notice the abnormal darts. That's because these blasters come from some toy company other than PTT or any of the other ones we usually see. I doubt these will be firing darts like lasers anytime soon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZT7rFo0fqDoZGxW0e1Woa_8Ny7-P9LUoMWziYXQxK48V8KAoGKLU0n3ktoDL6ZM_rCXXogpWsxYSSZuV5QGT16RqT0kk8RsPwx_5xi70dK4YBAaoau6yvbs__RdJN4W6GIx_l-9SorpJ/s1600/20160928_150107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZT7rFo0fqDoZGxW0e1Woa_8Ny7-P9LUoMWziYXQxK48V8KAoGKLU0n3ktoDL6ZM_rCXXogpWsxYSSZuV5QGT16RqT0kk8RsPwx_5xi70dK4YBAaoau6yvbs__RdJN4W6GIx_l-9SorpJ/s320/20160928_150107.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<i>Multiple Stores</i></h3>
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Finally, we have an interesting product on shelves. Spy Gear now has an Action Camera that I've seen at both Target and ToysRUs for $40</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgLrvYli57sj7TKHbe1v6FHEUTu-ZeU-cIaoCqTzCiqp4308mZ2MmRD0I2yegC6otqOX837PRhFf8dfTc0te6ablzBB9vh6pCHyvCKJbY6Po8LwYovmu0Bua4bKJrMRF0UY0c32lw7S07/s1600/20160925_182247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgLrvYli57sj7TKHbe1v6FHEUTu-ZeU-cIaoCqTzCiqp4308mZ2MmRD0I2yegC6otqOX837PRhFf8dfTc0te6ablzBB9vh6pCHyvCKJbY6Po8LwYovmu0Bua4bKJrMRF0UY0c32lw7S07/s320/20160925_182247.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Interestingly, the back of the packaging depicts the camera being mounted to a generic dart blaster.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGGFlEX3M0Y4RPp41-ySPGMADkaDXcp7zVRLJes7yVQI8s3LUSBRrOnb_RnrrgQll0V-kP9s7q9b4bKGpoaBY5Zsc1F0IdbQW7PYXdWIqOgCAiRBmhAYKL6Ti87PBzqoFP9f5bmdoyeAY/s1600/20160925_182259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGGFlEX3M0Y4RPp41-ySPGMADkaDXcp7zVRLJes7yVQI8s3LUSBRrOnb_RnrrgQll0V-kP9s7q9b4bKGpoaBY5Zsc1F0IdbQW7PYXdWIqOgCAiRBmhAYKL6Ti87PBzqoFP9f5bmdoyeAY/s320/20160925_182259.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Skip buying this, though. It records in VGA only (640x480), which is extremely low-res compared to other things on the market. It's not that hard to find offbrand action cameras for less than the $40 asking price that have better specs. I just highlighted it here because of the blaster picture.</div>
Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-55976591745016626292016-08-12T19:46:00.000-04:002016-08-12T19:48:01.007-04:00The Newest from Zing: The Firetek Switchblade!This is an interesting find I came across yesterday. While looking at shelf tags at Walmart, I found one for a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYff_OgOv3ec6sWm8g_6g7nKFFIdzX8__YrFW6DNSTsh8XjieGDlBhyj-favSJH6MHbWKCCg1uEKn6hUpCU4htoEVFcBJRaoFsZALL5phRkBVNztQBgDWNap1wBX1MSNeKWSl5PNA2ATF/s1600/20160811_171613.jpg" target="_blank">new Zing bow</a> that, for the moment, still had older Firetek Bows above it. After searching online, I came across the website of a <a href="http://www.chelston-design.com/" target="_blank">design firm</a> in Hong Kong, where I found the next big thing in Zing's lineup!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Izsr99555enJ1KYNpVrnw5bX-SqRg6tF-R_PLqO10HxDkhaLOTtD0J35eyKtM7ChIcPvygZ8hXpPGh_8VtAy8I3_af3aQEEOLOi9PeVAQN2FfA1seRWJDHZQ57Wyis3WWE3qEwEp05nU/s1600/9106f0_a80bb3c737be444da236bcc881314dd8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Izsr99555enJ1KYNpVrnw5bX-SqRg6tF-R_PLqO10HxDkhaLOTtD0J35eyKtM7ChIcPvygZ8hXpPGh_8VtAy8I3_af3aQEEOLOi9PeVAQN2FfA1seRWJDHZQ57Wyis3WWE3qEwEp05nU/s320/9106f0_a80bb3c737be444da236bcc881314dd8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ooooh, pretty!</td></tr>
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The bow works just like the previous model; you can light up the arms, and your arrows get ranges of up to 145'. The twist here is that the Switchblade folds up, and it unfolds at the press of a button.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRcHUUc5MHI4TKfGPyf2u6rzVbtkNL3DoDiEVyOjJSldRUX-O2MpiUjymlPHaPlf5_pqoTRR2Dx5odcu3rTZWYEk-ObJE2FS4psGwMxTGvdfeva2tSNts1_RqX-FcR3e3Q4UD46ZakAkv/s1600/9106f0_f5eba606bdbe42cf84e924b5adae6ddf-mv1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRcHUUc5MHI4TKfGPyf2u6rzVbtkNL3DoDiEVyOjJSldRUX-O2MpiUjymlPHaPlf5_pqoTRR2Dx5odcu3rTZWYEk-ObJE2FS4psGwMxTGvdfeva2tSNts1_RqX-FcR3e3Q4UD46ZakAkv/s320/9106f0_f5eba606bdbe42cf84e924b5adae6ddf-mv1.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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Remind you of anything?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VzVAxTkfoNrUnA6winNnYhiUYMvqLYhlXUxi1W_5nCw3hwJRGmKMVdVBTJ9Di5gTb0keZq8ogqw0t6pbwqEKxEzTB3Hf4Ne6i8RLAhACDLoY3Rrmi3B2OZ_plxCtY7eMB5CWBMI3N5Ha/s1600/tumblr_m72inuhQPY1rsy50k.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VzVAxTkfoNrUnA6winNnYhiUYMvqLYhlXUxi1W_5nCw3hwJRGmKMVdVBTJ9Di5gTb0keZq8ogqw0t6pbwqEKxEzTB3Hf4Ne6i8RLAhACDLoY3Rrmi3B2OZ_plxCtY7eMB5CWBMI3N5Ha/s320/tumblr_m72inuhQPY1rsy50k.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm Hawkeye, and I approved this product.</td></tr>
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Fun gimmicks aside, the folded position would be great for storage and transport, provided it doesn't end up compromising the elastic tubing (similar in concept to leaving a blaster primed without firing it).</div>
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Speaking of Hawkeye, I see designs for a potential cosplay prop...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI11ho8aYhNM9Y3xVXuHwmtWM3JS6evepbmmucJN1XgVTGUY1CPn4vtTdHins9jtcP37ALJMJY_KA2628e6f-jltHnCNRFXwOlPmtJl_fQe1WTTvoFTb36iidWn03gQMr-sQeDQG0IVscp/s1600/9106f0_8fbfe25a2ad541e5b15d9eeac3404acb-mv1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI11ho8aYhNM9Y3xVXuHwmtWM3JS6evepbmmucJN1XgVTGUY1CPn4vtTdHins9jtcP37ALJMJY_KA2628e6f-jltHnCNRFXwOlPmtJl_fQe1WTTvoFTb36iidWn03gQMr-sQeDQG0IVscp/s320/9106f0_8fbfe25a2ad541e5b15d9eeac3404acb-mv1.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-23062973472182350902016-07-18T20:59:00.002-04:002016-07-18T20:59:57.708-04:00Nerf-Related Deals - Action Cam & K'Nex Darts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'll be making more interesting posts in the coming weeks, with several wars to attend. In the meantime, there are a few deals of which you might be able to take advantage. First, if you're looking for an inexpensive action cam, <a href="https://www.aldi.us/en/weekly-specials/special-buys-for-july-20/july-20-detail/ps/p/bresser-hd-action-camera/" target="_blank">Aldi</a> has a Bresser camera and mount set for just $40. It's a basic model, but it can do 1080p30 video and works well enough to serve as a spare to your GoPro or other action cam. It's not a matter of the quality being cheap; it's simply old stock from a good brand getting moved out. Supplies are limited!