AEAC's FX Impact M3 "Flat-Spot" Search Tool

[Airgun Nation]

AEAC may have stumbled upon a useful M3 "hack" tool that could help the user identify an enhanced performance sweet spot in the overall system mechanics of the M3. He and Sweden aren't really sure yet. Additional evaluation & understanding is required .

Read on!!!

 

[AEAC]

Hey y'all!!

Explanation of the above shot charts.

12/24 EDIT & UPDATED UNDERSTANDING (thank you AGN members & FX Sweden) - The above "AEAC M3 Power Wheel Search Tool" is a sweet spot search tool hack I stumbled upon that can help one locate & identify a theoretical mechanical system-sweet-spot hiding within the M3's overall system-mechanics... a sweet spot where PW & QTS interact with a bit less resistance, hence may offer enhanced performance. If/once identified, the user could build upon this tool's usefulness by incorporating knowledge of its location into their tunes.

Originally, I thought that the found anomaly could be used to identify a harmonious sweet spot between reg pressure & hammer spring tension, but as it turns out, it's probably only useful as described above... we'll see, I'm gonna play around with it some more. Either way, it did help me to create a very decent 850 fps, 16gr .22 cal Eco Tune for the M3 "Compact," with the 300cc bottle and 500mm liner.

-----

If you'd like to repeat my steps and try for yourself on your M3, here's how I went about it:

First Step - Using the regulator pressure the gun arrived from the factory set at, the owner's manual, and intuition as a guide... choose a fore & aft regulator pressure you want to test at, and dial that in. Remember that Reg 2 is what the valve sees and Reg 1's only function is to simply "step down" the bottle pressure to a more manageable pressure for Reg 2, enabling Reg 2 to do a better job with consistency. About 30 bar between the two regs is an ideal place to be... feel free to experiment but going less than 25 bar in between isn't recommended. More than 60 bar in between is approaching the realm of not observing a difference in influence.

Second Step - Run the 85 shot "AEAC Flat Spot Search Tool," keeping the gun pressurized to between 150 and 225 bar (275 was a typo sorry) throughout the test. To run the test, simply take 5 shots at each Power Wheel setting, beginning with 16 down and working your way down to 1 (with lower reg pressures, allow 5-6 seconds in between shots for regulator breathing for this step). Follow your gun's recommended Valve Adjuster setting for this portion of the test (as stated in the manual or as it arrived from Sweden). Mine was just about fully unscrewed and touching the shroud bottom.

Third Step - Evaluate your shot chart and look for "flat spots." If their manor resembles the ones I found above, they may be where your PW and QTS interface with the least resistance. Knowing of these sweet spots aren't necessary for creating a great tune, however if you learn of them, you can exploit their existence and perhaps make a great tune even better.

Fourth Step - Bring it all together by gradually reducing the M3's "Valve Adjuster" (by 1/4 to 1/2 turn at a time from max to min & testing with 5-10 shots at each position) and be on the lookout for ES & SD tightening. This final step sets a "bump-stop" travel limiter for any valve overtravel, hence effectively reduces waste air behind the pellet. It improves accuracy, and it will increase the efficiency of your tune (see above Eco Tune 1 > Eco Tune 2 improvement). You will also likely "hear" an audible "cough" report turn into an audible "snick" report as you approach the sweet spot of this step.

More learning to come as I develop an "AEAC Pro Tune" and "AEAC Power Tune" for the FX Impact M3 "300cc Compact."

... and perhaps a greater evolution of the above light-load Eco Tune.

Hope this helps and have fun!

Steve

 

[MikeAllen]

Hey y'all!!

The above "AEAC M3 Power Wheel Search Tool" is a "Sweet Spot Search Tool" I came up with to dramatically cut down on the tune-time (and pellet usage when tuning) of your M3. This simple approach to tuning the FX Impact M3 will quickly inform you of where your hammer spring wants to be for the regulator pressure you are currently set at.

-----

First Step - Using the regulator pressure the gun arrived from the factory set at, the owner's manual, and intuition as a guide... choose a fore & aft regulator pressure you want to test at, and dial that in. Remember that Reg 2 is what the valve sees and Reg 1's only function is to simply "step down" the bottle pressure to a more manageable pressure for Reg 2, enabling Reg 2 to do a better job with consistency. About 30 bar between the two regs is an ideal place to be... feel free to experiment but I wouldn't go less than 25 bar in between. More than 60 bar in between is approaching the realm of not observing a difference in influence.

Second Step - Run the 85 shot "AEAC Flat Spot Search Tool," keeping the gun pressurized to between 150 and 225 bar (275 was a typo sorry) throughout the test. To run the test, simply take 5 shots at each Power Wheel setting, beginning with 16 down and working your way down to 1 (with lower reg pressures, allow 6-7 seconds in between shots for regulator breathing for this step). Follow your gun's Valve Adjuster recommended setting (in the manual or as it arrived from Sweden) for this portion of the test (mine was just about fully unscrewed).

