Internally the Etha is a radical departure from anything seen before in an Eclipse marker. For the first time we utilize a spring return bolt system in the firing mechanism, allowing us to simplify the pneumatic side of the marker and use a Pull Poppet spool to release air from the firing chamber. The Etha comes delivered in a hard case with everything you need to look after and maintain it.
Planet Eclipse Ethahttp://benjohnson.smugmug.com/photos/i-KQmmqR2/0/L/i-KQmmqR2-L.jpg
The Etha comes in a brand new case from Planet Eclipse. Outside there is a full color cardboard box. Inside that box you will...
The Etha comes in a brand new case from Planet Eclipse. Outside there is a full color cardboard box. Inside that box you will find a hard plastic, foam lined case. The case has plastic latches to keep it closed and built in plastic hinges. Open the latches and inside the case and you will find the gun, barrel front, barrel back, manual, lube, allen keys, and barrel sock. All of these items are held in pre-cut slots in the foam case. As mentioned, the gun comes with all the accessories you need to keep your Etha running smoothly. The tool kit is a nice touch, as is the high quality Eclipse barrel sock. Planet Eclipse guns always come with great cases, but as far as durability and protection are concerned, this is probably one of the best that they have offered.
The Etha comes with Planet Eclipse's Shaft 4 barrel. This barrel was first seen on the GEO2. It features male threading on both ends of the barrel back, effectively increasing the control bore by 1.5", with no change in external appearance. The Etha comes with a 0.693" back and a tip that makes the barrel just over 14" when assembled. The added control bore length generally results in greater velocity given the same settings, and thus greater efficiency. It also makes it possible to shoot the gun at reasonable velocity even if the tip has to be removed during the game for some reason. The front and back still utilize a reverse threaded connection, as seen on previous Shaft barrels. The Shaft 4 barrel found on the Etha has simple milling and minimal porting (similar to the Etek3 barrel). Despite its plain looks, it shoots very well. The sound signature is not as quiet as a more heavily ported barrel would be, but it does perform very well.
Also included with the Etha is the SL3 regulator. This was first seen on the SLs and then the GEO2. The new regulator now threads directly on to the body with female threads on the regulator, and male on the Etha's body. This allows the profile to be reduced even more. The SL3 regulator allows for the use of both HP and LP tank regulators with no change in pressure to the gun, or velocity over the chrono. It also allows you to shoot down to the last 200-300psi of tank pressure and still achieve workable velocity. The SL3 regulator on the Etha feature smooth, simple milling, and offers all of the great performance features that you would find on any other Planet Eclipse gun.
The Etha also sees a modified version of Eclipse's brand new on/off ASA. The original version (seen on the EGO11 and GEO2.1) is called the POPS (Push On Purge System). The new version on the Etha is not a push button system, but operates on the same basic design. The Etha ASA features a screw on knob instead of a push button. The ASA is extrememly simple to use and retains on/off and purge functionality. The Etha ASA features a front macro fitting. Gone is the 90 degree fitting out the side of the ASA. The angle of the fittings also produces much less stress on the macroline itself.
The next all new aspect of the Etha, is the the trigger frame. The frame is made of glass reinforced Nylon and features brand new grip panels. The frame is nicely rounded front and rear, and actually has finger groves molded into the front. The separate (non-wraparound) grip panels are made of multi-density rubber and plastic. They are very comfortable and easy to hold, and they appear that they will last a much longer time than previous soft grips. As well as the grip frame being composite, the Etha also feature composite eye covers, feedneck lever, and on/off ASA knob. These parts function equally well as aluminum parts, but they help to further reduce weight and cost.
The overall size and proportions of the Etha will be very familiar to anyone who has owned or shot a GEO or GEO2. The single tube body, and comfortable grip frame to regulator spacing bear an obvious resemblance to previous Planet Eclipse spool valve guns. Overall the milling is more streamlined and simple than previous guns, but still looks sleek and very well done. The new grips give a slightly different feel than previous guns. The grip frame feels very solid is easy to get used to. The trigger is a reverse curve and features multiple adjustments in order to suite your liking. I find that the overall feel of the gun is very good, and it handles extremely well on the field.
And now, the part that everyone cares about, the drivetrain. Unscrews out the back, just like a GEO. When you unscrew it you will be able to remove the whole assembly including the soft tip bolt and the spring. The assembly can be further disassembled into the parts seen below. Here's a quick rundown of the operation (taken from the manual).
