Planet Eclipse 2011 Ego Package

Monitoring trends in paintball and responding to them in a way that benefits the player is very difficult, and providing a product that is all things to all men is well-nigh impossible, however Planet Eclipse takes pride in being able to react quickly to changing trends; to give customers what they want; and to give them the flexibility to have their marker set up just the way they like it. This philosophy has never been more evident than in the new Ego11.

For the past 18 months the main design goal at Planet Eclipse has been to develop markers with an improved ‘feel’; smooth-shooting markers with a reduced sound signature that can handle super-brittle, tournament-grade paint. Controlling the speed of the bolt in any marker is the key to improving the feel - the smoother the acceleration and deceleration of the bolt system, the smoother the marker feels – but of course reducing the bolt speed also reduces the marker’s maximum achievable rate of fire and so, as with many things in life, there is a trade-off between improved feel and outright speed. But what if you want your Ego11 to shoot as fast as previous Egos? If the marker is tuned for smoothness, how do you get the speed? What if you want to shoot 15bps but want it smooth? What if you only care about shooting 12bps - because that’s all you can use with current tournament rules - but you want it to be as smooth as possible?

How can you have all these things in one solitary marker? Up until now it simply wasn’t possible without making after-market changes to the marker - major, time-consuming, physical changes to the pneumatic system or re-machined parts that provided different dynamic characteristics. This is no longer the case, not any more.

The Ego11 comes equipped with an industry first, a bespoke solenoid - manufactured by MAC Valves USA - that incorporates twin flow control devices. These Solenoid Flow Controls each comprise a quarter-turn adjuster which has a pointer to indicate position on an incremental scale etched into the body of the solenoid. The Solenoid Flow Controls are used to independently control both the forward and rearward speed of the rammer and bolt so that, for the first time ever in a poppet marker,

user can tune the feel of the marker with a simple twist of a screwdriver. In the time it takes to turn off the tourney-lock, the Ego11 can be switched from a high speed, uncapped, free-for-all machine to the softest, gentlest, smoothest shooting poppet you have ever felt – or anything in-between. The analogue adjustment allows an infinite level of control over the speed of the rammer and bolt in either direction, providing unprecedented influence over the dynamic characteristics of the marker. With the Ego11 it looks like you really can have your cake and eat it!

Of course, the solenoid is not the only component to get a complete overhaul. Take a look around the grip frame and there are several things that should jump out, like the new POPS ASA for instance. POPS stands for Push-On-Purge-System and is a completely new concept in On/Off/Purging ASAs. The idea is simple, push back on the front section of the POPS and this depresses the air system valve pin – gassing up the marker – before latching itself into place; the operation takes just a fraction of a second. Once gassed up the bonnet stays in position until the pushbutton on the side of the POPS bonnet is depressed, at which point the bonnet POPS forward and the marker purges itself of air; again, de-gassing takes a fraction of a second and very little effort. The new POPS features, T-Slot mounting to the frame, but this time with a longer adjustment range than on previous Eclipse ASAs. The POPS also incorporates front porting for the first time on an Eclipse ASA, together with a new fitting that seals without the need for Loctite or PTFE tape and which can be quickly and easily removed with a hex key. Shortened Macroline transports air into a second fitting in the new, angled swivel on the exceptional SL3 regulator.

The Ego11 has received some interesting changes to the frame and grips. The new frame profile sees, yet again, a higher grip position, placing the rear hand still closer to the barrel axis and firing line. The all-new grip is slimmer in the middle section and actually sunk into the frame around most of its perimeter. These grips combine in turn, with a brand new molded rubber console that runs all the way up the back of the frame to add comfort and grip.  The combination of grip and console make the Ego11 by far the most comfortable and ergonomic Ego to date. Further simple mechanical changes ensure that the grip screws clamp down firmly into place without the chance of crushing the grips or, more importantly, any internal components.

Inside the protective cocoon of the frame lies the Eclipse circuit board. Designed to negate the need for an expensive after-market ‘upgrade’, this board has all of the features that the discerning player needs. The large screen LCD module provides excellent contrast in even the brightest sunlight, using significantly less power than its OLED counterparts; indoors, a tru-color backlight can be customised to taste; furthermore, in the event of damage, the LCD module can be quickly and easily replaced. Twin trigger sensing circuitry – micro-switch or optoelectronic sensor – can be selected and tuned to individual requirements using multi-parameter trigger de-bounce algorithms. Prioritized solenoid drive circuitry produces superb shot-to-shot consistency and rate of fire accuracy.