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgOzV5xeDtw47Vja5NE1ijj0uS70ZEnKq8teRQa1DqyojRO20ThqKFpAPsOfqPVgqi87rY6k8UP_I3Sf9jpEJUMxMvHSo0jlqMOg6JLB6SEdAKlL54gR0HZ8NYJESamsgvoNJbmj7t3YX/s1600/072016_93538_ActionCamera_D_33f6ae9c12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgOzV5xeDtw47Vja5NE1ijj0uS70ZEnKq8teRQa1DqyojRO20ThqKFpAPsOfqPVgqi87rY6k8UP_I3Sf9jpEJUMxMvHSo0jlqMOg6JLB6SEdAKlL54gR0HZ8NYJESamsgvoNJbmj7t3YX/s320/072016_93538_ActionCamera_D_33f6ae9c12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next, there are knockoff K'Nex darts available! <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B01GSB3XV2/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all&qid=1468889706&sr=1-227" target="_blank">Amazon</a> has 60 darts for $12 ($0.20 per dart). If you don't mind the wait, however, you can get them on <a href="http://www.aliexpress.com/item/50pcs-7-2cm-Hollow-Tower-Shape-Rubber-Head-Refill-Darts-soft-Bullet-Men-gun-for-Nerf/32681054704.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.54.Eddajs" target="_blank">Aliexpress</a> for $0.08 per dart, thanks to a sale.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7BGLNGHwBCCL9407fE8rk_k3KgQiRWkvjAOCcUZxod3XHt3kQTSCQnFcJ3XZGGPTe33yUW6vwUMHWblE5Y-hsKYdveVY9l6b7fiJ6R9Sqc2b-6-ICdp3OTbIsykKXbg16a3AEpCTnYiY/s1600/50pcs-7-2cm-Hollow-Tower-Shape-Rubber-Head-Refill-Darts-soft-Bullet-Men-gun-for-Nerf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7BGLNGHwBCCL9407fE8rk_k3KgQiRWkvjAOCcUZxod3XHt3kQTSCQnFcJ3XZGGPTe33yUW6vwUMHWblE5Y-hsKYdveVY9l6b7fiJ6R9Sqc2b-6-ICdp3OTbIsykKXbg16a3AEpCTnYiY/s320/50pcs-7-2cm-Hollow-Tower-Shape-Rubber-Head-Refill-Darts-soft-Bullet-Men-gun-for-Nerf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, if you want the REAL darts, many stores have them on clearance. Toysrus has them marked down to $6.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqiKR9bJZQ5fOlF3Dmq0PP68SpSS5DrgERcmPIcN2BFhMHu4izLkNLIamFGfjgQHND6RP5O05wmhIBvSTa3rNL37PO4DW7WCq8QeaXzOrQH01D5YnlKMXVAIw7BAjETP5TPidmN_maQyI/s1600/20160617_133334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqiKR9bJZQ5fOlF3Dmq0PP68SpSS5DrgERcmPIcN2BFhMHu4izLkNLIamFGfjgQHND6RP5O05wmhIBvSTa3rNL37PO4DW7WCq8QeaXzOrQH01D5YnlKMXVAIw7BAjETP5TPidmN_maQyI/s320/20160617_133334.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Targets have them marked down to $5.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJNO1qALsI2HCRBRM_cFoO6ts-l-JKDq6wd0Um88eKzg63nHIbDcrDVCQqTfOqyUm21XnmsBPA9V915gLmBXkj8R-_g7NJ0uuEOkBPy57CbIH3Np1Oz_IxA1H23C6hxP1ffOCKv8bZaNL/s1600/20160620_161317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJNO1qALsI2HCRBRM_cFoO6ts-l-JKDq6wd0Um88eKzg63nHIbDcrDVCQqTfOqyUm21XnmsBPA9V915gLmBXkj8R-_g7NJ0uuEOkBPy57CbIH3Np1Oz_IxA1H23C6hxP1ffOCKv8bZaNL/s320/20160620_161317.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-36136317683113623252016-07-11T20:54:00.002-04:002016-07-11T20:54:28.327-04:00War Machine - Soon to Be a Nerfing Reality?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
While searching various import sites (Taobao, Alibaba, etc.), I came across a page on the <a href="http://www.hktdc.com/en-buyer/" target="_blank">Hong Kong Trade Development Council.</a> It's a good site for looking up the various manufacturers, that you can in turn search for among the endless items of interest. So you can imagine my surprise to find a <a href="http://www.hktdc.com/suppliers-products/Electronic-Toys-Track-Cannon/en/1X05VFO3/2940450/" target="_blank">shoulder-mounted dart blaster</a> with a headset controller.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqzGqW6Y0XNeCb1EJyoFh3JdZzQyZfXeIljBbGSoS9zP8ek7YGosLnFu-iHtnNg0EVWU04WBSKRDP1KJbPWz52T679Sp3KoJCq2tCJJzhRrV5KNasV2moGPkbmd0QcqWPuxHAR2Gzzkpz/s1600/image_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqzGqW6Y0XNeCb1EJyoFh3JdZzQyZfXeIljBbGSoS9zP8ek7YGosLnFu-iHtnNg0EVWU04WBSKRDP1KJbPWz52T679Sp3KoJCq2tCJJzhRrV5KNasV2moGPkbmd0QcqWPuxHAR2Gzzkpz/s320/image_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.hktdc.com/manufacturers-suppliers-products/Tat-Kei-Electronic-Industrial-Company-Limited/en/1X05VFO3/1/" target="_blank">Tat Kei Electronic Industrial Company Limited</a> appears to be just finishing the development of their BATTLE PRO-VS system of toys, which include things like wrist mounted blasters, play swords that can sense hits on an opponent (versus just hitting against their own blade), and lots of light and sound effects. There's at least a three month wait if not more to see any samples from the manufacturer, so general availability is up in the air. But between the shoulder cannon and the wrist blaster, these could be fun. Assuming they shoot more than ten feet away, that is.<div>
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Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-23952343671118664962016-07-03T19:10:00.002-04:002016-07-03T19:10:26.711-04:00Boomco News: Mattel Goes for the Girls<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
In another sign the Boomco isn't going away anytime soon, we have a Farshot clone being marketed toward young fans of the Ever After web series and associated toys. Introducing... the Ever After High Epic Winter Snow Shot Blaster! *enter fanfare*</div>
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Aside from two blasters being marketed as Wonder Woman toys (the Gauntlet and Slambow, which really weren't heavily aimed at girls anyway), Mattel really hasn't had any feminine blasters. Nerf has ruled that sector with the Rebelle line with relatively little opposition. So I find it somewhat surprising that Mattel would try something like this. Even so, it at least has an interesting design going for it.</div>
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In a picture album from the Ever After High Dolls <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EverAfterHighDolls/photos/?tab=album&album_id=880172825447923" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, we see that it comes with 8 darts. Five darts can go on the blaster (including the barrel), and another three can be stored on the included bracelet. Operating instructions are exactly as expected.<br />
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I haven't seen a confirmed price, although <a href="http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MTDRJ00#.V3ma5LgrK00" target="_blank">Entertainment Earth</a> has it listed for $13. If anything, it's at least an interesting reshell. But I'm not sure I like the Farshot being turned into Mattel's Nerf Jolt that gets endlessly reshelled and rebranded.<br />
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<br />Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com70tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-51110429527451770182016-06-06T20:59:00.002-04:002016-06-06T20:59:42.664-04:00Look What Came in the Mail!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A few Taobao items arrived unexpectedly early. Just thought I'd let you see :)</div>
