My $60 air cannon line launcher....WOW!!

If you do that, it might make sense to shorten the chamber and make another extension to get that "aiming length" - that way you don't need as much air to fill it...especially helpful when you are on the road and filling with a manual pump or a little battery powered compressor.
 
I made the length of the barrel and chamber a little longer than necessary so it would be less likely that I'd ever get my face in front of the barrel when inserting the bag.

Charging the air chamber with a battery-powered compressor after inserting the bag and roughly aiming is probably safer and more convenient. I'm still looking for the right compressor. The Milwaukee looks pretty good, but I've already got two batteries that'll work with the Kobalt.
 
Winchman said:
I made the length of the barrel and chamber a little longer than necessary so it would be less likely that I'd ever get my face in front of the barrel when inserting the bag.

Charging the air chamber with a battery-powered compressor after inserting the bag and roughly aiming is probably safer and more convenient. I'm still looking for the right compressor. The Milwaukee looks pretty good, but I've already got two batteries that'll work with the Kobalt.
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I found that a hand pump was pretty quick to fill mine, about 20 pumps created 80psi and is easily portable. The only downside being that at 80 psi it was a little harder to pump but not terrible. Of course your build and the brand of pump may vary how many pumps it takes to get to your desired psi.
 
Yes. There's a tiny passage there that allows air (or water) above the diaphragm into the solenoid. The screw just above it is the passage from the solenoid to the valve outlet. Both passages need to be blocked if the solenoid is removed. I put instant glue on the two screws as a sealant. If you want to use the solenoid as the trigger, both passages must be left open.

SouthSoundTree, I got a Schwinn Air Center Plus pump.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0771LDTXS?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
Twenty strokes gets me 60 psi, but it's going to be really difficult for me (at only 170 pounds) to push down hard enough to go much higher.

I'd appreciate a link or picture for the pump you're using if it's not the same as the one I got.
 
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Thanks, Winchman. I have my valve apart now and I see what you are talking about. As to air pumps, have you guys seen the rechargeable electric bicycle pumps on eBay? There is a 150 psi version that is cylinder shaped and could be strapped right to the air launcher. I think they probably pump slowly but it might beat manually doing it.
 
I just did the math. With the 38mm (1.5") diameter barrel of the pump I bought, it takes 106 pounds of push to get 60psi. I could get 100psi if I balanced myself on the handle after making about forty strokes.

Fortunately, Thanksgiving is next week.
 
I have a hand pump that allows me to get over 4,000psi. for my air rifles. Many good bike pumps can get you over 200psi. with little effort.

I have an older Joe Blow bike pump that gets me to 80psi in about 22 easy strokes and I'm only 145lbs.
 
Having used both extensively, the APTA is overwhelming my favorite. On an average day it is faster, more accurate, more versatile and far more capable than the Bigshot or hand throwing.

Just my opinion based on what works for me.
 
I was able to get 70psi after taking all the placards off the pump, and that will probably be enough for any high shots I'll be making. I'll still use the Big Shot for most of what I do.

The squirrels chewed the bookmark string on one of my favorite high TIPs in the yard. My second shot with the AC hit the friction saver there, but didn't go over the lead. That left the friction saver hanging on a lower branch. I was able to isolate the fourth shot on the lead, so now I can climb to retrieve the FS and put it back in place with a new bookmark.

The Kobalt inflator I've been looking at went on sale for $59 (was $99) yesterday. I already have two batteries and chargers for it, so I ordered one. The other Kobalt tools I own have worked well, so I'm expecting this one will, too.
 
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Using a bicycle type hand pump - the “Topeak Joe Blow Sport III High Pressure Floor Pump” I can very easily pump up 140 lbs of pressure in my APTA. I can’t imagine using any other method of launcher charging.

I typically am launching at about 100 lbs, but extra pressure is definitely a help in blasting through a web of twigs. To avoid wildly overshooting my target I’ll grab the throw line as quickly as I can once the throw bag clears the crotch, or for tricky situations play out about as much line as I need and anchor it to something for a quick stop.
 
