Aeromech

Experiment with this one before you spend any more money unnecessarily. Go on youtube and watch some videos on the proper way to solder, then try again. If these are actually ruined mechanically, at least you can practice making decent solder welds so next time you get it right.

So the belt won't feed properly (I believe the belt feeding gear isn't strong enough.)I would like to know what the problem would be.  But I would like to hear what you guys think?  Also some answers would be appreciated.

You answered your own question. Essentially the Vulcan is made so the belt can be pulled in either direction so children don't break then thing/hurt themselves while in use. It achieves this by having a spring-loaded gear which forces the gear forward on the same axis that the gear spins. When too much force is applied, the gear "slips" off of it's housing, I believe it's a hexogonal male-female connection on the inside. If you actually take it apart you will see what I'm talking about. Currently no known solution that I am aware of. Vulcan is fun but it is also garbage in terms of practicality. It probably won't be an easy fix.

Buy a sentinel. Perform AR removal and pumpaction mod. Save yourself ~$211 as well as not having a replica firearm on a college campus.

2 Liter soda bottle for scale. I spent an hour and a half dart sweeping yesterday once the snow melted. Even with intermittent dart sweeps, the snow was falling so hard that many darts got covered mid-round. I estimate there are about 400 or so in here, the crappy shopping bag is ready to burst open. No, I will not sort out these darts and painstakingly send them back to everybody, no, I don't care how distinctive they look. Point is that dartsweeping is important, especially in the snow. I've learned that dartsweeping is most effective with the sun to your back.

 

Did someone take my bayonet home with them? I can't find it in my gear.

No, it was actually in the snow, I have it, just remind me before the next war. It's a little worn out from being in the melting snow for two days though.

This war if nothing else demonstrated some less common occurrences.

 

1. Park Police

Right before we started the first round, a police car with a middle aged officer pulled up to our group in a small SUV inquiring if we were playing paintball. Note these are actual Nassau county police that work at the park, not public safety or just park staff. I explained the situation and a few others that had gathered around the vehicle, and even though they were toys she still had to ask her superiors if this was alright. This despite the snow that was currently falling and the absence of any other people nearby, with her reasoning being that people could get hurt from these. No I am not kidding. After 10 minutes of the officer waiting for a response, we were able to play so long as we were going to stay in our little play area, which we were going to do in the first place anyway. This is the first time that the police at the park have ever approached us. Be respectful to police, and explain that players "hold" when bystanders are nearby, darts are picked up periodically, and boundaries are set for play. Don't give them shit they are only doing their job and don't know initially that we have actual respect for the park. She could have easily booted us right then and there and did not.

 

2. Media

About 2 hours later, a representative from Newsday (a Long Island/New York wide Newspaper) came without notice. No media had been contacted by us obviously, so I suspect it was a reporter with a police scanner and nothing to write about on a snowy day. I respectfully declined a quote/statement as per Nerfhaven policy.

 

Yeah snow got on everything. Shit my hair is long.

 

Now onto "Normal" Recap:

 

Pros

+Total turnout including myself was 13 attendees. I am shocked that so many people showed up considering the forecast took a turn for the worst the day before, especially with several attendees from New York City, Eastern Long Island, and New England. Also, many cool new players, we had new younger players as well and one of the parents came ready to play the whole day.

+Despite the cold, everyone was in good cheer and didn't complain about the cold. There's a certain charm to snowy wars, I can't put my finger on it. Maybe harping back to that childish feeling of playing in the snow.

+Superstock rounds worked pretty well. After the aforementioned skirt with police, I was very hesitant to then take out PVC pipes and shit after we were already on thin ice. We got one pure NIC round in, and by the end of the day, when snow was really picking up and there was literally nobody there, we put one homemade dude on each team. Due to the wind or cold or whatever, it wasn't that overpowered.

+Play area was pretty good, though I wish we were able to play near the slightly denser trees like I originally planned

+Everyone that brought loaners and was really cool with lending them out

+Talking to noobs about blasters

+Everybody was cool and well behaved

+Geek talk with Nerfnerd and Zack

+Edmund for picking up hot chocolate and muchkins in addition to the lunch supplies I bought.

+Surprisingly, and quite to my relief, everyone dressed warm enough that even the 25 degree weather was mostly kept in check

+Everybody brought their own eye-pro

+Chilling/catching up at the diner afterwards

+Coleslaw tasted like ice cream

+Nobody died

 

 

Cons

-Everything was breaking. Homemades had the usual problems with noobs having no idea how to fix a jammed blaster etc, only amplified by the weather conditions, so it was just easier to limit their use. Aside from that, flywheels were slipping from darts from the snow, my Sentinel just gave up, stock battery blasters refused to feed, and gloved hands had some difficulty actuating the more exotic means of cocking spring blasters.

-Snow was falling so hard by the end that even light sweeps between rounds did not return close to usual levels. I'll need to devote a day when this snow melts and go out there with a garbage bag.

-Everything got covered in snow. Even with a tarp or blanket, snow got into bags and blasters and darts and foods. I had to dump all the leftover bagels and supplies.

-Had to call it early, I think we were out of the park by 3PM, the roads were absolutely disgusting, there was an accident literally in front of the traffic light at the exit of the park.

-After being vegetarian for 2 years, I thought it was a good idea to try eating some of the balogna and cheese on my lunch bagel. 12+ hours later and my stomach still hurts.

 

 

With the weather, various experience of attendees, and large array of blaster types, Frozen Foam is always kind of a wildcard, so I'm glad everyone could participate and have fun. Best wishes and I hope all got home safely. Dope war, brochachos, let's do it again sometime

 

Victory pickles