*** IonOwners Tech Frequently Asked Questions - READ ME FIRST! ***

**Chiumanfu** · 07-28-2005, 02:19 PM

Most of your answers can be found at this page
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/ion/index.html
Ydna has gone to great lengths to explain how the Ion operates. Knowing this information will allow you to figure out problems that may come up on the field and allow you to communicate your problem more effectively to us on ionowners.com so we can help you.

When posting questions to this forum, it will help greatly if you include as many details as possible. Be sure to include your settings (dwell, rof, pressure), any aftermarket upgrades and a clear description of the problem.

DON'T GUESS AT ANSWERS PLEASE. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, DON'T POST. POSTING THE WRONG INFORMATION IS VERY CONFUSING!!!

Q: Where can I find the manual?
A: http://www.smartparts.com/Manuals/Ion_Manual.pdf

Q: Where can I find the serial number?
A: It is stamped on the front lip right underneath where the barrel screws in.

Q: What should I do before airing up my new Ion for the first time?
A: Turn the velocity all the way down. With the Ion upside down and the reg pointing straight up in the air, turn the velocity adjuster counter-clockwise with the supplied wrench until it stops. Image at the bottom of this page.
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/ion...ectronics.html

Q: Can the Ion use CO2?
A: It can use CO2 but the tank must have an anti-siphon tube installed correctly for that particular Ion. If it was installed for a different marker, it will not work. Take your tank and Ion to your local shop and have them install the anti-siphon tube. I highly suggest a HPA tank as your first upgrade.

Q: My Ion is acting funny
A: Many strange problems are caused by a low battery. If you are having problems (improper cycling, rapid dropoff, randomly turning off, only shooting at low pressure) change the battery with a fresh alkaline 9V. "Dollar store" batteries will not work as well as a high quality energizer or duracell.

Q: My Ion's electronics are acting funny
A: Most problems with the board are caused by the circuit board or solenoid connections shorting out on the trigger frame. Try removing the board from the trigger frame and powering it up to confirm that is the problem.

Q: When I plug in the battery, the red power light turns on solid and it doesn't shoot.
A: Try removing the board from the trigger frame and plugging the battery in. The jewel on the power button sticker may be holding the button down. You can use a knife to slice off a little material off the back side of the jewel. Also check if the power button is stuck down.

Q: How fast does the Ion shoot?
A: That depends on your settings and firing mode. Semi-auto and rebound mode are capped to 17bps. 3-shot burst and full-auto are capped at 10bps. No matter what the settings are programmed as, the Ion will never cycle faster that the cap with the stock board.

Q: What is a QEV and how do I install it?
A: The QEV allows the air that is holding the bolt back to escape more quickly.

Descriptions

http://www.ionowners.com/showthread.php?t=115

http://www.ionowners.com/showthread.php?t=296

http://www.ionowners.com/showthread.php?t=1343

http://ionowners.com/showpost.php?p=131126&postcount=6 360 QEV

Videos

http://media.putfile.com/qev-ion-install-video QEV Install Vid

Q: Can I install two QEV's to increase performance?
A: There is only need for one QEV on the middle banjo. The rear banjo is a one way contant output hose which never exhausts air in the other direction.

Q: My Ion is a gas hog. What do I do?
A: There can be many reasons that an Ion is wasting alot of air. In order of importance...

Paint to barrel bore matching. This is very important for air efficiency.
Leaks. Listen carefully for small leaks.
Bad settings. If the dwell is set too long or too short, you will be wasting air.
Make sure your bolt and reg are lubed properly.
A QEV will increase your efficiency a pod or two.

Q: My Ion drops off when I shoot fast
A: There can be many causes for drop off. Here are the most common solutions. Lube and clean the reg. Change battery with a good quality 9V. Make sure the tank is screwed all the way into the ASA. Contrary, some ASA's will block the pin valve is they are screwed in too far (try unscrewing the tank a bit). Check your detents for wear. Raise your dwell.

Q: How do I maintain my Ion?
A: Regular maintenance will keep your Ion operating fast and reliably. This is not your old tippy. You will need to clean it and lube it or it will break-down. Use Shocker Lube (DOW33) only. Using any other lube will void your warranty.

