Compact APHs

[Silence]

I tested out the homemade in full yesterday. The backpack is really nice since the one I found is small (it's beaten up, though; it has holes and one of the straps is broken), and I figured out that you have to put the bag inside and then fill it up--not the other way around. I intended to put the bag in upside-down so the water would go through, but air wasn't a problem anyway.

The hose is really far longer than I had expected, partly because the bag isn't upside-down after all. However, I'm not shortening it because it is really easy to just lay down the gun with the backpack still on and do something else, which is very convenient.

The nozzle selection is, I suppose, okay--in ascending order, their diameters are 3/32", 3/16", and 1/4". Finally I drilled those last two after my dad suggested only a small one (not convinced of the range of larger nozzles, but it's true that you can drill out a larger nozzle), and they are far better. However, the 3/32" nozzle gets only perhaps 25-30 feet of range (I haven't tested any of them), and it splits into several individual streams, all of which are turbulent. That's because when drilling, my dad purposely jiggled the drill a bit--not a good idea. The 1/4" nozzle is the cleanest, because I drilled it quickly and didn't drill back out.

The 1/4" nozzle gets superior range, but I believe the 3/16" one has even better distance, although the stream does break up more. I'll try to drill a 1/8" hole into the old 3/32" nozzle, and if the range is still poor, then I'll move it up to 3/16". In that case, the old 3/16" would be upgraded to a cleaner 7/32" aperture.

As you can see, at this point I'm really just trying to maximize range but with a wide variety of outputs. I'm not getting into extreme output or conservation just yet. However, I still have one nozzle that has not yet been drilled at all, and I'm considering doing either a huge 3/8" nozzle or a shotgun one, with two small, turbulent apertures.

Potential upgrades: A replacement of most of the bottom half of the soaker, including brass check valves (for size), a clean new pump tube, and the washer on the correct side of the tee. More nozzle pieces to drill out, many of which can be shared with other homemades in the future*. Either a female socket coupler or tee with the perfect washer OR a massively drilled-out socket endcap--both to prevent the pump from coming out accidentally **. A completely new pump--a 3/8" aluminum rod and the appropriate O-ring as detailed in the SSC pumps guide *3*. A new handle for whatever pump rod I will be using *4*.

*Well, not really--I plan on only using threaded endcaps, not threads plugs. These are hard to hold/screw on and thus they leak; also, the threads aren't very high-quality. So instead, an upgrade might just mean a conversion to the endcap system.

**The tee, with one leg sawed off for compactness, would allow me to connect tubing that would also be duct-taped to the end of the ball valve, for stability. An endcap drilled out would be like the coupler or the tee, in that they narrow down a bit and stop the pump from falling out, a fear which has made me not pull out the pump very far.

*3*The problems I've been having earlier with the pump might be due to the sizes I've been using. Additionally, this new pump method would allow for a longer rod and pump tube, and the 3/8" drill bit would create a perfect hole in the handle so the rod won't wobble as much as it does now.

*4*The current pump handle is extremely comfortable, but huge, easily large enough for large hands. It adds a lot of unnecessary length to the soaker, and I'm thinking about either a perpendicular handle (but it would need a guide) or preferably one that doubles have and goes over the pump tube. It would be complex, but crazy!

EDIT: Okay, I got a ton of pictures...I'm transferring them to my computer now.