Has anyone used the LED for the Optima with a Bonehead Fullface Helmet?

[regulator 0]

I currently own a Bonehead Mamba fullface helmet. I recently purchased an optima, and I thought it might be a good addition to use the long LED for more altitude awareness. However, when I got it the directions were very limited and it looks like they want me to drill two small holes in the faceshield. Trust me that wont happen and I wont use it if I have to drill holes in my helmet. Has anyone used this configuration before and does it work on a Mamba? Thanks in advance for your advice!

Paul

[pilotdave 0]

I'd personally recommend against using an audible at all for altitude awareness for a couple hundred more jumps... get used to not having one or you'll quickly start to rely on it.

If you aren't deaf, I can't really see how the LED will help. I've heard they're pretty dim and hard to see anyway. I just think you're adding unnecessary complication. Learn the basics first, like checking your altimeter often and looking at the ground.

Dave

[DSE 3]

They're not pretty dim, nor are they hard to see. Your eye does become accustomed to it, however, and eventually you somewhat start to ignore it. The bigger problem, IMO, with the LED display is how fragile it is. I broke two before giving up. I'm looking forward to a flexible alternative.

[regulator 0]

Fair enough! That sounds like a appropriate comment. I'll just keep it if I decide to use it later in case I get another helmet in a few hundred jumps that has an mount for it or something like it. And I just wanted to use the audible to make me fly better.

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

And I just wanted to use the audible to make me fly better.

???

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[DougH 270]

Every time he looks at his altimeter he must go unstable.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[regulator 0]

No I was referring to the landing tones you can set. I wanted to become more accurate landing closer to the target on landings. What did you think I was talking about? Usually when I enter the pattern at 1,000 feet I tend to overshoot the target by 30 to 50 meters. However, when I can begin the pattern at around 800 feet I get much closer to the circle. It could be because I am only 150 lbs flying a 190. I dunno.

[JustChuteMeNow 0]

I have used the LED with the Mamba bonehead. All I did was route the LED through the hole I use for the audible and I used super tack hold it in place. I haven't had any problems and I tacked it to the liner near my right eye.

Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that statistically half of them are stupider than that.

[woodpecker 0]

The joys of being light. I had the same issue but I'm 140lbs and when I started I had to start my approaches lower than other people. The audible will not help you with this since (please correct if I'm wrong) they dont beep while under canopy, the air pressure isnt changing fast enough, so do what the rest of us did and just look at your alti to judge your altitude and start letting your eyes/brain take it all in so the memory starts to sink in, dont start relying on an audible....for anything at this stage in the game.

Just my 0.2 take it for what its worth.

SONIC WOODY #146

There is a fine line between cockiness and confidence -- which side of the line are you on?

[beowulf 1]

Yes the Optima does beep under canopy. You can set three different canopy alarms. The Neptune also has this feature.

[woodpecker 0]

Never knew that. Thanks for the correction.

SONIC WOODY #146

There is a fine line between cockiness and confidence -- which side of the line are you on?

[diablopilot 2]

Using the audible as a crutch to improve accuracy is a bad idea.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[pilotdave 0]

I agree... I have found the canopy alarms can easily cause complacency... you stop checking your altimeter or paying as much attention to your altitude when you know you're going to get a warning at a certain altitude.

If you know you need to start your pattern at 800 feet, then do it. Canopy alarms won't really help. They can tell you when you're at 800 feet, but you still need to get yourself in the right place at the right altitude. Until you can pretty much set up your pattern correctly by looking at the ground more than at your altimeter, it's probably best not to rely on beeps to know where you are. If you get really used to "fly by beeps," you will find yourself lower than expected, waiting for your beep when your audible fails or you forgot that you left it in your other helmet. Been there, done that!
Dave

[regulator 0]

I agree with most of you but I'm not trying to specifically disagree with you but I was always under the impression you cannot be too altitude aware. I have an altitrack as my primary altimeter. However, I thought that using an audible as an extra set of 'ears' would only assist in my altitude awareness instead of making me rely on it. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[pilotdave 0]

Well... an audible is a good idea when you use it as a backup. I swear my 4-way team (I shoot video for them) would keep turning points until the 3rd bounce if all their audibles failed. Remember that an audible only makes you altitude aware at certain altitudes. It's REALLY easy to find yourself becoming LESS altitude aware except right when your audible beeps, because you get used to having it. Turn points until you hear the beep, then turn and track. Pull when you hear the next beep. That works great until it doesn't beep. Then, instead of suddenly becoming altitude aware when your audible reminds you that you're at breakoff altitude, you remain non-altitude aware until something else clues you in, like the ground looking really freaking big.

You'll also see people that leave formations early because their audible was set wrong. Seen people start tracking away at 8000 feet because the audible went off early. Think they were altitude aware? Think the beeping made them any more aware of their altitude? Nope, it just told them to turn and track.

So that's why I think it's best to get in the habit of using a visual altimeter, which tells you where you are no matter how high or low you are. It's a lot more useful, and you'll be less likely to wait for beeps before you react. If you do use an audible, I recommend setting it 100 feet low. If you hear it and haven't acted already, you messed up but the audible backed you up. If that happens a lot, you might have an altitude awareness problem.

Dave

[Auryn 0]

Quote

I agree with most of you but I'm not trying to specifically disagree with you but I was always under the impression you cannot be too altitude aware. I have an altitrack as my primary altimeter. However, I thought that using an audible as an extra set of 'ears' would only assist in my altitude awareness instead of making me rely on it. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

I have to disagree with you here. You should be developing your eyes as your primary instrument for altitude awareness, especially under canopy. The visual or audible altimeters won't tell you the altitude difference between you and the canopies around you. Your eyes can give you at least an approximation... Never 100 percent accurate, but it's a skill you want to start working on now, because on otter loads, boogies, etc, you're going to (or should be) paying a LOT of attention to the canopies around you. And instruments don't help you worth a damn re: such.

to add: under canopy: I think, at times, audible alerts can be more harmful than beneficial. I think there is such a thing as TOO much information. I've always flown my canopy by feel, without too much planned beforehand so I can "feel" the other canopies, "feel" the air and "sense" the ground, so I can fly defensively. If someone hoses my approach, so be it; I've got 2 or 3 outs already in mind. I do continously double check w/ my alti, but "feel" comes first; it's the first reaction in an emergency. I don't want my canopy flight to be too rigidly structured unless I'm getting out alone on a low pass.

The ground is but the last thing that can kill you on a skydive.

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

I agree with most of you but I'm not trying to specifically disagree with you but I was always under the impression you cannot be too altitude aware. I have an altitrack as my primary altimeter. However, I thought that using an audible as an extra set of 'ears' would only assist in my altitude awareness instead of making me rely on it. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Being altitude aware does not mean reading/hearing your instruments.

Learn to fly your pattern without the aid of either altimeter.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[regulator 0]

I agree with all of you regarding altitude awareness. I beleive that it is completely essential and I understand what you mean when you 'feel' everything around you. And I can assure you that while under canopy my head is on a swivel looking at all the angles to watch out for other canopies in close approximation. I had always intended to use this as a backup device and to set it slightly lower than my pull altitude so if for some reason I did get unaware I could hear a beep telling my to wake the hell up and pull. I appreciate all your advice and this is the whole reason I use the forums.