Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

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Aqua_Flash
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Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by Aqua_Flash » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:37 pm

I don't know if this would be possible to do, but here goes.

Soakers like the Splashzooka and Power Pak are good to me, however I, and pretty much everyone else who has one don't like the fact how they are tied down to a hose all the time. This means that if my battles ever end up expanding to more open areas (which I seriously hope one day happens), they will just be limited to home.

Which is making me wonder whether it is possible to make a QFD that was portable and could be re-used over and over without a hose. My idea was that if you had a pump or something connected to a reservoir of water to build up stored pressure which when the gun is put into its port, the pressure would fill it up. This is pretty much like the idea that is mentioned in the Rogue Concept section on iSoaker.com.

Any help here and advice would be great if what I have said is possible, as this year I want to actually make this and document it. It will solve my problem and make QFD only guns a heck of a lot more useful.

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SSCBen
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Re: Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by SSCBen » Thu Jan 24, 2008 6:44 pm

I built a portable QFD a few years ago from the 2 liter homemade water gun that used to be on this website. It didn't work that well because the pressure dropped, but it was a proof of concept. I think Shadowstrike Prime discussed one he made before I did on WaterWar.net too.

Som sort of pump that attaches to the QFD would be useful. I'd imagine that you could easily modify a QFD to attach a homemade water pump to. All you'd have to do is build a pump and then buy some 3/4 inch threaded fittings. The hose is compatible with 3/4 inch threaded fittings (NPT at least). You can have a tube leading into a water source then, and you can pump up your water gun.

Sorry if that sounds a little sketchy. I'll make a drawing if you need more of an explanation. Basically, all you have to do is attach a pump to a current QFD and you'll have something more useful. If you want a more advanced portable QFD, buy some LRT (enough for two layers if your hose can handle it), and build a basic homemade water gun that screws into the QFD.

Now that I think about it, I've tried screwing my APH into the QFD to see if it would fill it, and it does, so that would work too if you don't want to buy LRT.

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Aqua_Flash
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Re: Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by Aqua_Flash » Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:06 pm

I think I get the basics of what you said, but a drawing if you could would be much appreciated, as then it would give me a clear view on what I would need.

I was actually thinking of a bike or floor pump, but was not fully sure if it would work. The Latex Rubber Tubing is a good option as well, although I'd have to look more into that to get a better idea.

Thanks for your help so far.

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Silence
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Re: Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by Silence » Thu Jan 24, 2008 9:50 pm

It's totally possible to build a portable QFD. I do, however, recommend modding the water gun you're using to use a homemade QFD like the one the 2 Liter homemade used. (Archive.org has a copy of the article.) Hose connections and the standard QFD threads may be a pain in the neck.

How large do you want the QFD source to be? How portable (ie, backpack, by car, carried by multiple people)? What type of container will it use? If it's small, I would certainly go with a rubber bladder system that may not need to be pressurized by hand. But if you're simply carrying around a reservoir with a small bladder or tank, yeah, you'll need a pump of some sort.

Take a look at the article, which I linked to above. That probably deals with worries about how to build a QFD. Beyond that, you'll just need a system in the style of homemade water guns.

However, if you want to use the Super Soaker QFD ports, a simple hose threads to PVC connection will do. Screw on an existing QFD filler and you're set. :cool:

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Aqua_Flash
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Re: Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by Aqua_Flash » Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:08 pm

Thanks for that.

I should have mentioned how large I wanted it to be in more detail. I want a reservoir tank at around 2-4L, which will pretty much be carried in the car for any wide open battle that might be travelled to in the future. This is why I feel just being connected to a pump to pressurize would hopefully work and be the easiest for me to do.

