Planet Eclipse has been creating poppet valve style markers for almost two decades, and their newest release is the LV2. When the LV platform was released, these paintball guns didn't 'feel' like the older style Ego markers. They were insanely smooth, and had a quiet shot signature over the old snappy or poppy noise they'd make. Because players would try to adjust the velocity of these paintball guns by feel alone, and when they would go and shoot over a chronograph, their marker would be shooting 350 feet per second! To avoid this, Planet Eclipse has created a tuning guide so that you're able to adjust your LV2 however you'd like, and to avoid unnecessary wear or over pressurization of the marker.
Preparation
The LV2 has multiple points of adjustment that you can utilize to achieve your optimal performance. Two different rammers, high pressure regulator (HPR), low pressure regulator (LPR), dwell timing, and two solenoid flow restrictors (SFRs) you can adjust. Let's go over these things, one at a time and give them a brief description, and what they do for your Eclipse LV2.
Rammer
There are two rammers that the LV2 comes with; heavy and light. The heavy rammer is already installed in the marker, and offers a smooth shot, whereas the light rammer is more snappy and poppy, just like the older Planet Eclipse Ego markers.
HPR and LPR
These regulators are both in the foregrip of the marker, and the HPR is the red one that is always exposed. The LPR is hidden underneath the foregrip and is colored blue. The HPR is directly responsible for your velocity, and the LPR is responsible for recocking the rammer and bolt back into the rear position. If the HPR is too low, you'll notice low velocity, and if the LPR is too low, the marker will struggle to reset the bolt. In some cases, if either of these are too low, it can prevent the marker from firing entirely.
Dwell timing
Dwell is how long your solenoid stays open to let air travel through your marker. This is traditionally measured in milliseconds. If your dwell is too low, you'll notice drop-off at higher rates of fire.
Solenoid Flow Restrictors (SFRs)
There are two SFR's in the LV2, and these are responsible for how much air flow is allowed during the firing cycle. The forward flow SFR controls the speed of the forward motion of the bolt and rammer. The rear flow SFR controls the speed of the rearward action of the bolt and rammer. If the forward SFR is too low, you'll notice low and inconsistent velocity. If the rear flow SFR is too low, it can lead to extremely low rates of fire. If you would like better air efficiency, adjust the front SFR towards the 12 o'clock position or the '+' sign.
The best part about tuning the Planet Eclipse LV2 is that there's no break-in period. You can get your marker tuned and ready to rock without having to put any paint through it! But now that we've gone over what these components do, we need a few more things. Make sure you have at least 2500psi in your air system, good quality paint that is bore matched for accurate readings, a chronograph, 1/8th hex key, and goggles.
The Tuning Process
Step 1 - Velocity
Use the HPR (red regulator) to adjust your velocity. Rotate the adjuster counter-clockwise using the 1/8th hex key to increase the velocity until you reach your desired velocity. Once this is done, we move on to the dwell.
Step 2 - Dwell Tuning
Double tap the middle button on the back of your marker to enter programming mode. From there, use the up or down buttons to find a menu called Timing. Once there, you'll find Dwell. Use the middle button to select Dwell, and then use the down button and reduce your dwell by .5ms. When this is done, click the middle button and shoot 2-4 shots over the chronograph to clear the regulators. Repeat this process until you notice a drop in your velocity. Once the velocity drops, increase the dwell by .5ms and exit the menu. Your LV2 is now dwell tuned!
Step 3 - LPR Tuning
After the HPR and dwell are tuned, the last point of adjustment is the LPR. Take the fore grip off, and put the 1/8th hex key in the LPR (blue regulator) and turn clockwise 1/8th of a turn. Once you do this, shoot 2-4 shots over the chronograph to clear the regulator. If there is a drop in velocity, turn the LPR 1/8th of a turn counter-clockwise. Your marker is now LPR tuned.
You're done! Closing Remarks
Whew! That looks like a lot of stuff just to get one paintball marker tuned, but it is absolutely worth it. Once you get a Planet Eclipse LV2 paintball marker tuned, they perform on a completely different level. One thing I do need to mention is that every Planet Eclipse LV2 marker is different. What this means is that I could give my exact parameters that work with my LV2 to someone else, but their LV2 may perform differently, even if they're the same exact paintball gun! This is one of the major reasons why there's a tuning guide for these specific paintball markers.
Now that was a lot to take in! Here's a video that shows and explains the tuning process:
You can browse our collection of Planet Eclipse LV2 Paintball Guns HERE