Fill probe vs foster

[Hookster]

Does anyone know why certain companies use a probe and not a foster fitting? To me the foster seems like a trouble free no brainer. The probe has orings and looks like an avenue to introduce foreign material into your gun. Help me understand the logic.

 

[Spray1Mark]

Some airgun users seem not physically able to engage the Forster type fittings fully.

I think manufacturers are afraid of them and liability (the fittings, not some of the idiots amongst us that play with HPA airguns).

 

[Stefanjan]

Money. Put a proprietary device on your product that is engineered to fail.and you make more money. Why did every cell phone need a different charger? (Heck even now there is no universal charging cord) Why does every auto use a different bolt pattern on wheel rims? Money. To be fair there are some limitations on how and where a fill port can be located. My wildfire fills on the end of the tank and uses a foster. The hatsan has the guage on the end so needs a right angle fill and a foster just wouldnt fit.

 

[John "spysir" Blount]

It is moving that way fast. 10 years ago a regulator was $600 and custom made. There was no "standard" jiust get air in the thing and a self seating probe of some kind was needed.

AA seems about the first to use something you could purchase at a store the "Parker" fitting, before that if you lost a probe och you were down for a while. Now WHY AA wanted to change from a foster to a propitariy fitting, well so you must spend $ on an after market foster ( $25 or less) or their special adaptor.

Basicly foster fitting are simply newer, hang in there.



John

 

[Skip-in-WV]

Designers choice.

 

[Keyman62421]

want dirt in your air tube? probes are an excellent way to get it!

 

[scrane]

With many guns using the tube end for a gauge there's no place for a Foster fitting. The probe bypassed this problem.

 

[toku58]

Design choice and availability at the time.

I believe that the industry will eventually move towards standard fittings. (Foster would be my guess)
If airgun manufacturers listen to their consumers? That change will come sooner.

 

[blackdiesel]

Some air cylinders are designed in a way that it's hard to put a foster on them. I would rather have a foster so there's no worry about losing a probe, but having to use a probe is not a big deal with me.

 

[Hookster]

Does anyone leave their fillprobe in the gun and maybe just use a foster cap? I know it might snag just wondering what you all think. Thanks for the replies. 

 

[Gaberossi]

I am working with a machinist friend on getting a device made that will have the probe that gets put into the air tube and then a clamp(similar to the tank Bipod mount for the FX guns) that goes around the air tube holding the probe in place with the foster fitting on the end so people can tether their probe guns without worry of the probe flying out.

 

[blackdiesel]

I shoot tethered with some probes. No worries about a probe flying out because air pressure holds it firmly in. Just have to make sure it's all the way in when you open the pressure from your tank.

 

[Revoman]

I leave my probes in almost of the time. I bought one of the after market ones for one gun, and another that is shorter than the original, doesn't stick out as far because there is no threaded adapter. I just put a small 'rubber' cap on the end when out and about. It's a small pipe cap that fits very tightly over the connector, deep enough to slip over the 'hump'. I use those same style caps on my whips, the ones that don't have a deadhead on them.

I installed the 'U' shaped swivel pivot from FX on my Wildcat near the probe to help protect it. The Steyr just has the probe next to the barrel/moderator, so it's kind of shielded.

Easy!