Openings on a sabre 2

[iwasinkheson68 0]

Hey guys,
I've just bought a second hand sabre 2 150 and while I'm really enjoying how it flies and flares I'm having a little trouble with openings. I've done about 20 or 30 jumps on it so far. Rarely has it opened on heading, it normally spins around 180 or more and I've had line twists more than a couple of times. It's not been anything other than flat and level in twists, but still. Does anyone have any packing tips which may help alleviate this?
I'm experimenting a little as I go, at the minute I'm rolling the outside 4 cells a few times and leaving the centre cell exposed. Generally I quarter the slider into big chunks, especially over the nose. I've tried a few variations of this but not much seems to affect the canopy's desire to fly towards local points of interest that I feels I may benefit from knowing about.
I load it at about 1.3. I have 1000 jumps, most of which were on a spectre 170 at around 1.1. The canopy has about 350 jumps on it altogether and the lines seem to be in reasonable condition.

[Jbag 0]

the sabre 2 "seeks" on openings, not the canopy you want if you are looking for on heading, i found if i leave more line after the stows, maybe an extra 20" or so it helps alleviate the issue a little bit, when i pack it i prefer to have more lin in the packing tray then less, but thats just my personal experience

IHYD

[JackC1 0]

I've found my Sabre2 to be a little unstable with the brakes set and is quite susceptible to harness input which means I can arrest and correct minor off heading openings.

Mine is also very twitchy about packing. If my pack jobs aren't spot on, it will fling me around like crazy. PD produced a series of packing videos which might help. The first part can be found here. Using the method shown in this video has vastly improved my openings.

[Cueb 0]

packing doesn't really make a difference with how it stays on heading, at least not for me. The most important thing is to stay even in the harness especially during the last phase of opening, or it will turn. After 100 jumps on my sabre2 loaded about 1.4, it opens on heading most of the time, at first it tended to turn. Try to keep your eyes on the horizon and focus on your position in the harness.

[jdathome 0]

Do watch the packing video JackC1 is telling you about. It's released by PD, but the techniques would apply to almost any modern day canopy. Note that in the video, he is saying “Don’t do anything with the nose”, they don’t role it or drop it. He just leaves it hangin’ out and wraps the tail around it. He also states this will help with on heading openings. That may be just the trick you are looking for? You’ll also notice they recommend quartering the slider straight in. I would recommend the video to anyone packing rigs. It’s very nicely done!

Marriage is like a deck of cards. You start with two harts and a diamond only to discover you wish you had a club and a spade!

[Sangi 0]

You just gotta love seeing skydivers complain about off headings..

If you're so worried about em, maybe you should improve your tracking?

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

[iwasinkheson68 0]

Awesome guys, thanks for the responses, I really appreciate them. I'll check out the videos tomorrow and see how I go this weekend.
And I can track like hell thanks, doesn't mean I don't want my canopy to open on heading though.

[Glitch 0]

Good advice. I jump a Sabre 2 and "had issues" with the openings until I RTFM. Just flake as normal and leave the nose alone; don't roll it, pull it out, stuff it in, roll end cells, or anything. Just flake it and wrap the tail around it normally. I should prolly add that I 'somewhat loosly' wrap the tail, and pull the slider to the rear, and have enjoyed nice 700-800' on heading openings the vast majority of the time.

Randomly f'n thingies up since before I was born...

[brucet7 0]

My Sabre 2 has the habit of turning on open, usually to the left. I used to roll the nose but after the watching video I stopped and that has helped a little. It seems to me that the thing is twitchy, but it is the only chute I have much experience with, so I don't have anything to compare it to.

POPS #10623; SOS #1672

[ChrisL 2]

Quote

Hey guys,
I've just bought a second hand sabre 2 150 and while I'm really enjoying how it flies and flares I'm having a little trouble with openings. I've done about 20 or 30 jumps on it so far. Rarely has it opened on heading, it normally spins around 180 or more and I've had line twists more than a couple of times. It's not been anything other than flat and level in twists, but still. Does anyone have any packing tips which may help alleviate this?
I'm experimenting a little as I go, at the minute I'm rolling the outside 4 cells a few times and leaving the centre cell exposed. Generally I quarter the slider into big chunks, especially over the nose. I've tried a few variations of this but not much seems to affect the canopy's desire to fly towards local points of interest that I feels I may benefit from knowing about.
I load it at about 1.3. I have 1000 jumps, most of which were on a spectre 170 at around 1.1. The canopy has about 350 jumps on it altogether and the lines seem to be in reasonable condition.

