Triple Aggressor QFD mod + a small mod for other guns

[joannaardway]

Well, after my barrage of CPS 2700 mods, I turned to my Triple Aggressor, which was located in the attic only a few days ago. The trigger had gone, but that's fixable.

However, with an open watergun in front of me, I couldn't resist doing something to it.

I started by removing the sponge holder. The sponge wasn't much use, and I had a much better idea for the piping. The holder needs to be cut back, but avoid damaging the white plastic. Ok, we're down to double aggressor.

I went out and purchased one of the following (ok, I really bought two, but I haven't used the other one yet):



The next step was to remove the spring from the switch that soaked the sponge. Take care, it springs back quite hard when released.

Cutting into the hose connector about 2-3 mm from the central piece, I glued the larger piece to the piping inside. The case will need cutting back to accommodate the piece.



When doing this, you need a connector which is slightly "long", so that the case can fit in between the connector and the hose end. In the UK, the Wilko two way piece is fine (and cheap), being slightly longer than the Hoselock piece. This is what the pictures show.



The tap previously used for soaking the sponge is now an on/off switch for the hose connection.

The hose can be connected straight onto the connector, and this fills the PC, and the Triple aggressor can be used as if it were a hose attachment. I'm currently working on plans to add a connector to the tank as well, but this will need a check valve to stop the tank spilling everywhere when not connected.

The new piece on the underside can be used to fill the PC, but in rare situations can be used in reverse, using the 3XA to pump water down a hose, for example:
- to pressurize a QFD-only water gun.
- If pumping air rather than water, this would be one of the most effective ways to get the dregs out of a splashzooka.
- If the check valve were frozen, and the 3XA user had enough water (possibly a backpack mod) and a sensible length of hose, then they could hook up to a monster type and save the user some pumping. (With two people pumping, then the weapon should be very useful for base defense even without a tap)

The hose connector shown in the picture above is actually a special type that shuts off when not connected. The water pressure presses a valve shut - the valve is held open by a connector inserted into it. (May be known as a waterlock connector)

This is part of another mod I am planning, a mix between a PC expansion, the 2l homemade on the main SSCentral site, and a SC power pak.

This other mod will involve fitting a large bottle to a hose with this special connector on the end. The bottle can be filled from a tap or the attachment on the underside of the aggressor, and can then be attached to:
- the triple aggressor to increase the PC size
- a hose attachment to use as a a separate weapon
- the the thing I am about to show you.

The smaller half of the connector can be glued to an old style reservoir cap. The hole in the cap and the hole in the connector need to be lined up, but once done, the water gun's reservoir can be filled from a standard hose connection. The check valve in the cap means that the hose can be disconnected without fear of it spilling. Picture below.



The tank can be connected to the cap, and the pressure will force water into the reservoir.

If the reservoir is quite empty, the hose may need to be disconnected briefly to allow air out.

I plan to attach some hose to the underside of the cap, so that it trails to the bottom of the tank. On an unpressurised backpack, the vacuum created by the pump should draw water out.

It's all a bit odd, but some people might find great use for these two mods. In any case, the connection is bound to be more use than the sponge.

This is the lastest installment of Joanna Ardway's mods that have been completed only hours ago. I do my best to get these mods to you quickly.

[Crashdummy]

Wow, a use for the Triple Aggressor, and a good one at that.

[Ben]

Nice modification. QFD modifications nearly always come out good, at least for water guns that could use a QFD modification. I am surprised that no one else seems to be able to find the little hose attachments you and I have used in several things. What are they called where you live? Here I can only seem to find them as "gardening hose attachments" or something of that sort.

I also like how you said you performed the modification only hours before posting the guide! That's something most people don't do and it definitely would be appreciated. I usually "keep everyone informed" about what I am working on, and then write the guide. Might save time to just skip the to guide.

[joannaardway]

The upsides to this mod are:
-The 3XA has a greater range than a normal hose-attachment, and can be disconnected and taken elsewhere (and the PC should be at a slightly higher pressure than just pumping it)
- It removes the rather annoying sponge holder.
- And if needs be can be used in reverse to provide a pressurized water source for something else.
- In theory, a plastic bottle can be attached to the port via a hose, and can massively increase the reservoir's size, and be shut off. With multiple waterlock valves, bottles could be switched over.


The packaging for the connector piece says "hose coupler" and in the UK, Wilkinson/Wilko stocks them for around 69p each. I also found a 4-way hose splitter there, with independent taps for each connection, but I was running out of cash.