Disassembly Videos

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cB1LtKY9jQE

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kzW7xDfRZEg

Regulator and Solenoid Video

http://www.chiumanfu.com/dlfiles/ion/ion_reg.wmv (Right click and Save as)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=smWSterMpQc

http://youtube.com/watch?v=QnKUHlSCnhM

Webpages

http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/ion...ance_bolt.html

http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/regs/main_ionreg.html

http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/ion..._solenoid.html

Q: Why won't my board come out when I try to lift off the firing assembly?
A: Make sure to push up on the bottom of the boardwhile lifting off the firing assembly. Sometimes, the conformal coating that SP applies to the boards makes them very hard to remove for the first couple of times. It will get easier over time.

Q: When I turn the eyes on, the marker fires even if there is nothing in the breech.
A: Check to make sure the eyes on the little "C" shaped circuit board are straight and pointing directly into the holes. Make sure they are clean. Make sure your eye wires are plugged in correctly and securely. Check the pins inside the sockets that the eye wire plugs into.

Q: When I turn the eyes on, the marker does not fire even though there should be a ball in the breech.
A: Check the feedneck for a blockage. Your detents may be worn out, allowing the ball to roll too far forward for the eyes to see it.

Q: When I gas up my Ion, the bolt is thrown forward and air leaks out the barrel.
A: http://www.ionowners.com/showpost.ph...83&postcount=8

Q: How do I remove the macroline?
A: The macroline goes into a fitting and the fitting screws into the marker. Hold the collar on the fitting down while pulling on the macroline tube. It should slide out. To replace, just push the macroline tube into the fitting and give it a light pull to seat the collar again. Make sure your macroline cuts are square and clean.

Q: How do I remove the stock feedneck?
A: Disassemble the Ion. Heat the feedneck with a hairdryer. Wrap the feedneck with a cloth and use vise-grips to turn. You can also use a strap-wrench if available.

Q: How do I remove the stock trigger?
A: Completely disassemble the Ion. Lay the trigger frame on a solid surface with the gauge side down. Use a small punch and knock the silver pin above the trigger out with a hammer. Be careful not to scratch your frame.
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/ion...e_trigger.html
http://www.ionowners.com/showthread.php?t=3553
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3ahz-S486Aw

Q: How do I adjust the stock trigger for the quickest pull?
A: Set your Ion for full-auto with eye's off. Remove the air source and completely remove the grips. Adjust the Post-Travel setscrew in the trigger so that when you pull the trigger, the switch activates 1mm before the setscrew hits the frame. You can hear the solenoid clicking when the switch activates. Adjust the Pre-Travel setscrew in (clockwise) just until the switch activates, then back it out atleast 1/2 turn. Fully test it without air first to make sure the switch does not activate when the Ion is bumped and make sure the solenoid stops clicking everytime you let go of the trigger.
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/ion/adj_trigger.html

Q: How does the Ion work?
a: http://www.chiumanfu.com/dlfiles/ion/superrender3.gif

Q: How does the Ion solenoid work?
a: http://www.zdspb.com/tech/misc/solen...factuated.html

Q: How does the Ion regulator work?
A: http://www.zdspb.com/tech/misc/maxflo.html

Q: My Ion doesn't work well in the cold. What do I do?
A: http://www.ionowners.com/showthread.php?t=6129

**Chiumanfu** · 07-28-2005, 02:20 PM

Q: How do I change the firing modes?
A: Firing modes can be changed using the programming button. Lay the Ion down with the PSI gauge facing up. Remove the grip.
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/ion...cs_stockb.html

The first thing you want to do is bottom out the fire mode setting. Push the programming button multiple times until it is on double blink red.
Push the power button repeatedly until the yellow led does not blink anymore. You have now bottomed out the fire mode setting. This is semi-auto mode. If this is your desired mode, pull the trigger to save the setting and jump to step 7.
Push the programming button multiple times until it is on double blink yellow.
Push the power button once to set the fire mode to one flash above bottom. Your Ion is now set for rebound/ramping mode. If this is your desired mode, pull the trigger to save the setting and jump to step 7.
Push the power button once to set the fire mode to two flashes above bottom. Your Ion is now set for 3-shot burst mode. If this is your desired mode, pull the trigger to save the setting and jump to step 7.
Push the power button once to set the fire mode to three flashes above bottom. Your Ion is now set for full-auto. If this is your desired mode, pull the trigger to save the setting.
Once the mode is set, turn the ion off to record the settings to memory. Just pulling the battery will not save the settings to memory.

