Eclipse Gtek

The Eclipse Gtek, also styled GTEK or GTek, is a family of spool-valve paintball markers manufactured by Planet Eclipse, a British paintball equipment manufacturer based in Manchester, England. Introduced in late 2015, the original Gtek was developed as a mid-range electronic tournament marker and introduced the company's Gamma Core drivetrain.[1][2]

The family subsequently expanded to include the Gtek 160R in 2016, the 170R and mechanical M170R in 2019, and the 180R in 2023. The 180R introduced the OP-R Core, a revised spool-valve system derived from the OP Core used in Planet Eclipse's CS3 marker.[3][4][5]

History

Original Gtek (2015)

Planet Eclipse introduced the original Gtek in late 2015.

The marker incorporated a new spool-valve operating system known as the Gamma Core, which was subsequently adopted in several other Planet Eclipse marker families.

The original Gtek used a combination of aluminium and composite components, an electronic trigger system and an LED-based programming interface.

It was designed to provide electronic tournament-marker functionality at a lower price than Planet Eclipse's premium Geo and Ego models.[1][2]

The Gamma Core subsequently became an important component of the company's electronic and mechanical marker development, including the Eclipse Etha and EMEK families.

Gtek 160R (2016)

The Gtek 160R was announced in August 2016 and formally detailed on 1 September 2016.

It retained the original Gtek's Gamma Core operating system while incorporating a revised aluminium body, electronic controls and air-transfer system.

Unlike the original Gtek, the 160R used an all-aluminium external construction.

The model introduced an OLED display as standard equipment and incorporated an AT Pipe system to transfer compressed air between the marker's regulator and grip assembly without an external macroline hose.

Its published operating pressure was approximately 135 psi.[3]

The 160R remained a spool-valve electronic marker despite its more elaborate construction.

Gtek 170R (2019)

Planet Eclipse introduced the Gtek 170R at the Paintball Extravaganza trade exhibition in February 2019.

The marker retained the Gamma Core drivetrain while incorporating substantial changes to its body and air-transfer arrangement.

The 170R eliminated the 160R's exposed AT Pipe in favour of an internal air-transfer system routed through the grip frame.

The regulator was incorporated into the grip frame, while the battery was repositioned into the foregrip.

Other features included an OLED display, revised ergonomics, updated feedneck and a light-pipe breech sensor system.

The 170R was designed for compatibility with an optional mechanical trigger frame.[4][6]

Gtek M170R (2019)

The Gtek M170R was announced alongside the electronic 170R in February 2019.

It was a mechanically operated version of the same general marker platform.

Unlike the electronic model, the M170R used a mechanical three-way valve to operate the Gamma Core drivetrain without an electronic firing board or battery.

The mechanical version was intended for recreational play and mechanical tournament competition.

Planet Eclipse also offered a mechanical frame kit allowing compatible electronic 170R markers to be converted for mechanical operation.[6][7]

Gtek 180R (2023)

The Gtek 180R was introduced in April 2023.

It represented a substantial revision of the Gtek R-series platform, incorporating the OP-R Core drivetrain.

The OP-R Core was derived from the OP Core used in the Planet Eclipse CS3, rather than being a direct continuation of the earlier Gamma Core mechanism.

Planet Eclipse described the OP-R Core as a double-decoupled spool-valve system.

The 180R operated at a nominal pressure of approximately 120 psi and incorporated revised pneumatic components, electronic controls and ergonomics.

Its standard features included:

OP-R Core spool-valve drivetrain.
Quick-release bolt mechanism.
OLED electronic display.
Internal air-transfer system.
S63 three-piece barrel with interchangeable PWR inserts.
Tool-free grip and foregrip access.
Light-pipe breech sensors.
POPS air-system fitting.

The marker was also compatible with an optional 180R-specific mechanical trigger frame, allowing conversion from electronic to mechanical operation.[5][8]

Operating systems

Gamma Core

The original Gtek, 160R, 170R and M170R used Planet Eclipse's Gamma Core.

The Gamma Core is a spool-valve mechanism in which the movement of a bolt assembly controls the release of compressed air used to propel the paintball.

In the electronic models, the firing sequence is controlled by an electronic board and solenoid.

In the M170R, a mechanical valve replaces the electronic firing controls.

The Gamma Core was subsequently used in other Planet Eclipse marker families, including the Etha 2, Etha 3 and EMEK.[1][4]

OP-R Core

The Gtek 180R introduced the OP-R Core.

This mechanism is a revised spool-valve design derived from the OP Core used in Planet Eclipse's CS3.

The OP-R Core uses a double-decoupled operating arrangement and is designed to operate at a lower pressure than the earlier Gamma Core Gtek models.

Planet Eclipse's official specifications identify a nominal operating pressure of 120 psi for the 180R.[5]

Models

Model	Introduction	Operating system	Firing controls
Gtek	2015	Gamma Core	Electronic
Gtek 160R	2016	Gamma Core	Electronic
Gtek 170R	2019	Gamma Core	Electronic
Gtek M170R	2019	Gamma Core	Mechanical
Gtek 180R	2023	OP-R Core	Electronic, with optional mechanical frame

The chronology is based on contemporary product announcements and manufacturer documentation.[1][3][4][5][6]

Position within the Planet Eclipse range

The Gtek family was developed to occupy a position between Planet Eclipse's entry-level and premium tournament markers.

Its Gamma Core operating system distinguished the original Gtek and subsequent 160R and 170R from the company's earlier ram-driven platforms.

Related Planet Eclipse families include:

Eclipse Ego: Premium ram-driven electronic markers using a poppet-valve operating system.
Eclipse Etek: Electronic markers derived from the Ego architecture.
Eclipse Geo: Premium spool-valve tournament markers.
Eclipse Etha: A lower-priced marker family, with later generations using the Gamma Core.
Eclipse EMEK: Mechanical paintball markers using the Gamma Core operating system.

The Gtek also provided a platform for mechanical competition through the M170R and optional mechanical conversion frames for later R-series models.

References

External links