They're easy enough to find - if anyone has trouble, go into a DIY store or some general purpose hardware store like Wilko and ask an assistant to show you hose/hose ends/hose pieces.

In the uk, the major brand is Hoselock. This is more expensive and has a shorter length on the coupler piece. This will probably be too short for this mod, so I recommend something longer.

Because of the way the valves in the pump work, if the hose is high enough pressure, even without a CVF, the range can be increased, because the water can't flow back.

However, the downside to this is that the reservoir is not filled. I presume then that the pressure check valves on the monster series have the intake on the other side of the valve that feeds into the pressure tanks. Looking at the images available to me, it seems that this is the case.

I enjoy sharing my mods with the community, so I try to get them out as fast as possible. So, if I can cobble together an arrangement to fill the reservoir as well, then be certain that you will hear about it as quickly as possible.

Interesting 3XA fact: the mini-pistol actually uses a miniature cylindrical CPS bladder.

On the old style cap mod, I've been thinking. If set up correctly, if a pressurized source was attached to the reservoir of a soaker, would the pressure be able to force it's way through the pump, into the PC? It might work out, but I'm not sure yet. Any way, if it did, then the pump would need some sort of catch to stop it extending. I'll investigate with the CPS 2700 once it's in a useable state.

Anyway the 3XA mod allows all kinds of fun, and a fair number of clever tricks. I'm sure you people could think of some more uses for a mobile pressurized water source.

[joannaardway]

The other half of the mod involves making what is essentially an external PC.

Using the "water stop" connector I bought (basically it's got a valve inside which is pushed shut by the water pressure unless something is plugged into it), I have created an extra PC for the 3XA. My 3XA now has a 1L PC (!) and a massive shot time.

Taking a length of hose about 1m in length, I fitted the " water stop" connector to one end.



Ok, the picture wasn't essential.

Fitting the other end of the hose into a bottle which I had carefully hacked a hole in the lid using some hardening putty to fill the gaps (it will be under pressure so it is advised to fill these gaps - if it were unpressurised you could skip this), like so:



The bottle can now be attached to the modded port on the underside of the 3XA, and when the tap is open, the 3XA has a 1L PC. If a larger bottle is used, then the shot time can be boosted even further. I might come up with a larger one at a later date, but I like this one, because it gives the 3XA a larger PC than most CPS weapons, and it's not too large.

In theory a really large container could be filled, then pressurized further with a bike-pump or similar, and a pressurized source would be available on the move.

And for the rest of the good news.

Because I used a "water stop" connector, I can:
-charge the extra PC from a tap, and then attach it.
-Disconnect it to use a hose connection
-charge it from the 3XA or a tap, and then fit a hose attachment, and use it as a separate gun (a la 2 litre homemade)
-Keep it under pressure for when it is needed.
-Disconnect it and use it to fill a reservoir with the modded cap.
-Have more than one, and attach them one at a time, to keep pressure all the time.
-Or many other things.

A picture of the final product:



I plan to rig some string loops on the right side of the gun to hold the extra PC. I'm not going to attach it permanently (because it can be used as a homemade), and I might come up with a plan to rig it as a backpack.

[joannaardway]

I've added the string loops, and I've CVFed the 3xA. I also fixed the broken trigger and swapped in a pump cap replacement (previously, I had been pulling on strings to open and close it - the trigger is now functional)

I had it running at about 75-80 psi above air pressure, (I've painted a pressure gauge on to the new tank) with only a very slight leak from the external tank (which I am seeing to)

I haven't been able to check performance and range that well, as lighting conditions were not great.

I might do a "collosus" on the mini-pistol (but with a rubber band or two) to allow it more range and capacity (if you study it, then if you were to crush the rubber ballon, then you would get a greater capacity within it - and it would clear out easier.)

[joannaardway]

At the time I post this, my hosting is down, so the pictures aren't working.

Using the modified tank cap, earlier, my twin brother and I, tested my theory on attaching a hose to the tank, using both the remants of the internals of my dead XP 110, and the internals of my CPS 27K.

The water does force it's way through the check valves, but as there was no pressure on the far end of either system (the PCs weren't attached), the pumps didn't force their way out, but both of us assume that if a PC were attached then the pump would force it's way out, so some sort of a pump lock would be needed.

It's not quite the same as a QFD as the rear tank is filled and pressurized, and when the pressure gets high enough it then bypasses the check valves. The rear tank is therefore not totally filled, as an pressure lock builds up. However, it will flood the PC eventually.

Which proves it to be quite a useful mod.