The Air Rest

[willie]

My friends at American Whitetail Targets are marketing an arrow rest that the arrow is not touching anything when at full draw.

It is called - the AIR REST.

Check it out at.. www.air-rest.com

[TexHunter]

I have seen this one before willie. Anyone using it yet that you are aware of? I'd be interested to hear comments from those that saw them at the ATA show.

[Africanbowhunter]

Its awesome and it works


Wont work on Axis arrow that are pre glued with HIT tho


Tink

[Oldaro]

Good idea, but you have to use steel tips. Won't work with other metals. So, not always for target use.

It would also be very important that your bow has a very decisive wall at the end of the draw, as the rest holds the arow properly almost in one point (as opposed to other kinds which "lead" the arrow for several inches). Even the dropaway rests would support the arrow for something like four to five inches of its flight.

This magnetic field type might be very sensitive to creeping, like during the too long a draw, which is not uncommon in hunting.

In short, I find it revolutionary, but also a bit too hi-tec for my taste...

:D

[ldfalks]

Good idea, but you have to use steel tips. Won't work with other metals. So, not always for target use.

It would also be very important that your bow has a very decisive wall at the end of the draw, as the rest holds the arow properly almost in one point (as opposed to other kinds which "lead" the arrow for several inches). Even the dropaway rests would support the arrow for something like four to five inches of its flight.

This magnetic field type might be very sensitive to creeping, like during the too long a draw, which is not uncommon in hunting.

In short, I find it revolutionary, but also a bit too hi-tec for my taste...

:D

I'm with you Oldaro. When the "chance of a lifetime" comes I want nothing left to "chance". I've always been old school myself :D

[house]

They look cool. I just don't like leaving anything to chance when a deer is close. I usually try to keep everything as simple as possible.

[Oldaro]

I've been thinking awile ago how to build the ultimate arrow rest, which means the one that holds the arrow securely until you let loose. Then it should vanish.

The closest I got to such perfect device is, if I sorta married the advantages of whisker bicsuit and the dropaway rest.

Imagine a dropaway with something like a mirror mechanism descending from the upper side. Both parts would move synchronously, and have "jaws" of two opposite V's of whiskers. So, the arrow would be held in the position by two, er, toothbrushes, which would, upon releasing of the arrow, open apart: the dropaway would, well, drop away, and the upper half would just jump up.

This part would descend immediately after the arrow has left the bow, and the next arrow would be held again within the V jaws by the upper and lower part.

*

The B version of the rest would simply be another dropaway rest, but with the supporting part made of whiskers, in the form of deep V which could securely hold the arrow in windy situations, but still be soft enough to noiselessly slide along the arrow upon draw and release cycle.


What do you think?

[punch_master]

I'm so old school I won't even use a drop away cause they have moving parts that can freeze up. I'll stay with my NAP quicktune 360.

[Deezlin]

I haven't used one. What happens if you let down? It looks to me like the arrow would fall and bang on the riser.

[Oldaro]

Exactly. That's why it might be better suited for the crossbow, one of those rail-less models.

All in all, I don't think magnetics have much use in archery. Magnocks are the only justified case in the whole of the sport, IMHO

But I may be wrong. Different strokes, etc.


:D

[Deezlin]

I was more asking a question than pointing out problems. I could see where there might be some moleskin or other noise damping material around the rest.

There are serveral places magnetic forces could be used quite sucessfully. Spigarelli has a very nice magnetic arrow rest. http://www.lancasterarchery.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=40_117_196&products_id=1915

Although, it is currently not being made, I really liked the Mag-X release. Hot Shot is still making a caliper version.

The Magnocks are very nice. Perhaps, the air rest needs some work, I haven't seen or used it yet.

[Oldaro]

I see what you mean.

Of course, magnetic influence could vanish quite suddenly, and then you could expect the arrow to make noise. Can't go wrong with a piece of moleskin or neoprene rubber wherever the arrow might touch, and that way you solved the noise problem while drawing, too.

Magnets, to my taste, is sorta finery that I can't see blending into archery, I'm sorry, maybe that's just me. I've seen and shot arrows off mechanical / magnetic rests, Spigarelli's too, but for me, the vastly better rests have been dropaways. Better here means safer to operate in the windy situations, also more consistent in operation, and, of course their ability to not be there when the arrow is passing, and the bow has already begun to deform. I like it when the arrow rides the nocking point only, speeding out untouched. This also occurrs with the magnetic or air-rest balancing the arrowhead between its forces, but...

As I said, whoever likes it, should enjoy. Maybe one day, every rest will be made like that.

:D

[Tejas Raz]

Being as I shoot with the Mag-X release, I've embraced the magnetic technology. It works supremely and consistently.

My original thoughts on this rest were like the many others, skepticism, but upon reflection and examination, they've changed.

This is not that much different than many of the other rests on the market, drop-aways included. It's a capture rest like the Whisker Bisquiet, GFK Shoot-Out, and NAP QT 360, etc. Yet it's also much like the drop-aways too. The FAQ on their web site does note that your bow needs a good wall for this one to work. That's because of the "window" that the magnets need to operate. They don't specifically tell you what that window is, but it seems fairly narrow, so if you tend to drift in your draw and anchor, this might not be the rest for you. Additionally, if the addition of thick, hunting clothing or extreme draw angles such as shooting below you tend to decrease the ability to stay at full draw against the wall, this might not be good.

