Daystate Mk3 FT and HFT option, input needed

[David Snook]

The "B" units are reprogrammable and can be updated, please phone Daystate for details.

Meanwhile keep the suggestions coming.

I don't know about programmable 1, 2 or 3 shots because the whole idea is to prevent a "blank" shot being fired, which can earn you a miss and nil points for the shot when competing.

David

[Darren Petts]

I thought that a pellet sensor was in the pipeline for the Mk3 specifically to counter this "always live" trigger? Has this idea been killed off?

[Darren Petts]

Or another idea - what about a simple sensor on the bolt. If the bolts been actioned then the triggers reset. It's fair to say that in competition if you've opened and closed the bolt there'll be a pellet in the spout or you've had the bolt open to display safe twix lanes then closed the bolt either at the next lane with one up the spout or because it's going back in it's bag in which case it'll be turned to safe (or should be).

[ChrisJ]

Safety is the single most important part of shooting, Which should be imbedded in everyones minds before you pick up a rifle, To have the electonics do it for you in my opinion will make the shooter lazy and perhapes a little complacent. For me personally I will keep my MK111 on a manual safety catch, I know then that it is safe. By all means offer the mod, but I think it is programming for programming sake.

[Shaggy]

I was all for what Darren Petts had said until the last post now I think it's down to the user to still carry out previous methods of safety checks then they will in theory have 2 levels of safety whilst the rifle is switched on at the firing line.

On a different note, how about the rifle, beeping with a slightly different sound or IED flashing differently to all the other beep/light combinations when it needs a charge?
So it's a clear that it needs a recharge? Because some just refill with air & get caught short & can’t play anymore! How about a car charger to be added to the rifle package as well as the 240v mains lead?

Also, I mentioned it to Tony back in the summer, I like the shot counter it's made a bit of difference for me & I was wondering
I along with others get carried away with shooting the Mk3.
Now I have seen beginners & old hats get carried away with the rifle & then, the rifle vents.
Would it be possible to have an auto shut off? Ya know like it turns off & won't turn on unless you have the trigger held in for a few seconds & flick the key after the safety switch is put on, a bit like the 100shot counter set up? After all we all know that venting a rifle isn't a habit people should get into.

Now Daystate offer a 3yr warranty they may well start seeing rifles returned 2.5yrs in with corrosion in the cylinders. They probably won’t but it helps extend the life of the rifle doesn’t it?
After all, it's easily done if you get carried away, especially is the user is venting the rifle often due to lack of experience!
It’s a feature that will help the rifle in the long term & Daystate. Most know what regularly venting a rifle could lead to in the long term, you know, damage due to quick refills from empty cylinder
Setting up the action to shut off so that it can't vent (that can easily be overridden should the need arise) would be better all round don't you recon?

Darren

[Puff O'Wind]

Would it be possible to have an auto shut off? Ya know like it turns off & won't turn on unless you have the trigger held in for a few seconds & flick the key after the safety switch is put on, a bit like the 100shot counter set up?

Darren

Forgive me, but that sounds like it'll be a real pain in the sarehole for hunters.

David

[Aeroman]

Forgive me, but that sounds like it'll be a real pain in the sarehole for hunters.

David

I think the idea is that it would be a function built into the electronics that you could have switched on or not whichever you prefer.

David

[David Snook]

First and foremost, safety is paramount, although it is the end responsibility of the shooter in the first place, anything that can be done to improve safety must help. I totally agree that there is no substitute for safe gun handling and no amount of safety systems will replace this.

Now a few answers, questions and comments:

The single shot feature is not for safety reasons, it is to prevent a blank shot being sent down the range and loosing points.

Electronic actions are not just for low power guns, we have an experimental Mk3 that will produce 56FPE on a good day and it is accurate and efficient and uses standard electronics.

We have experimented with a pellet sensor and it works well. It will only fire when the breech is closed and a pellet is seated. The only problem being that is does add expense and complexity.

The “button” breech (as used at this year’s CLA speed shoot) uses a simpler system; the gun will not fire until the breech is closed. Once the gun has fired the breech has to be opened and closed again to arm it (rather like coking an action). The only downside is that if the breech is closed and unloaded and the safety is switched off and back on, the gun can fire a blank. This feature can be added in the future, would it be desirable?

The auto-off safety feature is set at 15 minutes after the last shot. This is a powerful safety feature and will be retained, however is 15 minutes too short?

It would be neater to remove unused functions to make programming less laborious; therefore can we remove the safety tab light On/Off programming and leave it on?

Any more suggestions or comments?

David

[DAR]

Any more suggestions or comments?

Yes, Buy any other rifle Daystate make and save yourself the hassle.

David.

[I. J.]

Any more suggestions or comments?

Yes, Buy any other rifle Daystate make and save yourself the hassle.

David.

NO WAY! The Mk3 is an excellent rifle.


ACTAEON. Mine (an early B model) beeps after 30 minutes of 'standby' time. I know you can switch the light/beep off on the safety. Cant you do this with the Standby Reminder? Never tried it with mine because I like my 'baby to talk to me'

[Actaeon]

The auto-off safety feature is set at 15 minutes after the last shot. This is a powerful safety feature and will be retained, however is 15 minutes too short?

Sometimes yes - it would be nice if it were a programmable option, with the option of turning it off completely if desired.

I do get paranoid about it sometimes because it also beeps after 15 mins as well. Nothing more annoying than a lengthy stalk ruined because your gun decides to give you away. I tend to stop every so often and flick the satefy on and off to give me another 15 minutes of peace.

I don't have a problem with the single shot thing, so I'm not bothered either way - so long as it's not forced on me. It's nice to have these options, but it's also important to be able to turn them off if you don't want/need them.

[Darren Petts]

We have experimented with a pellet sensor and it works well. It will only fire when the breech is closed and a pellet is seated. The only problem being that is does add expense and complexity.

The “button” breech (as used at this year’s CLA speed shoot) uses a simpler system; the gun will not fire until the breech is closed. Once the gun has fired the breech has to be opened and closed again to arm it (rather like coking an action). The only downside is that if the breech is closed and unloaded and the safety is switched off and back on, the gun can fire a blank. This feature can be added in the future, would it be desirable?

The second option sounds good if the first is prohibitive due to expense or complexity.

[David Snook]

I.J. and Actaeon

The earlier B types were set at 30 minutes, but it was thought to be too long and shortened to 15 minutes.

How about making the period programmable from 15 minutes to 1 hour, in 15 minute intervals?

I guess that the LED on/Off function will have to stay for the lampers, it can be quite bright in the dark!

Low battery indication is a good idea too, but it is not a software change. I would like to include this in the next revision if possible.

David

[Aeroman]

Or another idea - what about a simple sensor on the bolt. If the bolts been actioned then the triggers reset. It's fair to say that in competition if you've opened and closed the bolt there'll be a pellet in the spout or you've had the bolt open to display safe twix lanes then closed the bolt either at the next lane with one up the spout or because it's going back in it's bag in which case it'll be turned to safe (or should be).

True, but including a sensor would mean a physical remodelling of the action rather than a re-map of the electronics; the cost involved would likely be prohibitive.

Just my thoughts

David

[Scooby]

David,
I agree this wouldn't stop the 'Nil Points' but it would stop the guns firing when getting up & moving between lanes which I have seen on more than one occasion when the gun is left switched on. Personally I wouldn't use a fixed single shot feature as I would get sick of turning the gun off & on between the two targets on a lane, if you had the option you can always set it to one if you prefer & if you did get 'Nil Point' on the '2' setting you've only yourself to blame.

Pete.