[mcguyver]

Originally Posted by MadMax

Their internals look really nice. I like the inclusion of both electrical units (control and FET switching) in the gearbox housing. I didn't like the strain relief issues with the wired FET assembly with the Armalite which also has very little heatsinking in the FET bank.

I can change the EL-001 board without removing the gearbox in about 5 minutes. I can replace the EL-003 board in the M4 in about 5 minutes, all without removing the gearbox. This reminds me of having to spend an hour tearing an MP5 down to replace a switch. Absolute crap in my opinion, especially considering the well thought out construction of the M4.

Originally Posted by MadMax

I'm not all that put off with the non planetary gears. It comes with a significant reduction in cost and well made step gears have lower rolling resistance than a platetary transmission. SystemA has a lot of experience with very high power assemblies (M170 springs w' torque up gears). A planetary arrangement and a step gear arrangement could have the same reduction ratio with lower rolling losses for the step gear arrangement. I don't see why the step gear setup would have any poorer reaction time. It looks like the detection hole in the sector gear could be useful for precocking the gearbox as it would like up with the optical gate just before the piston is released.

But they don't seem to be using helical gears, so good luck with an M150.

Originally Posted by MadMax

The selector switch appears to be a rotary switch or a potentiometer behind that unusual 4th gear in the mechbox. Manchovie pointed out a lack of clearance for the usual post that sticks out of an MP5 selector lever. It looks like the left and right selectors are connected to pinion gears which engage the two "4th" gears which are connected to a common shaft to synchronise the left and right selectors like a TM SIG 551. I think the common shaft is keyed and passes through a potentiometer or rotary switch. This simplifies the rack and pinion arrangement used by the Armalite. I've seen the Armalite selector go bad because the microswitch assembly is not very tolerant to slight innacuracies in manufacture or wear of the pips which are pushed down by the slider.

And this geared selector arrangement is better that a simple rack gear? There are more PTWs in Alberta by far than all of Ontario, and I've never heard of a selector problem in an M4. I'll bet they haven't heard of it Europe or Asia or the U.S. either. If they have, it's not posted on PTW-users forum. Give your head a shake man!!!

Originally Posted by MadMax

I think the Armalite cylinders will not be compatible with the MP5.

This has already been confirmed.

This is MP5 is a huge disappointment. They have obviously had to rush this thing to market, made some really poor design choices, deviated grossly from their tried and true PTW format, and try to package and market it as "the best PTW ever". Anyone who even remotely believes that has not owned or even seen the AR series.

And at $2000 in Canada, this is a joke. I could build 3 MP5s with comparable parts and give up the electronic control for that money. And with a standard AEG gear set, it won't perform like a PTW does now, I promise you that.

I had really hoped they would bring an actual PTW to market. But, it seems they like the $$$ even more than I thought, and would like to target the masses with a bastardized Ver 2 mechbox and call it a "training weapon".

I share your disappointment DAES!!

And I won't buy one for the record, and I'd say you'd be a fool to drop $2K on it. NOT WORTH IT AT ALL!!!