New to hobby - Dropping in deep.

[Truccka]

Hi everyone, 

 

After years of not being able to relate to my 12 year old sons computer passion (fortnite/Minecraft) we've bonded over this amazing hobby, we sit chatting for hours about things and it really has brought us so much closer. 

 

I'm now in the position to drop a bit of cash on setting me and my son ul with the idea that we can talk to each other (comms) and stream our sessions on twitch/youtube and Facebook.

 

So I thought I would setup a thread to discuss gear and share our journey on streaming/recording combining both our passions (computers/milsim).

 

There's a few reasons I wanted to start a thread so I can avoid having to buy something twice and get your valuable input on getting a decent setup. For example avoiding buying a helmet to only find out that there is a better helmet that allows mounted cameras. The second reason is to meet new people, find new sites and travel the country with my lad collecting bruises as souvenirs.

 

To start with id like to discuss my current thoughts on rifles/eye/face and head. But I'd love you to ask any questions aswell.

 

So here goes:

 

RIFLES:

So far I've been loving the look of the evo, my son tried somebodies Valken ASL and loved it, its cheap but I was impressed with it.  Is there any considerations I should be making or are these two good choices. Will they allow camera mounts in the future, are parts easily sourced etc or should I steer clear of the cheaper valken? The evo seems a solid choice so I'm set on that I think.

 

Eye/face protection.

I'm just going to run a mesh shield and some glasses (rated for airsoft) but my sons experience is important whilst needing a full face. Were both crazy nutcases who just respawn over and over and over again which involves sweating. I was going to get him the DYE i4 face mask as it seems very hard to fog up and offers him the protection needed, will this fit him being an average 12 year old if not are there any recommendations or thoughts? Fog really is a huge factor currently using rental gear and is ruining his experience somewhat.

 

HEADGEAR/

so we both need helmets I presume. That way it allows cameras to record/stream  our pov, i havent looked into these but any recommendations on helmets that allow for the dye i4 to fit aswell as some sort of radio (comms) would be appreciated. 

 

Thanks for reading, I look forward to your responses, go easy on me. 

 

Truccka.

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Truccka

[Lozart]

Hi and welcome aboard!

 

Plenty to unwrap there but let's try and make a start.

 

Have you looked into the UKARA/VCRA aspect of airsoft? If not then you'll need to be looking at two tone guns until you can get your registration/site membership that will allow you to buy black guns (plenty of threads on here about the exact details so I won't regurgitate it all here). 

 

The EVO is by most accounts a decent gun but not without its flaws. The Valken...is OK. Personally I'd suggest a G&G combat machine or possibly one of the Specna Arms Core range.

 

As for camera mounts, there's plenty of mounts for most cameras that will fit onto a 20mm picatinny rail (have a look for Brain Exploder 3D printed stuff, he covers most of them). As for helmets - yes it's the easiest option but it's not the only one. Not all helmets work well with the Dye i4 style mask so if you're dead set on that then I'd look at other head mounting options like maybe a GoPro on a head strap. Other people will no doubt be able to advise on which cameras to go for for what specific purpose so I'll leave them to fill you in on that but just be aware that cheaper cameras don't come with image stabilisation that actually works and to ALWAYS get lens protectors!

[Truccka]

Hi lozart, thanks for the reply.

 

Yes I'm going to get site membership the next time I attend and they are going to talk me through the registration required so I can have none two toned rifles. 

 

I'll do a bit of research on the rifles you mentioned. In all honesty the plan was go with these rifles and at some point go for a third like the G&G range leaving my son to Inherit the evo and the valken as a backup.

 

I'm not set on the dye i4 it just seems that it's very good at not fogging, I see my son on the field at times just sitting behind trees waiting for his mask to clear and I feel selfish I don't have the problem so I really need a solution to the problem of fogging whilst giving him maximum protection and allowing for mounts so people watching us can see dual angle as we play together.