Assuming the Etha is gassed up and turned on the marker will be in its idle position. The bolt is held back under the tension from the bolt spring, with the bolt guide filled with pressurized gas directly from the inline regulator. The firing poppet is held in its forward positioning by the firing poppet spring, keeping the bolt guide sealed.
When the trigger is pulled and electrical signal is sent to the solenoid which directs a supply of air to the rear of the firing poppet. The force of this gas is greater than the spring tension pushing the firing poppet forward, and the firing poppet is pushed back to its rear position. In the bolt guide this opens the exhaust port to the bolt and seals off the supply port from the inline regulator.
The gas pressure in the bolt guide forces the bolt forward, overcoming the spring tension from the bolt spring, this pushes a ball into the breach and closes off the feed tube. The internal stem of the bolt is pushed out of the bold guide, which then fully opens the exhaust port, allowing the pressurized gas in the bolt guide to exhaust through the bold propelling a ball.
As the bolt guide volume empties, the force pushing the bolt forwards decreases and the bolt spring starts to push the bolt back into the bolt guide exhaust port. The spring continues to push the bolt back up to its rest position against the rear bolt bumper.
The solenoid continues to hold the firing poppet in its rear position until the Dwell time expires. When this expires the solenoid exhausts the supply of air from the rear of the firing poppet, removing the force holding the firing poppet in this position. The firing poppet spring forces the firing poppet forwards, closing the exhaust port and opening the supply from the inline regulator.
The bolt guide begins to fill with pressurized gas. The Etha has now completed a full cycle.
Planet Eclipse EthaThis past weekend I had the chance to play a few games with Planet's brand new "franchise", the Etha. It was a 24h scenario game at Old River, FL, so very much appropriate to test out the marker...
This past weekend I had the chance to play a few games with Planet's brand new "franchise", the Etha. It was a 24h scenario game at Old River, FL, so very much appropriate to test out the marker under some harsh weather conditions.
It is Florida, so humidity is thru the roof at any point in time, especially after all the rain we've got before the weekend. My team captain just got his Etha to test it out for Eclipse, and he offered it me to play for a few games.
My very first impression was, "wow, they've managed to make the grip frame even thinner". I'm not 100% sure since I didn't measure it, but it does feel like it's a bit thinner than it's big brother's (or sisters, if you think of your guns as females lol).
It's also very light, I couldn't quite tell the difference in weight to, let' say a Geo. I also used my captain's set up, so it wasn't exactly like my set up. Hard to pinpoint weight difference like that. But it's pretty light, who knows, an ounce or two here or there. You'd have to be a weakling to be bothered by its weight, that's all I'm saying.
I had been shooting my brand new Geo 2.1 up til then, so the very first few shots with the Etha felt like it was kicking quite a bit. That was during that walk to tag the base before playing. After walking back to the woods and finding some opponents, the expected firefight took place. In that situation the kick became less pronounced. I guess I was concentrating on something else, but you get my point.
Rate of fire was not disappointing at all, I was shooting in semi and had no problem getting to the 10+ bps without much effort and from some contorted positions. Accuracy was not shabby either, I could hit what I was aiming at just as easily as I could with my Geo.
Contrary to most Eclipse markers, this one does not look very flashy. The matte black and subdued milling cuts will make it possibly more attractive to a different audience than the normal crowd. It also looks to be a bit smaller than the Geo itself, which its a feat on its own.
Did not get a chance to check for efficiency, but it easily shot the 6 pods and a hopper that I was carrying with quite a bit of air to spare in the tank. Due to the milling cuts or lack thereof, it's also quite easy to clean after a direct hit, a simple wipe with a clean rag will get it ready for the next game.
All in all it's a great little marker that's gonna give the Axes and Rails some really tough competition. Sure, Axes have some "innovative" features and the Rail is pretty darn smooth, so I think it's great that Eclipse is now offering one more alternative with its own specific set of features in this price range. If you're looking for efficiency and reliability in this bracket, it's gonna be complicated to argue against the Etha. Eclipse is famous for releasing markers you can depend on, and this seems to be no different. Like I said, I'm not their target audience since I've been shooting Egos and Geos for a while now, but for the entry level, tourney-aspiring baller, this is a great option.
This review has been rated:
Currently 4.8/5 stars.
Planet Eclipse EthaWell, I'm not much of a talker when it comes to in-depth gun reviews...but I thought it would be worth a couple of words to give my take on my experiance with the Etha. I recieved the gun a little...
Well, I'm not much of a talker when it comes to in-depth gun reviews...but I thought it would be worth a couple of words to give my take on my experiance with the Etha. I recieved the gun a little while back and was asked to put as much paint as I could through the gun.