Third Step - Evaluate your Shot Chart and look for "flat spots." Those flat spots are where your hammer spring wants to live, with the current regulator pressure you have assigned to your gun. Match up your chart's flat spots with the corelating Power Wheel setting/number, and you've just found your setup's preferred HS/PW "sweet spot" setting for that reg pressure.

Fourth Step - Bring it all together by gradually reducing the M3's "Valve Adjuster" (by 1/4 to 1/2 turn at a time from max to min & testing with 5-10 shots at each position) and be on the lookout for ES & SD tightening. This final step sets a "bump-stop" travel limiter for any valve overtravel, hence effectively reduces waste air behind the pellet. It improves accuracy, and it will increase the efficiency of your tune (see above Eco Tune 1 > Eco Tune 2 improvement). You will also likely "hear" an audible "cough" report turn into an audible "snick" report as you approach the sweet spot of this step.

... more tips & learning to come as I develop an "AEAC Pro Tune" and "AEAC Power Tune" for the FX Impact M3 "300cc Compact."

Steve

SO GLAD to see you are beginning to publish M3 information and results - can't wait for your videos!

 

[2L8]

Steve, Might be a silly question, but, when you mentioned keeping the QTS=3 setting "always" is that literally while you are running down the PW from 16-1?
Re-adjusting the QTS to "3" as you work your way down to 1?
Just making sure I get you're method.

Happy Holidays,
Patrick

 

[AEAC]

Steve, Might be a silly question, but, when you mentioned keeping the QTS=3 setting "always" is that literally while you are running down the PW from 16-1?
Re-adjusting the QTS to "3" as you work your way down to 1?
Just making sure I get you're method.

Happy Holidays,
Patrick

View attachment 315717

Correct! Reposition the QTS back to 3 (neutral) with each new PW setting and 5 shots. Steve

 

[douger]

nice

 

[weevil]

The QTS that you mention setting at 3, also known as the minor adjustment in the manual, provides exactly the same hammer spring tension when set at 3, regardless of where the 1-16 (macro) wheel is set. In other words, a micro of 3 with macro of 16 is exactly the same HST as as a micro of 3 and a macro of 1. The macro wheel exists only to make it easy to get consistent changes in HST for different ammo or speeds. For example I might have a high power tune for a slug needing HST corresponding to 4.5 on the micro wheel. By setting that up on macro 16, I can then find a lower macro setting (say 5) that shoots a lighter pellet at my favorite speed. The macro allows me to jump between them quickly without having to count the clicks on the micro dial (which can easily get mal-adjusted and out of whack.

I’ll refrain from any further comment on your method.

 

[EDventure]

The QTS that you mention setting at 3, also known as the minor adjustment in the manual, provides exactly the same hammer spring tension when set at 3, regardless of where the 1-16 (macro) wheel is set. In other words, a micro of 3 with macro of 16 is exactly the same HST as as a micro of 3 and a macro of 1. The macro wheel exists only to make it easy to get consistent changes in HST for different ammo or speeds. For example I might have a high power tune for a slug needing HST corresponding to 4.5 on the micro wheel. By setting that up on macro 16, I can then find a lower macro setting (say 5) that shoots a lighter pellet at my favorite speed. The macro allows me to jump between them quickly without having to count the clicks on the micro dial (which can easily get mal-adjusted and out of whack.

I’ll refrain from any further comment on your method.

Thank you @weevil. This is what I learned from research and year of ownership.

 

[weevil]

Thank you @weevil. This is what I learned from research and year of ownership.

I’m new on here (but not to tuning) so I’m a little uncomfortable fully stating my opinion of this “untold secret method”. Hopefully, a more “established” user will chime in before too many pellets are wasted.

 

[Jlowe]

Honestly Steve, I hope you don't find a way to make it easy, because then I'll have to add an M3 to my FX collection. lol

 

[EDventure]

The manual states - "There are circles on the scale of both hammer-spring adjusters. We recommended to use these as starting points for re-tuning after changing projectile, caliber, or regulator pressure."

I experimented with this method when converting to 500mm barrel and lighter Hades 15.9 pellets. It landed on 84 bar with fine tuning at 2.5 Micro and 4 Macro to reach 887 FPS. It's very accurate and precise.

 

[douger]

you say 70 bar rear regulator? the new power blocks and brass pistons as far as i know you can only go down as low as 100 bar on the rear reg, believe its due to the length of the brass piston

 

[AEAC]

you say 70 bar rear regulator? the new power blocks and brass pistons as far as i know you can only go down as low as 100 bar on the rear reg, believe its due to the length of the brass piston

My teachers at FX tell me that 60 bar is the lower threshold for reg 2 on the current M3, and that south of that, it stops doing its job well.

70 bar performance for reg 2 is validated in the above results. System harmony is clearly present & happy.

This Eco Tune still needs to be accuracy tested though. It may suck... it may be great. We'll see.

