Consistent Hard Openings on Brand New PD Pulse

[adamUK 3]

My pulse opens quicker than my aerodyne pilot ever did. My first pulse had a turn so I sent it to pd. They couldn't fix it so I got a brand new canopy from them.

[karlm 0]

adamUK

My pulse opens quicker than my aerodyne pilot ever did. My first pulse had a turn so I sent it to pd. They couldn't fix it so I got a brand new canopy from them.

This is like saying my apple tasted different to my banana ....

All canopies are different, to compare one canopy to another canopy built by a different manufacturer is just another sign of the inadequate education and information jumpers have on their choices of gear in the sport. The days of the bonfire talks about gear are long gone, there is a world of information and direct access to demo canopies and customer service and field reps.

The Pulse is a very flat trimmed versatile canopy, the opening sequence is short, yet comfortable.

The Pilot, is trimmed a bit more than the Pulse, and the openings are longer with more seeking.

Glad to hear PD set you right with a new Pulse.

Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

[adamUK 3]

karlm

This is like saying my apple tasted different to my banana ....

Not so. All canopies have to open so providing personal experience as to how one does vs how another does is very much comparing apples with apples.

Quote

All canopies are different, to compare one canopy to another canopy built by a different manufacturer is just another sign of the inadequate education and information jumpers have on their choices of gear in the sport. The days of the bonfire talks about gear are long gone, there is a world of information and direct access to demo canopies and customer service and field reps.

There's a large section of the skydiving community that has little or no has access to demo canopies, can only contact dealers via email and field reps are nonexistent. Dz.com is an international site after all.

I disagree with you: DZ.com does have a role for users' input with regard to use and their opinions about equipment. The forums would be very short (and dry) if every answer was 'go and demo it, talk to the dealer'. Caveat lector, of course, but jumpers do like to talk about their gear. I've used this site to gain insights to other user's experiences and opinions of their gear. One advantage being that it's actual field data and has a degree of impartiality.

Quote

Glad to hear PD set you right with a new Pulse.

Thank you.

[BobxMarley 1]

In answer to your question, I think the first thing you should check is the packing process. Which, is what I've been doing. I'm on the ground for a least another two weeks due to this whiplash, so I'm using the time to rule out any packing issues.

I think I've gotten good tips, but until I jump the canopy again, I really wont know. I left a voice-mail and sent an email to PD. I'm sure they will have some good information. If I end up having to send the canopy back just to rule out of potential of a bad canopy, it will be worth not risking another hard opening.

Honestly, the only thing I feel I was doing incorrectly was single stowing the locking stows. The rest of pack-job was par for the course.

Klaasic

[Deyan 31]

Skydivesg

I'm a bit confused. I don't see anywhere in your list that you would advise them to be certain to control the slider during the packing.

Do you not consider that to be a possible factor?

Of course it's a very possible factor, but apparently unlike you I prefer to make sure it's not a "hardware" problem, before I start search for a "software" problem

Not to mention that by the time I hear about checking a canopy because of a hard opening, the weekend is over, the owner is at home and I get to see only the parachute.

But since you like games with questions, I have one for you. How many times when the guys/gals/ at PD check a canopy because " it opens hard", they can watch the owner pack it?

Cheers

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

[Skydivesg 6]

Deyan

***
I'm a bit confused. I don't see anywhere in your list that you would advise them to be certain to control the slider during the packing.

Do you not consider that to be a possible factor?

Of course it's a very possible factor, but apparently unlike you I prefer to make sure it's not a "hardware" problem, before I start search for a "software" problem

Not to mention that by the time I hear about checking a canopy because of a hard opening, the weekend is over, the owner is at home and I get to see only the parachute.

But since you like games with questions, I have one for you. How many times when the guys/gals/ at PD check a canopy because " it opens hard", they can watch the owner pack it?

Cheers

Whoa.... back the truck up. I'm not playing a game with questions.

I made an observation of your post and asked a very simple, straight forward, sincere question.

I stand by my original post to the OP.

Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

[DougH 270]

BobxMarley

Honestly, the only thing I feel I was doing incorrectly was single stowing the locking stows. The rest of pack-job was par two weeks due to this whiplash, so I'm using the time to rule out any packing issues.

Very doubtful unless those locking stows were very loose, in other words the lines were just sitting in the rubber bands, with no actual tension on the lines.

You will get lots of people on here that tell you to double stow the locking stows, and an equal amount of people telling you to never double stow those stows.

