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TSA Sneak Peek
by Bill Mills
February 2003

On the cusp of moving their production facility to triple the weekly manufacturing rate of the HALO-B loader, Odyssey Paintball is getting closer to the release of their TSA loader.  Odyssey design engineer Chris Goddard decided to give the public a sneak peek at a production prototype.  

While the TSA loader shown here is not exactly the same as what the final models will be, Goddard states that the design is near completion.

TSA stands for Tilt Sound Activation, two of the loader's main features.

The TSA has a more slender, elongated shape than it's bigger brother the HALO, and a generally more streamlined appearance.  A single button and LED on the back are used to switch the TSA on and off, and indicate its power status.

Unlike the HALO, the TSA is not a force feed loader.  It relies on gravity to load and features an internal agitator to stir up the paintballs preventing ball jams that would slow feeding.

In the rear battery compartment, a pair of 9 volt batteries supplies power.

An internal sound sensor detects the sound of the paintgun firing, or even a tap on the loader shell or closing of the lid.  This activates the motor which spins the agitator blades.  The TSA agitates with every shot fired, rather than waiting for a gap in the ball stack, much like the popular Intellifeed modification for other agitating loaders.

The feature that is truly innovative to the TSA is its electronic tilt sensor and control software.  When the loader is tilted to the right the agitator will rotate counter clockwise, when it is tilted to the left, it will rotate clockwise.  By switching up the agitation direction, the TSA is designed to always sweep paintballs from the lowest side of the loader where gravity is making them rest, toward the feed neck.  

Additionally, the body of the loader surrounding the feed neck features compound interior curves so that gravity will roll balls toward the feed neck from many angles.

While Odyssey has not yet set a price for the TSA they expecting it will retail for significantly less than the HALO, and slightly more than the current agitating loaders on the market.

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