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HPA Fillstation HELP

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StormyKnight View Drop Down
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    Posted: 29 June 2006 at 3:42am
I have come into possession of a 3500psi 88CF Steel SCUBA tank I want to use to fill my tanks from. I am woefully ignorant on filling HPA and have no idea what equipment I'll need to purchase to get my fillstation up and running. The tank has a DIN valve if that helps. Can anyone that has any experience in this area help me out? I'd very much appreciate it!


Edited by StormyKnight - 29 June 2006 at 3:45am
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Bruce A. Frank View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bruce A. Frank Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 June 2006 at 5:58am

Originally posted by StormyKnight StormyKnight wrote:

I have come into possession of a 3500psi 88CF Steel SCUBA tank I want to use to fill my tanks from. I am woefully ignorant on filling HPA and have no idea what equipment I'll need to purchase to get my fillstation up and running. The tank has a DIN valve if that helps. Can anyone that has any experience in this area help me out? I'd very much appreciate it!

If your HPA tank is a 4500 psi, you'll need very little in the way of equipment.  No more than the connector that makes the connection between the tank and the scuba mouth piece/regulator line. Into that connector you screw the high pressure hose with quick connect to fit the HPA tank nipple, Then to fill your HPA tank, you crack the scuba tank valve until you hear the air flow stop and you are done. Some where in that line you'll need a "T" fitting connected to a small valve (on/off type ball valve) to vent the line after you close the scuba valve...you have to vent the line to disconnect the quick connect from the HPA tank's fill nipple. The gauge on the HPA tank will tell you when the scuba tank is getting too low.

If you have an HPA tank whose maximum pressure is less than the 3500 psi of the scuba, you will need to add a regulator between the scuba tank and the HPA tank to prevent filling the HPA above 3000 psi.

Now all that said, you can buy HPA filling stations designed to fit scuba tanks from on-line paintball vendors. I have also seen them on Ebay. The filling station "kit" may cost more than scrounging the parts, but you know what you have when you finish. And it is simple, open the box and install!



Edited by Bruce A. Frank - 29 June 2006 at 5:58am
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StormyKnight View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote StormyKnight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 June 2006 at 6:52am
Bruce, thanks for the help, but I need more specific info on what I need and pretty much the best place to find it/them. It is a 3500psi (80CF not 88CF)tank, but I don't necessarily need to fill it to 3500psi do I? The bottles I use for my markers are 3000psi. If I don't fill the main tank to full capacity, I won't need a regulator, right?

Is there a fillstation that connects directly to the DIN on the tank I have, or do I need a connector between the tank and the fillstation? Like I said, I'm woefully (completely and totally) ignorant on this subject. The only reason I've gone this route is because the local paintball shop that does have HPA fills doesn't always have his fillstation at the store. And when he does, he doesn't overfill enough on the tanks so when they cool down they are underfilled. There is a local shop that fills scuba tanks that can do my fills to my satisfaction, but I don't feel like spending $5 a pop to fill my bottles. I think they only charge $15 for scuba tanks.
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Ken Majors View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ken Majors Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 June 2006 at 4:24pm
Din Valve/Paintball Fill Station

That is what you need.
RLTW
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carl_the_sniper View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote carl_the_sniper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 June 2006 at 5:44pm
seems like a lot of money considering he allready as the valve
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Ken Majors View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ken Majors Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 June 2006 at 6:05pm
Originally posted by carl_the_sniper carl_the_sniper wrote:

seems like a lot of money considering he allready as the valve


That price does not include the valve....what it includes is an adapter that fits on the DIN valved scuba cylinder that reduces it to the paintball standard quick disconnect.
I invite you to find one cheaper that has the safety rating.

RLTW
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bruce A. Frank Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 June 2006 at 6:08pm

Originally posted by StormyKnight StormyKnight wrote:

Bruce, thanks for the help, but I need more specific info on what I need and pretty much the best place to find it/them. It is a 3500psi (80CF not 88CF)tank, but I don't necessarily need to fill it to 3500psi do I? The bottles I use for my markers are 3000psi. If I don't fill the main tank to full capacity, I won't need a regulator, right?

Is there a fillstation that connects directly to the DIN on the tank I have, or do I need a connector between the tank and the fillstation? Like I said, I'm woefully (completely and totally) ignorant on this subject. The only reason I've gone this route is because the local paintball shop that does have HPA fills doesn't always have his fillstation at the store. And when he does, he doesn't overfill enough on the tanks so when they cool down they are underfilled. There is a local shop that fills scuba tanks that can do my fills to my satisfaction, but I don't feel like spending $5 a pop to fill my bottles. I think they only charge $15 for scuba tanks.

