The dreaded *&$%# Fill Probe...

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Back in the day I had several DAQs and Marauders and a few more fosters guns so I converted all my Probe guns to fosters for ease of operation.

Once I got rid of the Marauders, DAQs and others I reconverted the rest of the guns to Probe,

My guns have a rotating cap so no need for a plug, I have small plastic bags with elastic band ( airtie ) to cover my probes to keep 'hem clean so no problems in that department,.......the actual action of using a probe is way easier then using fosters.



I do agree that it would be nice for manufacturers to get together and make a standard probe to fit all of them but that isn't a deal breaker.



So just out of curiosity not counting bottle guns who uses the Probe system vs Foster ? .......as far as I can recall just about all high end guns use probe rather then foster,....gotta be a good reason for that ;) ;) ;)



Also several manufactures do share the same probe, plus there :)
 
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Fill probes are great. Light weight. Easy to repair. (Two o-rings) Easy to keep lubed. No external grip ring to pull back to release. (Wait to you get older you’ll know what I’m talking about. ) Internal check valve in tank easy to repair if necessary. No nipple sticking out that could be damaged or broken off. 

Maybe give customers a choice when ordering/ configuring? Nah that would be too easy. 
 
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In the ideal world getting high pressure air from A to B would be 1 and done - like a grease nipple. Like laptop chargers and other connections they don't all line up on a standard in the real world.

I setup a tolerable feed station for my FX, Air Arms, Anschutz, Pardini variants. My tank ends in a foster quick connect, easy for the FX. Adapters with quick connectors are stored in a dust free plastic container. Easy for most fills. Anschutz is the biggest hassle, have not invested in an adapter so I have to connect to the DIN valve on the tank.
 
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Also read an article recently where they show how Foster can be actually more dangerous, male collar rounded, female loosing ball bearings and become weak on the lock.



Fosters too aren't universal, ton of different sizes not all compatible.
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Your comment got me thinking......don't most of us put a male foster on the opposite end of a manufacturer's proprietary probe anyway? That allows the normal female foster on the end of the fill source (tank or compressor or pump) so that the fill source can be used to fill more than one gun more easily. 

To do away with a foster somewhere in the pressurized system/process, a guy would need to have the probe threaded directly to the output end of the fill source, which would make that fill source limited to only fill the guns that use that specific probe. 

And yes, there are a couple different sizes of foster-type fittings. I consider the type that are generally larger but with a thinner ring on the male portion to be low pressure-specific, like what's on most shop compressors. The incompatibility issues that we see with the high pressure type that we generally use for airguns are due to sloppy tolerances, and/or peened out male ends from too many cycles of high pressure on soft metal (ball bearings in the female making repeated and ever-increasingly sized 'dents" in the locking band of the male). 

I've personally become a big fan of the one piece aftermarket fill probes. Eaglevision makes some, as does Huma, and probably others. But it's just a one piece part, no threads, fill probe on one end, male foster on the other. They have a smaller profile than when you screw a male foster to the end of the probe that comes with the gun. 


 
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Also read an article recently where they show how Foster can be actually more dangerous, male collar rounded, female loosing ball bearings and become weak on the lock.



Fosters too aren't universal, ton of different sizes not all compatible.
Click to expand...

Your comment got me thinking......don't most of us put a male foster on the opposite end of a manufacturer's proprietary probe anyway? That allows the normal female foster on the end of the fill source (tank or compressor or pump) so that the fill source can be used to fill more than one gun more easily. 

To do away with a foster somewhere in the pressurized system/process, a guy would need to have the probe threaded directly to the output end of the fill source, which would make that fill source limited to only fill the guns that use that specific probe. 

And yes, there are a couple different sizes of foster-type fittings. I consider the type that are generally larger but with a thinner ring on the male portion to be low pressure-specific, like what's on most shop compressors. The incompatibility issues that we see with the high pressure type that we generally use for airguns are due to sloppy tolerances, and/or peened out male ends from too many cycles of high pressure on soft metal (ball bearings in the female making repeated and ever-increasingly sized 'dents" in the locking band of the male). 

I've personally become a big fan of the one piece aftermarket fill probes. Eaglevision makes some, as does Huma, and probably others. But it's just a one piece part, no threads, fill probe on one end, male foster on the other. They have a smaller profile than when you screw a male foster to the end of the probe that comes with the gun. 

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You are correct for the most part and if for instance if you thread your probe to a male foster to use in your tank/compressor you are more in control since you can use units that come from the same manufacturer so they match perfectly,......you don't have that control with guns that come with Foster because they are sourced most likely from a variety of manufacturers.
 
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That is also a option i recon, makers could prepare their probes for this, maybe even provide the parts needed to complete it, so you can charge however you like.

I think foster would annoy me in the end if i was filling often, but most times i shoot tethered so only connect 1 time, and then if i take a pause or do some work i close the valve on the 12 L tank.
 
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Ok now I understand. My HW44 has a male foster on the fill probe also still it is not as convenient as just using the foster.
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Here’s what I was referring to for your guys that may not be able to picture what we’re talking about. The foster fitting (male nipple) is the silver portion. The fill probe is the gold part. 
20568CED-9116-46F5-8CB8-613E1D66E899.1644088836.jpeg


 
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I currently only have two PCPs. One uses a fill probe, the other has a Foster fitting.

The one with the fitting is easy to fill but the other with a probe never snags the fitting on anything. Both have rubber caps to either protect the port for the probe, or to protect the male foster fitting. No big deal in either case.

In the end, both do the job of coupling the air supply to the guns. Maybe if I had to deal with different probes for half a dozen guns I might develop a dislike for probes, but probably not. Right now, I just put the probe in a plastic box with my small bottle of silicone lube and extra rings, and put the box in a pocket of the case that I keep that gun in.

What really bothers me is that I have 5 different vehicles and they all have different ignition keys! :)
 
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My guns are about 50/50 probe vs nipple. The probe is a quick in and out. No fumbling 2 hand hookup. Granted it sucks that I have 4 different sizes to choose from. But I have them with a foster male end on each one. It’s a heck a of a lot easier for me to hook the female foster from the whip to the probe and then slide it into the gun one handed. Verses trying to hold the gun or lay it down or lean it in a corner so you have 2 hands to fumble with the foster to gun hookup. But who gives a rats azz what I prefer. ha ha
 
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Yes, AMERICAN AA uses a foster it is hidden, or easy to miss. England AA only has probes...as far as I know



Air Arms uses foster ? ...you sure ?
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I own AA S510 and a AA S200. Both rifles came with a nipple that is a ISO 7241/B profile. Maybe the US distributor (Straight Shooters) changed both these rifles from “Foster” profile to the ISO 7241/B? 
 
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