I owned 2 of these. A 210 and a 190. Both opened off heading 75% of the time.
I was never able to find a packing method or body position that eliminated this.

Had some pretty hard openings as well.

They Fly great
They Land great

If you want consistently great openings you might wanna try a different canopy.

I switched to a Pilot. Had a couple of those too and not a single complaint.
They dont have quite the flare as the Sabre2 so its a trade-off.

__

My mighty steed

[JohnDeere 0]

Quote

Good advice. I jump a Sabre 2 and "had issues" with the openings until I RTFM. Just flake as normal and leave the nose alone; don't roll it, pull it out, stuff it in, roll end cells, or anything. Just flake it and wrap the tail around it normally. I should prolly add that I 'somewhat loosly' wrap the tail, and pull the slider to the rear, and have enjoyed nice 700-800' on heading openings the vast majority of the time.

This did it for me! I jump a 150 just under 1.5 wl and used to push the nose in......then i got a clue! Leave the nose alone! let it hang, since then the opening are nicer, and more consistent!

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[rushmc 18]

Quote

packing doesn't really make a difference with how it stays on heading, at least not for me. The most important thing is to stay even in the harness especially during the last phase of opening, or it will turn. After 100 jumps on my sabre2 loaded about 1.4, it opens on heading most of the time, at first it tended to turn. Try to keep your eyes on the horizon and focus on your position in the harness.

Toes together (touching)

Best advice I got for mine

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rushmc 18]

Quote

Quote

Good advice. I jump a Sabre 2 and "had issues" with the openings until I RTFM. Just flake as normal and leave the nose alone; don't roll it, pull it out, stuff it in, roll end cells, or anything. Just flake it and wrap the tail around it normally. I should prolly add that I 'somewhat loosly' wrap the tail, and pull the slider to the rear, and have enjoyed nice 700-800' on heading openings the vast majority of the time.

This did it for me! I jump a 150 just under 1.5 wl and used to push the nose in......then i got a clue! Leave the nose alone! let it hang, since then the opening are nicer, and more consistent!

Same for me
Messing with the nose does not pay on this canopy

(at least for me)

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[ChrisRomp 0]

The full packing videos are here and are worth watching:
http://www.performancedesigns.com/pdzone/packingvideos.asp

I mostly leave my nose alone, but I make sure the center cell is opened a little bit and the outside cells are even (not rolled or whatever). My openings are 90% on-heading on a Sabre2 190.

[billvon 2,380]

>If you're so worried about em, maybe you should improve your tracking?

Or just use the right tool for the job. I have a Crossfire2 that I use for video, where opening direction doesn't matter - and a Nitro that I use for bigways where opening direction does often matter. (You can't always 'just track more.')

[d123 1]

From time to time my sabre2 gives me a hard opening. I have 3 now. One really hard that give me a lot of pain. They seems to be related to open from a track. Can a track really increase that much the airspeed to explain an opening in less than 1 sec?

Edit to add: I stop the track, I wave off. I just don't flare off the track.

Lock, Dock and Two Smoking Barrelrolls!

[TiaDanger 0]

I love my sabre2...every once in a while I'll have an off heading opening, but it doesn't happen often. I dont shove the nose in, and wrap the tail fairly tight. My snivels are perfect for me, about 800 feet long.

And for the record: the appropriate ranking of cool modes of transportation is jet pack, hover board, transporter, Batmobile, and THEN giant ant.
D.S. #8.8

[mustard 0]

I have more than a thousand jumps on a Sabre2, wingloading 1.1, so pretty lightly loaded. I don't think I had more than 10% of the openings right on heading, but I found that the tail had to be hanging straight down and the slider quartered with just a little pull towards me before wrapping it. Then I was ready with rears when I opened, just in case. Every opening soft, but it was definitely seeking to open off heading. Switched to a used Stiletto that I just love, but it also has issues on opening. Rear risers are my best friend.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I had a packer who psycho packed it and it opened on heading every time. I could never get that myself, though.

***
DJan