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Truccka

[EDcase]

Welcome Truccka

 

Its definitely a good hobby to share with the 'kids' (mine's 16 now)

 

As Lozart said, there are several reliable makes to get started on.  As well as G&G I'd suggest to look at SpecnaArms 'Edge', CYMA and JG (JingGong)

 

Sorry, no experience with Dye i4 but suggest to get some 'CatCrap' (yes terrible name).  It does help and you can use it on the rented mask in the meantime.

 

Helmets are not a must but as well as holding a camera they can save you from a nasty bump if you fall.  Especially if running a lot.

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by EDcase

[Lozart]

48 minutes ago, Truccka said:

I'm not set on the dye i4 it just seems that it's very good at not fogging, I see my son on the field at times just sitting behind trees waiting for his mask to clear and I feel selfish I don't have the problem so I really need a solution to the problem of fogging whilst giving him maximum protection and allowing for mounts so people watching us can see dual angle as we play together.

 

 

The Dye is good for not fogging, as long as you keep the airflow clear which is true for pretty much any half decent goggles/glasses. The thing with Dye style masks though is that if you wear a helmet with them they come right up under the front edge of the helmet and that chokes off the airflow. There's a few videos out there about how you can mod a FAST style helmet to work with a Dye mask (this is literally the first one I found on Google )

)

 

Or you could go for a Warq helmet as it's designed as a whole unit from the outset https://warq.eu/en/

 

[EDcase]

I'd recommend a mesh lower. One which protects ears too.

Much easier to breath and help reduce fogging.

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by EDcase

[GAMBLE]

Hi @Truccka! 👋

Welcome to the forum, full of advice and like minded players! 🔫🤪👍

Good luck getting started, watch your bank balance! 💷🤪

Have a channel with some videos, aimed at beginners, up to you if interested? 🤔

💷GAMBLE💷

[Rogerborg]

5 hours ago, Lozart said:

ALWAYS get lens protectors

 

I didn't learn this the first time I had my lens shot out.  I finally learned it after the second one.  BBs seem to home in on them.

 

Cat Crap works, but I find that Revision anti-fog wipes work better, and better than anything else (and I've tried them lens-vs-lens against most lotions and potions).

[Truccka]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. 

I really like the look of the Warq helmet, its a pity from what I read that their customer service is terrible. I might look for a UK distributor and pick up one of them, if it doesn't fit my son, I know somebody it will.  

The whole rifle selection is so daunting. My budget is £400 for my rifle and £200 for my lads. 

I would look second hand, but i havent a clue what to look out for (i.e scams or poor condition internals). Buying new however i need whatever i buy (apart from a scope) to just work and require no changes to be a "good" field gun, sure i dont mind changing internals in the future and id quite like that option to be frank, but for now as the initial outlay is looking to be in the region of £1200-£1400 and i cant really justify buying new and needing to do a bunch of work on the rifle.

Ill have a look around and google some of the models, if anyone has any suggestions though please feel free to drop things in chat so i can go away and have a look/google. :). 

[Rogerborg]

If you're risk averse, then I'd suggest a CYMA, any of the M4s or AKs, particularly as a backup gun.  Don't be fooled by the price, cost doesn't bear much relation to reliability in airsoft.  The plastic on the cheapest M4s is pretty shoddy, and there's nothing fancy in there until you reach the Blue or Platinum models, but they're robust enough and everything can be upgraded as time, budget and inclination allows.

 

Evos in particular have run hot and cold on QC, with the gears shredding in short order.  That's supposed to have been sorted now, but it's not something I'd like to gamble on at the price.

[Musica]

5 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

Evos in particular have run hot and cold on QC, with the gears shredding in short order.  That's supposed to have been sorted now, but it's not something I'd like to gamble on at the price.

 

You looking to get friendly fired again?

 

My evo came and was broken on arrival. Shitty gears being used. They atleast offer a warranty repair for a year but likely need to at somepoint replace the gears or get them replaced if you get an EVO. I joined a FB group for evo owners and constanly people posting and everyone saying sounds like the gears were the issue. They have released 2 refreshes of the evo since I got mine so might have sorted it out but who knows.