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<br />Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-88683199077280861822016-06-05T17:44:00.001-04:002016-06-05T17:44:25.200-04:00Updates in Trademarks and Patents!Apologies for the gap in postings! Between work and more work, I've been slow to post content of any kind. In addition, I'm now a contributor over at <a href="http://www.blasterhub.com/" target="_blank">Blasterhub</a>, and will be posting things there as well. I won't be neglecting my own blog, however. Not intentionally!<br />
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If you search the Hong Kong Intellectual Property office, you'll find several design patents that have been submitted by Alex Brands. We've already seen the Air Warrirors Cyclonic and Night Tek in previous press releases as well as at Toy Fair. Something we haven't seen is this clip-fed pistol.<br />
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The trademarked name "Ultra Tek Reaper" has yet to have a blaster associated with it, so that may be a possibility. In any case, this blaster appears to be an Ultra Tek Champion in a great new shell.<br />
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The top and bottom views are here.</div>
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Next, we have plenty of new trademarked names for future Water Warriors blasters.</div>
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Finally, for those of you concerned about the state of Boomco, it's not exactly dead yet. As of last week, Mattel had a patent approved for a "<a href="http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=09354020&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3DPTXT%2526s1%3D%252522toy%252Bgun%252522%2526OS%3D%252522toy%252Bgun%252522%2526RS%3D%252522toy%252Bgun%252522&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page" target="_blank">Dual Compression Spring Projectile Launcher</a>" by the USPTO.</div>
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According to the document and associated drawings, this is a clip-fed, bolt action blaster with an extended faux barrel that can flip into a shield. Two springs power the piston, with one spring being compressed on each motion of the priming handle, both forward and back. Think of it as the springer equivalent of a dual-action air pump.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb6LG_IQunH68jmoR44byCcK_C4RBA7_qwnkc792GBbK4FrfUrChwUrUWAIu-ymvOCKUIn3ljUv1s1zkHI9ZN4hi5mYv60fuKzeftGDTR7lGNePpqA0WFVhl1xQjfDbhWqCVY1Wn4Plpb/s1600/Page-5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb6LG_IQunH68jmoR44byCcK_C4RBA7_qwnkc792GBbK4FrfUrChwUrUWAIu-ymvOCKUIn3ljUv1s1zkHI9ZN4hi5mYv60fuKzeftGDTR7lGNePpqA0WFVhl1xQjfDbhWqCVY1Wn4Plpb/s320/Page-5.png" width="204" /></a></div>
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That's all for now. As always, I'll post any other interesting things I find!</div>
<br />Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-5384666432567631382016-05-09T11:32:00.000-04:002016-05-09T11:59:06.561-04:00Lanard Toys Gets a Makeover!A while back, I had the chance to chat with a member of <a href="http://www.buffdaddynerf.com/2015/02/q-with-lanard-toys-designer-jonathan.html" target="_blank">Lanard's design team</a>. Since then, I've been on the lookout for updated products. Now, the <a href="http://lanard.com/index.html" target="_blank">website is brand new</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZS_kH5_pMs1V_BpYVVHAeeAF01Cj7PToYb35FzULqWeFL0KknZRGyByHi5VJJ3hOumzavcWDNdOjo5Gj2HGJhuHArN2d-LwA4_Y33ygasMhjY1-D-tpklaZ086IAK34VlAO7fY6JrQrI/s1600/FrontPage_ImageC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZS_kH5_pMs1V_BpYVVHAeeAF01Cj7PToYb35FzULqWeFL0KknZRGyByHi5VJJ3hOumzavcWDNdOjo5Gj2HGJhuHArN2d-LwA4_Y33ygasMhjY1-D-tpklaZ086IAK34VlAO7fY6JrQrI/s400/FrontPage_ImageC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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While there still aren't normal product pages listing the various products, there are slide shows from some of the product lines, listed on the page or otherwise. And some items like Total Xstream Air and Total Crush have pictures, but aren't advertised as product lines.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqnuCrg-PBaomioV8J2CHxnOu_v1c0wDFiD8UWOt0SaVOq3U2x2N_qNIh0399jhn1Gp-qRkJaWFxQsIIDlswGmGBwe2k0B8OI8iP2L59oC0nKatfUhWr146VVEaltcbJQqiiK4N9xQUaV/s1600/fullimage5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqnuCrg-PBaomioV8J2CHxnOu_v1c0wDFiD8UWOt0SaVOq3U2x2N_qNIh0399jhn1Gp-qRkJaWFxQsIIDlswGmGBwe2k0B8OI8iP2L59oC0nKatfUhWr146VVEaltcbJQqiiK4N9xQUaV/s400/fullimage5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRLVDNqI3Vhb7tB5DwD9bVuS__SNkX2O9rHzWH1juNBSBKFdREtpm8rffFVJdmorP5iAKoLgOnmv0jCCvwRNJv5mj-Fy6t0ZtSEC1aqJEhAy5briaCKtayAotb20oThe93FXxg_3zYRA6/s1600/fullimage4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRLVDNqI3Vhb7tB5DwD9bVuS__SNkX2O9rHzWH1juNBSBKFdREtpm8rffFVJdmorP5iAKoLgOnmv0jCCvwRNJv5mj-Fy6t0ZtSEC1aqJEhAy5briaCKtayAotb20oThe93FXxg_3zYRA6/s400/fullimage4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some items of note: Huntsman is now being advertised as a core item line.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8C56G5rfCEZSHxjTiS7m1HHCM0kveabtZzlbVTfYqcHDVyDjjt81TeCE6DE7l2I05yigUXoNhYw3SJHtYYzPI9LQCk3IxNomr4kfv8Hsevh7Xy-RBTijR_TkcYff14L1UYll5UvwQ_y3t/s1600/img07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8C56G5rfCEZSHxjTiS7m1HHCM0kveabtZzlbVTfYqcHDVyDjjt81TeCE6DE7l2I05yigUXoNhYw3SJHtYYzPI9LQCk3IxNomr4kfv8Hsevh7Xy-RBTijR_TkcYff14L1UYll5UvwQ_y3t/s320/img07.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Blasters like the Crank Cannon have been moved to "Disc Domination".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4BA59fbrmBP6k5N9E33icPrXAWsheDD6jtFUcif8rcvxy32kw2RY-qHaF8Zmo3cROIpHwPFzEDZThLCNj1wNZQkBRCqJ9B_8RXyfmtvnDCV_xU8DkgbKakDtm1S59vOWoYlTxMRQr0qg/s1600/discdom_photo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4BA59fbrmBP6k5N9E33icPrXAWsheDD6jtFUcif8rcvxy32kw2RY-qHaF8Zmo3cROIpHwPFzEDZThLCNj1wNZQkBRCqJ9B_8RXyfmtvnDCV_xU8DkgbKakDtm1S59vOWoYlTxMRQr0qg/s320/discdom_photo2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, some of the ball blasters are under their own line, called "BallistX Blaster".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloO8dl_N-16odTIwwbVlfUXbpQhquB15R6QTPTLL02qFuKKvsZePmFKf3wa2C_wafBA5cnWtjq7-7cDPaYMgjZOhHykjTFMUs6xGG-HccuoG8CwSk6Q7gyLLx7IublBKX7GnTdkTO7tfJ/s1600/img12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloO8dl_N-16odTIwwbVlfUXbpQhquB15R6QTPTLL02qFuKKvsZePmFKf3wa2C_wafBA5cnWtjq7-7cDPaYMgjZOhHykjTFMUs6xGG-HccuoG8CwSk6Q7gyLLx7IublBKX7GnTdkTO7tfJ/s320/img12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It would appear that some blasters have NICE new color schemes. Including favorites like the Tri-Blaster (or here, the Tri-9).