JeffCa 0 #1 April 14, 2013 All of the recent discussion on AAD altitudes got me thinking about my own safety as I prepare for my first gear purchase. I've found various discussions on here about raising activation altitudes, the difference between that and offsets, as well as John Sherman's well-known opinions. So I notice that the Vigil II allows mode selection on a single unit. If I want to raise my activation altitude, why not just use one in student mode? I'll explain my thought process below, then the experienced jumpers can tell me what could possibly go wrong and what's the worst that could happen. Vigil in pro mode activates at 840' and 78mph. Student mode is 1,040' and 45mph. So I can get an automatic 200' extra altitude by using it in student mode. This makes sense for me because as an A-license jumper, I'm mandated by the USPA guidelines to pull at or above 3,000'. I've been using 3,500 feet for my pulls so far, as I recognize these are minimum recommendations. So even with a 1,000' snivel, I should be open well above 1,000 feet. If I'm not, I'm in some trouble. What about the speed? Why do I need it so high at 78mph? Consider I'd be on a Sabre2-class canopy at a 1:1 wingloading. I'm not experienced enough to have much idea of how much descent rate certain maneuvers can create, but is there anything I could realistically be doing to get over 45mph descent speed? Would pulling a 1,080-degree toggle turn before entering my downwind leg at 1,000 feet get me anywhere close to the 45mph required to trigger the Vigil in student mode? The Vigil website says this: "Students: once out of student status, switch your Vigil® to PRO." But why? What is a novice jumper doing that is so much different from what a student is doing that the activation speed nearly doubles? Couldn't I use it in student mode, at least for a few hundred jumps? Thanks for any feedback! "So many fatalities and injuries are caused by decisions jumpers make before even getting into the aircraft. Skydiving can be safe AND fun at the same time...Honest." - Bill Booth Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Divalent 89 #2 April 14, 2013 Why not just program in an "altitude correction" to raise the trigger point however much you like? Unlike the pre-2013 Cypres (at least those without the newer firmware), the Vigil will keep using it until you manually change it back. This way you can stay in "pro" mode and not risk a AAD fire due to radical canopy maneuvers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JeffCa 0 #3 April 14, 2013 QuoteWhy not just program in an "altitude correction" to raise the trigger point however much you like? Unlike the pre-2013 Cypres (at least those without the newer firmware), the Vigil will keep using it until you manually change it back. This way you can stay in "pro" mode and not risk a AAD fire due to radical canopy maneuvers. (Keep in mind that I have not decided which AAD to buy yet.) Works for new Cypres, but if I'm not mistaken, the Vigil does not allow altitude raising other than DZ offsets. According to other discussions I've read, this also raises the lowest altitude it will fire at, which can be undesired. But I'm also really interested in a discussion of the speed issue and why a novice jumper would need or want a 78mph trigger speed. Why is 45mph good enough for a student but not a novice? We're not all starting to swoop right off of our student status. "So many fatalities and injuries are caused by decisions jumpers make before even getting into the aircraft. Skydiving can be safe AND fun at the same time...Honest." - Bill Booth Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nigel99 143 #4 April 14, 2013 QuoteQuoteWhy not just program in an "altitude correction" to raise the trigger point however much you like? Unlike the pre-2013 Cypres (at least those without the newer firmware), the Vigil will keep using it until you manually change it back. This way you can stay in "pro" mode and not risk a AAD fire due to radical canopy maneuvers. (Keep in mind that I have not decided which AAD to buy yet.) Works for new Cypres, but if I'm not mistaken, the Vigil does not allow altitude raising other than DZ offsets. According to other discussions I've read, this also raises the lowest altitude it will fire at, which can be undesired. But I'm also really interested in a discussion of the speed issue and why a novice jumper would need or want a 78mph trigger speed. Why is 45mph good enough for a student but not a novice? We're not all starting to swoop right off of our student status. It's not that difficult to exceed 45Mph on a Sabre class canopy on moderate wing landings. You would need to read the manual on offsets, it's different to a Cypres but I can't remember the nuances. Peter is correct that it stores it permanently though.Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jurgencamps 0 #5 April 24, 2013 Quote It's not that difficult to exceed 45Mph on a Sabre class canopy on moderate wing landings. It's not that difficult to exceed 45Mph on any canopy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JeffCa 0 #6 April 24, 2013 Thanks for the input, people. 45mph descent rate is not difficult to achieve. Vigil will be switched to Pro mode, as recommended by the manufacturer and by you. "So many fatalities and injuries are caused by decisions jumpers make before even getting into the aircraft. Skydiving can be safe AND fun at the same time...Honest." - Bill Booth Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
