by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
Air Venturi Nomad II air compressor.
This report covers:
- Air compressors for airguns
- Fill levels
- Compressors
- The Nomad II
- Operation
- A valuable lesson!
- Not made to fill tanks
- BSA R10 Black Wrap
- Discussion
- Summary
“Tis the season!” Ho, ho, ho! Here comes Santa’s helper, The Great Enabler, with more goodies you can’t live without. Today we begin our look at the Air Venturi Nomad II air compressor.
Air compressors for airguns
Before I start looking at the Nomad, let us review the world of the high-pressure air compressors for airguns. Modern precharged pneumatic (PCP) airguns need a source of high pressure air to fill them. Of course there are all manner of air tanks, but there are also air compressors that can fill either the guns themselves or refill the tanks. And let’s not forget the hand pumps that exist — they are pretty special, too. Which you get — tank, hand pump, compressor or even a combination of them — depends on what you can afford to spend and also the air pressure(s) your gun(s) rquire for a full fill.
Fill levels
In recent years, PCPs have become stratified into several groups. They all used to need fills to 3000 psi, but today there are guns that run on a fill of 2,000 psi. These are the best kind for filling with a hand pump, because it isn’t very difficult to do. Then there are the guns that take a 3,000 psi fill. While the airguns in this group can be filled with a hand pump, it is much easier to fill them from a tank or directly from a compressor. And finally there are PCPs that require over 3,000 psi/206 bar for a full fill. BSA guns require 232 bar, which is 3,365 psi, and there are guns that take 300 bar/4,351 psi. A couple even go up to 4,500 psi/310.26 bar. For all of the guns in this category, a tank or compressor is the best way to go. While there are hand pumps that go that high, it isn’t pleasant to use them much beyond 3,000 psi, and even that high can challenge some folks.
Compressors
There are also groups of air compressors to be considered. Twenty years ago if you wanted a compressor to fill to 3,000 psi and higher you were looking at either a $3,000 investment for a new machine, or getting a surplus compressor that someone had jury-rigged. I saw those sell for around $1,800 at airgun shows in the late 1990s.
Today there are choices. There are the booster pumps that take shop air and boost it as high as needed. The best-known of these is the Shoebox compressor. As far as I can tell, it was the first compressor to sell for less than a thousand dollars. Today they can be found for less than $500. These units are best used to fill an airgun directly — not an air tank.
Then there are a crop of low-cost compressors that fill directly — without needing another source of air. The Nomad II I am testing is one of these. A new Nomad II sells for $650, which is well under a thousand. These units are best used to fill guns, though they can stretch an fill a very small carbon fiber tank if necessary.
Finally there are the larger compressors like the Air Venturi HPA compressor. These fill fast and have no trouble filling the largest carbon fiber air tanks on the market.
The Nomad II
Just to clarify things, I am testing the Nomad II. There is also a Nomad Portable compressor that sells for $100 less. That one comes with a separate power supply. The Nomad II has the power supply built in which makes it handier, I think. Both compressors will fill to a maximum of 4,500 psi/310 bar and both allow the user to set the desired fill pressure that automatically turns off the unit when it reaches the limit.
This compressor is light, at less than 20 pounds. I’m so used to compressors that weigh more than 60 pounds that this one seems feather light to me.
The Nomad II comes in a tough shipping box that’s padded with styrofoam all around on the inside. Let me show you what I saw when I opened the box.
When you take the lid off the box, the manual is on top of the styrofoam.
Lift the top styrofoam to find an accessory tray that contains everything you will need (and probably a lot more) to operate the compressor.
I will come back to talk about what comes in the accessory tray in my next report. Under the accessory tray is the compressor. It comes to you in a tough canvas carrying case that makes it easy to transport.
The Nomad comes in a convenient canvas carrying case that has several zippered pockets for all the accessories.
Operation
The Nomad II runs on 110V or 220V AC current and 12V DC current from a car battery. That means you can take it to the field, which is a real plus.
A valuable lesson!
After reading the manual, I thought I would give my test Nomad a good workout. My 88 cubic foot carbon fiber tank was down to just 3,200 psi and I thought I would time how long it took the Nomad to boost it back to 4,500 psi. So I connected the compressor to the tank and turned it on. I kept watching the pressure gauges on both the compressor and the tank to see how fast the pressure rose but after 30 minutes it had only increased by about 200 psi. Something was wrong.
Not made to fill tanks
I contacted Pyramyd AIR and was told the Nomad II (and the Nomad) is made to fill an airgun — not a large air tank. That made sense, because this isn’t a large compressor. Could it do it? Sure, but you would wear out the unit that way. On the other hand, when you fill an airgun, it’s “mama bear” all over — as in just right. Let’s see.