Q: What are the modes?
A:

Semi-auto. One shot per trigger pull.
Rebound/Ramping. Rebound activates after three shots at 5 bps. It will ramp up to whatever the max fire-rate is set to (17bps). It will keep firing at 17bps as long as you pull the trigger at 5-bps. If you pause for 1/4 second, ramping will turn off and you'll have to shoot another three shots at 5-bps to engage it again.
Burst. Three shots per trigger pull at 10bps max.
Full-auto. Fires at 10bps max as long as the trigger is held.

Q: What are the stock settings?
A: Stock settings are: Dwell at 52 and ROF Delay at 10. These settings will limit your Ion to approximately 15bps maximum rate of fire. If you are running CO2, I suggest leaving your Ion at stock settings.

Returning your Ion to stock settings
First set your dwell to 52 blinks from the bottom.

Push the programming button multiple times until it is on solid red
Push the power button repeatedly until the yellow led does not blink anymore. You have now bottomed out the dwell.
Push the programming button multiple times until it is on solid yellow
Push the power button 52 times

Then set your ROF Delay to 10 blinks from the bottom.

Push the programming button multiple times until it is on single blink red
Push the power button repeatedly until the yellow led does not blink anymore. You have now bottomed out the ROF Delay.
Push the programming button multiple times until it is on single blink yellow.
Push the power button 10 times.
Push the trigger to exit programming mode.
Turn the ion off to record the settings to memory. Just pulling the battery will not save the settings to memory.

Q: What are the best settings for max rof?
A: These settings are on the conservative side and just a starting point to get you in the ball park. You should tune the dwell to further optimize gas efficiency and velocity consistency. Remember, every Ion is a little different. If you experience shootdown try adjusting your dwell one blink at a time until you can't notice it anymore.

Recommended settings for Ion without QEV
First set your dwell to 48 blinks from the bottom.

Push the programming button multiple times until it is on solid red
Push the power button repeatedly until the yellow led does not blink anymore. You have now bottomed out the dwell.
Push the programming button multiple times until it is on solid yellow
Push the power button 48 times

Then set your ROF Delay to 0 blinks from the bottom.

Push the programming button multiple times until it is on single blink red
Push the power button repeatedly until the yellow led does not blink anymore. You have now bottomed out the ROF Delay.
Push the trigger to exit programming mode.
Turn the ion off to record the settings to memory. Just pulling the battery will not save the settings to memory.

Recommended settings for Ion with any QEV
First set your dwell to 14 blinks from the bottom.

Push the programming button multiple times until it is on solid red
Push the power button repeatedly until the yellow led does not blink anymore. You have now bottomed out the dwell.
Push the programming button multiple times until it is on solid yellow
Push the power button 14 times. ***If you have the Smart Parts 360 QEV, push the power button 20 times instead***

Then set your ROF Delay to 0 blinks from the bottom.

Push the programming button multiple times until it is on single blink red
Push the power button repeatedly until the yellow led does not blink anymore. You have now bottomed out the ROF Delay.
Push the trigger to exit programming mode.
Turn the ion off to record the settings to memory. Just pulling the battery will not save the settings to memory.

Q: How do I fine tune my Ion for best performance?
A: Following these steps, you can setup your Ion for best gas efficiency and velocity consistency. Your reg must be properly broken in and lubed for good results. I get +/-2 fps at the chrono.

Raise the dwell to stock setting of 52 flashes
Adjust your pressure until your shooting at your desired velocity.
Lower the dwell until you notice the velocity drop.
Raise the dwell back up one or two flashes.