It might take more than one go to fully charge, but as long as it charges the gun without the presence of a hose then I'd be happy and have what I want.

sbell25
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Re: Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by sbell25 » Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:21 pm

I think the easiest way, like others have said, is to pretty much build the pump part of an APH. Basically follow the APH design, but exclude everything after the second check valve, and connect your QFD to that. Having a length of hose connecting the check valve and the QFD would be good to, so it can actually sit on the ground. As Ben said, standard 3/4" fittings screw into a QFD.

I would also think that a 3/4" pump would be better than a standard 1/2" one, as we're not looking for the high pressure of a homemade here, just enough to fill a stock CPS gun.

Edit: Just had another idea. You could use your nozzle-modded CPS 21k. It's got 3/4" fittings, so you could connect your QFD (perhaps with hose, like I mentioned above) to that and just pump while holding the trigger down. I'd say the 21k is higher pressure than your PowerPak and Splashzooka, so it should fill them easily. Probably not very practical, but it's a suggestion. :cool:
Last edited by sbell25 on Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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SSCBen
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Re: Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by SSCBen » Fri Jan 25, 2008 1:29 am

Yeah, your CPS 21K would be nearly exactly what you want. It might leak from the nozzle when filling another water gun, but you can fix that with putty epoxy.

I'd want something basic though, so just the pump part of an APH would be okay. As sbell said too, you might be able to use a 3/4 inch pump, especially given that most SC water guns don't use that much pressure.

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Silence
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Re: Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by Silence » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:50 am

Good idea with the CPS 2100(0). Although you may naturally want to have a more permanent and efficient solution for regular filling, having one as a sidearm might work.

I've been thinking: with backpack Super Charger water guns like the Power Pak and Big Trouble, there's probably no point having a very small portable QFD refill station. But with the air pressure SC soakers and perhaps the Splashzooka, even small refill stations are valuable. So perhaps a backpack QFD water source would make sense, but then you might as well build a homemade.

I'm thinking you could have a standard, non-pressurized backpack with a hose going to a pump assembly. That assembly has a QFD port so it can attach to a QFD water gun. Although you won't be able to fill immediately, you still have that option when you do have access to a hose.

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Aqua_Flash
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Re: Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by Aqua_Flash » Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:09 pm

That CPS 2100(0) is a great idea. Sadly, I no longer have that. However, the good thing is, I should be receiving a CPS 1000 soon that I plan to do the exact same thing to only with PVC this time (I managed to get some, thanks to eBay).

The other good thing is I can actually do the non pressurized backpack idea you mentioned. I have a SS 300 backpack I can use for it, and that holds like around 6L. I'm pretty sure I could make a homemade pump as well. I've also got hose tubing lying around as well.

Thanks for all the information so far, although a drawing if possible would still help me a lot, as I'm still not fully sure on how I would do this.

sbell25
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Re: Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by sbell25 » Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:35 pm

As you're in the UK, you'd probably be better off making something out of copper pipe, however PVC is good if it's available (like on eBay).

Have a look here at the first picture. You'll see the second check valve to the left of the bottle and duct tape. I suggest that you follow this design, but exclude everything after that second check valve. Then depending on how you've built it, attach some hose from the second check valve to your QFD.

Of course you don't need to follow that picture exactly, but it should give you a general idea on how to do it.
Last edited by sbell25 on Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Silence
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Re: Portable/Useable QFD for soaker including Power Pak, Splashzooka .etc.

Post by Silence » Sat Jan 26, 2008 1:02 am

This page contains a diagram of the air pressure homemade and most water guns in general. Also look at the HowStuffWorks article and our one on how water guns work. Once you understand the components (if you don't already), things make much more sense. I do need to add diagrams to my article though...

I can definitely draw a diagram of a QFD source for you. As it sounds like you don't mind a nonpressurized tank if it has a pump, the device may be similar to a homemade water gun. I'll do the diagram after dinner. :cool:

EDIT: Thanks for pointing out the copper homemades article, sbell25. I did link to the APH article just now for its diagram on the flow of water through the soaker, but thanks for clarifying that any material can be used.

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