BSA R10 Black Wrap
I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t planning on testing this for you, but several months ago I bought a .177-caliber BSA R10 Black Wrap rifle from Pyramyd AIR. They have them on super special and there are only a few remaining. I didn’t want to get you excited about an airgun that won’t be available for most of you.
Anyhow, this rifle came to me dead-empty, so it’s perfect for this test. The manual says to cock the hammer when the gun is empty, so the valve will be fully closed. I did that and set the shutoff needle on the compressor gauge to stop at 232 bar, or 3,365 psi. Then I turned her on and let her rip!
The compressor makes a pulsing noise when it operates that tells me it is an electrified hand pump. I would also like to note that it is air-cooled and the sound of the air hissing out of all sides of the compressor enclosure made me think it was leaking.
The pressure gauge rose slowly at first. But in the time it took me to get my camera and return, the pressure had risen significantly! By the time I took the pictures you are about to see, four minutes had passed since I started the compressor.
The compressor is running in this picture. That silver can is a drying filter.
Here is a closer look at the compressor gauge after 4 minutes of operation. The silver bar just past the 3000 psi mark is the automatic shutoff.
As the rifle’s 200cc tank filled, the pressure rose faster and faster. In all it took about 8 minutes to fill the gun’s reservoir from empty to full at 232 bar. Did I get it exactly right? No. According to the gun’s internal gauge the compressor filled it to about 215-220 bar. But that’s easy enough to adjust the next time I fill. And since I will not shoot out all the air, the next time I fill it will only take half the time.
Discussion
How shall I test this Nomad II for you? Many of you want to know how reliable this compressor will be over the long haul. Unfortunately that is something I can almost never test to anyone’s satisfaction. But I’m not finished testing this Nomad by any means. I have other PCPs I can fill and I can also test the compressor running from my truck battery. So there is more stuff I can do — for sure. If there is something you would like me to look at, let me know.
Summary
The Nomad II seems to be a dandy way to operate a PCP. Or, better still, several of them. It seems to be well made, robust and reliable. It works as advertised and is a marvel of engineering for what it is. Along with all the others like it, a good air compressor at this low price will change the face of airguns.
B.B.,
You might want to show on the next installment the Nomad II next to some common item to give us a sense of scale of how big/small it is. You tell us it’s lighter than previously available compressors. Would it be used in the field at the tailgate or could it fit in the footwell of the rear seat?
Siraniko
Siraniko,
It’s small enough for the rear seat footwell in many trucks and larger cars.
B.B.
Siraniko,
Looking at the dimensions at the PA website tells me that the compressor is about 1/2″ shorter, on all sides, than than 4 reams of 8 1/2″ X 11″ USA letter size paper, stacked on top of each other, if that helps you visualize where it will fit.
Half
Halfstep,
Thanks for that. Makes it easier to visualize.
Siraniko
A review on another site said this:
“During my testing, I accidentally started the compressor while it was under pressure. It immediately blew a fuse, and also fried the control board.”
I’d like you to see how easy it is to screw up like that, and if you do, does it ruin the unit.
Are you assuming that the pressure gauge on the gun is correct, and the gauge on the compressor is wrong?
12 to 17 bar seems like a lot of discrepancy. Also, does the compressor get very hot? Does it have a duty cycle specified in the manual?
George,
In the 8 minutes it was on it did not get hot. When I had it running for 30 minuets the time before it also didn’t get hot.
B.B.
B.B.
What is the point of PP PCP’s if you still need $650 just to shoot it first time? Maybe the PP PCP manufacturers should offer compressors included in a bundle, like when the gun manufacturers include a scope? The Darkside is still dark!
-Y
Yogi
Think of it this way.
When you buy a car you have to fill it up with gas let’s say. You could fill it up with a 5 gallon can of gas or go to the gas station. One way is simpler than the other but still gets accomplished what you want.
Now what if you get rid of that car and get another one. Or say get one for a wife then the daughter or son starts driving. So now you have multiple cars to fill up.
Well that’s kind of how pcp’s are. Decide what you want to fill with. Once you have that then you can get any pcp you want. No more darkside now. Pretty simple actually.
The beauty of springers is you don’t need all that crap. KISS.
-Y
Yogi
But some spring guns can’t do what pcp’s can. Once you get a pcp or 2 or 3 you’ll see what I mean. 😉
My maximum safe shooting space is confined to 50 yards. Other than multiple shots, what can a PCP do that a springer can’t?
I have shot friends PCP’s and their accuracy is boring. Like watching Shaq dunk!
Happy Holidays to all,
Yogi
PS I thought PCP was an illegal drug!
Yogi
Let’s see. Usually more powerful and accurate at the same time even with the extra power the pcp’s can make.