[MadMole]

Thats cos folks run 11.1v on the EVO, when its clearly stated to run 7.4v or 9.9 Life for UK spec Evo's, they only have small cylinder volume and are fast out of the box with a soft M95 spring and little to no shimming. Spinning the lot with an 11v is too much for it

[Truccka]

Hi All, 

I'm back and just wanted to keep the post updated and ask for some extra advise if anybody has a few minutes to answer. 

So i've opted for the DYE I5 for my son as not many people have been able to fog it with a helmet it seems. Expensive but worth it if he can be safe and not fog up. 

I'm going to grab my son this: https://www.taiwangun.com/assault-rifle-aeg/cm-097d-upgraded-version-cyma?from=listing&campaign-id=19
I'm just waiting to get my UKARA number which should be provided this weekend . 

• I'm just curious the website offers a reshimming and gearbox lube service.. personally id expect it to be perfectly shimmed are they not suggesting that there original design is poor offering this service or is it just a con to get people like me to part with extra cash?
• I'm going to opt for the medium FPS as my local airsoft field is limited to 350FPS. Is there anything i need to consider or is this ok? 
• Whilst im paying for delivery from taiwan is there anything else on this website (internal upgrades, spares for common issues etc) that would be recommended?
• Anything to be concerned about ordering from taiwan if i have a UKARA reference plastered on the box? i dont mind it taking a few weeks. 

Many thanks for you help with everything so far, i really appreciate the support. 

 

[Guest]

Taiwan Gun aren’t inTaiwan. Poland I think. Are they shipping to the U.K. again now?

[Enid_Puceflange]

I don’t know if they are sending to the uk again yet?

I would personally be holding off on buying from TG at present

I had good experience with them last year, before all the brexit & customs bollocks kicked off, now it’s in the lap of the gods I believe 

 

have a quick read:

 

 

[Truccka]

When you go through the order page you get the following message so i assume they are now shipping again?

Important notice!
For UK and Ireland orders shipping is at the customer’s own risk. PLS write your UKARA number into order commentary.
Please be advised that shipping to the UK may take up to 20 days due to issues caused by Brexit.

The shipping does not include duties, VAT, and any additional carrier charges. These costs will be charged to the customer later in accordance with British tax law.
The customer is informed via e-mail by the carrier about the fees.

 

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Truccka

[Lozart]

44 minutes ago, Truccka said:

When you go through the order page you get the following message so i assume they are now shipping again?

Important notice!
For UK and Ireland orders shipping is at the customer’s own risk. PLS write your UKARA number into order commentary.
Please be advised that shipping to the UK may take up to 20 days due to issues caused by Brexit.

The shipping does not include duties, VAT, and any additional carrier charges. These costs will be charged to the customer later in accordance with British tax law.
The customer is informed via e-mail by the carrier about the fees.

 

 

 

They're not though. If you follow the process through to checkout they won't actually let you pick a shipping method to complete the process.

Also, if your local field has a 350FPS limit then the "Medium" option would put you over anyway. You'd need the "Low 320FPS" option. If you could actually get it, which you can't.

[Madhouse]

Also, I'd be concerned that they're putting shipping risks on the customer which means if it fails to turn up they'll do all they can not to give you a refund.

 

A cheap RIF is only cheap RIF if it turns up. Sometimes it's worth buying from the UK for piece of mind as there's no import charges or surprises from Customs (either financial or physical), not to mention sorting warranty issues is a whole lot easier.

[Lozart]

9 minutes ago, Madhouse said:

Also, I'd be concerned that they're putting shipping risks on the customer which means if it fails to turn up they'll do all they can not to give you a refund.

 

 

They've always done this. In essence they're saying that if your package is seized by UK Customs then that's your problem. They had an issue years ago with a lot of guns being seized and destroyed and that really isn't their fault.

