Rangeball

So how much draw length flexibility is there in the Omega Cams? Suppose I order one at 28.75" draw, and end up needing 1/4" less or more?

I believe with Darton' s CPS you can set at 1/8" increments, pretty flexible. Is the Omega similar?

Also, I' m hearing rumors that the new Darton cam is still silky smooth but even more smoking fast... I wish Merlin would play the energy game a bit more.

Straightarrow

The omega cams have interchangable modules for each 1/2" of draw range. I didn' t look close, but I think there are a couple pegs for adjusting minor amounts. I' m sure you can get whatever draw length you need. The dealer you go through should be able to give you the details on the cam.

Black Frog

Range- You change draw in 1/2" steps with the interchangable modules. I think Merlin has 3 different sizes of the Omega cams to cover certain draw ranges. Setting the adjustable peg on the Omega is for whatever particular module you have on the bow. Like for the 27.5" module I had on the bow the peg was in one position, but when I installed the 27" module I had to put the peg in a different position. The instruction sheet details where things should go for which modules and which version of Omega.

For the between module draw lengths, I assumed it was just done by string/cable twisting and untwisting. As long as the cables are in the tuning marks for your setup, things should be fine. This is different than Darton where you have 1/8" pegs on the cam that give 1" draw adjustment.

55#recurve

The pro fusion method is also used in the case of the fiberglass limbs. They not be as efficient, or as fast. But believe me. They are on my Quest 35 and I love them.
Dylan

Pinwheel 12

You guys have been busy while I' ve been away! Now, I' ve got a million e-mails/PM' s to catch up on, but I' ll try to give you my quick thoughts on this bow---

EXCELLENT.

The bow has all of the attributes that the guys have stated above, and the Omega system is by far the best hybrid system on the market IMHO because of it' s simplicity and the fact that you gain straight and level knock travel at ALL drawlengths as it has been configured that way.

The Quest 35 is super quiet, handles great, and is extremely accurate. I also sell Diamond bows--the Diamond is a nice bow, but when you set it next to a Merlin it' s like placing a bowie knife next to a scalple-- it just doesn' t have the same craftsmanship or as many attributes. All depends on what you need and/or want I guess.

The HQ 31 is glass limb only.

I' ll try to get back and answer more on this later. Good shooting, Pinwheel 12

Straightarrow

A slight overstatement in my opinion. In fact, with them sitting side by side, I prefer the finish and look of the Diamonds, though I do like Merlin' s camo pattern. The machining on the Diamond riser is top-notch and the design vastly prefered by me.

I own a new Diamond and will probably own a Merlin shortly. A friend has a brand new one and I' ve shot it quite a bit. The Diamond' s limb pocket is an incredibly simple design that works very, very well. It is machined impecably and the simple limb pocket, limb rocker system they use, is very good. Tolerance and fit on this limb pocket is fantastic. Your limbs will not move in this pocket. The Merlin' s limb pocket is far more complex and I for one, don' t like having to untighten, adjust and then re-tighten those 10 or 12 limb pocket screws each time I adjust draw weight. The reason I' ll put up with this, is because I really like the new Omega cams. If it wasn' t for those cams, I doubt I' d buy a Merlin.

When I bought my Diamond, I checked the limb pockets and cam alignment on every Diamond in stock (about 20 of them). They were all very close. I' ve yet to see this close of a tolerence from any other manufacturer I' ve checked. I put their limb pocket tolerances and cam alignment way above average.

I will say the string supplied by Diamond isn' t so hot, but then again, I replace the string that comes with any bow.

Rangeball

I really, really, really love my hornet, but at this point if I was going to choose a bow purely on aesthetics, it would have to be the Merlin HQ 35. But, at this point that' s not enough to make me pull the trigger and buy one. I don' t want to lose any energy that I' ve already paid for

Straight Arrow, what don' t you like about the stock Diamond string/cable? I got a new one from them last year, $25 for the set, after it shot in, re-set and it hasn' t moved yet.