And I guess what you mean about pcp’s being boring is about how accurate they are. Or do you mean the pcp’s lack the shot cycle that some spring guns have. If I want the bump I have firearms I can shoot.
Pcp’s are relaxing guns to shoot especially after getting my arm knocked off growing up shooting shot guns and certian centerfire firearms for so many years.
I guess it’s like the HPA compressor’s. Find what kind of gun suits your need. What I’m saying is pcp’s are actually simpler than a spring gun. You just need to get that first initial pump source then it’s very simple shooting after that. Especially if you get a compressor. Then it’s very easy shooting with a pcp. Once you get older the old bones and muscles don’t feel like all that extra work.
And what pcp? A illegal drug. Who would of thought. Ain’t that legal now days? 😉
Once you get older the old bones and muscles NEED the extra work. I have shot friends’ abused Maruders, cocking bolt named every 3rd shot or so….Maybe a quality side-lever.
FWIW-I pest darn well with my LP8! I hardly have space and time for the three airguns that I have.
KISS for me, chaos for you.
-Yogi
Yogi
Haha how old are you? Tell me that and I’ll know the answer to that question.
Ok and that’s a whole different issue. All pcp’s ain’t repeaters. So that’s another discussion that can happen.
And yes I pest with springers as well as smooth bore multi-pump’s and pcp’s as well as hunting.
A tool is the way I see air guns for the most part. Use the tool right and you will be happy with it. And that is plinking, pesting, hunting or target shooting.
Power plants all have their own little quirks. The more you have and shoot the more you see what each is good for.
And time and space is another subject also.
But I have to ask why don’t you think that the time and space you have will not work for a pcp air gun?
I am 43 plus 17, at least that is they way I calculate it. I spend 1/2 year in Caribbean, where everything rust to pieces immediately. I store my guns in air proof dry bags. Shoot out to 45-55 yards. Within 15 yards kill iguana’s with my pistol, long range get the rifle.
!/2 the year in an apartment where I shoot my 23 1/2 foot 10 meter matches, LOL.
I need a PCP like I need a third home! My life is complicated enough, no social media, no cell phone, KISS is my mantra…
-Y
Yogi
Does that mean your birthday has something to do with being born on leap year?
And interesting shooting you do. Never thought about the rust there.
No leap year…just how I calculate my age. 43 + whatever.
B.B. rubber band gun would need new bands every 3-4 months. I buy a screwdriver at 10am, by 1 pm I see surface rust beginning to develop. The boat bottoms need special paint. Oxidization is a function of salinity AND temperature. KISS.
-Y
Yogi
Wow that’s crazy on the surface rust.
Sounds more like more than KISS.
I wonder if your climate is worse on spring guns than pcp’s.
Pcp’s are always closed up except when you cock and load the pellet. Springers and under levers and side levers get more exposure to the environment than a pcp. Maybe a PCP would last longer in your conditions?
Or should I say function longer.
???
Yogi,
There is a little learning curve regarding cycling the mag with a bolt action. I learned that I had to be very deliberate when pulling the bolt back, and if I didn’t do it right I would double feed a pellet. Once I learned the technique, no more issues.
Isn’t that LP8 a spring break-barrel pistol? There’s no way I would be able to pest at 25 to 35 yards with any pistol. Like Gunfun1 stated, get the right tool for the job at hand.
I’m with you on no social media and no cell phone 🙂
I pest at 15 yards max with my LP8. Great gun by the way, I shoot it 10 times more than all my other guns combined. If you practice enough, you can get awfully good with a pistol. Just ask Tom G.!
-Y
Yogi
Yep you said it. Practice enough.
Once you learn a gun it definitely helps in the accuracy department.
Well if the gun is more accurate than the shooter that is.
Yes but the compressor wouldn’t… Last very long…
-Y
Yogi
When you say the compressor won’t last long. Do you mean because of the environment where you live.
If so what part or parts do you think would not last.
What would happen to it?
The rubber would decompose. The metal housing would rust. The compressor internals would rust.
Even 304 stainless develops a patina within 3-4 months down here.
-Y
Yogi,
It is not necessary to spend $650 to shoot a PCP. I have a Crosman Nitro Venom .22 and a Diana RWS 34P in .22. My main purpose for an airgun is to protect my bluebirds from the harassing sparrows in the spring during nesting season. I have three nesting boxes to watch. They are 25 yards from the back of my house. After about four years of hit and miss with those rifles, because they are so hold sensitive and difficult to shoot accurately, I gave up and bought a Gamo Urban in February this year. I didn’t want to spend a lot and the Urban was reasonable. Then I bought a cheap hand pump for $85 to fill it. I invested just over $500 for the Uban, new UTG scope, & hand pump. I figured I would start out with a cheap hand pump and if needed, I would upgrade to a better one later. The cheap one does just fine and I can see little difference between it and the $200 hand pumps. It works well and get’s the job done. Now if you want to go out and target shoot 500 shots, the hand pump would not be a good option. It is a bit of a workout but unless you have health issues it’s not too bad at all, if the reservoir on the PCP is not huge. I am 72 and have no problem pumping the Urban to 3000 psi with it.
