Planet Eclipse has revolutionized the poppet valve paintball gun market, and now with the introduction of the Eclipse 09 Geo, they are taking aim at the spool valve market with equal determination and accuracy. Traditionally, the downsides of the spool valve are the increased number of O rings and the efficiency – namely that by using more air per shot you get fewer shots with a spool valve than with a poppet valve.
In the Geo, they have virtually eliminated these downsides by creating a super efficient and streamlined spool valve design. Despite using the fewest number of dynamic seals, they have maintained the gas supply isolation mechanism. In most spool valve markers it is the gas supply isolation mechanism that allows for increased efficiency in air usage but uses so many parts that it needs an aggravating amount of maintenance and upkeep.
By overhauling the gas supply isolation mechanism with their new ISCIS (Integrated Solenoid Controlled Isolation System) and removing it from the bolt assembly they both optimize the functionality and maintain the benefits of the spool valve in a much more efficient manner. By simplifying the bolt assembly, they were able to incorporate the best possible parts in a simple, clean design that includes only the can, the prop shaft and the SC bolt. This new design is easy to troubleshoot and maintain and they have made the marker as light as possible, overcoming another common complaint about spool valve markers.
Some of our guys did note that this spool valve design wasn’t the absolute quietest they had ever shot, but they did say that the reliability was more important to them than the sound profile – which really isn’t any louder than other markers they’ve shot.
Planet Eclipse has also successfully maintained the best aspects of a spool valve marker; smooth shooting with minimal vibration and kick back, low operating pressure to prevent ball breakage and the quieter shooting sound. And although the Geo might not be quite as light weight as a poppet valve marker, the weight balance of the 09 Geo marker really made it stand out among our testers.
Essentially, if you’ve always been a plan of Eclipse marker technology – the Def-Tek feed technology, LCD module, trigger operation and return system and break beam sensor – you can now have all of those things in a spool valve paintball marker. You’ll also still get the top notch design and aesthetic you’ve come to expect from Eclipse.
The Geo comes with the new S3 in-line regulator with increased flow rate, quicker recharge and coil spring mechanism design. The newest feature in the S3 regulator is the self purging mechanism that prevents up stream air from being retained in the marker.
It’s clear that with every iteration of paintball marker that Eclipse completes, one more issue is resolved and the markers become more and more reliable, light weight, maneuverable and accurate. Now that they have launched into the spool valve market, we expect to see great things – even greater than this incredible Geo 09 paintball gun has proven to be!
Geo 09 Features
- Spool Valve Design
- Low Reciprocating Mass – Bolt 18g
- Low Pressure Operation – 110-135psi
- Air Efficient – 1500+ shots from 68/4500 air tank
- 1 Moving Internal Part
- Minimum Number of Dynamic Seals – 3
- ISCIS – Innovative Solenoid Controlled Isolation System Mechanism
- VVC – Variable Volume Chamber adjustment
- Spool-Cure Bolt – Helps eliminate 2nd ball clipping in the feed stack
- 6 – Second Strip Down – To remove and separate all internal Bolt components
- Tool-Less Bolt Removal – All internal bolt components removed without tools
- Very Low Weight - 860g