Q: How do I cap my Ion at 15bps?
A: You have to set your ROF Delay according to this formula. Dwell flashes + ROF Delay flashes = 64
You can also use the calculators I created. Remember to verify on the field chronograph before playing.
http://ion.chiumanfu.com/index.php?main_page=page_9

Q: How do I cap my Ion at 13.3bps?
A: You have to set your ROF Delay according to this formula. Dwell flashes + ROF Delay flashes = 81
You can also use the calculators I created. Remember to verify on the field chronograph before playing.
http://ion.chiumanfu.com/index.php?main_page=page_9

Q: What is the difference between ROF and Recharge (ROF Delay)?
A: They are the same... but opposite. The manual described the single blink red setting as ROF up and single blink yellow as ROF down. Most of the Ion community feels this terminology adds too much confusion because red-up and yellow-down is opposite of the other settings and because increasing the ROF by 1 does not increase the BPS by 1.

It is much easier to think of the single blink red setting as Recharge Down (ROF Delay Down) and the single blink yellow as Recharge Up (ROF Delay Up). It is also much more descriptive since the actual setting is the time that board ignores the trigger to allow the dump chamber to recharge.

ROF Delay Up/Down is the new term that SP uses in the Epiphany manual. ROF Delay and Recharge are the same. Note : Smart Parts has updated the Ion manual to use the ROF Delay Up/Down terminology now.

Q: What is dwell?
A: Dwell is the amount of time the bolt stay forward during firing.

When you click the trigger, the solenoid closes off the air supply to the middle banjo.
The dwell time starts now!
The air that was holding the bolt in the open position is vented through the solenoid or qev and the bolt moves forward.
The bolt seals the breech. The air from the dump chamber blows through the bolt and fires a ball.
The bolt stays in this forward position until the dwell time expires.
The dwell time ends now!
The solenoid opens the air supply to the middle banjo and pushes on the bolt sail.
The bolt moves back to the open position.

If the dwell is too short, the bolt will start moving back and unseal the breech while the dump chamber is still releasing it's air. You'll waste air out the feedneck and your consistancy will vary.

If the dwell is too long, air will leak during the time that the bolt is in the closed postion because the bolt tail does not seal off the dump chamber.

-WIP-

**Chiumanfu** · 09-14-2005, 03:09 PM

Q: My Ion has a leak. How do I find it and how do I fix it?
A: Follow these direction to pin-point the leak.

Step 1 : Disassemble the marker. Separate the trigger frame from the firing assembly. Remove the battery, eye board, eye wires, body shell.

Step 2 : With the shell still off, reconnect the mid banjo or qev to the breech and reconnect the rear banjo to the donut. With the trigger frame still separate from the firing assembly, reconnect the front banjo to the trigger frame ASA port.

Step 3 : Turn down your reg and air up the ION. Increase the pressure to about 100psi.

Step 4 : Listen for the general area that the leak is coming from. Mix a bowl of 25% dish soap and 75% water and apply it to the leak area with a q-tip. Bubbles will form at the exact point where air is escaping.

If the leak stopped with the firing assembly off the frame, the common cause is bad hoses. Try gently pulling and pushing on hoses to try to determine which hose is causing the leak.

It is common for the frame to push on the rear banjo when it's assembled, causing the rear banjo to leak.Try shortening the rear hose by 1mm. Make sure the cut is clean and straight. If you still have it, try replacing the rear hose with the spare hose that came with your Ion. Also, you can try swapping the rear banjo with the front banjo.

Follow these directions to fix the leak.

Refer to this pdf file for part/oring locations.
SP ION Parts and Spares Doc

A - A leak down the barrel is most likely caused by an unlubed oring or a worn out oring. Check these orings: Bolt Main Seal (Body Assembly #19), Bolt Stop Outer Seal (Body Assembly #5), Bolt Stop Inner Seal (Body Assembly #23), Bolt Guide Seal (Body Assembly #7). Plug the holes in the face of the bolt with your finger. If the leak stops, the problem is most likely one of the two bolt stop seals are dry or damaged.

B - A leak up the feedneck is caused by the same orings as a leak down the barrel. (see A)

C - A leak between the Body Breech and Fire Chamber is caused by a worn out oring. Check these orings: Body Front Seal (Body Assembly #5), Outer Body Seal (Body Assembly #6).