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfrty2brElYUxApztPuo-bAOP0kWP6m3V1LVIszPCrjhYjOOWoCBieUvJLn6APBtZ2A4d7-Q7fSpM3CnEjBikpHBpjRxx-sXqEBF3ITu2GRnsNCvT3Z_8XX2A9-5k_hk0Zfnfs6n2NeVN/s1600/ballistx_photo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfrty2brElYUxApztPuo-bAOP0kWP6m3V1LVIszPCrjhYjOOWoCBieUvJLn6APBtZ2A4d7-Q7fSpM3CnEjBikpHBpjRxx-sXqEBF3ITu2GRnsNCvT3Z_8XX2A9-5k_hk0Zfnfs6n2NeVN/s320/ballistx_photo3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-etfZxE8ne5w30S7gRp_yhmbSXZ7HWIZpGPN_0BavmDrNiNS_2bMfTJ2rMe5FY0AR3a0NGXRGkchbAGUO-s-JSo7eX2t3DbbF1ro24hVTR-I_CjSVpxFV58hukMBjOZiCL1x0hhQ70ur5/s1600/ballistx_photo5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-etfZxE8ne5w30S7gRp_yhmbSXZ7HWIZpGPN_0BavmDrNiNS_2bMfTJ2rMe5FY0AR3a0NGXRGkchbAGUO-s-JSo7eX2t3DbbF1ro24hVTR-I_CjSVpxFV58hukMBjOZiCL1x0hhQ70ur5/s320/ballistx_photo5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XxW2WtmCAC-7jpI4yRcdT1IUYfRWk15vlL44oCOYP5PqyG1NhzA7QJBJbfbHd3eTeGiUs89HVVImDvsz7bC5FsG228dwYs-bHTdWfU9DJXwInX2W7WNUiO0Mygtf-t4P8ecpOXu39wsQ/s1600/ballistx_photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XxW2WtmCAC-7jpI4yRcdT1IUYfRWk15vlL44oCOYP5PqyG1NhzA7QJBJbfbHd3eTeGiUs89HVVImDvsz7bC5FsG228dwYs-bHTdWfU9DJXwInX2W7WNUiO0Mygtf-t4P8ecpOXu39wsQ/s320/ballistx_photo1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'll be on the lookout for any more interesting developments, as well as availability.</div>
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Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-17600103111989196422016-05-02T23:24:00.002-04:002016-05-02T23:24:28.558-04:00What the Hell, Mattel?As many of you know, Mattel is scaling back Boomco, and is now focused on producing them under various licenses, like Halo or Batman v. Superman. This, however, takes the cake for being the worst idea so far.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.target.com/p/ghostbusters-sidearm-proton-blaster/-/A-50422653#prodSlot=medium_1_1" target="_blank">Ghostbusters Sidearm Proton Blaster - $29.99</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlOr4KZuD64hbEFTg-CZxb37OXLimHTsWNgBdPr6QxuDt4XFmLq0IIznPrlvITB_xMrNC4cRFBtQ4QfTmUYlqwbU1tyaBzyYUm4HdpJ7FsRDMH7zFgmlYQiI6d9il9NGXUeefxKRJttUS/s1600/50422653_Alt04+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlOr4KZuD64hbEFTg-CZxb37OXLimHTsWNgBdPr6QxuDt4XFmLq0IIznPrlvITB_xMrNC4cRFBtQ4QfTmUYlqwbU1tyaBzyYUm4HdpJ7FsRDMH7zFgmlYQiI6d9il9NGXUeefxKRJttUS/s400/50422653_Alt04+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The description advertises 70 ft. ranges, but the back of the box says 50 ft. Really???</div>
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Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-50398376344026787652016-04-26T20:45:00.000-04:002016-04-27T18:11:21.762-04:00MEGA Stryfe Prototype<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With the arrival of the Nerf Mastodon later this year, I wanted to see how well Mega darts actually hold up when used in a flywheel blaster. One small problem: no stock Mega flywheel blasters exist. And while Rival Zeus blasters have been converted into Mega blasters, I didn't want to deal with a homemade pusher mechanism or full auto just yet. So I looked through my stack of blasters, chopped up a Barricade and BBT Air Max Boss, and made a Mega Stryfe!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Tud21DYJRBlTtMiYmgNH8mFQwEXUcj1ZRhc5bfSXM8s5tV1vMqQ_rBJ_TFl-LUFDXWD4_iYozYgQ6d4-67KEZHdKQkbPTAT_627fHyPLNRpywr-iLX45HoV6hEQ7xpvI_8wokJeL_mdK/s1600/0424162136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Tud21DYJRBlTtMiYmgNH8mFQwEXUcj1ZRhc5bfSXM8s5tV1vMqQ_rBJ_TFl-LUFDXWD4_iYozYgQ6d4-67KEZHdKQkbPTAT_627fHyPLNRpywr-iLX45HoV6hEQ7xpvI_8wokJeL_mdK/s320/0424162136.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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First things first: open up that barricade!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqEAz9DwZaOYbsijTkaEAPnefCfEjRylHYplM-MEvVghDFDUunIYnLfkht714YQCFNKYETAYTZq1gcLknkowRwBmaRi-4b9tX4UqzH9OSZQv1FIpw2gMpBd-0Wy1kVDQhS5FaUTc_GsNx/s1600/0422161745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqEAz9DwZaOYbsijTkaEAPnefCfEjRylHYplM-MEvVghDFDUunIYnLfkht714YQCFNKYETAYTZq1gcLknkowRwBmaRi-4b9tX4UqzH9OSZQv1FIpw2gMpBd-0Wy1kVDQhS5FaUTc_GsNx/s320/0422161745.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The reason I chose this blaster was the flywheel spacing. The Barricade was designed for firing micro darts with large heads (whistlers, suckers, etc). As such, it has more space between the flywheels than newer flywheel models.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkqYmIeg3_g-AIod5jy8rfSMhSd2KgzOmXC4sPusyjZPk3_QkBmJ3HUYOKSetFUoaYksAeyP6NsQC063kiMdlZiCguTNhEfG2sSa8K20TFfLYWcwDYXdOEosPHaCn9c8_l2CILg3jXRIB/s1600/0422161746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkqYmIeg3_g-AIod5jy8rfSMhSd2KgzOmXC4sPusyjZPk3_QkBmJ3HUYOKSetFUoaYksAeyP6NsQC063kiMdlZiCguTNhEfG2sSa8K20TFfLYWcwDYXdOEosPHaCn9c8_l2CILg3jXRIB/s320/0422161746.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You have to cut out the dart ramps that sit in front of the flywheels, otherwise you can't squeeze Megas through.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDq8BfPeul0YrKWsedzIq3aoCcKa76C8jvBxB3hs_MHtlEAL_6vYWw086DnsSM2tsLkbnQK5lVORb3BVPpjvbHbeOIYcP1wlVoNTPYlleX_enuta5sAtMdx9Bu3YpTWBk78UZM5mGlrbR/s1600/0423161628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDq8BfPeul0YrKWsedzIq3aoCcKa76C8jvBxB3hs_MHtlEAL_6vYWw086DnsSM2tsLkbnQK5lVORb3BVPpjvbHbeOIYcP1wlVoNTPYlleX_enuta5sAtMdx9Bu3YpTWBk78UZM5mGlrbR/s320/0423161628.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Cut your wire as needed (we will replace it), and then slice the shell into front and rear parts. The front is just the flywheel cage and decorative shell.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyuSwL5IgQD4YnAajcZALIVIKUnfy10imK4MKvSku6MiZGGA6tkvt-vRI7hBiGyk4uRztUz4cosJnoPF-FLV_QQj3rAwC1eNAFNw5fvSzynffywcPy-5-LpsnlEJfFh2i3TFHhqqU5-HX/s1600/0424161504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyuSwL5IgQD4YnAajcZALIVIKUnfy10imK4MKvSku6MiZGGA6tkvt-vRI7hBiGyk4uRztUz4cosJnoPF-FLV_QQj3rAwC1eNAFNw5fvSzynffywcPy-5-LpsnlEJfFh2i3TFHhqqU5-HX/s320/0424161504.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The rear will begin at the back surface where the dart turret used to sit. This can all be done with a handsaw or dremel. I chose to leave the tac-rail on the blaster intact.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fTpudrRBCR4LfF8jHzby0JYFMFKLXfB0sDQEUrUFPpTrDMos3ZvcyqIo4tj2We8GrBV2Nf_LzXoXkaATfK8MYJmdvxKDZx5In1LfOTdpSUFlY8NazevsnTP7BzeJbf863hbZElxl7jZ7/s1600/0424161701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fTpudrRBCR4LfF8jHzby0JYFMFKLXfB0sDQEUrUFPpTrDMos3ZvcyqIo4tj2We8GrBV2Nf_LzXoXkaATfK8MYJmdvxKDZx5In1LfOTdpSUFlY8NazevsnTP7BzeJbf863hbZElxl7jZ7/s320/0424161701.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The stock switch is a tiny thin that sit under the orange plate. I threw it out, and added a 5A switch of my own that gets hit by the on/off slider.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhllid1AQnYFq3C8dz_QdKBxPnZYmOv-sOcMdgfPRCnbJ0eAJYmjexp0ogS-IXqPhPmi8VWQSJ_UNhQHvuiSDcQM9aOg5z43ixG-GXVF03v53qwKD28WDQlwaYxmDmVcaf11uDY8C_FZv/s1600/0425161047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhllid1AQnYFq3C8dz_QdKBxPnZYmOv-sOcMdgfPRCnbJ0eAJYmjexp0ogS-IXqPhPmi8VWQSJ_UNhQHvuiSDcQM9aOg5z43ixG-GXVF03v53qwKD28WDQlwaYxmDmVcaf11uDY8C_FZv/s320/0425161047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rewire the rear with thicker wire, but leave plenty of spare wire going forward. We don't want to solder the motors, only to find out there isn't enough!<br />