It doesn't matter. I have always single stowed those lines on every canopy I have owned that wasn't switched over to tube stows. If someone packed for me and double stowed them I wouldn't loose any sleep either.

Those are some of the thickest bites of line for the whole back job because that is above the cascades, and there is more line bulk. So how loose were those stows?

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

[Rstanley0312 0]

BobxMarley

Honestly, the only thing I feel I was doing incorrectly was single stowing the locking stows. The rest of pack-job was par for the course.

If you are double stowing any lines I was always taught the locking stows are the ones that should get that treatment. With an old canopy I had I double stowed the locking lines and single stowed the other with large rubber bands. If you are double stowing the other lines I say double stow them all. Currently I do single stow my locking lines but with small rubber bands. If you are using large rubber bands I would double stow them all. The ones you want most secure are the locking stows. All of this varies from canopy to canopy and it matter what size bite you have and are they even with even pressure on opposing sides.... you could also be a bit head low with your jump numbers and not realize it. I would still advise like other have to reach out to PD but video of openings as well as your body position would be beneficial.

Edit: What Doug is asking is important. What type of tension do you have with the single stow?

Life is all about ass....either you're kicking it, kissing it, working it off, or trying to get a piece of it.
Muff Brother #4382 Dudeist Skydiver #000
www.fundraiseadventure.com

[BobxMarley 1]

My first locking stow wasn't too loose. Thats where the bulk of the material is. The second and third are actually fairly loose in comparison to a regular double stows. If I had to guess, maybe 5-6 lbs of pull force to pull my locking stows out. I pulled my bridle and let everything unravel to see if I could simulate an out of sequence deployment. But everything seems fine, even when my locking stows were single wrapped. Obviously, I can't simulate exactly what the bag is doing in the sky. But, I would think that if the locking stows were the source of problem, it would be apparent doing this test on the ground.

Klaasic

[DBCOOPER 1]

Send it back to PD. There is no reason to wonder if there is something wrong with it. I bought a used Vengence that I jumped once. Sent it to PD , they test jumped it and wouldn't send it back to me. Gave me a credit toward a new canopy.

Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

[Jumpingeezer 4]

Why play guessing games? Take DBCOOPER's advice and send it back to PD for an evaluation.

I had a Spectre that had inconsistent openings (some of them were real "spankers") and I sent it back to PD for testing. They made things right in a timely manner and with a minimum of hassle.

[BobxMarley 1]

UPDATE: The issue was purely body position. With this canopy, I must go into a slow-fall position and remember to look towards the horizon instead of at the ground during deployment. By doing these two things, I got rid of my "hard" openings. The Pulse opens brisk in comparison to the Safire 2 I was using. But, given the proper body and neck/head position, the whiplash effect is fixed.

I spoke to my rigger and also had someone film my deployment sequence. Doing these two things lead me to this final conclusion. Thanks all!

Klaasic

[pchapman 261]

Thanks for coming back here and reporting on what you found, even though it related to something you missed out on understanding properly! D'oh!

[videobil 0]

As a camera guy, the one of the first pieces of advice I received from some guys who used to jump VERY heavy head gear was to always look at the horizon. Anytime I did not, it hurt.

The "slow fall" position is suggested in the instructional film "Cutaway" (not the feature length movie with Tom Berringer - which is also worth watching btw). By bringing your shoulders down and almost starting the transition to the ultimate seating position, you also help yourself in the case of a potential chest strap misroute (not that it has ever happened to me while rushing to make a "hot load" with the second rig )

[councilman24 36]

I got used to opening in a track with my first canopy, a comp pc in a sleeve. Just never bother stopping. When moved to a ramair I had to unlearn doing that to survive. A lot of the guys even older than me learned to set up like starting a back loop. And I still prefer my original sabre openings to these new things that open in a streamer that might clear.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[EOCS 0]

Hi,

I got my Pulse at around the same jump number as you and i also had trouble with not so soft openings. I would not say they were slammers but they defiantly had me laying down a few times. That said in my case it did come down to packing. I had several people watch and everyone also said it was fine. What ended up resolving it for me was that i checked each stage of packing until i found the answer. In my case it was that the slider, although held down by the tail, was coming off the stops by about half an inch when i put it into the bag. I showed this to someone and they agreed it might be the cause of the problem... To fix this i put my left hand around the lines, while using the other hand to keep tension on then slide my hand down and push the slider grommets down against the stops and then pack onward as normal. I did have someone warn me to make sure the slider fabric itself was not too far out of place when doing this aswell. maybe someone with more experience can comment.. but yea. this fixed it for me.