Converting metal reserve ripcord to soft?

[milehigheric 0]

I have a soft reserve handle in the mail, and the plan was to swap it over at repack. I need it repacked this weekend however and I doubt the softy will be here in time. I'm not all that familiar with the inner workings of the reserve system and I was just wondering if it is much effort to changeover afterwards (not at repack time) ?

It may be a silly question, but i havent had the chance to learn a whole lot about the reserve system yet. I plan to sit in on this repack and learn my way around a reserve tray however :)

[SEREJumper 1]

It needs to be done at the time of the repack. If it is done later, the same rigger that repacked it needs to do the switch since he packed it last.

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i havent had the chance to learn a whole lot about the reserve system yet

Good on you, the more you know about your gear, the better. Your life depends on it.

We're not fucking flying airplanes are we, no we're flying a glorified kite with no power and it should be flown like one! - Stratostar

[StephanieWolfe 0]

In order to remove the existing pin you would have to break the red thread rigger seal. And that invalidates the reserve pack job. So you're best to wait for the next repack to swap it out.

[airtwardo 6]

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In order to remove the existing pin you would have to break the red thread rigger seal. And that invalidates the reserve pack job. So you're best to wait for the next repack to swap it out.

No...the rigger who sealed it can & should make the handle swap, he can then simply 're-seal' the in date I&R pack 'he' recently completed.

You don't have to pay for a 'fresh' re-pack, ya will have to probably throw him some $ for swapping handles for you and re-sealing.

~ That being said, why on earth would one go from a good solid metal handle to a Nerf & Jerk?

"If it ain't broke DON'T fix it!"

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[NWFlyer 2]

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~ That being said, why on earth would one go from a good solid metal handle to a Nerf & Jerk?

Because all the cool kids have soft handles.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[airtwardo 6]

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~ That being said, why on earth would one go from a good solid metal handle to a Nerf & Jerk?

Because all the cool kids have soft handles.

I forgot...it's the coordinated look huh. Soft head-soft handle

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[obelixtim 100]

Metal is SO last century......

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[waveoff5500 0]

haha i literally just ordered a low profile d ring for my micron after jumping a soft one for about 200 jumps. after putting some jumps on it im not comfortable that i would be able to pull it as quickly as a ring i could hook my thumb through. that being said i also dont like the big D rings in tight exits. what do you guys think about the low pro one? im very upset i actually have to consider these things now that my cypres may or maynot work

"its just a normal day at the dropzone until its not"

1653

[JohnSherman 1]

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I have a soft reserve handle in the mail, and the plan was to swap it over at repack. I need it repacked this weekend however and I doubt the softy will be here in time. I'm not all that familiar with the inner workings of the reserve system and I was just wondering if it is much effort to changeover afterwards (not at repack time) ?

It may be a silly question, but i havent had the chance to learn a whole lot about the reserve system yet. I plan to sit in on this repack and learn my way around a reserve tray however :)

Soft handles may not be Certificated (TSO'ed) on all rigs. You could be violating the Certification and rendering you rig illegal.

[woppyvac 0]

Low profile is what I bought. easy to get your thumbs thru but not as large of a snag point. pillows and gloves in the winter - not ideal IMO.. amongst other reasons too.

Woot Woot!

[waveoff5500 0]

hopefully the rigger would be able to make that distinction

"its just a normal day at the dropzone until its not"

1653

[sundevil777 93]

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what do you guys think about the low pro one?

What kind of low profile handle?

I like this one, shown with a std handle.

[inline both_handles.jpg]

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[waveoff5500 0]

yeah thats the type from upt. im opting for the spectra cable though

"its just a normal day at the dropzone until its not"

1653

[toolbox 0]

I agree,metal handle and metal cable.
I see spectra is starting to replace steel for ripcords.
After working in the nitty,gritty desert for several years,and seeing what that sharp dust will do to closing loops,and the white loops on the three rings,I do not like the idea of using spectra for a reserve ripcord.
I know the cord would get inspected every 6 months,but alot can happen in 6 months in the dirt.