When the Etha showed up, I was surprised from the minute I had pulled it out of the box. From what I was told this was to be marketed as an entry level marker. I was surprised to see that nothing was held back in terms of packaging. It came shipped no differently than any of the other Eclipse markers I've had in the past. A nice new case (see Mr. Johnson's rediculously good photos), and packaged inside all of the same things you get with a new Eclipse gun at a much higher price point ; a complete and extensive spares kit, full tube of lube, full set of ball ended hex keys, same quality manual as an ego/geo/etek, and a barrel bag.
When I took a closer look at the marker and barrel....the first thing that I was surprised to see was that it came with, what is essentialy, a shaft4....just not quite as milled out. Then my curiousty had me pulling of the reg to see what was in there...and to my surprise...an SL3 reg. Well...what's an SL3 go for? $80 itself....and the sharft4? $90 as a 2 piece....so I was already pretty impressed...but still had no idea what the price point was at the gun. When I found out that it was selling at $395...I was more than surprised.
Other things I really liked, are things some of the guys have commented that they weren't huge fans of. First and foremost...the frame. As crazy as this may sound...I prefer it to the aluminum. Having bent a fram before...I'd just rather have a frame that I know isn't going to bend or break, can be slammed around as much as I abuse it, and still be just as good as the day I pulled it out of the box. I spend most of my time on the ground banging around...so this is a welcome addition to me. The grips also I enjoyed. One less screw and they seem sturdy and have rubber strips on them...so grip was zero issue for me. Plus...they're less prone to wearing through and should need much less replacing, if any at all as opposed to the standard grips.
I recieved the gun and was imediately at the field the next two days. For the first time in a LONG time...I took to the woods as a walk on, by myself....at a field I've never been to so that I could just have a good time with the gun. I also play on both an Xball team, and a 7man team...and had practice with both the next day....so I got to run both formats, both firing modes, and the gun performed flawlessly the entire weeked. Not a single break down, not a single leak, shooting in the 280's, and consistant....right from the box. I've had the gun on the field just about every weekend since then as well...and haven't had any issues with the gun.
The Etha is no Geo...and no Ego. It certainly does not shoot quite as smooth as either of those guns, and nor should it for a small fraction of the price. It's not quite as quiet as either of those guns either. But I will tell you this, I plan on shooting the Etha at World Cup next week. It's an extremely solid platform, which had proven (to me) to be gentle on paint, is a workhorse of a gun, and at that price...is an absolute steal. It's a great gun that someone getting into any aspect of the game, can use...and trasition from the woods to a sup air field and vice versa without having to change out a single thing on the gun.
Some of my guys on Shipyard Ale's paintball team will chime in here as well. I've had them shooting the gun at practice at well...and they've seemed to be very happy with the way the gun performed on the field
This review has been rated:
Currently 4.8/5 stars.
Planet Eclipse Ethamy team is currently sponsored by DSSP8NTBALL/Vicious and through which we have an Eclipse sponsorhip
I've not spent a good amount of time playing with my Etha yet, but it's going to be used as a...
my team is currently sponsored by DSSP8NTBALL/Vicious and through which we have an Eclipse sponsorhip
I've not spent a good amount of time playing with my Etha yet, but it's going to be used as a demo/loaner/back-up mostly since I primarily shoot my CSL (and have a collection of SL's and a nice Geo to use).
Anyways on to the quick thoughts from the ~ 700ish rounds I've put through it.
The milling and design of the gun are kept simple to keep it in the budget marker family. The gun by no means looks or feels "cheap" I always thought the Ion, Mini and even the Axe IMO boards on a cheap feeling.
The Etha never gave me that impression. The Glass Reinforced Nylon (GRN) frame feels like it is thinner than that of the Etek3 LT (not a lot of experience with that gun either, shot a friends a few times).
The trigger actually has a very nice snappy return compared to most entry level markers, and has the same standard trigger from Eclipse many of us have come to know and love. The trigger is metal set in the GRN Frame.
The frame, eye covers, feedneck/lever and on/off knob are all GRN parts, the only one that doesn't sit well with me is the ASA knob.
Unlike many other entry level markers it comes standard with an on/off ASA (this is becoming more common place, but still not all entry level guns have an on/off. The ASA on the Etha is a variant of the POPS asa. The macro exits through the center of the GRN knob (similar to the POPS). The body is of the ASA is metal and internally the same as the POPS system. The big down fall to in my opinion is the knob. This is the one part on the Etha that feels cheap, at some point I will replace this with a POPS as I like the push operation much better than the twist in this configuration.
