**off center weights **
Off center weights, and the motion of spinning them is what gives the dual shock its vibration.
That’s my last option, in
That’s my last option, in case all the other ones fail. This because the vibration caused by them is not as realistic as the cam setup, it doesn’t gie you the blowback feeling.
I think i’ll go for the
I think i’ll go for the wooden prototype first. Then i could see how much it would cost to get the same parts machined, with metal instead of wood. Thoguh i think it’s gonna cost pretty much, like 100$ or so…
Out of curiosity i also want to try a coil design, i know it eats a lot of current, but still it’s design would be much simpler, and i could manage to build every part by myself. (coil design simply means: have the same spring-weight system, but instead of having a cam pull it back, use a coil) E.g.: i could fit everything in a pvc tube and that’s it. Not to mention it’s smaller.
…Even if i agree that the cam mecahnism, without considering costs, is the better one.
About the three bullets per shot: i also thought about something like that when i said 7 bullets instead of 15, i’ll just drive the cam once per 2 bullets or 3 or more, definetly more reasonable.
Mythbusters
You need that thing that the mythbusters used on the “harmonics can distroy a building” episode… Some sorta shake back and forth thing that they bolted to a bridge.
Linear Motor
I believe they were linear motors http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_motor They’re expensive and bluky, but they will certainly add a special punch to the game.
i can’t seem to find small
i can’t seem to find small and cheap enough ones on the net…
Yeah, I didn’t think you
Yeah, I didn’t think you would be able too. They’re large and expensive. And by adding a “punch” I meant they might not your players out. They draw too much current anyway.
I’m trying this
I am also building a laser tag system. I found this blog today while searching for other laser tag recoil implementations. For the recoil am experimenting with the cheap solenoid from electronic goldmine. I am building the gun out of PVC, so I rigged up the solenoid on a PVC pipe extender and connected it to three 9V batteries. I tried it twice, once with a 1-1/2 inch pipe and again with a 3/4 inch pipe. It worked much better with the smaller pipe.
Videos:
Want to team up? We could
Want to team up? We could share knowledge about our projects! I’ll definetly give a look to your videos to learn more.
EDIT: just watched the videos…MAN the second one is amazing! Can you get it up to a faster rate of fire? But still…could you tell me how you made it? It looks really cool.
Solenoid
Here is a video of an Elect Engine that I made using a 12vdc Pull-type solenoid. The video does not show the speed well but with a 9vdc battery it spins at 360 rpm. That is 6 cycles per second on the solenoid. It will go faster when using 12 vdc. Just with a 9vdc battery it gives the real “recoil” feel that you are looking for. I have the datasheet for this solenoid at work and can post it tomorrow if you find this useful. It uses a Hall Effect sensor and magnet on the flywheel to fire a transistor. Total components are a magnet, Hall Effect sensor, TIP10a Transistor and a 1N004 Diode. The magnet could be glued to your Airsoft motor gear and a small extension spring to pull the solenoid plunger back out for the next pulse. I used the 3mm dia magnet from the end of a small screwdriver. The solenoid measures 20mm in diameter x 50mm length.
Cool use of a solenoid
Nice one.
I just had to…
I just had to make something from the solenoid. I ended up with about a dozen extras from a work project. A guy I work with liked steam engines and he suggested building an "electric steam engine". Sounded interesting to me and this is the result.
Dead simple
It was dead simple to make. I used a PVC extender coupling (http://tinyurl.com/krxfgd) with the o-rings removed. I taped a solenoid (http://tinyurl.com/kj3mp2) on the side. I drilled a hole through the center pvc pipe and used piece of a hanger as a pin to connect the solenoid to the pipe. The circuit was three 9V batteries in series and a switch, a big capacitor in parallel with the batteries, and a diode in parallel with the solenoid.
Improvements:
-The pipe didn’t slide very well, so it would get stuck if I didn’t have enough power. I tried lubercating the pipe, but it didn’t help much. Something with ball bearings would work much better. You don’t need a PVC extender coupling, it should the same with just two sizes of pipe.
-It may work better with a better solenoid driver circuit (switch debouncing, PWM signal, etc.).
I wonder what the rpm of the solenoid is under ideal conditions?
I am happy to share ideas, I’ve got some pretty ambitious ones. I am using the Arduino board (also from Italy) and plan to couple it with a PDA, Phone or netbook.
Really cool!I think you guys
Really cool!
I think you guys got me on the “solenoid path”. 
6 pulses is definetly ok, now i only have to buy the solenoid and a weight. (unfortunately electronics goldmine doesn’t ship to italy though, gotta find me another shop!) I think i’ll go for 9V, not that i wouldn’t like a faster one, but it’s hard to stick a 12V battery in an airsoft rifle…
wait… i just got this new idea just now: i could have change voltage depending on which rifle i use… so for example bigger ones would get 12V (bigger= more space= 12V!) on smaller ones 9V ones, that would also make it more realistic!
Thanks for the in-depth
Thanks for the in-depth information! I am planning on using ATmegas programmed in arduino C. The laser tag i am planning to make is the mil-sim kind, but it could be turned into arcade in a few secs (you know…just tweak the code a little and you’re done), even if i don’t think i’ll be doing that much (i am an airsoft player, so i like realism).
So far i wanted to integrate things like these in the project:
-recoil
-“near miss” warning (that is: if the data transmitted by one’s IR led isn’t received properly then the ATmega tells you somehow)
-magazines (i was planning on having, say, 5 magazines per player each with a different resistor, which has to be read by the ADC port on the atmega. The magazine doesn’t store the bullet count, the ATmega does (=less contacts needed, simpler to build))
-grenades and maybe flashbangs (grenades shouldn’t be hard, as for flashbangs, i thought about placing a few high output white LEDs on the player’s helmet/cap so they turn on when the “flashbang signal” is received
-fully working cocking handle
-other minor tweaks…
What about you? Are you going the mil-sim way too? Got some cool ideas to exchange?
I guess the PDA/netbook coupling is for setting up a match quickly right?
Here is an Idea
If you can’t find a solenoid available locally, I will send you one just like whats in my video. You just pay shipping to your home. I imagine it should not cost more than $5 to send it to Italy as the weight is about 75 grams.
PM me if you want to go this way and we can arrange something. I want to see your project when completed. One last thought… you can run the solenoid with (2) 9vdc batteries no problem. It really gives you the “recoil” sound and feel you are looking for.
That would be great! But i
That would be great! But i don’t want to bother you that much…
I’ve searched for 2 days or so and i didn’t come up with anything. I’ve only found 3 solenoids with springs so far: electronic goldmine, allelectronics, farnell.
Problems are: E.Goldmine doesn’t ship, allelectronics only has the 24v version, farnell’s solenoid has a way too small plunger. No results locally 
**It seems Im not the only**<br><p>It seems Im not the only one having trouble with Electronics Goldmine. Don`t answer emails and just sit on orders… Good way to ru(i)n a business.
You could make your own solenoid with a nail or bolt and several metres of copper wire wound around a pen tube.
Your option could work if i
Your option could work if i had to produce just one of them, but i plan on installing them on many weapons so it might be hard and time consuming to make one for everyone of them, not to consider they would be much less reliable (more prone to jams).