D - A leak from the front or back of the Swivel Donut is caused by worn orings. Check this oring: Fire Chamber Seals (Body Assembly #11). There is two of them under the donut. You will need a snap ring removal tool to get the donut off or you can use a pair of small needle nose pliers with very sharp tips. Insert each tip into the holes on the snap ring and open the pliers.

E - A leak from the Bolt tail is caused by a unlubed or worn oring. Check this oring: Bolt Rear Seal (Body Assembly #18). A small amount of air will be expelled during firing when the bolt returns to the open position. This is normal.

F - A leak from the rear 4mm Banjo Fitting threads can be caused by a worn out or damaged banjo seal. Replace the banjo oring with a 1.5x3mm oring. Check to make sure it is not cross threaded and there is no debris around the Swivel Donut inlet port. Screw it in finger tight. If it still leaks, replace the banjo fitting.

G - A leak from the rear 4mm Banjo Fitting quick disconnect can be caused by a bad hose. There is not much room for the hose and the barb on the Solenoid. This causes the hose to be pushed into the banjo's quick disconnect when the trigger frame is screwed on. A quick disconnect will not seal properly if the hose is being pushed into it. Remove the Banjo Fitting and make sure the hose end is intact and cut straight. Make sure the hose bottoms out inside the banjo's quick disconnect. Try cutting 1mm off the end of the hose to shorten it up. This will create some tension pulling on the hose and letting the quick disconnect seal up. Shortening the hose leading to the middle banjo fitting will accomplish the same thing.

H - A leak from the hose end is caused by a bad hose. This generally happens after the Ion has been over-pressured. The hose is stretched and looses it's tensile strength. Replace it. A tiny amount of lube on the barb will help the hose go on.

I - A leak from the Solenoid Barb is caused by a worn out oring. Check this oring: Barb Seal (Body Assembly #28). Also check that the barb is not cross threaded into the Solenoid Tee Fitting. When changing the Barb Seal, remove the Solenoid Tee Fitting from the solenoid to prevent stress on the electronics board.

J - A leak from the Solenoid exhaust port is caused by a damaged or dirty bottom seal on the Solenoid armature. Disassemble the Solenoid and clean the rubber seal at the bottom of the armature. Do not lube anything in the Solenoid. If a QEV is not used, a small amount of air will be exhausted from this hole during firing when the bolt moves to a closed position. This is normal.

K - A leak from the hose end is caused by a bad hose. This generally happens after the Ion has been over-pressured. The hose is stretched and looses it's tensile strength. Replace it being extra careful. This port is made of plastic and will break if too much force is applied. A tiny amount of lube on the barb will help the hose go on.

L - A leak from the Solenoid Barb is caused by a worn out oring. Check this oring: Barb Seal (Body Assembly #28). Also check that the barb is not cross threaded into the Solenoid Tee Fitting. When changing the Barb Seal, remove the Solenoid Tee Fitting from the solenoid to prevent stress on the electronics board.

M - A leak from the hose end is caused by a bad hose. This generally happens after the Ion has been over-pressured. The hose is stretched and looses it's tensile strength. Replace it. A tiny amount of lube on the barb will help the hose go on.

N - A leak from the middle 1/8 Banjo Fitting quick disconnect (or QEV quick disconnect) can be caused by a bad hose. Remove the Banjo Fitting and make sure the hose end is intact and cut straight. Make sure the hose bottoms out inside the banjo's quick disconnect. Try cutting 1mm off the end of the hose to shorten it up. This will create some tension pulling on the hose and letting the quick disconnect seal up. A quick disconnect will not seal properly if the hose is being pushed into it.

O - A leak from the middle 1/8 Banjo Fitting threads can be caused by a worn out or damaged banjo seal. Replace the banjo oring with a 1.5x3mm oring. Check to make sure it is not cross threaded and there is no debris around the breech inlet port. Screw it in finger tight. If it still leaks, replace the banjo fitting. If using a QEV try using a 08/90 oring or alot of teflon tape. When using teflon tape, do not allow any near the air port, keep it all on the threads.

P - (QEV only) A leak from the QEV exhaust port can be caused by a damaged QEV. Replace it. A small amount of air will be exhausted from this hole during firing when the bolt moves to a closed position. This is normal.