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For the middle of our blaster, slice the clip well out of the Boss. Keep in mind that doing this means the only screws you will have holding the pieces together are the ones in the yellow priming slide.</div>
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Take the Boss' bolt, and slice off most of it except for a thin strip at the top, one that can be accommodated by the lips of your Mega clips. This will act as a dart guide for feeding Megas into the flywheels.<br />
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Put the guide back into the blaster, and cut off the end until it is flush with the rest of the shell. Use some kind of 1/2" spacer to secure the dart guide within the blaster. Hot glue will be sufficient.<br />
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Use your Boss shell pieces to trace their positions on the Barricade shell. Make sure to check that A) the pusher arm goes inside the dart guide, and B) the dart guide will line up with the flywheel cage.<br />
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At this point, you can use some kind of plastic adhesive to bond your shell pieces together. BUT NOT YET. I had a mistake that needed fixing that I hadn't found yet.<br />
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You can also cut those wires to the appropriate length for soldering to the flywheel assembly. I didn't replace the motors, and I didn't remove the small electronics board mounted to each motor. I just wanted a basic proof of concept.<br />
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Finally, shave down the pusher arm so that you can slide some kind of space back onto it. I used a 9/16" OD nylon spacer. Please note that the pusher arm does NOT like up directly behind the dart in question; it is actually offset. Just in case you're having issues getting the pusher arm to properly engage!<br />
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I thought this was the final result - but I made a serious error. There is a space at both the front and rear of the Mega clip (Buzz Bee or Nerf), so the flywheels weren't sitting close enough. A pusher designed for micros couldn't put the Megas into the flywheel. Who knew? XD<br />
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I ended up having to cut out the front of the clip well until it was flush with the inserted clip, then reorienting the flywheels so that they were horizontal. That bought me the 1/4" or so I needed to finally get the blaster to work properly.</div>
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Performance with two 14500 IMR batteries was on par with that of a stock Stryfe - pretty decent, since we're firing far heavier darts. Notably, Mega streamlines do fine with flywheels, but Buzz Bee XL Distance darts either stall the motors or get destroyed on firing. The suction cup at the front simply isn't flexible enough to squeeze between the flywheels at their current spacing.<br />
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This was a fun experiment! Sad that Hasbro doesn't do Mega clips anymore after the Centurion debacle. Hopefully Buzz Bee sees continued success with their Air Max blaster line, and figures out the right mechanics for firing their XL Distance darts out of flywheels!Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-73002835065781980962016-04-07T19:03:00.001-04:002016-04-07T19:03:28.185-04:00Iron Man Stark Strike Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Among the many new licensed products for the upcoming <i>Captain America: Civil War</i> is the Iron Man Stark Strike gauntlet. If you want to look at the internals, then by all means continue. Just know that unless you plan on scrapping the internals for something that actually works, you're simply wasting your money.</div>
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The Stark Strike straps to your wrist, and is in fact primed when in its recessed position. I recommend having the blaster popped out if you plan on not using it for a lengthy period of time.</div>
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There are two buttons on the back of the gauntlet.<br />
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The bottom button releases the firing pod from its base, and moves the barrel forward. I'm using the term barrel very loosely, because it's more like a dart holder. You'll see why in a moment.<br />
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The second button fires the blaster.<br />
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When you open up the bottom of the blaster, you can see the two springs that pop up the firing pod. That large white plastic piece holds the pod down until you release it.<br />
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Take apart the next set of screws, and you see the spring, plunger, and dart holder. Notice I didn't say plunger tube.<br />
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On closer inspection, you can see that this blaster uses a pusher system.<br />
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The "plunger" doesn't seal against anything. It and its container simply hit the dart at the end of travel to propel it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJe-I0HzDRr6Tfohdbz6wtpRvHbfEF8HDPP_qmt6ue34EXRzJEBXUvWgBk8N2djg6qnhT7lN9fqTFLMLKEtW-HZ51lOOl7e6ZD3Hre7Zz6wRVUlBAzbLz-CdmWPfyvZZAPZyCtmNVxWjK/s1600/0327161938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJe-I0HzDRr6Tfohdbz6wtpRvHbfEF8HDPP_qmt6ue34EXRzJEBXUvWgBk8N2djg6qnhT7lN9fqTFLMLKEtW-HZ51lOOl7e6ZD3Hre7Zz6wRVUlBAzbLz-CdmWPfyvZZAPZyCtmNVxWjK/s320/0327161938.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, you can see the numerous safeties packed into this blaster.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hIBiWfhv8dNi55lzp68Ad8k70w0iFDBgPdVzafLMC1_SOHl3FDXPkRTpF0VljzVxxZDJaNVqw9eF_CE-ToT8XKdHtcTYzlYvYMia3Y858rzfstFQhU5EMfc_xuuv3D5zTiDe9q0IPtON/s1600/0327161941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hIBiWfhv8dNi55lzp68Ad8k70w0iFDBgPdVzafLMC1_SOHl3FDXPkRTpF0VljzVxxZDJaNVqw9eF_CE-ToT8XKdHtcTYzlYvYMia3Y858rzfstFQhU5EMfc_xuuv3D5zTiDe9q0IPtON/s320/0327161941.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Performance is terrible, often failing to land five feet in front of you. Thanks to the loose dart holder that shoots forward a bit when the pod pops up, the dart tends to pop out enough to disengage the safeties. When this happens, the gauntlet won't even fire. Quite frankly, this is one of the worst dart blasters I've ever tested, if not THE worst.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUQ3BXOlwfl1py67vpTpeQcQ2rI20_MUhBXmPseEM7ru8UgIv9zyChEj2Ji-5WnHdcKrujgzD7DS9s8J_kp3D_PmWslAMVLTCFi3lx9ks8J6p-Y9IabpofWLoc8cNGmdYcMaM1EV71wKZ/s1600/f-school-letter-grade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUQ3BXOlwfl1py67vpTpeQcQ2rI20_MUhBXmPseEM7ru8UgIv9zyChEj2Ji-5WnHdcKrujgzD7DS9s8J_kp3D_PmWslAMVLTCFi3lx9ks8J6p-Y9IabpofWLoc8cNGmdYcMaM1EV71wKZ/s320/f-school-letter-grade.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-84545696413803538512016-04-04T21:05:00.004-04:002016-04-04T21:05:48.669-04:00Massive Water Blaster Inventory Update!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