The point of the PCP is that I now rarely miss a pest and my bluebirds fledged out two brooks with no harassment from the sparrows. I also dispatched over 20 starlings from the feeders. Maybe the break barrels are fun to shoot but if you are serious about pesting needs, the PCP can not be beat. Thankfully, Chris USA and Gunfun1 challenged me to give the PCP a try when I was having problems with my spring guns. The PCP may be the dark side, but now I SEE THE LIGHT!
Geo
Geo
Amen.
🙂
B.B.,
Very nice. I wish that all of these options were available when I got my Shoebox 10 just a few short years ago (4-2016). I bought a Guppy Tank to go with it and fill from the tank. 3500 to 4500 takes 30 minutes. Works great and still good as new with no rebuild. About 28 hours total. Obviously though,… better options now exist.
Looking forwards to the BSA test. I missed that one completely. It has lots of nice features.
Good Day to one and all,….. Chris
Chris,
I agree with you, as I did the same as you (although my Shoebox is a Max that I modified for quiet running), but for a different reason – now that the other options are available, the competition has driven the price of the Shoebox F10 down to only $500! I believe the Shoebox would still be my choice though, as they are rock solid . . .
BB – I do take exception to your statement that Shoebox compressors are best for filling guns directly. I actually find it best for filling tanks, as once you understand it, it is just such a great “set it and forget it” compressor. I fill my 18 and 66 cubic foot tanks with it all the time and never fill guns directly. Filling the 18 is quick as Chris says (mine takes about 45 minutes to do what his does in 30), and the 66 can take a couple of hours if it is low, but the Shoebox is a rock and it does not care how long it runs – limited to a max of about 10 hours per session by the auto oiler needing topped up.
These Nomads do look like the perfect travelling compressor though!
Alan
Alan,
Okay. That’s the difference between someone who has no experience and someone with experience.
Thank you,
B.B.
Allen
Agree. My Shoebox did a good job.
If needed I would get another Shoebox compressor.
to me it means people were getting ripped when shoebox compressors were $1000
Mildot52
They probably was. But they was still cheaper than most of the others at the time.
But remember the Shoebox compressor was the first home compressor that the average working person could afford at that time.
To me the Shoebox compressor set the bar for the rest of the home brew compressors.
They where the one to go to on the HPA scene.
I give them a big high 5 for where they went and what they accomplished.
And as it goes now there’s so many more. But I still have a special place in my time for the Shoebox compressor. They were the for runners of affordable home owned pcp compressors at the time. And stayed that way for some time.
Heck you can get a Freedom 10 for under 500 smackers now days.
Don’t count the Shoebox out. What’s going to happen is certian hpa compressors are going to fail with time. Then maybe we will see what the Shoebox is really about.
I do not doubt SB compressors are fine and you have experience with them. what I don’t like is hearing for 50 years that we have to buy US products so they can gouge our eyes out like leupold made an art out of selling $100 scopes for $1000
Well I bought my Shoebox Max about 5 years ago for a little under $800 or so, all in. I don’t feel I got ripped off, although I would gladly have paid today’s cost then if I could have. At the time I bought the best personal compressor a the lowest price I could pay for a new one. That is the market. At a minimum, I got 5 years of having a compressor for about $300 over waiting and buying one today.
Lower prices is what competition and innovation over time does for us – I can’t think of any tool or durable good that I have purchased in my life that I could not replace with one made today that not only functions just as good, but has more capability and features and still costs less than when I bought the older one, sometimes several decades ago – and the cost is often cheaper in real dollars, let alone inflation adjusted ones! The old one probably is heavier (as if that is a positive thing), but other than that the newer one will be better.
The old saying “they don’t make them like they used to” is ridiculous – all I can say is thank goodness they don’t; they make them better and for less money. That is not to say that there aren’t junk products out there – I think many of the cheap Chinese compressors may fall into that category – but if you do your research there is better stuff out there now for less than it used to cost. And that is the way it always has been, and will continue to be.
Anyways, I digress – just please don’t think the Shoebox folk ripped us off. They did a great service to all of us.
Alan
Fill a gun fill by fill but not suitable to fill a tank in order to do the exact same thing. I thought that is what the smaller tanks are for so it seems to me a made up product that fills a made up need.
