Digging up the China compressor makers...

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I contacted another dealer other than AOA, and he said they have had great luck with the Omega and everyone seems to be happy. There is a bleed-off value that the frequency could be changed and he suggested the Diablo filter to be sure the air was dry. He was very nice and kind. When I asked if he knew for certain the air going into my tank was dry and could he guarantee my equipment 3-5 years from now, he could not!. He said this industry is trial and error. So, I will not know for sure if I have moisture-free air unless I take my equipment apart or to "just see in a few years". He said there is alot of the Omegas out there and he has plenty of parts and expects to get parts in the future. If the unit needs a rebuild, the cost should be nominal. He personally prefers the Omega over his Bauer for ease of use.

So what I know so far is that if I want guaranteed dry air, I need to look at compressors like the Kidd or Bauer. Both can deliver dry air for SCUBA use. Is this level necessary for PCP's.... I don't know maybe not. The verdict is still out on the Omegas and Shoebox. Until we have an industry standard on these "lower" units with at least a warantee, the end comsumer, you, will asume the final risk for future equipment damage.
I am not saying they don't work or are ineffective but nobody really knows for sure unless there is a true study. I really like the ease and price of the Omega and the Shoebox and feel they may be better suited for PCP use, but I would feel more comforable with a guaranteed air dryer! I will be looking into what should be the specs for an effective dry. If anyone is interested I will post this later.
 
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Hi Guys,

My first post woohoo XD.
I contacted the Chinese supplier about importing these compressors (see pics) into Australia and was quoted $620 US per unit plus shipping, which by sea being the cheapest/longest would work out to $300 US for a minimum of 2 cubic meters and would fit a total of 15 compressors (as stated by the supplier). I was told these were identical to the omega compressor and the Chinese model number quoted to me was GX-E-3. The minimum number of compressors I could buy was initially 15, but after a couple of emails the supplier agreed to a minimum of 3. Obviously there are other considerations and import costs, plus Australia requires an inspection and approval of all >=30Mpa/4350psi compressors, but for door to door costs of around $800 US each I thought this was an affordable option. I'm still not sure if I should go ahead, for me it was not a business opportunity, I just wanted to buy three and perhaps sell one or two to cover some costs. Here's the pics.







 
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The thing that all compressors have in common is that they compress air. The Shoebox is just a basic air compressor. You can add whatever accessories you want to it. I have a regulator, dessicant dryer and a particle filter that I added myself. It cost me $110. Including pipe fittings from the hardware store. They are on the low pressure input side. I may add one of these sieve dryers to the high pressure output side one of these days. The thing I like about it is that I can customize it as I like and as money allows. The more expensive ones are more of an all in one package except for the sieve filters I guess.

I do think that the slow fill rate allows the dessicant dryer to be much more effective than it would with a high volume compressor. There are many people out there that are very happy with these. Here is a post I did shortly after I got mine and got it setup the way it is now. With photos: http://www.marauderairrifle.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=11212
 
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Interesting discussion: The Daystate compressor is manufactured by Coltri (not assembled) in Italy, and rebranded by Daystate. Here's the link to the US web site.

http://www.coltriamericas.com/index.shtml

I work in a research lab (and also shoot PCPs) and have access to high pressure dry Nitrogen to fill my tanks, so I've yet to invest in a compressor. From professional experience (in the lab) I do know that know that desiccants that turn from blue to pink are intended for use in sealed desiccators, and in low flow supply situations. They will not dry air flowing at high volume through a cartridge. The color change only indicates when the desiccant has absorbed water; it says nothing about how dry is the air coming out the other end. Two other issues to consider: when you compress less than completely dry air, you also compress water molecules; so even with what might seem to be 'dry' air at atmospheric pressure has a lot of water in it when its compressed to 45,000 psi. This water ends up in your tank/bottle/cylinder. A molecular sieve filter on the high pressure side of your compressor is a totally different situation. It will bind water when under pressure, and then release it at low pressure, so if used properly your tanks will last a long time. The other issue is that when you compress air, in addition to nitrogen, you also compress oxygen and carbon dioxide. Mix carbon dioxide and water and you get carbonic acid; that, and compressed oxygen, will attack (corrode) many metals.

Its a complex spectrum, from no damage, to your bottle failing a hydrostatic pressure test. The energy contained in a fully charged cylinder is like a small bomb. I for feel safest keeping my tanks filled with dry inert gas. Your threshold may vary, but to me it makes sense investing in good equipment if you have an expensive PCP. If on the other hand you are filling an inexpensive rifle that you don't intend to keep for a long time, and inexpensive compressor would be a good investment, as long as you check your tanks for corrosion.
 
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