by Bill Mills - Photos by Dawn Mills - Oct 2007

Adjustment

Features HowItWorks Disassembly Adjustment Testing Data

In terms of programming and operation, the Epiphany circuit board is identical to that of the Ion. A single programming button on the circuit board side is used to cycle through adjustment modes to raise or lower the Dwell (how long power is sent to the solenoid valve) and Rate Of Fire Delay (how long the Epiphany must wait after firing before the next shot may be fired,) and the firing mode selected.

The dwell adjustment is set conservatively high at the factory as is the ROF Delay – together the significantly limit how fast the Epiphany can fire. Setting the dwell to its optimal value requires a little patience and experimentation, to determine the minimum setting that will cause the bolt to fully close, and then setting a value that is about 5 milleseconds longer.

Because most players will rely on the anti-chop capability of the Epiphany's Vision system, there is no need to artificially slow the marker down through the use of the Rate Of Fire Delay unless the marker needs to be restricted for leagues or fields that limit rate of fire. Setting the Rate Of Fire Delay to 0 will maximize how fast the Epiphany can fire at any given dwell setting..

A pair of LEDs, one red and one yellow will either light or blink to indicate which adjustment mode the marker is in, and changes can be made by pressing the power button.

The combination of the Dwell and ROFDelay timing values will determine how much time is required for one complete shooting cycle. This ultimately will determine how many balls per second the Epiphany will be able to fire, up to the board's operational cap of 17 balls per second. A CPS table included in the Epiphany manual can be used to calculate the maximum rate of fire that can be achieved for various Dwell/ROFDelay combinations.

For a more complete guide to calculating rates of fire, and setting the Dwell and ROFDelay values of the Epiphany, see the WARPIG Ion Timing Calculator.

The Epiphany features four modes of fire. These are semi-automatic, three-round burst, full automatic, and rebound. Epiphanies produced for sale in the UK are identified by a power button that glows green instead of red, and these fire in semi-automatic mode only. As a semi-auto the Epiphany will fire one shot for each pull of the trigger, and the maximum rate of fire will depend on the timing settings or its 17 bps limit, whichever is lower. In three-round burst, if the trigger is pulled and held down, the Epiphany will fire three shots consecutively at 10 bps, or the maximum possible under its timing settings, whichever is lower. Similarly full-automatic mode will fire repeatedly as the trigger is held with a 10 bps cap. Rebound mode fires one shot per triger pull for single pulls of the trigger, but when the trigger is pulled repeatedly and consistently, this mode begins firing more than one shot per pull, for use in tournaments where ramping modes are legal. In rebound mode the Epiphany's rate of fire is limited by its timing values or 17bps, whichever is lower.

The Epiphany's programming button can not be accessed to change modes without using tools to open the grip. This allows it to comply with tournament rules requiring “field locking” modes.

Velocity is controlled directly by regulator pressure. A 5/8-inch open ended wrench is included with the Epiphany for adjusting the regulator. Under normal conditions, the regulator is too stiff to be adjusted by hand, due in part to a friction o-ring on the adjuster itself.

If that o-ring is worn, missing or lubricated, the adjuster may be loose enough to be adjusted by hand, which would not be legal at most paintball fields, and certainly not any paintball tournaments. Smart Parts offers an optional locking cap to provide more secure field-legal locking for the reg.

Trigger adjustment is performed with hex wrenches. The rear travel limit adjustment is in located in the center of the trigger.

The forward travel limit adjuster is located in a recess behind the trigger guard. The trigger activation point - or how far into the trigger pull, the marker fires, is adjustable, but less accessible. This adjustment is made via a screw on the back side of the trigger, inside the grip frame.

Continute to Testing .