Q - A leak from the front 4mm Banjo Fitting quick disconnect can be caused by a bad hose. Remove the Banjo Fitting and make sure the hose end is intact and cut straight. Make sure the hose bottoms out inside the banjo's quick disconnect. Try cutting 1mm off the end of the hose to shorten it up. This will create some tension pulling on the hose and letting the quick disconnect seal up. A quick disconnect will not seal properly if the hose is being pushed into it.

R - A leak from the front 4mm Banjo Fitting threads can be caused by a worn out or damaged banjo seal. Replace the banjo oring with a 1.5x3mm oring. Check to make sure it is not cross threaded and there is no debris around the Grip Frame outlet port. Screw it in finger tight. If it still leaks, replace the banjo fitting.

S - A leak from the Gauge threads can be fixed by removing the gauge, cleaning the loctight from the threads and reinstalling it with fresh loctight or teflon tape. Make sure to let the loctight set before airing it up. A leak from the bleed hole on the side of the gauge means the gauge is blown. Replace it.

T - A leak between the Grip Frame and the Regulator can be caused by a worn or damaged oring. Check this oring: Reg ASA Seal (Regulator Assembly #14). Make sure the Body Filter (Grip Frame Assembly #5) is sitting flat in the Grip Frame ASA while you are screwing the regulator in.

Q: What O-rings are used in the Ion?
A: Here's a list of the factory specified O-ring replacements for the Ion.
Quan Size Duro Material Location
------------------------------------------------
1 2x16mm 70 HNBR Sail
2 1x4mm 70 Buna Solenoid barb
2 1.5x3mm 70 Urethane Banjo
1 8 90 Urethane QEV
1 9 70 Urethane Solenoid head
2 10 70 Urethane Tail, Reg Piston tail
1 14 70 Urethane Inner bolt stop
2 15 70 Urethane Swivel donut
2 15 90 Urethane Bumper, Reg ASA
1 16 70 Urethane Reg piston head
1 17 70 HNBR Inner breech
1 17 90 Urethane SFT
1 18 90 Urethane Reg velocity cap
1 19 70 Buna Barrel
2 20 70 Urethane Outer rear breech,Outer boltstop
1 22 70 Viton Outer front breech
Aftermarket
1 12 75 Viton Lucky Stage2 inner tail
1 8 70 Buna Deadlywind Foehn manifold
1 2x8mm 70 Buna TechT L7 inner bolt-stop

**Chiumanfu** · 09-21-2005, 12:57 PM

Q: How do I match barrel bore size to paint size with a barrel kit?
A: Drop the paintball into the barrel. If it rolls out, choose a smaller bore size. Keep going smaller until the paint falls into the barrel and sticks inside. Now try to blow the paintball out like a blowgun. If it flies out easily, the bore is perfectly matched. Try a few paintballs to make sure your batch is consistant and remember to resize half-way through the day because paintball size is affected by temperature and humidity.

Q: What's the bore size of the stock barrel?
A: Stock barrel is 0.689

Q: LP or HP Compressed air tank?
A: HPA tanks have a regulator on the output. That regulator has a recharge delay just like your in-line regulator. If the recharge delay is too long, you will notice shootdown. The recharge delay on a tank is nowhere near as critical as the in-line regulator because you have a very large buffer (normally 800psi down to about 200psi) before you will notice any shootdown. A LP tank does not have such a large buffer so the reg needs to recharge faster to keep up. Imagine this LP scenario. I have to emphasize that this isn't exactly what happens but it will help you understand the process.

The tank outputs 450psi.
The 450psi hits the in-line reg which allows 160psi through then shuts off.
You shoot your Ion and...say for clarity's sake...the system pressure drops to 0.
The tank reg opens up to replace the lost 160psi back up to 450psi.
The in-line reg opens up again to allow 450psi to recharge the Ion again. When the Ion's internal pressure hits 160psi, the in-line reg shuts off.

Now what happens if you shoot so fast, the tank reg can not replace the lost 160psi (#4) before you shoot again. the 450psi source is going to get lower and lower with each successive rapid shot. When that 450psi drops to below 160psi, you'll notice drop off. With a HP tank, you have a much larger buffer to lose before the 800psi drops below 160psi. LP Crossfire tanks are the only ones that has been confirmed to recharge fast enough. Most (if not all) HP tanks on the market will have regs that can easily keep up with the Ion.