Oh go ahead and tell me i am wrong i expect that and i am not falling for it.
Mike,
I don’t have any small tanks to test this with. It probably works fine if they are small enough.
B.B.
BB
I’m thinking the compressor you are testing would fill something like the 90 cubic inch Benjamin buddy bottles.
My Shoebox compressor when I had it would fill it no problem. I don’t have that bottle any more but my buddy does. I have filled it for him when he has came over shooting with my China compressor and it filled it fine from 3000 to 4500 psi no problem. Matter of fact my China compressor is faster filling the Benjamin buddy bottle than my Shoebox was.
Volume does have alot to do with it too. That 88 cubic foot tank you have is probably just too much volume for that compressor.
Not that the Nomad is a bad compressor. Just asking it to do something it wasn’t designed for. As the saying goes every job needs the proper tool to do the job right.
It’s an issue of run time and strain on the unit. It is made for short runs, around 15 minutes at a time. In theory, you could use it on a tank of any size and keeping the runs to 15 minutes, bleeding the pressure down, letting the unit rest and going again…but the time involved would be considerable.
I have filled a 90 cu in tank with the original Nomad, took about an hour and twenty minutes from what I recall. And that was in one straight shot. I would not recommend it for this kind of use.
Tyler
Thanks for that info.
So what’s going through my mind is the compressor is built good enough but it just can’t pump enough volume of air for a given time. In other words big enough for a small resivior. But just not big enough to be efficient for bigger resivoirs.
Is heat a problem on longer runs than 15 minutes? Maybe that is what’s holding it back. Heat will slow down certain types of compressor’s. That’s why I do like the water cooled pumps like my China pump uses. I have been actually running 50/50 antifreeze in my 5 gallon bucket. It does not get hot any kind of warm now.
All in all it sounds like the perfect compressor to fill guns.
Hard to say exactly what the issue is, but suffice it to say that prolonging the run times over that 15-20 minute time frame may drastically impact the life of the seals in the unit. Whether that is a result of too much heat or too much wear or both is hard for me to say (I’m not the guy working on them).
What I will say is that when I did that small tank in one shot, the amount of moisture that came through the unit was considerable. Basically saturated the external filter in one shot…but this was on an early unit without the internal filter system. After that, I never tried it again because it just reinforced the point that this unit is made for shorter run times and smaller reservoirs.
Tyler
It sounds like it’s just not got compressor volume. It’s small so it pumps effeciantly for the size it is. It’s like a small cubic inch pump.
I keep think about when I built race car engines. The more volume of air in and the more out the more power you made for a given amount of cubic inches.
A small block could make power as well as the big blocks. But the big locks didn’t have to work like the small cubic inch small blocks.
So the Nomad is just a smaller cubic inch pump is what it boils down to is what I’m getting out of it.
Not a bad thing at all. You just got to use it like it was designed for and all will be good.
Mike,
Having filled a .357 Benjamin Rogue with a hand pump, I personally would think this is a great idea for someone who does not have a large compressor and/or a large tank. This is also cheaper than a large carbon fiber tank and just about as portable. It does indeed fill a niche for those who venture into The Dark Side.
BB
Something else you forgot about filling the guns direct from a compressor or hand pump and how it gets harder as the pressure goes up.
Also you have to take into account the volume of the guns air resivior or bottle.
The bottle on my Condor SS takes longer to fill from 1500 to 2500 psi than it does to fill my smaller 13 cubic inch bottle on my modded Maximus from 1200 psi to 3000 psi.
I any day will take even a small compressor to fill a individual gun rather than using a hand pump.
But yes you need to know what your going to fill before you buy your compressor or hand pump.
I’ve been intrested in a portable fill setup, other than my 90cft tank.
How would this Nomad fare filling bigbores, tanked pcp’s?
How well does it work on 12v?
I like the idea, but I am leary about the Nomads longevity.
Erockrocket,
I will be testing the Nomad on an AirForce Texan. It’s 495cc bottle should be a good test. And I will be testing it ion 12 volt, as well. Maybe I will test the time it takes to fill the tank on g=house current compared to 12 volt.
B.B.
Erockrocket,
The Nomad or similar compressor probably wouldn’t work for Big Bores, at the range when practicing or sighting in, that really dump lots of air to get those few super high power shots with big bullits; because of the reported Nomad ll cycle time limitations. For hunting trips that don’t go too far from a battery or solar panels the Nomad ll would probably work. But out west when you walk for days and cover miles up and down mountains I’d rather have a small tank/hand pump rather than 20+ pounds with those solar panels or batterie(s) to lug along.
shootski
BB,
Well, what do you think of your Edge so far?
