Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

A list of common questions and answers for various WAS products

Where are Wicked Air Sportz boards made?

Made in the U.S.A.! The assembly and testing are done in accordance with MIL-Spec. Each run of boards is x-rayed and checked via high power microscopes. Only MIL-Spec parts are used, which guarantees operation of the electronics in temperatures ranging from -40C to 150C degrees.

What is the minimum battery voltage for Wicked Air Sportz boards?

The low battery warning indicator (LED flashing red repeatedly) will start at 6.7 volts. Technically, the battery voltage can be as low as 6.2 volts and still operate the electronics correctly. In testing, we have found that more than 450,000 shots can be expected out of a good quality 9 volt battery.

Can I use rechargeable batteries?

NO! Rechargeable batteries should never be used in any device designed for paintball! The best rechargeable battery has a maximum current output of 175ma. A regular alkaline battery's capacity is 550ma.  Solenoids used in paintball markers draw in excess of 1 amp of current during the first few milliseconds, afterwhich have a holding current of approximately 375ma. NONE of the rechargeable batteries have sufficient current output capabilities resulting in improper operation (severe consistency and velocity issues). Batteries with a voltage in excess of 9 volts (such as the popular 9.6v types) could damage the Equalizer board and void the warranty.

Intimidator Equalizer

Why does the eye mode change to BYPASS after 3 shots?

There are many reasons that this can occur:

• If you have the bolt in the way of the eyes and pull the trigger, the eye system will recognize a failure. After 3 failures, the computer automatically switches the eye mode to BYPASS (which caps the rate of fire to a maximum of 13bps). This is normal operation.

• Bad, dirty, or improperly lubricated ram o-rings or having the LPR too low will cause the eye mode to BYPASS, generally when firing at high speeds. A properly tuned Intimidator should cycle in 50ms or less. If the bolt does not clear the eyes (on the way back from a forward cycle) within 72ms, the eye system will register a failure. Replace the ram o-rings and see if the problem goes away.

• Receiver eye is bad. The receiver is the IR receiver that has a black plastic body and black & blue wires. Contrary to what many people believe, there is no "side" preference for the eye system. It does not matter which side the eyes are located, they perform the same.

  • If the receiver eye or wiring harness is shorted, the marker will never fire when in FORCED eye mode. Unplug eye harness from the Equalizer board to see if the marker fires. If it does, the problem is the receiver eye or the eye harness.

  • If the marker always fires, remove the receiver eye from the body and shine a bright flashlight directly into it, and attempt to fire the marker. If it does not fire when light is on the receiver eye, then the receiver eye and wiring harness is fine. If it does fire, then the problem is the receiver eye, wiring harness, or the Equalizer board.

• Transmitter eye is bad. The transmitter is the IR transmitter that has either a metal casing and black & red wires (stock), or a plastic peach colored casing with black & red wires (Wicked Eye).

  • If the transmitter eye or wiring harness is shorted, the marker will always fire when in FORCED eye mode. The only way to determine if the transmitter eye is working is by viewing it with a digital camera, cell phone camera,  or video camera. Infrared light can be seen by these devices. Remove the transmitter eye from the body, and point the eye directly at the camera's lens. When pulling the trigger, there will be a bright flash of infrared light emitted by the transmitter if it is working. This will occur only 3 times, as after the 3rd time, the computer will bypass the eye system.  If there is no flash, then the problem is the transmitter eye, wiring harness, or the Equalizer board.

• Alignment is bad! This is the number one cause of all eye problems! Unfortunately, the holes that the eyes fit into are exceptionally large compared to the eyes themselves. This leaves a lot of room for the eyes to tilt (in all directions). Remove the eye covers and eyes. MAKE SURE that you have the black o-rings on each eye, or they will never sit flush with the surface of the body! Bend the eye wires so that when the eyes are inserted into the body they are straight across from each other (not tilted up, down, left, or right). Once you have done this, lightly hold the eyes in place and fire the marker. If the eyes do not work, look for other reasons for the failure (see above). If the eyes work, put the eyes covers back in place and slowly tighten the screws on the eye covers until the covers are snug (but not tight). Test fire the marker again. If the eye system stopped working, it is because there is too much pressure from the backside of the eye cover on the eye wires, resulting in the eye(s) moving. You will need to re-bend the wires so that when the eye cover is put in place the eyes still work. There is nothing else that can be done about this problem... it is a matter of finding the right bends that work for your particular setup.

• Grip screw is screwed in too far and is shorting out the LCD ribbon cable. Use a #006 o-ring (from ram o-ring) to reduce how far the screw goes into the grip frame.

Do I have to upgrade my Equalizer board for it work with the Equalink if I have v2.1 or later?

No! Only those having v2.0 or earlier will need to return their board for a free hardware upgrade.

Why can't I get DWELL, DEBOUNCE, or RESET to appear on the menu?

Your board is locked in COMPETITION mode. See the installation and usage manual for information about how to change modes.

Why can't I access the trigger programming mode?

Your board is locked in COMPETITION mode. See the installation and usage manual for information about how to change modes.

What is the rate of fire capped at?

There is no cap if your firmware is v2.8 or earlier.  Starting with v2.9 of the firmware, you can adjust your rate of fire cap from 10bps through Unlimited. Without a rate of fire cap set (unlimited), the rate of fire is controlled only by how fast your hopper can feed and how fast you can pull the trigger. The Equalizer board itself can handle more than 140bps. The maximum rate of fire you can get out of a stock Intimidator is about 23bps.

Why is it when sometimes I shoot, the LCD screen has weird characters?

This is a common problem when the LCD ribbon cable is not inserted fully and/or locked in place. Make sure that the white tabs are flush with the brown header. See the installation manual for detailed pictures.

Sometimes when the ribbon cables are folded, the crease in the fold is too sharp, causing the ribbon cable to crack and split apart. This can make an intermittant connection, especially when subjected to vibration from shooting.

If the grip screw is screwed in too far, the tip of the screw could be shorting out the LCD ribbon cable. Use a #006 o-ring (from ram o-ring) to reduce how far the screw goes into the grip frame.

If your LCD connector has "rings" from the grip screw being screwed too far in, it is possible that the connector is cracked and permanently damaged. This damage is not covered under warranty as it is considered abuse. If the connector is cracked, the ribbon cable will not make proper connection and unpredictable results will be seen on the display.

Why do I see a row of black squares on the LCD screen when I turn on the power?

If the trigger is held when the power is turned on, the LCD screen will show a row of squares. This is normal. This is how you put the Equalizer into computer programming mode (for the Equalink). If your trigger is adjusted too far inwards (so the trigger switch is always activated), then you will always see the black squares and you will not be able to use the marker until the trigger switch is adjusted correctly.

If the grip screw is screwed in too far, the tip of the screw could be shorting out the LCD ribbon cable. Use a #006 o-ring (from ram o-ring) to reduce how far the screw goes into the grip frame.

If the LED does not light up at all, and the black bars appear, then the Equalizer board is defective.