The Kobalt 40-volt inflator arrived (in a Greenworks box, LOL), and it's quieter than I expected. The hose is long enough that I can leave the adapter clipped to the Schrader valve on the air chamber while aiming with the air chamber resting on the ground. The digital pressure setting and automatic shutoff work well, it takes less time than the manual pump, and it only weighs four pounds with the battery (1.5 more that the bike pump). I really like it. It's on sale through Jan.28.

Lowes doesn't sell it with a battery and charger, but you can get a 24-volt version with b&c from Greenworks on Amazon for $104 on a Cyber Monday special.
 
Winchman said:
The Kobalt 40-volt inflator arrived (in a Greenworks box, LOL), and it's quieter than I expected. The hose is long enough that I can leave the adapter clipped to the Schrader valve on the air chamber while aiming with the air chamber resting on the ground. The digital pressure setting and automatic shutoff work well, it takes less time than the manual pump, and it only weighs four pounds with the battery (1.5 more that the bike pump). I really like it. It's on sale through Jan.28.

Lowes doesn't sell it with a battery and charger, but you can get a 24-volt version with b&c from Greenworks on Amazon for $104 on a Cyber Monday special.
Click to expand...

I’ve used a dual piston foot powered air pump from Walmart as well as a 12v cigarette plug tire inflator wired into my van. I find the foot pedal is easier since I can reset on-site.

It’s a lot of fun hearing the launch and when you land the shot successfully is an added bonus.

I’ve stayed in the 60-80 psi range and am averaging about 70’ with a 12 oz weaver bag.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Installed a low loss air fitting on my cannon. Loses 5 psi instead of 15, but doesn't open the fill valve reliably, so a no go for now. I don't hand fill my cannon, so not a big deal. Also, at 65 psi my 10oz bag flew over 200' out and 145 feet vertically, but that is without the line attached. The line definitely affects flight, but I easily shot into a 60' tree with the line at 40 psi. Not sure why guys need 100+ psi, but maybe the flight curve is not linear, needing much more initial velocity in proportion to additional height and line weight.

70 degrees, 10 oz bag, 65 psi. When sourcing parts I went through every valve in the box to find one that was easiest to turn. So I get a really efficient launch. Fence is 210 feet from my truck, which was the launch point. Bag landed through the bottom of the fence about a foot off the ground. Projectile motion calculator shows 31 fps, 6 seconds of flight, and 145' maximum height.

Canon Flight.jpg
 
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Just finished my air launcher with 24" barrel and same 24" x 1-1/2" PVC for air reservoir end, and Rainbird CP100 sprinkler valve for trigger. Wow, with 60 psi, it tosses a 12 oz. bag almost out of sight. Easily over 100 feet and very accurate. Even with big diameter throwline on it, I consistently got about 80 to 90 feet with 60 psi. Another cool thing I tried, since I often hike quite a ways to a tree and don't want to carry both the launcher and a big bike pump, is to use one of those tiny CO2 bike tire inflators. I already had one I carry on my bicycle. With a normal small 16g CO2 cartridge, I can fill the launcher three full times to 60 psi. These inflators are really small, pocket sized. The sprinkler valve mod is easy and gives you a hair trigger and instant volume of pressure. There is no valve handle to yank, which can slightly deflect your aim. The sprinkler valves turn up on eBay for around $20 to $25. One more thing I noticed immediately about the range you get on these is that the throwbag has to fit the bore closely. If the bag is oval shaped and there is any slight blowby on the edges, you loose height quite dramatically. It makes all the difference to have the bag fit fairly tight all the way around its sides. I also think a longer barrel would increase range, since the pressure would act on the bag longer and increase the upward shove. There is a critical length I think, since too long a barrel would not be good either. The longer the barrel, the more the pressure is dropping as it shoves the bag along up the tube, so you would reach a point where it quit acting on the bag efficiently and then the extra barrel length would begin to introduce drag and actually hinder range from that point on. This would vary with the firing pressure and volume of reservoir too. Experimentation with a range of barrel lengths would answer this rather quickly and one would compromise against how long a barrel is convenient to carry on a hike or whatever. Of course, the barrels can unscrew so you can have an assortment of them. Maybe even some larger bore barrels for tossing tennis balls for the dog (or water balloons at kayakers or rival climbers, etc. LOL).
launcher1.jpglauncher2.jpg
 
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