This is a list of HP tanks and their test results.
A = pressure prior to shot, in PSI
B = lowest pressure during shot, in PSI
C = % pressure drop
D = recovery time 95% of pressure in MS
NAME / A / B / C / D
ACI bulldog / 710 / 487 / 31% / 122ms
Armageddon / 807 / 661 / 18% / 90ms
Centerflag / 801 / 675 / 16% / 14ms
Crossfire / 770 / 662 / 14% / 10ms
DYE throttle / 830 / 573 / 30% / 173ms
EVIL Scion / 556 / 472 / 15% / 18ms
Pro Toyz / 804 / 508 / 26% / 41ms
Pure Energy / 840 / 724 / 14% / 10(30*)ms
WDP A.I.R. / 797 / 648 / 19% / 45ms
* Pure Energy reg initially recovers within 10ms, although the pressure oscillates and full recovery is not achived for another 20 ms.

Q: What are the best upgrades for the ION?
A: There are many upgrade possibilities available on the ION. The best thing to do it play with it for a couple days and figure out what you don't like or what needs improving. Here is the upgrade path I took.

Barrel. Spend a little extra here. Definitely get a kit with multiple bore sizes. Link to a good BARREL GUIDE
On/Off ASA. The stock duckbill ASA makes the Ion a really long setup. Shortening it up with a uni-mount or drop forward will make it feel a lot more comfortable. I suggest an On/Off with bleed but please note that the stock Ion reg keeps one or two shots of air even after you bleed the lines.
Trigger. A new trigger will have less side to side play and probably a magnetic tension adjustment. The trigger will allow you to rip off a higher rate of fire.
Feedneck. A clamping feedneck will make your life a whole lot easier. A shorter feedneck will make your marker setup more compact but also "may" not feed as consistant as a longer feedneck. That depends on whether or not your hopper is force-feed or gravity-feed.
QEV. Read the first post in the Tech FAQ for QEV info. Increases cps, efficiency and traps grease.
Detents. The stock detents don't last as long as advertised.
Grips. Purely personal preference.
Regulator. The stock Ion reg is actually pretty good. It requires more maintenance than most other regs but when it's kept clean and lubed, it outperforms many after market offerings.

Q: What is the best regulator?
A: The stock Ion regulator has a very decent recharge and consistancy if it is maintained properly. Here's a graph of aftermarket regs and their recharge.
http://www.chiumanfu.com/dlfiles/ion/5jun04dyno.jpg

Q: My CP Roller Trigger sticks.
A: Follow the CP trigger install manual
http://store.customproducts.us/index...ile&prodID=126
At step 6 and 10 make sure you put the "chamfered" side of the spacers towards the ball bearing. Figure out which is the "chamfered" side by laying both them down on a hard, flat table and looking closely from the side. The flat side will sit flush with the table surface, while the chamfered side will be sitting slightly off the table surface.

Q: How do I maintain my CP regulator?
A: Follow the CP Regulator maintenance manual
http://store.customproducts.us/index...File&prodID=22

Q: What are the Lucky Stages?
A: The Lucky Stages are designed and manufactured by Lucky Paintball
www.lucky-paintball.com

Stage 1 is a bolt. It used to come in LBM (like delrin) material but those had issues with stength and reliability. TV2 was made from aluminum. V3 went back to LBM with an altered tail design.
Stage 2 is a firing chamber. It has larger airways and an internal oring to seal off the dump chamber when the bolt is forward. This is supposed to increase efficiency... but it also makes the Stage 2 incompatible with any bolt that has two orings on the tail. Also since the rear section of the Stage 2 does not have the hex bolt, it is not compatible with the Deadly Wind Foehn, Strange Ion Body or Shocktech Ion Body. It comes in different colours.
Stage 3 is a donut. It has enlarged airways to increase flow. It does not use the stock c-clip. Instead it is secured to the firing chamber with set-screws. It comes in different colours.
Stage 4 is a board. It is available with an old stock noid or the new MAC solenoid.
Stage 5 is a complete replacement body. It replaces the entire firing assembly. It's not available at this time so you will only be able to find them used.
Stage 5.1 is an updated Stage 5. It comes in different milling patterns.
Stage 6 is a frame. It has not been released yet.