The bolt assembly is extremely easy to remove without tools and can be torn down, cleaned and lubricated fairly quickly, but does take a bit more time than routine cleaning/lubing on a Geo / Ego, but still less than other spoolies, and about the same as other "blow forward designs"
I screwed on my Ninja 68/45 and the fill nipple aligned perfectly to the spot I prefer without adjustment or shims (may not be the case for others). After connecting my tank I turned the ASA on and found no leaks. Put on my Prophecy LTD. I measured the paint and used a matched .689 barrel for the paint (SL2 front and back I had in my gear bag).
After filling the loader with paint I cracked out the Chronograph and took a few readings. All were +/- 5 of 270 straight out of the box without adjustment in roughly 40* F temps.
After the test shots I brought it into ramping mode and let her rip. It fired PSP 12 no problems, and the trigger was a nice weight pull and snappy return. There wasn't really any barrel rise (kick) to speak of, but the marker did have some vibration. The vibration wasn't significant enough to throw off my shots even when using one hand (as if I were shooting/loading at the same time).
I continued to load test pods in firing about 700 balls. The paint I was using was ~ 2.5-3 years old All-Star I found I still had in my basement from a tournament a while ago. Of all the shots only one ball broke in the barrel (0 chops). A little bit of spray managed to find it's way into the bolt so I pulled it out and cleaned it up. Took ~ 45 seconds, the return spring was a bit of a hassle to clean, but wasn't anything worth crying about.
All in all a very nice marker, and really probably the best for the price range.
The only things I personally disliked about the marker were the ASA, and no LCD/OLED board. These items were done to save cost and aren't really major problems or even problem points to the gun at all. They were only complaints I as a primarily high / super high-end gun user disliked.
The Feedneck is interchangeable with other 07+ Ego feednecks so a metal one can be fitted without issue.
The LED board is easier to program than those of the past (Etek, Etek2, Etek3).
Definitely worth picking up as a casual spouse's gun, back up for those with a reliable high end already, and a great pickup for someone looking to break into a tournament level marker.
Will this marker replace your high end electro gun if you already own one? No.
Is it a great back up for someone who needs a budget minded back-up to another marker? Absolutely.
Is it a great marker for someone getting into a more competitive level of paintball or just looking for a good entry into Electorpneumatic guns? Absolutely.
This review has been rated:
Currently 4.6/5 stars.
Planet Eclipse EthaIt does come in very nice packaging. Pretty much what you'd expect from any of PE's guns. The case is a different design and a bit bigger than their usual ones. It comes with the color manual and...
It does come in very nice packaging. Pretty much what you'd expect from any of PE's guns. The case is a different design and a bit bigger than their usual ones. It comes with the color manual and spares and all that.
When I was sent this gun, my first thought was 'I'm the wrong target audience for this'. I'm used to shooting Egos and highend guns. Giving me something without an LCD screen immediately makes me go . I had to get myself in the mindset that I can't compare this to $1200-$1300 guns. I have to remember that this is 1/3 of the price and compare it to lower end guns I've used in the past. If you go in thinking 'how is this VS a Luxe or VS an NT or VS a Geo' you've already done the gun a disservice. It's like comparing a Ferrari to an Accord.
I'm not big on the composite frame and the grips. But once again, I had to remind myself it's not an Ego. So when thinking of it compared to say a Proto, it doesn't seem as bad. The light on the back that blinks was very annoying when I turned it on at home. But when using it on the field, you don't really notice it.
It has the SL3 reg, a nice on/off, and a clamping feedneck. Does the trigger feel as nice as an Ego trigger? No. But when comparing to a PMR or DP whatever, it's on par or better. I was able to shoot a decent speed with it right out of the box despite my slow fingers.
Weightwise, it's pretty light. No complaints there. The one thing that heard the most from people was that it shoots very straight. The one drawback I heard the most was that it's not as smooth as such and such gun. But like I said, I'm the wrong target audience and so are a lot of the guys I was lending it to. It does have more kick than a Geo or DM but I'm used to shooting Egos so I didn't notice it as much.
I never really did an actual efficiency test but I do know I was able to shoot 2 bags of paint off a 68/45 and still had some air left in the tank.
I think where it really shines is reliability. I've tried lower end markers before and hated them. You'd air up a PMR and blow a noid gasket. Or you'd grab an old Shocker and have bolt stick. I had 2 Etha's and both worked fine every day with no bolt stick or reliability issues. I took them out of the box and shot them with doing no maintenance or lubing to them (aside from the 1 time Jack forced me to so I could tell him how difficult or easy maintenance is on it).