[ak2m4]

3 hours ago, Truccka said:

• personally id expect it to be perfectly shimmed are they not suggesting that there original design is poor offering this service or is it just a con to get people like me to part with extra cash?

 

It'll be shimmed to a usable standard from the factory, good enough to use.  Like all AEG's don't expect it to be perfect though, even with a reshimming perfection is difficult to achieve.  It's just the nature of the design, the tolerance, the factory process etc.   

 

However I just tried, there's no way to enter a shipping method to the UK

[Rogerborg]

3 hours ago, Lozart said:

In essence they're saying that if your package is seized by UK Customs then that's your problem.

 

They can say it all they like, but I doubt that any payment processor would agree.

 

 

3 hours ago, Lozart said:

They had an issue years ago with a lot of guns being seized and destroyed and that really isn't their fault.

 

Not if they've put UKARA numbers on them and correctly described them (Chinesium sellers are particularly bad for this latter one).

 

But in either case, it's not the customer's fault either, and a retailer can afford to eat the wholesale cost more than I can afford to eat the full retail.

 

All that said, I fully understand their decision not to ship to the UK at the moment, it's clearly not worth the risk.

[Lozart]

19 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

They can say it all they like, but I doubt that any payment processor would agree.

 

 

 

Not if they've put UKARA numbers on them and correctly described them (Chinesium sellers are particularly bad for this latter one).

 

But in either case, it's not the customer's fault either, and a retailer can afford to eat the wholesale cost more than I can afford to eat the full retail.

 

All that said, I fully understand their decision not to ship to the UK at the moment, it's clearly not worth the risk.

 

If something gets seized by customs, it's up to you to prove that you've paid the duty and it isn't a prohibited item. 

 

As for the importing part - it's on the importer (ie you):

Quote

Your responsibilities

Before receiving your goods, you may have to pay VAT, Customs Duty or Excise Duty if they were sent to:

• Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) from outside the UK
• Northern Ireland from countries outside the UK and the European Union (EU)

You must also check that the sender:

• pays Excise Duty on any alcohol or tobacco sent from the EU to Northern Ireland
• declares goods correctly if they’re sent from outside the UK (or from outside the EU for Northern Ireland)

 

It's the risk you take whenever you import anything. 

[Rogerborg]

3 hours ago, Lozart said:

If something gets seized by customs, it's up to you to prove that you've paid the duty and it isn't a prohibited item.

 

As far as Customs is concerned, yes.

 

All I'd be concerned with is what my payment processor would do when I file a "goods not received, money back" claim.

 

I've not had to do that yet with an import, but the normal principle is that until those goods are in my hands, intact and as described, they're not mine, they're the seller's property.

 

I'll re-iterate the point that goods can be seized or destroyed because a seller has mis-labelled them, which is out of our control.

[Lozart]

Just now, Rogerborg said:

 

As far as Customs is concerned, yes.

 

All I'd be concerned with is what my payment processor would do when I file a "goods not received, money back" claim.

 

I've not had to do that yet with an import, but the normal principle is that until those goods are in my hands, intact and as described, they're not mine, they're the seller's property.

 

I'll re-iterate the point that goods can be seized or destroyed because a seller has mis-labelled them, which is out of our control.

 

Gotcha, yes. Although as you say if border farce seize it I don't know what the likes of PayPal or Visa would say.

@Rogerborg so I had a look and PayPal say 

Quote

Your claim will not qualify for a refund under PayPal's Buyer Protection program for an Item Not Received claim if:

• You collect the item in person, or arrange for it to be collected on your behalf, including if you use PayPal in a seller's store location, or

• The seller has provided proof of shipment or proof of delivery.

If the seller presents evidence that they delivered the goods to your address, PayPal may find in favor of the seller for an Item Not Received claim even if you claim you did not receive the goods.

 

So if the item is seized but the seller has proof of shipment you might be boned.

[emilianoksa]

Buying from Europe was fine when we were still in the EU and didn't have to pay VAT, import duty and customs fees.

 

I am not sure there is much point in it now. The savings are much reduced.