-WIP-

**Chiumanfu** · 10-08-2005, 07:01 AM

Q: Is there a schematic for the Ion electronics?
A: http://www.chiumanfu.com/dlfiles/ion/schematic.gif

Q: Is there a schematic for the Blackheart electronics?
A: http://www.chiumanfu.com/dlfiles/ion/schematic_bh.gif

Q: Can I uncap the stock board so it shoots faster than 17bps?
A: No, you can not uncap the stock board. The only possible way is to reverse engineer the code from scratch (the processor is protected from reading back the code so you can't just decompile). You'd then have to desolder the old processor and solder in a replacement with your code. This has never been done before.

Q: What mods can I do to my Ion?
A: Look in the "Guides" section of Ionowners.com

Tensioner Mod - Lowers the activation force of the switch.
Shaving and Painting the Body - Remove the rubber webbing and customize your shell.
Polished Frame - Removes the powder coating on the trigger frame.
DM4 Membrane Mod and LED Relocation Mod - Move the power button, programming button and all the LED's to the back of the frame.
Swiss Cheese Frame Mod - Make the stock frame light as possible.

Q: How to install a Pulse RF transmitter in Ion?
A: http://www.zdspb.com/tech/misc/pulserf.html
http://warpig.com/paintball/technica...tx_index.shtml

Q: What are the orings in the Lucky Stage 5x?
A: http://ionowners.com/showthread.php?t=20876

Q: How do I know what version my T-Board is?
A: If the Power button is light grey and the setup button is black -> VerD
If the Power button is black and the setup button is black -> VerC
If the Power button is light grey and the setup button is light grey -> VerA

-wip-

**Chiumanfu** · 10-24-2006, 12:03 PM

ZDS Paintball
Ion Mod Kits
SP Ion Tech
DT3FT's Ion Resource
Wolverine's Ion FAQ
MetalWorkz Inc
Nick's Distortion

**Chiumanfu** · 10-24-2006, 12:16 PM

Manuals Master List

Markers
Smart Parts ION Marker Manual
Smart Parts ION Parts Reference
Smart Parts SP-8 Marker Manual

Boards
Smart Parts Blackheart Board Manual
Scenario Dreams T-Board Manual
Virtue Ion Board Manual
Lucky Stage 4 Manual
Lucky Stage 4 - Membrane install manual
Tadao Raider Ion Board Manual
Advanced Paintball Electronics Rampage Ion Board

Regulators
Custom Products Regulator Manual
AKA 2-liter Regulator Manual
AKA Sidewinder Manual
Evolve Pi Regulator Manual
Evolve Pi Oring Chart
Evil Detonator Manual

Triggers
Custom Products Ion Trigger Manual

Detents
Kila Products Ion Reaction Detents Install Manual

Bolts
TechT L7 Bolt Install Manual

Loaders
Halo B Manual
DXS Pulse Manual

------------------------------------
Please PM me with additions

druid · 08-31-2008, 01:15 PM

Inconsistent shots may NOT be a bad reg. Check your QEV as described here:

http://ionowners.com/showthread.php?t=28963

**Homan13PSU** · 02-10-2009, 07:43 AM

*Fix for Deadlywind's Hollowpoint bolt*

Problem- you pull the trigger, the solenoid actuates

Put a fresh new bolt sail o-ring (the outermost o-ring) on the bolt. This was something Colin referred to me at one point but, then before I had a chance to test it,

To understand why, you need to understand how your Ion works. Essentially, what happens is when the solenoid is tripped, it releases the air in front of the bolt sail which then vents out through the QEV (if you have one), and the Solenoid. Now, what is supposed to happen is that the air behind the bolt sail is supposed to push the sail, and the bolt forward.

Now if your sail o-ring is just a little too worn (to the point where it still looks fine), the air will not push the sail forward but, instead push past the sail, and out your QEV. When the gun is in a resting state, you don't get any venting because the air in front of the o-ring is equal in pressure to the air behind it.