[waveoff5500 0]

i could see that being an issue. i do a majority of my jumping in ohio though so i dont run into the corrosive issue from sand.

"its just a normal day at the dropzone until its not"

1653

[fcajump 153]

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i could see that being an issue. i do a majority of my jumping in ohio though so i dont run into the corrosive issue from sand.

But if you know one has a vulnerability that could cause it to fail when needed, and the 70+ year old solution is tried and proven, why change??

Just askin...
JW

Always remember that some clouds are harder than others...

[theonlyski 3]

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In order to remove the existing pin you would have to break the red thread rigger seal. And that invalidates the reserve pack job. So you're best to wait for the next repack to swap it out.

I like to see if I can get the seal off the rig without breaking the thread. I have been successful a few times and there's one PEP out there that lends itself to that very thing without even trying!

Furthermore, can you show me in the FAR's anything that says a broken seal invalidates the reserve pack job?

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[milehigheric 0]

Cheers for the advice guys! One thing I didn't consider is the TSO issue mentioned above. I would assume that a factory option ( and a factory supplied handle in this case) would be fine?

[obelixtim 100]

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Furthermore, can you show me in the FAR's anything that says a broken seal invalidates the reserve pack job?Wink

The seal is there mainly as protection for the rigger.

If the seal is broken, it lets him off the hook in the event of an incident.

I know of one incident where a jumper was playing the field so to speak. His wife found out, and decided to get him back. She opened his reserve and sliced through all the lines with a knife then closed it up again.

He noticed the broken seal, but thought nothing of it, and continued to jump the rig. 3 months later at the scheduled repack he was mildly surprised when the canopy fell to the riggers floor, completely seperate from the lines. He'd done about 60 jumps on the rig.

I don't think they lived happily ever after.....

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[mark 102]

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I know of one incident where a jumper was playing the field so to speak. His wife found out, and decided to get him back. She opened his reserve and sliced through all the lines with a knife then closed it up again.

He noticed the broken seal, but thought nothing of it, and continued to jump the rig. 3 months later at the scheduled repack he was mildly surprised when the canopy fell to the riggers floor, completely seperate from the lines. He'd done about 60 jumps on the rig.

Sounds like an urban legend. The wife was a good enough rigger to be able to close the rig, but wasn't so good as to be able to just pull the risers out, cut the lines, and push the risers back in again?

Mark

[Deyan 31]

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Sounds like an urban legend. The wife was a good enough rigger to be able to close the rig, but wasn't so good as to be able to just pull the risers out, cut the lines, and push the risers back in again?

Mark

With the free advice you just gave, you are going to change the life of some rigger someday somewhere

"My belief is that once the doctor whacks you on the butt, all guarantees are off" Jerry Baumchen

[obelixtim 100]

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Sounds like an urban legend.

No legend. I know the guy, both he and his wife were a bit crazy anyway. It was an old belly wart reserve, and she knew enough to pop it, cut the lines and close it again. Much simpler than todays rigs.

She was crazy enough to let him keep jumping it long after she did the deed....and back then it was quite common to lend your reserve to another jumper, so its probable a few others did the one parachute jump.

From that you can assume that she was pretty pissed off with him.....no cooling down period there.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[strife 0]

there is also the this incident where Ralf Kasperect sabotaged Andrea Ullrich's reserve in Germany in 1999

[obelixtim 100]

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there is also the this incident where Ralf Kasperect sabotaged Andrea Ullrich's reserve in Germany in 1999

More recently the girl in Belgium who cut the riser of her rival.....

Nutcases and space cadets exist in the skydive world, just like any other. I've come across quite a few weirdos over the years.

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[cbassmnm 4]

Thats one thing that concerns me with the spectra reserve cord... someone could easily pull some of the cord out above the pillow and just snip it with a pair of scissors real quick, and wouldnt be noticeable. Thats why I check it every time my rig lays around a while, just being paranoid but a real possibility...with all the crazies out there today.