The let down question that Deezlin brings up seems like a good question, but I think it's really a non-issue. It's just like any other rest in that regard. Once the arrow leaves the magnetic field it needs to stay levitated, it's going to drop down into the circle same as a drop-away does. To stay quiet, some moleskin seems necessary. It also stays in the circle meaning that you will not lose the arrow from the rest which is always a good thing.

The additional 30 grains of weight on the front isn't that bad and could be an asset by improving the FOC percentage. Not much of a bad factor here.

One thing that I do see as a detractor might be with those who shoot the TurboNock vanes or nocks. I'm playing with the T-4 nocks presently and like them so far. I'm thinking that with the additional rotation they provide, that the vanes might not clear the cutout portions of the rest very well. This might also be a factor with other rests too. Or also those who shoot the innovative FOB type vane thingies with the circular turbine wheel type guidance. Don't know the spec of either the rest opening or the outside diameter of these items so it may or may not be a factor.

I looked all through the web site, maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything about a requirement for steel tips to be used. If this is necessary, the brass tips that some use might be a problem, otherwise it's a non-issue also. Please correct me if I missed it.

Final thing about the magnets. They do say that the rare earth magnets will lose their magnetism is heated to above 176*F (80*C) as might happen if you use hot-melt glue for the inserts. With all the other glues that are more promenant today, this is probably not an issue either. Otherwise, these magnets last virtually indefinitely... or longer than the arrow is likely to anyway!

Overall, this rest has no moving parts. It does have to be setup correctly to align the inserts with the rest, but otherwise it's pretty much like a rock and shouldn't be much problem for anyone as far as my examination tells me. Very interesting! Aside from my noted exceptions that don't currently have answers for, I see it as good to go.

[Oldaro]

Thank you, Scott, it was very informative.

The magnetic influence dictates that your arrowheads be ferromagnetic, meaning that non-magnetic tips won't hover in the Air Rest. I haven't tried the rest, but if anyone has the chance to try it out, I'd be very interested in the effects. There are so many types of arrowheads, regarding materials, combinations of various metals, also plastics, and in various quantities!

There are steel blades in aluminum ferrules, there are full profile blades and also cutout blades, with steel core passing trough other metal where blades are slotted... There are one-time plastic blades with minimal metal core extending into the insert screw... All of those contain significantly different quantities of ferrous materials.

Then there are steel sorts that remain magnetized, once exposed to magnetic fields - and there are materials that won't be, once taken out of the zone of influence. Things like that.

Those high temperatures that happen within the closed car, or when the metal parts (especially blackened) are exposed to the sun rays, they might lessen the magnetism of the rest. WIth beryllium magnets, as with the other kind, the forces dictate the size of the arrow window, thus relating the magnetic force to the arrowhead mass and metal sort and quantity to the fletching type and size...

:D

Never mind.

:D

[Tejas Raz]

:new_rofl:

E=mc2 and all that sort of thing, right? :D

Here's the inserts with the magnets. http://www.air-rest.com/images/produc2.jpg

Now here's the setup with the rest. No other metal needed. We could put silly putty tips on and go shoot a muppet!

http://www.air-rest.com/images/setup.2.jpg

[Oldaro]

Ah, so desu ka? There's extra magnet in the arrow! Repellent polarity rest?

See? One picture and I'm exactly that much cleverer as I was stupid before.

I case my rest.

:D :D :D

[Tejas Raz]

Ohayo gozaimasu. Gomen nasai silly grasshopper! Daijobu desu.

From the AirRest FAQ:
"My broadhead/target points are magnetic…can I simply use your rest with my broadheads/target points?"

"Because your broadheads or target points are attracted to magnetism only means it will attract to the rest, not float in the rest.
The Air-Rest works off of magnetic repulsion, not magnetic attraction."

Do itashi mashite! :D :new_rofl: :D

And that's about the extent of my remembered Japanese!

[Oldaro]

Ichiban, TeeRaz-sama! I tink You kno suficientry ranguage to traver de far East mebbe open raundry shop.

O' crear about reperrent magnets now. Arigato gozaimashite, I keep use my ord drop down rest in peace thank you.

Domo arigato. Wish you honolabre glasshopper for dinner. Have nice jumping dreams rater make people raugh and be happy.

:D

[skip]

These would be great if you were shooting rebar :)

[ldfalks]

These would be great if you were shooting rebar :)


Send me and Skip a couple each to test out. Adding 30 graines doesn't seem like much to most, but it reduces your arrow speed by 10 fps at a minimum and deffinatly screws up your spine. You have to either shorten your arrows or add correspoonding weight to the back end or lighten your existing pont by the same weight as the insert magnet..

Dot and field shooters who only care about getting arrows from point A to point B will foo-foo all this and say that's unimportant. Plus, the "interior magnet" isn't going to fit all arrows...or does it? IMHO this rest has limited if any useful application in any archery situation except indoors with NO fans blowing. The "surrounding" magnet would have to be "electro" to keep that point from drifting while holding at full draw.

OH! Why send 2 each of them to me and Skip? So that when they flop we can bury one and use the other one to cover it up. If they work then we can give one to someone else.

I can't help but think of ol' P.T. Barnum when I look at this gadget...