While I was out on the town today, I made sure to make several stops to see what water blasters were in stock, aside from ones we've already seen (like the <a href="http://buzzbeetoys.com/USglobal/WaterWarriors_PressurizedPerformance/15300-gargantua.html" target="_blank">Buzz Bee WW Gargantua</a>). Turns out there were plenty of surprises!</div>
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<u><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dollar General</span></b></i></u></div>
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The usual knockoff blasters were there, as well a couple Buzz Bee offerings. However, two of the new Xshot Hydro Series blasters were present. They're both unimpressive, sadly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvPzirrR9wt2QBvrk4ebNK8tnkBRDp2V58cNrg9t0oUJuYO7LDKwBk86e8WNr1hryfTj_OjD3LdSx8G9_FpQ6EcPWtdJkRPqMAOrT4qKaYRXClFxg-pG116F3-tHGJo_v_5v-c2jVtHPo/s1600/0310162022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvPzirrR9wt2QBvrk4ebNK8tnkBRDp2V58cNrg9t0oUJuYO7LDKwBk86e8WNr1hryfTj_OjD3LdSx8G9_FpQ6EcPWtdJkRPqMAOrT4qKaYRXClFxg-pG116F3-tHGJo_v_5v-c2jVtHPo/s320/0310162022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Meijer</u></i></b></span></div>
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At Meijer, there was an entirely new line of zombie-themed soakers, made by Aqua Leisure. However, you can tell that many of these use the same molds as other blasters. For example, the Zombinator is EXACTLY the same as <a href="http://www.buzzbeetoys.com/USglobal/WaterWarriors_WaterBlasters/19300-avenger.html" target="_blank">Buzz Bee's Avenger</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xzWoOcCk1kYnh-CLM-U1l1Xp4s_KCsBXArVL5pkBClEjI50qV8O_Xy46er2Vo7RGuThZKvedsskCGwu99Am2ySkt55ukfC7yvSxavvP_oR5ayZuRbr1qmuXy0QpDzVL2T32ecpy0JHFT/s1600/0321161556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xzWoOcCk1kYnh-CLM-U1l1Xp4s_KCsBXArVL5pkBClEjI50qV8O_Xy46er2Vo7RGuThZKvedsskCGwu99Am2ySkt55ukfC7yvSxavvP_oR5ayZuRbr1qmuXy0QpDzVL2T32ecpy0JHFT/s320/0321161556.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The other blasters on the shelf aren't ripoffs of any company in particular, but I recognize them from other dollar store type soakers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_q_JZt28WMCfQlWVnLj7zNgKoaU6OqdP8-pOQmRSmw5N1LUzt7Bg9dFerr2aBWK4m1y1E6ebJNUO38rhvtQAHcsWYXI9Gy68NKSfmr6GbuQIO4c30l8amwaMqtDPGWgjgsPm-Z2RTNfAb/s1600/0321161556a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_q_JZt28WMCfQlWVnLj7zNgKoaU6OqdP8-pOQmRSmw5N1LUzt7Bg9dFerr2aBWK4m1y1E6ebJNUO38rhvtQAHcsWYXI9Gy68NKSfmr6GbuQIO4c30l8amwaMqtDPGWgjgsPm-Z2RTNfAb/s320/0321161556a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the entire collection as shown of the back of the Zombinator.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-CXKExUJvmAiYMpe3tYw5cipHtOn_rGIBSZue6Unq4Ahx-04Gboe3owecIHY8IR3bIcZWC8ehQzUzzY2cwreL7pN2SeRaKz4i_l-VHC8OEDTmHTmLiP6Nd9WnlW9J81dWBWL5mVSwOzg/s1600/0321161558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-CXKExUJvmAiYMpe3tYw5cipHtOn_rGIBSZue6Unq4Ahx-04Gboe3owecIHY8IR3bIcZWC8ehQzUzzY2cwreL7pN2SeRaKz4i_l-VHC8OEDTmHTmLiP6Nd9WnlW9J81dWBWL5mVSwOzg/s320/0321161558.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Other side of the package!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1fEjhEjpnqq3PqHcqjQ77pKReh3wMNIHT7sDVtBaNpSkomzoKqqoKKvSnvcCO3o9ZhuxspbfXVcf3Ophx8fpOyllcF4GpJ1XcE1ytREqT123dWGK5hzbkAK_CGn8VfOaECV382Bvzsed/s1600/0321161558a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1fEjhEjpnqq3PqHcqjQ77pKReh3wMNIHT7sDVtBaNpSkomzoKqqoKKvSnvcCO3o9ZhuxspbfXVcf3Ophx8fpOyllcF4GpJ1XcE1ytREqT123dWGK5hzbkAK_CGn8VfOaECV382Bvzsed/s320/0321161558a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Contact info on the bottom of the box, for those interested.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_shdgR6l_IgAdALg_Ndt6jh5V9NvcyqmHRgz3BfubFBO3SXnNxcllSgWtbCvM4WOamarkvVwSx5eHW1zMzW5ZZRutgmeBiDgOHUE9OSs4pQ2d-6TRhpasKIG8pJTK8iDJnR99Ig7tO6fm/s1600/0321161559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_shdgR6l_IgAdALg_Ndt6jh5V9NvcyqmHRgz3BfubFBO3SXnNxcllSgWtbCvM4WOamarkvVwSx5eHW1zMzW5ZZRutgmeBiDgOHUE9OSs4pQ2d-6TRhpasKIG8pJTK8iDJnR99Ig7tO6fm/s320/0321161559.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><i><u><span style="font-size: large;">ToysRUs</span></u></i></b><br />
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This was a genuine surprise for me. SO MANY WATER WARRIORS BLASTERS! The Waterlord was in stock, in all its glory, along with the Steady Blast, Barbarian, and other recent models.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpB47TspOVZeOiAEreehsEo6f8PKo2h80R01iOHoMvRvGtqI1vvb6PI3llnz-T2fUhbmx7NUW8w5HrVLdrpXONySf6T-SsKdYb3ndIq4TL95ZP-Rpt8rxeuUzAY7aSoNhixSF46tOjvosC/s1600/0404161300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpB47TspOVZeOiAEreehsEo6f8PKo2h80R01iOHoMvRvGtqI1vvb6PI3llnz-T2fUhbmx7NUW8w5HrVLdrpXONySf6T-SsKdYb3ndIq4TL95ZP-Rpt8rxeuUzAY7aSoNhixSF46tOjvosC/s320/0404161300.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It seems Buzz Bee is bringing back some old models, seeing that the <a href="http://www.isoaker.com/Armoury/Analysis/2004/water_warriors_yellowjacket.php" target="_blank">Yellow Jacket</a> is here, more than 12 years after its introduction. With new colors, of course.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18bbTS0Y5roRMdThI2FOEXQVHjnlOukvlETvy9ZTKQtOYdanOTxTpZ18RRK5OM63pQhDuGBcQEIJZhBMmvsO3i30dnPtPcu255V7uwCiB9GGsixrXtP5zlK7QknJLGP7v6RBB4nZn4gyx/s1600/0404161300a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18bbTS0Y5roRMdThI2FOEXQVHjnlOukvlETvy9ZTKQtOYdanOTxTpZ18RRK5OM63pQhDuGBcQEIJZhBMmvsO3i30dnPtPcu255V7uwCiB9GGsixrXtP5zlK7QknJLGP7v6RBB4nZn4gyx/s320/0404161300a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Speaking of re-introductions, the Pre-Chargers are back! TRU had the Xenon, which is nearly identical to the old model, aside from a lever switch replacing the toggle button for changing between pre-charge and water pumping modes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3WPK935inNBq7Js_PH0yuwwbWiP5eUKkr_W5Dln3OIRCtE6vGoiUAhVjxyJy8uzSft7_Bpv6Po6pz7ssj5D_yG6UD9dwXZY0TQDToRjJvU69d-e9POWv2eNNtwvh3g3agI7GMlSxvtsX6/s1600/0404161301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3WPK935inNBq7Js_PH0yuwwbWiP5eUKkr_W5Dln3OIRCtE6vGoiUAhVjxyJy8uzSft7_Bpv6Po6pz7ssj5D_yG6UD9dwXZY0TQDToRjJvU69d-e9POWv2eNNtwvh3g3agI7GMlSxvtsX6/s320/0404161301.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><i>Target</i></u></b></span><br />
