SPECIAL NOTE: After initially writing this review it was brought to my attention that I had used the terms Left and Right sides of the marker and in some cases had them backwards.  This was mainly due to me testing with a Non-Vision Impulse and not seeing which side was which as I was writing.  Additionally I originally stated that the CVS VA did not have a check valve.  That is not true.  I had played with my CVS VA and the check valve was not functioning due to my own error.  I have since fixed the problem.  All has been corrected and some additional information has been added.

What's the deal with the Installation Tool?

The installation tool is designed to be used by shops and dealers only.  Although Southern Paintball Concepts does sell it to dealers who wish to purchase it from them for $29.00, SPC will actually include the installation tool "Free" with an initial purchase of 10 or more CVS adapters. For retail customers, SPC encourages them to have it installed by their local authorized shop (Number of shops growing by the day) or have it sent directly to Southern Paintball Concepts.

How Does it Work?

Air comes up from your vertical Max-flo or gas-thru grip and enters the CVS Vertical Adapter.  From there like most ISO mods (which is basically what the Standard CVS Adapter is) the air is split into two paths.  The main or standard path takes the operating pressure of the marker to the valve.  The second path takes a small amount of air out the front of the CVS Adapter and then re-routes it back into an isolated portion of the CVS VA back into the air passage that runs down the Vision side of the Impulse to the solenoid.

The CVS Adapter has a check valve or one-way valve to prevent air from flowing in the reverse direction when the valve opens.  It's a simple spring and ball baring held in place with a set screw in the back of the CVS adapter (the flat side facting the trigger frame) that seals the air flow from traveling in a reverse direction.  This simple design sets the CVS VA in a category above other IOS Mods which only restrict the air flow in the reverse direction.

CVS Adapter dissected.

Even if your Impulse has that hole there, the next problem is that there is a hole directly above it that connects the valve to the air passage.  For the CVS to work correctly, that inside hole needed to be plugged.  So instead of forcing you to have to drill a hole (if you did not have one) and then tap and plug the hole on the inside, it's logical that they would start clean and create a new hole for their usage and then provide a simple plug, the Sealer Solenoid Cap (looks like a tapeworm without the hose) to seal the original hole or holes.  This way no matter if your Impulse body is old or new (with hole or without) you can install the CVS Adapter. 

How can one Gauge show the operating pressure while the other shows the LPR pressure?

It's quite simple actually, the gauge port on the non-Vision side is connected to the main chamber of the CVS VA, so the operating pressure pressurizes that gauge.  This is how a normal Vertical Adapter works on an Impulse.

Where the CVS Vertical Adapter differs, is that the gauge port on the Vision side does not connect to the main chamber of the CVS VA.  Instead it only connects to the small air passage that connects the air tube on the front Vision side of the CVS VA to the air transfer hole that feeds into the Impulse body after installation.  Using the picture below, you can see that when an LPR is installed, the low pressure air from the LPR travels thorough the CVS VA and into the air chamber on the side of the Impulse providing pressure to the solenoid.  The gauge port on the Vision side is inline with that air flow, so that gauge would read the LPR pressure.

Air from the LPR is isolated from the main chamber of the CVS Adapter

Test results:

For my first round of testing, I installed the CVS Vertical Adapter on my test Impulse as just a Standard adapter, so it is functioning as an ISO Mod.  It worked great, I did not have any issue with air flow and did not have to raise the dwell or pressure as often happens with a Tapeworm or the Eclipse Solenoid Optimizer.  Since I do not shoot fast, I let a couple friends play with the Impulse a few games.  You all know that guy at the field that has Tourette Syndrome or some magic touch that allows him to shoot 16bps without even trying.  Anyway, one of those guys shot the Impulse for several games and there was no noticeable shoot down.