The link for that part that Ken posted seems expensive, but it is not out of line.

If you have a 3500 psi scuba tank and your HPA tank is only 3000 psi I would recommend a regulator so you cannot accidentally over pressure the HPA bottle. Yes, you can request filling the scuba to only 3000, but you will need a gauge to attach to the scuba tank to verify its pressure before you fill from it.

I fill at home from a large industrial cylinder when I am testing my marker after any changes. But, while at the field I opt for "all day air" for $10. It is just too easy to get field air than to mess with my own set up when playing.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ken Majors Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 June 2006 at 6:22pm


That is the fill station that I made a few years ago.
I have about $60 in parts in it.
No regulator. You just have to be smart when you are filling a 3000psi bottle so that you don't overpressurize.
That is the reason I never sold them. I made 2 of these and still have them both. I had originally planned to Ebay them but thought better of it.
I recommend those sold by Breathing Air Systems.
RLTW
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote carl_the_sniper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 June 2006 at 6:47pm
no i aggree that thats probably a good price im just saying it's an expensive thing to buy
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dead-eye_tippy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 June 2006 at 1:26am

The fill station adapter is all you need.  It automatically regulates the pressure, and it should cost between $35 and $45.   NOTE: I did not look at the link. 

EDIT: http://www.actionvillage.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/S tore/en/-/USD/DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=Sr9dk5nue8 BdsNofglidO5M69RAkmkCkAvc=?ProductID=EhesFAY7jiwAAAD42KvkrFs 5  That is what you want.



Edited by dead-eye_tippy - 30 June 2006 at 1:28am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hybrid-sniper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 June 2006 at 2:51am
No those are for the K-valve SCUBA tanks.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote StormyKnight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 July 2006 at 3:39am
Originally posted by Ken Majors Ken Majors wrote:

Din Valve/Paintball Fill Station

That is what you need.

Ok, I can't find a better fill station anywhere. Trouble is, they don't take orders online or over the phone. Only by fax. I don't have a fax machine and I'm leary of taking a printout of the order with my credit card information to the local Pakmail or Mailport Plus to complete the order. Are there any alternatives to Breathing Air Systems? Remember, this SCUBA tank has a DIN valve.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote StormyKnight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 July 2006 at 3:42am
Originally posted by Bruce A. Frank Bruce A. Frank wrote:

This place has some interesting choices!


http://www.breathingair.com/summary.aspx?ID=Q6UJ9A000086& ;Crumb=LQ6UJ9A00007E


Yeah, this place only takes orders via fax.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bruce A. Frank Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 July 2006 at 4:04am

Originally posted by StormyKnight StormyKnight wrote:

Yeah, this place only takes orders via fax.

You guys don't have WinFax Pro on your computers (Symantec product)? It allows you to send a fax from any program, it is selected from the printer choices and you "Print To Fax."

Many congressmen do not use Email, so there is no better way than fax to contact them to complain about that "Paintball banning law" he is contemplating.

But, this is the first-ever Web Store I have run across that takes only fax orders.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ken Majors Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 July 2006 at 11:12am
Originally posted by Bruce A. Frank Bruce A. Frank wrote:

But, this is the first-ever Web Store I have run across that takes only fax orders.



I did not know that.
We use them all the time at the fire department. Never knew they didn't take phone orders. They sure did for me....but we bought a LOT of stuff.
The reason they carry paintball stuff is because I built one out of the spare junk they left behind after building our compressor and air trailer. They saw it and the light bulb over their collective heads went BING and they started building them.
Believe it or not they are not making much profit on the fill stations. The stuff they use has a very high safety margin and is top quality. I was using one of those nickel plated brass quick disconnects on my fill station, until it blew apart into 10,000 pieces.
So I only use Stainless parts now....from Breathing Air.
and p.s.
The local library has a fax you can use.
RLTW
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote StormyKnight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 July 2006 at 7:16am
Originally posted by hybrid-sniper hybrid-sniper wrote:

http://www.scubacompressor.com/shop/product_info.php/product s_id/109


Try that.



Hey thanks! Perfect! Just ordered it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote StormyKnight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 July 2006 at 6:03pm
Thanks for all your help everyone! Just got the fillstation today and did my first HPA fill on my Crossfire tank. Worked great!
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