RR,
I really like the trigger! And the rifle is still quiet. I can’t wait to get a scope on and start testing it.
B.B.
BB,
The quietness is due to the baffling added into the end of the bloop tube.
RR,
Ahh! Well, it’s a good amount of quietocity. 🙂
B.B.
BB,
Isn’t it nice when all you hear is the slap of the hammer? I know how to quiet that down also.
I think that this mulit-voltage portable compressor will be the ideal solution for many shooters.
The first thing I would do is team the compressor up with a small tank set up so that I could fill the rifle from the tank without disconnecting it from the compressor. That way the compressor could keep the tank topped up while I was off shooting.
H
IMHO this double voltage small compressor nicely fills a market niche. I can see myself taking one of my PCP rifles to a friend’s farm where, I am sure, there will be a lot of interest in testing it. And not always close to a power line. Admittedly, a tank or hand pump will work too, but I find this is a better alternative, specially on a multi-day trip. Overall, it seems a good product and I like it.
BB, while we are talking about compressors, I think that it would be useful to add to the discussion the technical issues common to all brands such as specific oil types, dust filters, air dryers, valves, extra (more precise) manometers, etc. Just a suggestion. 🙂
Henry
I must say that the Nomad comes with one of the best owners manuals I’ve seen in a long time. Replacing the moisture filter cartridges every 2-3 hours is one of the maintenance steps that is well detailed.
B.B.,
Are those 4 replacement filters I see included in your second photo?
Kevin,
Yes, that’s them.
B.B.
BB
Does anyone sell those replacement filters.
And when you do change one let us know if it’s easy to change and a picture of what it looks like before you take it out at it’s specified time while it’s still in it’s holder and what it looks like after you get it out.
I want to know if it’s still in one piece before you take it out of it’s holder also.
GF1,
Pyramyd AIR sells the filters.
Have you looked at the manual yet? It shows filter replacement. Look in the manuals section, under Air Venturi accessories.
B.B.
BB
No have not read the manual.
And those are the same filters my China compressor uses.
I still want to know what the filters are like when you decide to open up the cartridge holder that houses the filter elements.
If you haven’t ever used these types of filters you might be surprised.
If I remember right Twotalon got one of these Nomad compressors for when he’s at the farm if I remember right.
Wonder how his is doing.
GF
Still worked last time I used it.
I had shot my S500 down below where I usually stop . Less than 2 minutes of thumpin’ and bumpin’ had it back up to 200 BAR .
It should last quite a while if you keep it oiled and do not beat it to death with max pressures on big tanks.
tt
TT
So you like it better than hand pumping I’m guessing.
Have you used the other power sources yet?
GF
Not yet. No occasion to do so. Bring me spring.
tt
TT
Yep spring. Now what you mean.
Mr. Gaylord”
As you continue with your review of the Nomad II compressor, could you please address several specific items?
Would the Nomad II be appropriate air source to fill a smaller 90 cu in carbon tank? If so, would the smaller tank have to be immersed in a heat sink?
Could the Nomad II function for a two hour practice and crew shoot continually filling 10 to 12 air rifles over that amount of time?
After the included air filters are used, can them be cleaned and reused? If no, are replacement filters available and at what cost?
Thank you for everything you do for the airgunning community.
William Schooley
William,
You are asking if the Nomad is suitable for club use. I have asked Tyler Patner to comment, because I frankly don’t know. My guess would be to say no. Get the larger Air Venturi compressor for club use. It’s rugged enough to take the constant use.
B.B.
William,
1) No, it’s not intended to fill a 90 cu in tank. Though (as I said above) you could fill the tank in 15 minute runs with the nomad. The big thing is to limit that run time to under 20 minutes per run, then let the unit cool for a bit before another go. But if you want to fill faster and save time, the big AV compressor would be a much better choice.
2) Yes, it should be fine to fill the guns directly in that kind of time frame. To top up most 10m rifle cylinders from 60-70 BAR (typical reg pressure) to 200 BAR would only take a few minutes. A gun like a challenger, T200 or Edge would be even quicker. I’ve put around 5 hours of use on the Nomad 2 we are testing without issue so far. We just finished filming with it, and other than the maintenance detailed in the manual, I haven’t had any issues.
3) Re-use is not recommended. Additional filters will be available. Not sure on quantity and cost just yet. I believe the quantity will be more than 4 per pack, I want to say 8.
Hope that helps,
Tyler
Mr. Gaylord,
Thank you for the response.
WS
Tyler:
Thanks for the information and the response.
WS
Would still like to know which of the pressure gauges is correct, the gun’s or the compressor’s. If it is assumed that the gun’s pressure gauge is correct, and it’s not, the reservoir could be over pressurized. This would be a concern for me.