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The usual Swimways Flood Force models were here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcFSCgDBVHWgRWDXYAwC4c8Ne-Bhp0xNCXEObKGPdNOny4FDCXUhlcFXdhIc0pzECsJg3fPUlxaN7TCNJcTByjUGKMrAEJEphzPMyZMhRL8mdZ-NXZY9Sw1XRglt67TCJWHspHjps-cHD/s1600/0404161626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcFSCgDBVHWgRWDXYAwC4c8Ne-Bhp0xNCXEObKGPdNOny4FDCXUhlcFXdhIc0pzECsJg3fPUlxaN7TCNJcTByjUGKMrAEJEphzPMyZMhRL8mdZ-NXZY9Sw1XRglt67TCJWHspHjps-cHD/s320/0404161626.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Even the pool noodles are by Swimways, although the foam swords are fairly nice!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zjh03acFEQQ1vVDkCDgPmb9ZtTGuNzYIlYww9TK6t1cconPpQDgUpWeWDuIGGXB3hRitCyexHydApXcmx2h972Y27Gg6SP8EJ05GlmkQ-b7LQuGxVQmOr79eCJQrUiqBLntqtX2T6UA7/s1600/0404161627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zjh03acFEQQ1vVDkCDgPmb9ZtTGuNzYIlYww9TK6t1cconPpQDgUpWeWDuIGGXB3hRitCyexHydApXcmx2h972Y27Gg6SP8EJ05GlmkQ-b7LQuGxVQmOr79eCJQrUiqBLntqtX2T6UA7/s320/0404161627.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Walmart</span></b></i></u><br />
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As of yet, Walmart is the only US store I've seen with the Aqua Beast, as well as the Gargantua.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWAWDguC9gQHIM1fFmBG7CPL8fAB6cFTNvB3mhJ1X3muP5vD7vMt5gBY72Q4-pxmOzIh6XaTHyovvwKqc4OosGeFKYWLOtfhnSsMu4j2XVt1CVQUyfjr7Uwr-gQDppIQvJuUtKAxssKkZ/s1600/0404161536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWAWDguC9gQHIM1fFmBG7CPL8fAB6cFTNvB3mhJ1X3muP5vD7vMt5gBY72Q4-pxmOzIh6XaTHyovvwKqc4OosGeFKYWLOtfhnSsMu4j2XVt1CVQUyfjr7Uwr-gQDppIQvJuUtKAxssKkZ/s320/0404161536.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829271952010468722.post-9344297035499538062016-04-01T18:04:00.003-04:002016-04-01T19:44:52.357-04:00Poor Modder's SNAP, a.k.a. PMS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Sorry for the lack of posts! I've been busy with work and so many other things. But I'm back, and I'm starting with a new homemade writeup! I'll be doing further testing and warring with it, and then post on Nerfhaven for the new homemade blaster contest.</div>
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Since "Poor Man's Rainbow" was already taken, I had to go with something else, and get a funny name to boot.</div>
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<b><i><u><span style="font-size: large;">Parts List</span></u></i></b></div>
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1 1/4" S40 PVC</div>
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1 1/4" S40 PVC Cap</div>
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1" x 1/2" S40 PVC Bushing</div>
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1/2" CTS CPVC</div>
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1/2" CTS CPVC Cap</div>
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1/2" CTS CPVC Tee</div>
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3/8" PEX Tubing (1/2" OD)</div>
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1/2" OD Aluminum Tubing</div>
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1" x 1/2" CTS CPVC Bushing</div>
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5/8" x 1/2" x 1/2" Nylon Spacer</div>
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3/8" x .171" x 1" Nylon Spacer</div>
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1" x 1/4" Nylon Washers</div>
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1 1/4" x 1/4" Nylon Washers</div>
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#10 Pan Head Screws</div>
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1 1/4" Rubber Slip Joint Washer</div>
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9 1/2" x 11/16" x 0.72" Compression Spring (Hillman #62)</div>
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1/2" Diameter, Short Spring</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Part I: Plunger Construction</u></i></b></span></div>
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Cut 14" of PEX tubing, and use a deburring tool of some sort to clear the inside of any obstructing plastic pieces. Then grab your 3/8" OD nylon spacer, and hammer it inside the PEX.</div>
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If you can't get the spacer to go in, ream more plastic from the inside of your PEX. Once you get it started, hammer away until the spacer is flush with the end of the tubing.</div>
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For the plunger head, take your nylon washers and glue them together. If you wish, you can take a short piece of 1/4" vinyl tubing and place it in the center to assist in lining up your washers and orienting them on the plunger rod, but it isn't necessary.<br />
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Take a #10 screw (3/4" to 1" long) and put it through the middle of your washer sandwich. If you used the tubing piece, you'll have to screw it in.<br />
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Screw the whole thing into the nylon spacer embedded in your PEX tubing. It will take some strength, as you're using a spacer that's one size too small - this is on purpose. We want the threads to dig into the nylon to keep it secure.<br />
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After all that has been done, slide on two 5/8" OD nylon washers from the back of the PEX. When they get to the end with the plunger head, they will be difficult to finish moving. You'll probably need to slide some 1/2" PVC (Sch80 is better) over the plunger rod and use that to hammer the spacers the rest of the way down. Once there, the spacer and tubing sandwich will be tight enough that no fastener or adhesive will be needed.</div>
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Slide on the CPVC bushing. If you like, you can remove the end of the fitting to shave some weight. You can leave it there if you like though, especially if you have a beefy spring that can fit inside and would benefit from having a place for the end to sit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_RlWrSmZk8nSn30q5EWPIjrDaxd2-DFwk9BJ2zxSqxReej0UVIzU0YER4XP4QJFzo_sHtmFIKFBP0TbAonnpjPgK_FL8VMRu3Wz5-2k1d-j0w6o45Ba3595Kj4MoOBR40IvRls2kBaBp/s1600/0401161317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_RlWrSmZk8nSn30q5EWPIjrDaxd2-DFwk9BJ2zxSqxReej0UVIzU0YER4XP4QJFzo_sHtmFIKFBP0TbAonnpjPgK_FL8VMRu3Wz5-2k1d-j0w6o45Ba3595Kj4MoOBR40IvRls2kBaBp/s320/0401161317.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The ridge on the CPVC bushing is close to, but not quite the same as the plunger head diameter. This makes it ideal for use as a catch plate in a SNAP-style blaster.</div>