I asked the following questions on Merlin' s website feedback sheet, and Ben Jones responded-

Q- Do you ever see your company producing the HQ with some
version of the omega cam with an IBO along the lines of 320+, similar to
Darton and Bowtech? I draw 28.75" at 70#s, and would like to fling a
425-450 grain hunting arrow at least 270-5 fps. Is this performance
possible with your current HQ bows, assuming only 2 brass nocksets on the
string? Also, do you have plans to offer your pro-fusion limbs on the HQ-31?
Thanks, you make an awesome looking product.

Ben' s Answer- The Quest-31 is likely to be discontinued shortly. The Quest-35 will
remain. There will be another bow I cant tell you too much about just yet
that will be around 33" axle length and 7" Brace height that is faster than
the Quest-31 & 35. Speeds are still being tested at the moment, along with
some faster cam options.

One thing we want to do is keep all the brace heights to a minimum of 7" for
2004. Dropping brace heights does increase speed, but consistency suffers
significantly. We will not be going down that road just to boost the speed.

I don' t realistically see us getting above 320fps and maintain a 7" brace
height, but it looks like we will be close.

There will be full pictures and specifications of all the new products in
December.

Best regards
Ben

Pinwheel 12

Ohh, Ben is letting some of the kitty out of the bag! Yes, we' ve been developing a new concept bow for awhile now, and I can tell you it will be quite sweet and will easily compete with anything on the market.

They are also developing a lower priced " midrange" model to be released in 2004 for those who do not have the chicken for a top-line Merlin, but it will still have great attributes.

SA-

Don' t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a Diamond bow![] If I thought there was, I would not sell them. The Machete is a great bow and I' ve sold quite a few this year, along with some DOA' s and Undertakers. No problems, great bows!

BUT---

I reiterate, the Merlins have the finer attributes. All of the little details that may annoy you are heartily accepted and welcomed by many others. There are reasons why Merlin has the locking bolts and adjustable pockets, and even the little thumb-knuckle recepticle so you don' t get theat annoying callous like on so many other bows---- and those detail reasons and others are definately attributes. Are they necessary for everyone? No, of course not, but they are detailed attributes nonetheless, and ones that simply help IMHO to build a finer bow.

Yes, the glass limbs will be discontinued for 2004. They also have their fingers into some other new things that should raise a few eyebrows come December/January.

As Ben stated, I have to do the same-- that' s all I can give out right now. More soon.

Good shooting! Pinwheel 12

Straightarrow

There' s probably nothing drastically wrong with them, but I' ve been shooting strings that I make, and I hate to brag, but they are superior to anything you that comes packaged with a bow. I' m spoiled and now the little things bother me. The servings are less then the best on the Diamond strings. I like the string supplied with the Merlin a bit better, but I still won' t use it.
_____________________________________

I guess I' ve always been one of those " less is better" people. Or maybe I should say, " more is not always better" . Let me give you an example. I own a Martin that has many 10' s of thousands of shots on it. The simple limb rocker system that Martin uses, is bullet proof. A few hundred thousand shots later and I' m confident that this system will not fail. The limbs or riser may break, but the rockers will not wear and it' s position in the riser should remain the same. When I look at bows, that have rubber pads and set-screw all over the place, I get a little nervous about how it will hold up after many thousands of shots. I know rubber ages and gets brittle. Screw also have a tendancy to get loose and fall out (my friend lost one from his Merlin in the first month that he owned it). Little things that may or may not affect accuracy or noise level, but are annoying all the same.

Jerry/Pa

Hey guys let me jump in here for a minute. I' m getting ready to order another Max. I' m shooting a 2001 Max W/rapid cams. What is the differents between the two modules Ben offers with the rapid 2 in comparision to the cams on my 2001 Max? One is a speed module and one is a smoother draw according to the web site. The draw cycle on my 2001 was what made me a Merlin shooter. I can' t image the new and improoved cams. I' ll be using this for 3-d and target mostly. I don' t usually order a bow without feeling it or drawing it but Merlin is an exception. BTW I' ll probably wait till the 2004' s are out unless Pinwheel makes me an exceptional deal on a 03 left over. LOL. Thanks. Jerry