Vision (or Low Pressure)  side view with the Standard CVS Adapter installed	Front view with the Standard CVS Adapter installed

For next round of testing I installed a Smart Parts LPR on the front of the CVS VA and attached gauges to both sides.  I was able to quickly dial in the operating pressure and adjust the LPR pressure and not have a gauge sticking out the back of my Impulse (which I think looks like crap).  Watching the LPR gauge as I fired I could see that the LPR was not restricted in recharging the low pressure air feeding the solenoid.  Something else the LPR gauge helped me discover is that my LPR had a small leak.  As I let the Impulse sit, the LPR pressure would creep up until it was as high as the operating pressure.  A quick clean and lube of the LPR fixed that problem, which I would not have known about unless I had a gauge on the low pressure side of the marker.

SIDE NOTE: Unfortunately I do not have pictures of the LPR with gauges installed as I needed to re-install the LPR on my Adrenalin Impulse for a tournament.

Can the CVS Vertical Adapter be removed?

Yes, it's held in place like a normal VA with the large screw on the inside in the middle of the VA and sealed with two o-rings, one for the main VA connection and the other for the low pressure air connection.  So you can remove it, to clean under it for example.

Removing it to say, attach a different VA is a different story.  See, now you have an extra hole in the bottom of your Impulse body and a normal VA will not plug that hole, so it will leak.  You could tap the hole and install a plug screw.  This would not be difficult and should cost less that a dollar for parts.

Troubleshooting with the CVS Vertical Adapter

Knowing how to troubleshoot a component of your marker is VERY important.  If for any reason you disassemble your CVS VA and need to re-assemble it here are some important pieces of information:

• The hollow pin on the top of the CVS VA is just tapped in place.  It is not threaded.  To remove it simply grab hold and pull.  Like wise, to re-install it, just tap it in.  DO NOT tap it in too far as it will interfere with the spring in the check valve.
• The spring in the check valve is a cone.  the mouth of the cone (wide side) faces the set screw, not the ball baring.
• If the LPR pressure is reading the same as the operating pressure, there are a couple things to check.  First is the LPR.  If it is not sealing properly it will leak and essentially not perform as needed.  Second check the o-ring around the air transfer pin.  If that is not sealing correctly, higher pressure air could be leaking in via the VA.
• Take the hose from the front of the CVS VA and remove it from the tapeworm looking adapter.  Put the hose in your mouth and try to suck air.  If you are able to suck air the check valve is not working or the LPR gauge is not sealed properly.  Possibly causes of the check valve not sealing correctly are: air transfer pin in too far.  Set screw holding the spring and ball baring in place is not in far enough so there is no spring pressure on the ball baring.
• After airing up your Impulse there is no bolt pressure but the LPR Gauge reads pressure.  Possible problem: the screw holding the spring and ball baring in place is in too far and the spring is keeping the ball baring stuck in the closed position.  The screw should be flush with the back of the CVS VA plus a small turn more.

Overall Opinion:

I think this is a great product and anyone with an Impulse and an LPR should have one of these to keep your Impulse looking good and performing great.  If you do not have an LPR it is still a great addition as the check valve will perform MUCH better than a tapeworm.

The only Impulse I know of that this will not work on is the Adrenalin Impulse due to the custom VA and the tubes down the side of the body.

When I asked SPC what events they would be at during the 2004 season, here was their response:

We will have a large booth at this years' World Cup and will have a drill press on site to do installations. Beyond World Cup, we will have a booth set up at two or three of the regional CFOA events in the Carolinas. Next year we plan on having a larger participation in the tournament scene.

The Details

• Installation: Installation is a little challenging due to the need to drill the extra hole in the body, but other than that, it is not too difficult.
• MSRP: Standard $59.00 Ultimate $159.00
• Options: Polished Black, Silver and Chrome in both the Standard and Ultimate package
• Pro's:  You can finally get a gauge on your Impulse for your LPR and have it look good.
• Cons: The hoses in the front don't look so good when you do not have an LPR, but with an LPR, you can't even tell it's any different from other Vertical Adapters.