In conclusion, there might be guns in the price range that are a bit smoother or are just as light but I don't think any of them are as reliable. You can't go in thinking this will replace my $1400 gun but if you go in with the right mindset you will not be disappointed.
This review has been rated:
Currently 3.8/5 stars.
Planet Eclipse EthaThis gun has a great price. SHoots like a GEO+, CHEAP. Cons is that it only comes in black and is composite. Also the thing that bugs me is the LED Light it's so bright!!
This gun has a great price. SHoots like a GEO+, CHEAP. Cons is that it only comes in black and is composite. Also the thing that bugs me is the LED Light it's so bright!!
This review has been rated:
Currently 2.5/5 stars.
Planet Eclipse EthaI had time to finally try out his marker a few days ago, i originally thought the gun looked absolutely hideous, i will say it has some contour lines but over all i find the milling boring and odd...
I had time to finally try out his marker a few days ago, i originally thought the gun looked absolutely hideous, i will say it has some contour lines but over all i find the milling boring and odd looking. I'm also not a fan of of the plastic accent's like the grip frame, eye covers, and feedneck; just after years of playing lacrosse i've seen compost shatter while aluminum bends or nicks. i personally do not like the appearance of the gun, considering that the G4 has better lines and other low end guns look considerably better.
Altho i don't like the looks of the marker, it feels absolutely amazing, it is one of the more comfortable markers out there. It is very light, and the spacing of the the regulator and the grip frame is as close as to perfect as u can get. at least thats how i feel about it. once i had picked the marker up my opinion about the gun drastically changed, my opinion went from this is a over priced marker to wow this might not be so bad, but sadly that changed for me once i shot it.
The marker has this very weird feeling to it when shooting. it almost feels like its vibrating the whole time its shooting. it doesn't have any noticeable, kick to complain about and isn't loud as old ego's where, but it just feels like the marker is incredibly unsmooth ( i possibly just made that word up). this may have come from years of shooting spool values, but i have shoot many egos and other popits. But the way this gun feels when shooting just changed all the feeling i had about the gun, but im picky so if u don't mind it you won't care.
Lastly the gun comes with everything PE gives u with there other markers a great case, spare parts, a entire allen key set, and spare parts. This maker does also come with a shaft four, but it has considerably less milling than the one you'd get on the ego11.
In the end i wouldn't recommend this marker simply because of the the feel u get from the marker when shooting it. It comes packed with lots of goodies for the price but i'm so turned off by the way it shoots, that it drops my opinion of the gun so much. Like i said before i have shoot spool's for a very long time and that may be why i do not like this marker, but you might not care about the vibrating feel, if this doesn't matter to you, it would be a great buy, and seems to be very reliable do the the lack of orings and moving parts.
This review has been rated:
Currently 2/5 stars.
Planet Eclipse EthaUnbeatable for the price.
Light, feels great in hand, shoots straight, excellent efficiency eays to use and seems durable/well built.
Downside is lack of color options and a good amount of kick,...
Light, feels great in hand, shoots straight, excellent efficiency eays to use and seems durable/well built.
Downside is lack of color options and a good amount of kick, nothing terrible at all, just more than other speedball guns, but its still not broken in yet and if its the only downside for a third of a highend gun...
This review has been rated:
Currently 1/5 stars.
Planet Eclipse Ethagot my etha a few days ago. i was imediately impressed with the case. seems well built and ruggad. opening the case, i was pleasantly suprised to find a complete oring rebuild kit, legit barrel...
got my etha a few days ago. i was imediately impressed with the case. seems well built and ruggad. opening the case, i was pleasantly suprised to find a complete oring rebuild kit, legit barrel sleeve, lube and orings. pulled the gun out and was definately impressed with how light the gun feals and how comfortable the gun feels in my hands. i figured with the composite material, it would feel weak, like a childs toy. it feels really strong! so first time firing it... sooo smooth, and not much kick. i was suprised by how loud it was. i guess i was expecting something along with the dms/pms. its not a big deal, but i did notice it.
all in all, i was very impressed with the etha!!! i would recomend this gun to anyone and everyone!!!
This review has been rated:
Currently 1/5 stars.
Planet Eclipse EthaI have had an Etha for about 2 weeks now and have used it at the field once. It performed great, very accurate and efficient. I would like to see new colors though.
I have had an Etha for about 2 weeks now and have used it at the field once. It performed great, very accurate and efficient. I would like to see new colors though.