These are the approximate fill times from Pyramyd Air:
Benjamin Marauder Pistol (65cc): 0-3000 psi in approx. 3 min
Diana Stormrider (100cc): 0-3000 psi in approx. 3:45 min
Air Arms S510 Xtra FAC (231cc): 1450-2900 psi in approx. 5:30 min
Ataman M2R Carbine Ultra Compact (130cc): 0-4350 psi in approx. 8 min
Evanix Rainstorm (250cc): 0 – 3000 psi in approx. 9 minutes
Airforce Texan (490cc): 0-3000 psi in approx. 17 min
George,
It is highly likely that I didn’t set the compressor’s shutoff needle at the right place. That’s why I showed you the detailed picture. Like I said, it’s simple to adjust it as you learn how the compressor operates.
B.B.
B.B.,
I misunderstood. I thought the actual pressures did not agree. Thanks for the clarification.
George,
Sometimes an idea is hard to get across until I see someone’s reaction to it. Tomorrow’s blog should have everyone talking! 🙂
B.B.
I dropped for a ‘1hr’ carbon bottle (88cf) because the Fire extinguisher store, where the local fire dept. get their breathing air, is only 5 blocks away, and its $12. for the fill, and I get a nice slight overfill for that price.
For health reasons, I would like to be able to have my folding bike trainer designed to fill HPA bottles.
They are commonly used by bike racers but In WW2 , soldiers could use an ergometer style power generator
to energize their radios. How does one fill a tank with no electrical power and no hpa store? You are stuck with a hand pump, or, if you are lucky, a good springer! Best, Rob
Rob,
Sweet. That would have saved me a lot of change.
I have seen rigs for hand pumps that used electric motors to work them. It should not take much to design and build a rig like you want. Not a bad idea really. It can be done.
1stblue
A very creative mind.
A old exercise bike and so on.
One of the things that I find most exciting about this compressor is the filter/hose assembly. As soon as they are available I will be buying one of these to install on my Hill hand pump. Yes, the Hill has a desiccant filter on the air intake, but so what.
For a desiccant to be effective it needs to be in contact with the moisture laden air for a good length of time to absorb the moisture. From the very first time I used this pump there was a considerable amount of water in the moisture trap. What is needed is a filter after the moisture trap to prevent moisture from entering your PCP. This should work nicely. Hatsan has also developed a nice little filter for their portable air compressor that works in similar fashion.
Yes, you will have the inconvenience of not only filling your air rifle but also the filter. What you will not have is the inconvenience of filling your PCP with water when using a hand pump.
RR,
I have never gotten any moisture from my hand pump when I open the bleed valve. I think the key is to go slowly and not overheat the pump. A few guys have commented that when working on their PCPs, no significant rusting was observed from using a hand pump.
Guess humidity in the area where the pump is used would also have an effect on moisture in the pump.
Geo791,
That technique is the most advisable way to pump. Where I live it can be rather humid, most especially during the summer. Not many forest fires but the sweat drips rather than evaporate.
I like to overdo things. I installed a Diablo inline filter on the output of my Air Venturi compressor. That way I only have to worry about my sweat dripping on the air rifle, not moisture getting inside.
Ooooo….salty sweat would be really bad. Better keep the Balistol nearby 🙂
And two clean rags. One for the gun and one for me. 😉
RR
Let’s wait and see what BB finds with the filters.
I’ll leave it at that till BB spends some more time with his Nomad.
GF1,
Like I said to Geo791 above, I tend to overdo things.
RR
No I don’t mean that way.
I want to physically know what the filters looks like when BB trys to take it out of the cartridge/container it is contained in.
Will it still be together? This filter is like a oversized cigarette filter. What I want to know is will the filter stay together in one piece. Or will it try to suck back up into the compressor from the cartridge. Or will it try to blow into the fill hose going to the gun.
Again let’s see what BB finds with his as he uses the compressor more.
GF1,
It should hold together well. It is a smaller version of what is in my big compressor. What it will likely do is start looking dirty on the compressor side. It will be interesting to see.
RR
Ok so you have changed the one in your compressor?
Take a picture of it the next time when you change it. If you remember. I would like to see it.
GF1,
No, I have not changed it as of yet. It really does not need it yet. Hopefully it will be quite a while before I need to do such, but I have a spare ready. I will take a pic of my spare the next time it crosses my mind.
RR
Not your spare one. The one you take out that’s used.
Will do.
RR
Thanks and sending you a email.
RR,
What indicates it needs changed? Desiccant beads change color,.. for example.
Chris
Chris,
The manual says to change it after so many hours. Besides water, there is also oil residue. That will stain the white filter and give you an idea when it would be good to change it.
