Here's where the quote came from: http://clandestineairsoft.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=6; it's a good site with good customer service. Buying direct from HS5 was hit-and-miss for me. Perhaps it is the "ultimate" commercially available system, but that's due to a moderately difficult mod, not the material itself.
Ah but short of stocking HS5's products they aren't really affiliated with HS5 anyway; you can't really put the blurb on clandestine into HS5's mouth when even his own website's a bit more humble in describing the R-Hop
Would like to hear your hit-and-miss service from HS5 though; albeit it's not the right topic to discuss this. If you don't mind, maybe a PM?
As for it being a moderately difficult mod and not the material itself; I'd disagree solely based on the discussions I've read on ASM. Though I haven't tried it myself (gotta finish exams first) the material does play a factor in the whole "R-Hop". It's not as simple as just shoving a piece of rubbery tubing into the gun, although similar-ish results are seen. There's no direct comparison between HS5's material and other's yet, but I'll try to do something like that once I have R-Hopped barrels in my hands for testing (would be within a few months time).
How someone chooses to make money and what they do with it is none of my business, but I absolutely stand by my statement that it's absurd to pay $10-20 for scraps of tubing. If you did years of research and discovered that Biro/Bic ink refill clippings were the best hopup nubs on earth, then started charging $15 for them, more power to you, but us airsoft tinkerers would be idiots to continue buying them from you.
I agree with you here; but for me so far no one's been able to confirm EXACTLY what material HS5 used (at least I don't think anyone's been able to determine the exact material, feel free to link me to it if you've bookmarked that info somewhere) and if he's done extensive research (I'm going by his word here, but whatever) to determine what material makes the best contact patch for the hop up I'd gladly pay him what he charges for the R-Hop and be done with it.
Personally I don't have the time nor probably the access to the assortment of materials to do my own testing to determine what makes the best contact patch and if this means HS5's earning a significant amount of money over the 'tubing' (as in comparing what the tubing actually costs to what he charges) that he's found to be the best material then so be it. What he charges seem significantly high given that it's common knowledge that whatever tubing he's used those patches probably costs cents but for 18 bucks a z-kit I'm happy to pay that much without the need to do my own research.
I'd say however that if whatever material he's used is confirmed and I can get them readily in Hong Kong I'd rather start buying the tubing myself to make it, but for now given the circumstances I don't mind paying him 18 bucks for scraps of tubing if I myself don't have the luxury of finding what material he uses.
Also I don't think we're idiots to buy it...the same argument can be made to those who bring their guns to a shop tech to fix. I've argued this before on ASC and Illusion quite rightly argued against it with the same principles above; some people don't have the time nor interest to tinker with the internals of an airsoft gun themselves so they'll rather spend money to get it 'fixed' at shops. Doesn't make them idiots; they have different priorities than us. It's just rather sad that most techs (I'm speaking locally here) are adhered to a brand and non-scientific mentality that make them ill-informed of what products to use and how to tune and maintain an airsoft gun; and these techs are generally trusted by the people I'm speaking above.
I've installed several G-hop variants, and though they do work well they aren't in any of my current favorites, due to my requirements for fine tuning to a near-flat trajectory. I've discussed this at length (complete with diagrams) in other threads, only to have them degrade into name calling and fanboy rants.
My intent is not to copy anyone, and certainly not to make any money, but to work further toward my personal ideal system. That includes buying and trying everything I can, including HS5's stuff and REAPS, as well as my own efforts at improving the old Hop Up design.
From Gungineer's and HS5's designs it seems a longer contact patch gives more range and to get better accuracy you just need a way for the contact patch of the bucking (or just the patch if like the G and R hops are separate) to center the bb consistently before it leaves the contact patch when it's fired. To me (maybe I'm just dull or not so innovative
) HS5's ER-Hop design is the pinnacle of the current Hop Up design already given it's simplicity in it's operation (bar the difficulties of installing it and getting it to sit right inside the barrel window). What needs optimisation is probably the length of the ER-Hop window if HS5 haven't researched that already.
But nonetheless good luck with your own research
Please post back on Arnies if you've made any leeway too!
Btw, mind posting the threads you've commented on about the flat hop? I've seemed to have missed that thread during my lurking here ><;
EDIT: Kojak, review please on the XHighTech clone!
Edited by intinerious, 30 April 2012 - 05:44 PM.