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At this point, you can add the spring. Hold off on adding any spacers behind your spring until the rest of the blaster is complete - it's easier to adapt the plunger to the tube than the other way around.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUzEh8YRTM7SZ2OiA8q2Vvyl-TxMYgZj-qCW6nxlArkrIwPSFZN5oy_ScAb-cP3mOqUKI65V1qYmc4ikacnRddul6FYXpCgKdgXt_gXVwiBUGVvgQRRWZgf3Vic_LFcWfLUkPVCiUY9gk/s1600/0328161056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUzEh8YRTM7SZ2OiA8q2Vvyl-TxMYgZj-qCW6nxlArkrIwPSFZN5oy_ScAb-cP3mOqUKI65V1qYmc4ikacnRddul6FYXpCgKdgXt_gXVwiBUGVvgQRRWZgf3Vic_LFcWfLUkPVCiUY9gk/s320/0328161056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Part II: Plunger Tube Construction</u></i></b></span><br />
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Cut a 13.5" length of 1 1/4" PVC for your plunger tube. Due to a shortage of parts at the time of prototype construction, I did a few things different than I'm now instructing you to do. Remember that as we look at these pictures. Measurements will be 1.5" or so off of what you will be doing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXIYG39KzLiEbAQEaU9FHXv_qX6BsNiPugxA011SodvCD-sP8IgkYtRXFPZh0M9IRVwgbMl_YRwchM0Z0Yd4E7VRTKgCeFjUryfezXNhRjUS9GHs_8zDZwH1DXuA6AdKuJKEzc8L9GUEn/s1600/0327161436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXIYG39KzLiEbAQEaU9FHXv_qX6BsNiPugxA011SodvCD-sP8IgkYtRXFPZh0M9IRVwgbMl_YRwchM0Z0Yd4E7VRTKgCeFjUryfezXNhRjUS9GHs_8zDZwH1DXuA6AdKuJKEzc8L9GUEn/s320/0327161436.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Drill a 5/8" diameter about 8.5" from the front of the pipe. Depending on tools available, you can use a drill press (a good investment, even if it's the cheapest model at Harbor Freight you can find) or a power drill. The first is far easier in terms of lining everything up, though. Make sure to take steps up to 5/8", and not try to drill it all at once!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67TVt2rsDufTvKPy2uUAP1pQvzoQX66fYc2KKq_Wds-9v0lk7DGZbBuHMHaLUdQl7N93gn8pGkXdXcf_P5rNaB10zG2k7mb42B9PEbGOomktpjggOhA21P1zgaSZ-uqQJw5KFlaa3GWPI/s1600/0327161420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67TVt2rsDufTvKPy2uUAP1pQvzoQX66fYc2KKq_Wds-9v0lk7DGZbBuHMHaLUdQl7N93gn8pGkXdXcf_P5rNaB10zG2k7mb42B9PEbGOomktpjggOhA21P1zgaSZ-uqQJw5KFlaa3GWPI/s320/0327161420.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You will need a roughly 2" spacer sitting behind your spring and ahead of your cap/spring rest. The placement is important, because it allows room for proper trigger placement later on.</div>
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For the back of your blaster, use a 1 1/4" PVC cap, with a 17/32" hole drilled in the middle.<br />
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In my blaster, I ended up throwing a thick, 1 5/8" diameter nylon washer between the pipe and a coupler (didn't have any caps on me), and then drilling some 11/64" holes for the #10 screws.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OJtayEw8EFT09ICCJ4vzFf3l-hcx7SabC0tJkWtL8tPjjNwUo-j5CeHeNf5-WcLx15Qc396T07r90oF9CrfDVmdbT3eJV0TFrT_NyqYl9TBeooPycavfQ5Sywa2pSg6n7Xtjg6j4a2Ov/s1600/0401161413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OJtayEw8EFT09ICCJ4vzFf3l-hcx7SabC0tJkWtL8tPjjNwUo-j5CeHeNf5-WcLx15Qc396T07r90oF9CrfDVmdbT3eJV0TFrT_NyqYl9TBeooPycavfQ5Sywa2pSg6n7Xtjg6j4a2Ov/s320/0401161413.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Also, I didn't have any shorter screws available at the time. You should use 1/2" long screws<br />
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Finally, after putting your cap/end setup over the plunger rod, you should put a small stub of CPVC in the middle leg of your tee. Throw it onto the end of the rod and drill a hole for a screw.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbuHqcUE8EVxF1EGbftc7wgK7yKeWV2Yk0fDeUB5ksz5LRsNzNiuUqSo0ECIuW78X0PZc_fUx8XH6e9zsyLD_nhsQdRnh-GD0o30ghWH2qrbkTJ5B-iFVtOK2LVcFmx0Ly8VaIXM-JTiE/s1600/0401161417a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbuHqcUE8EVxF1EGbftc7wgK7yKeWV2Yk0fDeUB5ksz5LRsNzNiuUqSo0ECIuW78X0PZc_fUx8XH6e9zsyLD_nhsQdRnh-GD0o30ghWH2qrbkTJ5B-iFVtOK2LVcFmx0Ly8VaIXM-JTiE/s320/0401161417a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, there's another option that can be used in place of both the PVC cap and the plunger rod spacer: cut a 1" CPVC coupling to a length of 2", and put another 1" x 1/2" CPVC bushing on one side. Then hammer it into the back of the plunger tube, and secure with screws. I recommend this option for those interested in making this blaster pump action.<br />
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Don't forget to wrap the 1" PVC bushing in a little tape, throw it in the front of the plunger tube, and drill screw holes. Like you would any other homemade of this size plunger tube.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Part III: Handle and Trigger Attachment</u></i></b></span><br />
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This part is lacking in pictures because there's already a <a href="http://nerfhaven.com/forums/topic/25056-ez-snap/" target="_blank">writeup</a> for this part. However, there is one change you will need to make: cut the top of the aluminum tubing at an angle. We're putting the ramp on the catch instead of the plunger rod, something that's not possible with more traditional SNAP setups like clothespin triggers. In the end this will save plunger weight.<br />
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Note that there's only a 1/2" gap between the face of the CPVC bushing and the plunger head. As such, you'll need to use a spacer to adjust plunger position until you reach full compression directly over the catch. No need to mess up the plunger seal by pulling it past sliced up aluminum tubing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3y1fV0NIqaHf3VAPbrBr5i98gGqp_ziN670YorBP4qEzIE2_ytkMUb2yLYj416bP0_Uwp7hXZ5j42Kjq_5XQaQOA4RjRUdqtZe0h4xD9Q3ejdw2BEZuCrD241fKi0J2HB_wNlitkkPr5/s1600/0401161418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3y1fV0NIqaHf3VAPbrBr5i98gGqp_ziN670YorBP4qEzIE2_ytkMUb2yLYj416bP0_Uwp7hXZ5j42Kjq_5XQaQOA4RjRUdqtZe0h4xD9Q3ejdw2BEZuCrD241fKi0J2HB_wNlitkkPr5/s320/0401161418.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Finished Product</u></i></b></span><br />
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Here's the end result! As you can see, my prototype is simply a pullback model. Following the above instructions, you should have plenty of room to add pump action priming. You can also throw a few lengths of CPVC on the back to make a proper stock.<br />
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With a hopper and 1.5" glue dome stefans (from my Canada trip supplies), all of my shots are hitting 180 to 190 fps out of the barrel. I'll bring this to a war and see how it holds up under abuse!</div>
Buffdaddyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04873387674770288519noreply@blogger.com4