Of all the Nomads I have tested and operated, I have yet to see that with a filter upon replacement.
Tyler,
The Nomad’s little brother with the external power supply that B.B. linked to over here; /product/air-venturi-nomad-4500-psi-portable-compressor?a=8460 seems to be no longer be available, guess that it is over for that model?
Mike
Mike,
Correct. Discontinued. The overwhelming interest and popularity in the Nomad 2 unit seems to be greater than the interest in the original. I was told customer service reached out to those who had backordered an original and gave them very good deals on upgrades to the Nomad 2.
Tyler
Tyler,
Thanks for the update, and nice to see the upgrade offer.
Mike
Tyler
Ok thanks. Hopefully BB will remember to get a picture when he changes the filter in his compressor. Still would like to see.
I would gladly buy a 4500 psi filter canister (that had replaceable filters) and put it on the output side of the Shoebox. This would go (between the hose, to the tank,.. and the Shoebox. Plug and play. Male Foster on one end and female Foster on the other. Does one even exist? Small.
Q: I still need to research filter media more, but how can something trap moisture?,…. and yet at the same time allow air to pass through?,….. while at the same time (not) allow the air passing though to be moisture filled/saturated? Does it truly (trap) moisture?
I did buy moisture desiccant beads to put (in) the low side 5 micron filter of my set up, (between LP air comp. and the Shoebox). Zero change in color of beads.
Good article with lots of comments. This does fill a need. 12V for one.
Chris
B.B.,
Off-topic, but I know you are always on the hunt for blog topics.
What do you think about a one or two part blog on the subject of PCP connectors, fittings, and filling? As someone who has not (not yet?) fully entered the Dark Side, I am bewildered by the different fittings, ratings for connections, gauge needs (e.g. Multiple gauges? Why?), low-pressure (1200 psi? )PCP conversion for CO2 bulk-fill, filtering, etc. I read everything I can find, but I have yet to discover a single online source that simply addresses all of the important factors and also cuts through terminology (DIN?).
Another thing I think could use a simple, straightforward, terminology-free lesson is the government certification aspect of PCP tanks. I have trouble making sense of it, despite reading thousands of words on the subject.
One of the reasons I am at a glacier-like pace to go to PCP is that with PCPs if one does not know what he is doing, things can go BOOM. Try as I might, I can’t find an online explanation of PCPs and filling them that answers all my questions and does not just create as many new questions as those few it answers. For example, Joe Brancato’s page just leaves my head swimming and makes me pick up one of my springers. I read and read and read, but despite my two Masters degrees, I always end up confused and convinced I am not smart enough to really do the Dark Side. Are PCPs only for engineers, mechanics, and machinists?
Just a suggestion.
Michael
Michael,
While I am sure BB has covered different aspects of what you are asking,… an all in one, cover all,.. would be a good thing.
In short,…. “Foster” fittings. Most stuff is set up for that quick disconnect fitting. Male and female. As for tanks and compressors…. my guess is that there is a (significant) safety margin built in. Plus,…. PCP’s have been around for a few years. They are popular and growing with good reason.
My 2 cents,…. 🙂 Chris
Michael,
That is an excellent suggestion, a guest blog by Joe Brancato comes to mind.
Also you might just call Joe, for sure he wants to sell stuff but I think he is very interested in keeping people safe and helping them to understand what to do and not to do with high pressure air.
Mike
Mike,
From my contact with Joe,… I would agree. Less work for BB, very informative guest. The only problem might be a conflict of sales interest’s.
Chris
Chris,
You may have a point about sales interest, but I would say while B.B. is the Godfather of Airguns, Joe is the HPA Scientist.
Point being the education of the customers overrides sales margins, or it should.
Mike
Mike,
I would agree. It (does) seem that different sales entities (are) coming together for the greater good of air gun sports.
Chris
Mike
I have talked with him in the past. Definitely full of knowledge.
Michael,
There is a suggestion there, but perhaps not quite the one you meant.
“Welcome to the dark side.”
B.B.
Michael,
No you don’t need an engineering degree, or be a master mechanic, or master machinist or even a blowhard!
All you need is a checklist based on:
1. What your goals are
2. What your hardware is now and perhaps in the near future
3. How fat your bank account is.
If you can answer those three big ones; then with just a few more simple questions you can:
JOIN THE DARK SIDE
without losing your shirt and continuing to pull your hair out.
BOOM can really only happen if you DO NOT buy from reputable makers or retailer.
AND, if you don’t as questions, of the maker or retailer if the manual isn’t clear as a bell to you.
Please notice I avoided including UTube and internet blogs (other than this one 99.1% of the time) since B.B. can’t be expected to spend all his time moderating every post.
shootski