should you replace reserve cord ???

[sky-pimp 0]

to put it short..

my rig has had a cut away and the reserve re-packed .
when i checked the reserve pin i noticed a small kink or slight bend in the reserve cable .
so not knowing what it was i asked a rigger .
and got the reply.
' ye its ok , it's where the rsl pulled your reserve '

anyone want to add to that ????

YeHaaaaaaaaaaa

[PhreeZone 15]

Its fine. Where the RSL was looped on the reserve cable when it activated it will form a kink due to the forces involved. Over a while the kink will be much less ovious and will not be seen that well. Its perfectly safe to jump and will occur on every RSL activated reserve pull (except the direct pin method like the Vector3's)

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[feuergnom 22]

your rigger did not see the necessity to replace it, i guess you should trust his knowledge

The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle

dudeist skydiver # 666

[kenneth21441 0]

I would only see an issue of replacing the cable if the actual metal cord was broken. I do not see that in these pics.

Kenneth Potter
FAA Senior Parachute Rigger
Tactical Delivery Instructor (Jeddah, KSA)
FFL Gunsmith

[yamtx73 0]

You trust your rigger to repack your reserve don't you? Well, trust his judgement...

The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers...

[JohnMitchell 14]

Yep, it's fine. The weak point on the ripcord is where the pin is swaged onto the cable. That's where they fail, not the cable itself. Although there is a bend in the cable now, you could not pull it apart if you had to. Relax and go skydive.

[sky-pimp 0]

thanks guy

just wanted a second opinion .

YeHaaaaaaaaaaa

[Squeak 17]

Quote

your rigger did not see the necessity to replace it, i guess you should trust his knowledge

I think it's fine for him to ask around here, he's newish to sport and confirming somone elses opinion.
Blind faith would be the wrong way to go in my opinion.
People develop my trust, and i dont give it lightly

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[ZigZagMarquis 8]

Yes... its good to ask questions... especially when you're new... even so, never think you know enough or know everything you need to know about gear and skydiving. Hopefully the original poster also talked to his rigger about this and asked the same questions... hopefully the rigger gladly explained things to him or her... if not, finding another rigger might be in order.

I've seen similar reserve rip-cords post-cut away... its from the RSL. From just the pictures enclosed up post, IMO, it looks like the reserve rip-cord is still servicable, but I'll caveate that with its just from the pictures... I cannot feel or examine more closely to see if its more damaged than it appears... i.e. broken strands of wire. I have seen reserve rip-cords kinked or damaged so badly post cut-away that the rigger deemed it in need of replacement.



*cough*
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1448166;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

[mnealtx 0]

Nasty *cough* ya got there, Zig!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[riggerrob 561]

There are two ways to inspect steel cable for broken strands. Both involve a rag.
The first method involves sliding your hand down the cable - until you find the broken strand - then wrapping the rag around your hand to stop the bleeding.
The second method involves sliding the rag down the cable.

[Lindercles 0]

Even if all the steel strands are intact, could the kink make it difficult to pull the cord through the housing, causing a hard reserve pull?

[tbrown 26]

Quote

Yep, it's fine. The weak point on the ripcord is where the pin is swaged onto the cable. That's where they fail, not the cable itself. Although there is a bend in the cable now, you could not pull it apart if you had to. Relax and go skydive.

I'm glad to see this issue addressed, as I've been wondering myself. I returned to the sport after many years off, having jumped in the days before RSLs and AADs. I currently use both on my rig. I have heard some negative opinions about RSLs putting a kink in the ripcord and have just sort of gone on thinking "if I have to replace the ripcord, then I'll just have to replace it". It's nice to know that a RSL kink in a ripcord is not necessarily grounds for having to replace it.

There really are NO dumb questions in these forums. Sometimes newbies ask the questions we should be asking. And we should never think we're so smart that we've run out of questions either.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !