HOW TO:APE Rampage board install

[Kanuck]

My APE Rampage board arrived via USPS yesterday. I was happy to get home from paintballing to find it waiting on the coffee table.

Pros:
1.You do not have to turn the board on with a tool or stick like the WAS board.
One you slip the selector switch to Fire1 or Fire2, you are ready to rock the house.
2. You can re-program both fire positions.Default is Semi and True Full Auto.
3. This board has TRUE Full Auto. You do not have to pull the trigger 3 times and hold on the third for Full Auto like on the WAS board.
4. The board goes into " sleep mode" if the selector switch is in safety or if you are not pulling the trigger. This conserves battery life. Often in a long scenario when you do not fire for long periods of time, the WAS board will shutdown. I forget what the timeout is. The APE board will not leave you hanging like that.
5. It is a simple procedure to re-program the fire positions. Unlike the WAS board.

Cons
1. Price? (It's only money and you can't take it with you when you die)
2. You have to slightly modify your Board clamshells and the Right half of your grip. The modifications are slight and do not impact the grip functionality at all should you choose to revert to your stock WAS board.


PIC 1

Don't forget to remove the small piece of tape from the solenoid just before you close up the GRIP. It won't work with it installed, but it will help keep the solenoid parts in place whilst you monkey with the install.


PIC 2




Here's how I installed it.

1. Take the grip off the marker and remove the fire selector switch and trigger assembly.

2. Remove the 2 hex bolts that secure the ASA to the bottom of the grip.

3. Remove the 3 small screws that hold the grip together and pry the grip halves apart gently.

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You'll want to have grounded yourself out via a ground strap or by touching the bare metal on your PC case to discharge any ESD you may have built up while walking on your carpet. ESD will damage the circut board.

APE does NOT warrant damages caused by ESD.
************************************************** **

4. Slide the stock board out of the grip half.

5. Gently remove the two plastic sides from the stock board. It may take a little bit of pressure but it will pop free. Set the stock board assembly aside in a safe place away from ESD(Electro static discharge). The plastic sides can be seen in image below.

6. Per the instructions that come with the board, we have to make two modifications to the Right grip half and one side of the plastic piece that fits around the board. I used my utility knife to do the mod in the first picture and my dremel for the 2nd pic mod.

PIC 3




PIC 4



PIC5




Place the plastic sides around the APE board. I had to file a small amount of solder off one of the contacts as it was preventing a proper fit. You may or may not have this problem.


When I test fit the APE board into my stock board halves, the solenoid was loose, so like the stock solenoid, I wrapped it with 3 layers of electrical tape. That seems to make it fit snuggley and make it not move around.

7. With the plastic sides on the board, slide it into place and make sure that the board is flush with the side of the grip. If it isn't you'll want to shave more off the grip.

It should fit flush like this image:

PIC 6






8. Reverse the steps above to put the grip back together.
9. Secure the grip to the body of the marker.
10. Test fire w/o air attached to make sure it functions properly.
11 . HAVE FUN testing out your new cool mod.

View my video of the firing modes here!

TIPS:

I emailed APE on how to set the board back to defaults. You do this by removing the battery and pulling the trigger until it stops firing. Wait 30 seconds and that should set the board back to factory defaults. You can put the battery back in after the 30 second wait time. ( Thanks to Bitbanger for that info)

Tigar19 asked about how we know when the battery is running low with this board.

Here's the answer from Bitbanger @ APE:

"There's no battery monitor circuit... the board's always off unless you're operating it somehow. We REALLY wanted to have the X7 operate like the A5 (no power button), and making the trigger and selector switch operate MAGNETICALLY and provide that same "no power on/off" operation was the biggest challenge"

Adjusting the trigger sensor:
Information obtained by Operator Cady from APE Support

"Generally the adjustment procedure involves manipulating just the folded over leg of the sensor, not the entire body of the sensor...
The X7's are all unique because no 2 magnets are identical in strength and the sensors themselves have intrinsic tolerances... This hampers trigger proximity sensing due to this wide tolerance we have to work with. Ensure your magnet is oriented correctly in the trigger (red striped side on the select-fire side of the grip). There's a "slight" possibility that your magnet is mismarked, so just for yucks you might try reversing it (although this is unlikely if your original board is functional)."

Additional troubleshooting info from APE obtained by Ghost Rider:

"You can try giving the hall effect sensor a nudge... This is the lone 3 legged part that is soldered to the solenoid side of the board.

Keep the board assembly safe inside the board clamshells, and with a small screwdriver try nudging the sensor as close as possible to the inner clamshell wall, keep the two halves together... sometimes all it takes is a little nudge to get it just a hair closer to the select fire switch."

Programming the 8 Firing modes:

We now have the ability to change the Firing mode for BOTH firing positions on the X7.
To change the firing mode for position 1, move the selector switch to position 1(normally semi-auto) and press the button on the front of the grip until the LED blinks the desired color/sequence for the mode that you desire.
Repeat the process for position 2.

Changing the BPS/ROF to 13(Steps provided by APE support):

1. Start programming mode (push/hold button for 2 sec until LED red/green flashing)

2. 1st setpoint is MGRF (LED red) - tap button)
LED will blink with current value (15)

3.Tap button again to program (LED will flash red and shut off)

4. Pull trigger 13x

5. Tap button once more to save value
LED will blink again with current value (15)

6. Exit programming mode (push/hold button for 2 sec until LED red/grn flashing)

Let me know what you think of my HOW TO. I'm sure It can be better so let's all pitch in to make it JUST that!

[larr12]

good write-up. i'm still thinking if this will fit my type of game

[snowmanx7t8]

you may have to bend the trigger sensor up just a bit so the magnet will hit.....when i first installed mine i thought it was crap... but now it works like a charm

[Kanuck]

Originally Posted by snowmanx7t8

you may have to bend the trigger sensor up just a bit so the magnet will hit.....when i first installed mine i thought it was crap... but now it works like a charm

Thanks for the tip.

I have to troubleshoot mine still. It fires fine in semi-auto. The board is still programmed as it came.

When I flip it to the 2ndary fire position and pull the trigger x times, it will sometimes continue to fire even when I have let go. I might have to put the old stock trigger spring back in.

[Kanuck]

Here's the vid of it firing on it's own after I have let go of the trigger.

I switch to the 2ndary fire position at 8 seconds and it fires on its own at 14 seconds and again at 21 secs.

I replaced the lighter trigger spring with the stock red one and the problem appears to be resolved.

[evanko67]

very nice job on the how to. it is really informative. i am still deciding on whether or not to get the ape board. but the idea is floating around in my head

[dbug]

thanks for the write up

[Kanuck]

Originally Posted by dbug

thanks for the write up

Thanks Dbug. I'm still waiting to hear from APE regarding the amount that we need to shave from the right Trigger frame in order to make the install flawless.

[bitbanger]

Kanuck -

You shaved more than enough for the sensor... Unless you need to move the sensor leg closer to the trigger magnet, all the relief has to do is keep from smashing the part when assembled.

I'm not sure why your trigger spring would be an issue unless you were experiening mechanical bounce. Since you were dry firing I can only guess that the stiffer spring pushed it further away from the sensor.

A note for everyone to keep in mind, there WILL be tolerances on trip points of the trigger due to the sensor sensitivity band AND the relative strength of your trigger magnets. If ONLY the X7 had a mechanical trigger...

[Slasher]

Thanks for the how to post.