Overload: Was it Worth it?

General water gun discussion.
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strato_2r5
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Overload: Was it Worth it?

Post by strato_2r5 » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:09 pm

I just got an Overload. I know it's air pressure so it's not that good, but it has a really short shot time, the pumps unbelievably short, and the only useful nozzle is the smallest one. I got it pretty much only for the reservoir, but it won't connect to my other blasters. Well that and it was half price and I couldn't find the devastator. Was it a waste of money?
Sorry if I'm not active much, busy on another forum and another project non-soaker related.

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cantab
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Re: Overload: Was it Worth it?

Post by cantab » Thu Mar 24, 2011 11:51 pm

The backpack should connect with Max Infusion and Aquashock.This includes later models of the Flash Flood, the Arctic Blast, and maybe some others.

Try pre-charging - turn the blaster upside down and pump air into the pressure chamber. That will boost the power; just be careful not to let the air out.

I have the (Aquashock) Secret Strike, which is near-identical but has a slightly larger reservoir since it was sold with no backpack. I'd call it competent, but yeah, the power is lower than I'd like.
I work on Windows. My toolbox is Linux.
Arsenal:
Super Soaker: XP215, 2xXP220, Liquidator, Aquashock Secret Strike M(odded), Arctic Blast M, CPS1200, CPS2100, SC Power Pak, 3l aquapack, 1.5l aquapack
Water Warriors: Jet, Sting Ray M, Shark, Argon M, Tiger Shark, PulseMaster
Others: Waterbolt, The Blaster, Storm 500, Shield Blaster 2000, generic PR gun, generic backpack piston pumper (broken), 3l garden sprayer M, 10l water carrier:

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strato_2r5
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Re: Overload: Was it Worth it?

Post by strato_2r5 » Fri Mar 25, 2011 12:06 am

Okay, thanks for the tip. The reason it doesn't fit my other blasters is because I only have a Shotblast, Rattler, and an XP 310 :( I used to have a 215 and a 220 or 240 but they broke and I don't know where they are.
Sorry if I'm not active much, busy on another forum and another project non-soaker related.

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C-A_99
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Re: Overload: Was it Worth it?

Post by C-A_99 » Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:09 am

I got an Oozinator for 6 bucks. There were so many on clearance and their prices were dropping by the day as the store scrambled to get rid of their overstock.

If you got the Overload for more than 1$10, you've wasted your money IMO.

Pre-charging will be very helpful. Inside the reservoir there is either a hole or tube (usually a hole) and that's where the water goes through. Pump while that hole is not submerged by water (i.e. before filling or while upside down as Cantab said) and it'll bring air into the firing chamber. You can't see inside the firing chamber, but there's a drawing tube that goes to the bottom of it. If it isn't submerged, then you will waste air pressure when firing.

You may need to pre-pump up to 30-50 times or even more to get usable performance out of the Overload. The Overload and Arctic Shock are notorious for having very small pressure chambers, and if you don't pre-charge them with enough air, their pressure will drop off very fast. They will shoot decently for a very, very short time before the range drops off to less than that of even squirt guns.

When used properly, the Overload may be useful for runners; i.e. those who have to sprint often, capture flags, etc. Don't weigh yourself down with water balloons, bottles, other blasters, etc. though. The Overload may also be useful as a secondary/sidearm, but I wouldn't count on it.

The Aquapack that came with the Overload will work with any Max-Infusion branded blasters. This includes most blasters from 2006 and 2007, and maybe 2008; I can't remember.

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strato_2r5
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Re: Overload: Was it Worth it?

Post by strato_2r5 » Fri Mar 25, 2011 2:49 am

I got it for $15 USD so I guess it was worth it. I'll use it as an escort weapon because of its capacity. I guess for soakfests I'll use my trusty 310 and Shotblast.

EDIT: Is there any way to make the shot time longer without going outside of the casing?
Last edited by strato_2r5 on Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sorry if I'm not active much, busy on another forum and another project non-soaker related.

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C-A_99
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Re: Overload: Was it Worth it?

Post by C-A_99 » Sat Mar 26, 2011 12:20 am

Well, fair enough. For the shot time, the only solutions are to use less power (i.e. less pre-pumping, and/or using a smaller nozzle), or modify the PC. I always advocate using the best available nozzles in a situation; for an Overload, there's little reason and purpose to using less power and/or using a smaller nozzle. Doing so merely prolongs the time it takes to blast out the same amount of water and does nothing to benefit control of water and pressure usage. On larger, more powerful blasters, a 5x or 10x is more beneficial over a 20x due to how quickly the 20x will drain pressure, but in the case of an Overload (using 1x or smaller instead of the larger nozzles) doing so will not benefit because it is already possible to effectively control output/pressure loss manually by controlling the trigger.

Your best bet for better shot time is a larger chamber, but that is difficult to do especially for the blaster, and will likely require quite some space outside of the blaster casing. I'd suggest leaving it as is and just try to deal with the low shot time. Pump more often and make your shots carefully and with intent. Do not merely hold the trigger down on long streams; control it so you can re-pump and not run out of pressure. On most blasters, you should never fall below 25% pressure at anytime if you're using it effectively. (There are a few exceptions of course, such as those dealing with shot time or strenuous tactical situations.)

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strato_2r5
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Re: Overload: Was it Worth it?

Post by strato_2r5 » Sat Mar 26, 2011 1:09 am

Well, I guess I'll go with tap-shooting because I don't want to ruin my blaster. Is there any way to fuse the PC and reservoir together and just leave some of the reservoir for water to go to the intake? There's really no use with an onboard reservoir for me.
Sorry if I'm not active much, busy on another forum and another project non-soaker related.

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cantab
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Re: Overload: Was it Worth it?

Post by cantab » Sat Mar 26, 2011 1:31 am

Only by making substantial modifications. And you'd probably run into firing angle issues.
I work on Windows. My toolbox is Linux.
Arsenal:
Super Soaker: XP215, 2xXP220, Liquidator, Aquashock Secret Strike M(odded), Arctic Blast M, CPS1200, CPS2100, SC Power Pak, 3l aquapack, 1.5l aquapack
Water Warriors: Jet, Sting Ray M, Shark, Argon M, Tiger Shark, PulseMaster
Others: Waterbolt, The Blaster, Storm 500, Shield Blaster 2000, generic PR gun, generic backpack piston pumper (broken), 3l garden sprayer M, 10l water carrier:

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