Meet the innovator and engineer behind the eValve™

[Jaymo]

Oops, you're right. A .308 or .32 caliber would be nice, too. I compliment you on your innovation.

[lloyd-ss]

Special order for Jaymo: 77 gn ACP bullet in a 32-20 WCF barrel .
So many choices.  Much wailing and gnashing of teeth but ya gotta start somewhere and make some of the people happy!
Because of sectional density, area, barrel length vs dia, sound, real knock down power, market analysis, bullet selection, and in particular, air efficiency compared to the fpe delivered, the .357 is a solid choice and good compromise for the introduction. But hey, everything in life is a compromise.  Seriously, the numbers will not disappoint.
Lloyd

[Rescue35]

Mr. Sikes,

Thank you for your contributions. I'm know it is great to see something that you created succeed. Keep it up.

R35

[lloyd-ss]

Thank you.  I have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure its all real.

I hope the names of he Crosman individuals involved, and its a bunch, come out eventually.  The chief designer for the project in particular, has given as much of his heart and soul to this as I have.
Lloyd

[lloyd-ss]

Most of you may have already seen these, but here are a couple of videos from Media day at the shot show out at one of the local shooting ranges that show the Benjamin Rogue .357 in action.  I wasn't there that day but it looks like folks were having some great fun.
Lloyd

http://www.crosman.com/blogs/croswords/?p=1436

[daveshoot]

Can't believe I have been missing this thread! Great stuff, and an honor to have Lloyd with us here.

A question I have been dying to ask... will the circuit board be conformal coated, or has thought been given to this?

We make electronics for harsh outdoor environments, and conformal coating can make a big difference in high humidity- also in going from a warm truck into a cold winter morning. Humidity and condensation can corrode and short, and the coating insulates the circuitry.

There are various types, and sometimes care must be taken to mask off certain sensors so they will still function.

I have been pumped about the Rogue since the Show and wish you every success with it. I am eager to see the price announcement, and hope there is one in my future!

[lloyd-ss]

Daveshoot,
Thanks for the welcome.  I am with you 100% on the conformal coating.  The transition from proto electonics to current SMT design is being handled by a local  (to Crosman) respected board house, and durability and MTBF were big topics.  I don't know final details but am almost positive conformal coating will be done on the production units.
Lloyd

[daveshoot]

Thanks for taking the time to answer. It's reassuring to hear they are giving attention to those details. It's also nice to hear the SMT will be USA made! You are probably aware that there are some vocal and even rude doubters out there. This is great news!

I could pester you with a hundred questions and I gotta say, it takes a brave manufacturer to venture into these forums (as you've already experienced).

But... do you think the board will be flash programmable/updateable?

[gene_sc]

Thanks for taking the time to answer. It's reassuring to hear they are giving attention to those details. It's also nice to hear the SMT will be USA made! You are probably aware that there are some vocal and even rude doubters out there. This is great news!

I could pester you with a hundred questions and I gotta say, it takes a brave manufacturer to venture into these forums (as you've already experienced).

But... do you think the board will be flash programmable/updateable?

The Big Exception Dave is that we do not condone those that insult or bash anyone on the GTA.. They will be delt with by our great staff and members..

[jonnnyboy]

Lloyd, thank you for bringing this technology to airgunning and thank you also for joining us here on the GTA.  What a benefit for each of us to have access to your expertise and to hear from your perspective the directions our hobby is taking.

Joe

[daveshoot]

I had a continued discussion with Lloyd offline and boy, I am pretty excited about his answers. They are the "right stuff" from an electronics point of view. This guy is both a shooter and a thinker and it's not only an honor to have him posting on GTA, it's a rare privilege to have someone in engineering walk up to you with a better idea, and have management get behind it.

Kudos to Lloyd for thinking and making the thousand bulbs that didn't work (Edison), and Crosman for recognizing and adopting. This is a technology that can migrate to other platforms, and will benefit us all in the long run. I think the airgun world of 2021 will be very different, and people may look back at this as the moment that started it all.

And for the record I think there will still be spring guns with no electronics at all and they will be fine. But this innovation really opens up some doors for (some of) us.

Crosman reads the forums and listens. You don't have to look a lot further to see this. They see a bigger picture (they are a business) than we might in the back yard, but they are here and listening and responding. Who else is?

[lloyd-ss]

Guys,  Thanks so much, but I have to say that I am learning an awful lot listening to all of you.  Even though I'm 60, I think most of you have a lot more airgun experience than I do.
I think the Benjamin Rogue, and the technology it is built around, is kind of a love it or hate it thing.  The technology definitely pushes some people out of their comfort zone, and for sure, it's not for everybody.  Who needs a Corvette if a used Civic will get you to work? I hear folks talking about legal concerns, and I am pretty sure Crosman has been working that since day one.
I am interested in your thoughts about the caliber selection, too. Seems  some want it bigger, some want it smaller, some like it at .357, and some don't want it at any caliber. I'm not sure I'll tell you how big my early protos were,  LOL.
Thanks,
Lloyd

[gene_sc]

No matter how you look at the Rogue, it is innovative. And about time a US manufacturer stepped up to the plate to extend the arm of the hobby/sport of air gunning...

I am in my 60's Lloyd and started shooting air guns when I retired 8 years ago. I loved power and the more the better... but after a couple years started to find my comfort zone. I shoot paper 95% of the time and have switched from power to mostly .177 springer's and PC's. Three of my PC's are Benjamin. Crosman helped many of us who could not afford an expensive PCP and all the hardware to support them. That was when I realized that Crosman was not just about making money. They have listened to us and now a couple years later have made some even more big steps to give us more variety. Spreading the hobby/sport even further.

Like Crosman we see more and more powder burner guys buying air guns. Getting to expensive to practice shooting them. There is a big market out there for more power and Crosman is breaking the tip of it with there new Rogue. Another leap forward...

[lloyd-ss]

Gene,
I still haven't grown up enough to get past the greed for speed.  Every airgun I own has been apart many times in hopes of making it better, and once in a while I succeeded.  A few are still apart.  With the ePCP prototypes that  I made, each time I tried a new barrel length or caliber, I'd first try for maximum velocity and maximum energy.  I always found that very exciting, seeing if I could set a new personal best.  I'd back off from there until I was getting maybe 95% of max power but using half as much air.  I could back down from there to get lower power and absurdly long shot strings. That was actually a much tougher challenge.
Lloyd