I think I might have suggested this in a different thread, but I'll sum it up here.
1. I think that it's possible that the output pressure of HPA tanks are not really as consistent as people believe. However, since the vast majority of modern guns come equipped with a HPR, the actual consistency of the tank regulator is not really important, as long as it's close to the ball park of what you want your actual operating pressure to be. The HPR of your gun minimizes most inconsistencies by regulating the air a second time. But when you put an HPA tank directly on a gun without a regulator, such as the Phantom, those inconsistencies may become noticeable.
2. The uncanny Phantom consistency dealing with unregulated CO2 could be explained by the fact that as a very efficient pump, the Phantom does use enough gas quickly enough to cause noticeable cooldown within the CO2 tank. The cooldown that does occur may be further negated by the heat absorption that takes place during the time it takes in between shots. And if the temperature of the tank does not fluctuate, the pressure will stay
exactly the same, resulting in a very consistent output pressure.
It may not even be something that is inherent to all HPA systems. Not all regulators are built equally. It's also important to realize that there really is a regulator on your tank. It sounds stupid, but I really feel like a lot of people forget this. Think about it, how often do you clean/lubricate/replace O-rings in your tank regulator compared to the rest of your gun? Most people never even take it apart, let alone clean it.
I'm really just throwing stuff out there. I'm not sure if I'm wrong or right, but that's the theory I'm sticking to until someone finds a more definitive answer.
Also, here were my results from the test with my Shocker and Maxflo:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=rWp...R-FXN2DoLWkCIjw
This post has been edited by Christopher: 02 June 2009 - 03:27 PM