Has any one bought the aluminum power tubes for your guns are they worth looking into?

Really IMO....no
I have beatin the crap out of some the tippmanns that I've owned
And all have stock parts, Minus my phenom.
It's not broken don't fix it

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Exactly....firend bought the red tube for his X7, broke first day out and he had to spend a game or two on the bench putting the stock one back in. Then it ran perfect all day....

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Image removed as it was too tall.

If your current one break then I would get the aluminum one as a replacement but wait until it breaks.

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Like stated above, if its not broke, leave it alone. If wanting to do some custom work or some fine tuning, then get the aftermarket version. I like the JCS products.

For the average player there is no need to get a metal tube. With that said here are the reasons to get a metal power tube:

1) Operating on Liquid CO2

2) Doing a custom build where you want to eliminate the FVA

3) You keep breaking stock plastic power tubes.

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What does FVA stand for?

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He who created the ten foot rule is stupid. -Confucius

FVA stands for Forward Velocity Adjuster. It is the stock velocity adjuster on the 98 and A5 platforms. It is not exactly the most efficient way to control velocity as it obstructs the flow of air exiting the valve. This means that no matter how you adjust your velocity the 98 and A5 platforms will always use the maximum amount of air available.

Many owners of Tippmann markers try to squeeze the most out of their markers. This means they will add rear velocity adjusters and/or regulators to improve the efficiency of their marker.

A rear velocity adjuster (RVA) controls the tension on the main drive spring, which then controls how far the valve opens on each cycle. That in turn controls the volume of air flowing through the valve. The volume of air then determines how slow or fast the ball travels as it leaves the marker. The greater the tension on the spring, the more volume of air flowing through the valve, and the faster the ball travels. Spring tension is how many mechanical semi automatic markers control their velocity

A regulator controls the air pressure that flows through the valve. The higher you have the pressure set the faster the ball travels. Usually electro-pneumatic markers control their velocity this way. Some mechanical markers and even some pumps use regulated air to determine their velocity.

Whether you use spring tension, a regulator, or both you are controlling how much air you use. The more spring tension required and/or the higher the pressure required, the more air will be used for each shot. Also the less tension and pressure required the less air used. In this instance more is less and less in more. Basically the less air required out of your tank for each shot, the more shots you can get per fill.

I know the answer was a bit long winded, but I figured I would explain why Tippmann owners would want to get around the FVA. Hopefully I did not confuse you too much. If you have any more questions feel free to post them up. If I can't answer them, someone on here can.

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So if I installed an RVA what would I set my FVA to? Would I open it all the way or close it all the way or what?

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He who created the ten foot rule is stupid. -Confucius

It really depends on how you want to run your setup. Most players use the FVA to make the big adjustments and use the RVA to fine tune the velocity. If you want to leave the FVA wide open and use only the RVA you will need a weaker main spring.

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