Steve

 

[AEAC]

Honestly Steve, I hope you don't find a way to make it easy, because then I'll have to add an M3 to my FX collection. lol

I'm working on it .

Everything I discover on my own or am taught by FX, I will share with you guys here and on AEAC YouTube & Instagram, "hookedonair."

Best, Steve

 

[AEAC]

The QTS that you mention setting at 3, also known as the minor adjustment in the manual, provides exactly the same hammer spring tension when set at 3, regardless of where the 1-16 (macro) wheel is set. In other words, a micro of 3 with macro of 16 is exactly the same HST as as a micro of 3 and a macro of 1. The macro wheel exists only to make it easy to get consistent changes in HST for different ammo or speeds. For example I might have a high power tune for a slug needing HST corresponding to 4.5 on the micro wheel. By setting that up on macro 16, I can then find a lower macro setting (say 5) that shoots a lighter pellet at my favorite speed. The macro allows me to jump between them quickly without having to count the clicks on the micro dial (which can easily get mal-adjusted and out of whack.

I’ll refrain from any further comment on your method.

Let's see how it goes. I've discovered different so far (and validated the findings) but this project is gonna be a long road of discovery, learning, and sharing.

Certainly though, I'll put your findings (and EDventure's) in front of FX and report back on what they say.

Best,
Steve

 

[weevil]

Let's see how it goes. I've discovered different so far (and validated the findings) but this project is gonna be a long road of discovery, learning, and sharing.

Certainly though, I'll put your findings (and EDventure's) in front of FX and report back on what they say.

Best,
Steve

Steve,

Rather than going back and forth, why not have the person from FX post on this thread. You know, so that those of us who are mystified can hear it “from the Horse’s mouth”…

The oddest thing is that anyone with a bit of engineering sense can figure out how the wheels interact from the parts diagram. But hey, perhaps FX released a “fake” parts diagram to keep this tuning secret “untold”.

FWIW, here’s another thread on this topic, making exactly the same point:

M3 micro wheel

I see tuning numbers like 4.25 for the micro adjustment. what exactly does that mean? The number across the top are 1 threw 5, no numbers on the bottom lines and it seems to take about 20 clicks to go from any whole top number to the next. Also on my m3, with macro adjuster on level 16...

www.airgunnation.com

 

[calypso4leg]

I can't wait for your video on the M3. The way you explain tuning and your in-depth explanations have changed the way I look at tuning air guns .
It has taken some time for me to understand my M3 and how to tune it. I still consider myself a novice.
Without a sound tuning method and an understanding of how the adjustment effect each other a person can spend a lot of time chasing their tail.
Thank you for your efforts!

 

[AEAC]

Steve,

Rather than going back and forth, why not have the person from FX post on this thread. You know, so that those of us who are mystified can hear it “from the Horse’s mouth”…

The oddest thing is that anyone with a bit of engineering sense can figure out how the wheels interact from the parts diagram. But hey, perhaps FX released a “fake” parts diagram to keep this tuning secret “untold”.

FWIW, here’s another thread on this topic, making exactly the same point:

M3 micro wheel

I see tuning numbers like 4.25 for the micro adjustment. what exactly does that mean? The number across the top are 1 threw 5, no numbers on the bottom lines and it seems to take about 20 clicks to go from any whole top number to the next. Also on my m3, with macro adjuster on level 16...

www.airgunnation.com

My relationship with FX isn't one where I can "have them do" anything, but I'll certainly ask them about all this and report back.

For now, I'm confident in the findings. I did the work, took a lot of care in doing do, so believe in what I'm seeing. There may of course also be truth in your findings. I wouldn't try to convince anyone otherwise but would rather encourage them to study both schools, apply their own critical thinking, and execute their own path.

Regarding a schematic, I can't speak to that, I haven't seen it. I don't believe it's FX's way to mislead anyone though. Any patents they may have on the PW & QTS would be available publicly for others to access.

Best, Steve

 

[AEAC]

I can't wait for your video on the M3. The way you explain tuning and your in-depth explanations have changed the way I look at tuning air guns .
It has taken some time for me to understand my M3 and how to tune it. I still consider myself a novice.
Without a sound tuning method and an understanding of how the adjustment effect each other a person can spend a lot of time chasing their tail.
Thank you for your efforts!

You're welcome! ... and thank you for the kind note. I truly appreciate your trust and confidence.

There will be 2 separate M3 video guides, one on the short and one on the long.

I'll try to give you what you're asking for .

Best, Steve

 

[weevil]

Steve - there’s no option for us both to be correct here! These are mechanical devices with defined functions.

Multiple people with experience in tuning this platform have debunked the premise of your approach. It’s akin to setting two presets on your car radio to the same broadcast frequency and claiming that one sounds better than the other.

I can at least save you the time contacting FX. I email my contact there along with the folks at UA. Both confirmed that what myself and others have pointed out is correct.