Tempo Reserve worth keeping ?

[theQ 1]

It happens that I bought a rig with a Tempo in it. I have to admit I don't know about it. I am here to be enlighten.
Anything I should know before I decide to keep it ?

Anticipated thanks!
 

Edited December 16, 2021 by theQ

[gowlerk 1,494]

They are generally considered to be good reserves. Younger people who know nothing about them will often say they aren’t. The resale value is relatively low, but definitely not zero. Every year I repack a couple dozen at least. People I know who have landed them seem to like them.

[theQ 1]

2 minutes ago, gowlerk said:

They are generally considered to be good reserves. Younger people who know nothing about them will often say they aren’t. The resale value is relatively low, but definitely not zero. Every year I repack a couple dozen at least. People I know who have landed them seem to like them.

Thanks a lot! I use PDRs before. I ask my dear rigger to have a look at its state before I take it in a plane :-) 
Much appreciated! 

[MickPatch 39]

Had a ride on a 15 year old Tempo this year, opened superbly well (5 months and 26 days since repack) and floated me down beautifully. 

Repacked and ready for when it is next needed.

[RiggerLee 48]

Perfectly good canopies. Open well. Land well. But they do come in two different versions. If you get the chance to jump if you might note on the card whether it is a "r" or "l" varrent.

 

Lee

[skydiverek 43]

 

The ones made after 2001 had reinforcements. Production ended 2003, I believe.

[DougH 220]

7 hours ago, RiggerLee said:

Perfectly good canopies. Open well. Land well. But they do come in two different versions. If you get the chance to jump if you might note on the card whether it is a "r" or "l" varrent.

 

Lee

 That is going to go over the heads of people that haven't been jumping for more than 10 years at least.

Edited December 17, 2021 by DougH

[pchapman 211]

Except for the last couple years of production (as noted above), they don't have spanwise reinforcement. They aren't regarded as the kind of modern reserve one would want if regularly at freefly speeds, even if the certification basis was reasonable (TSO C23c Category B =  254lbs, 150kts).  I can't recall exactly -- I think even that spanwise reinforcement was just folded over & sewn material, not separate tapes like on 'modern' reserves.  'Good' but not 'great'.

Like other older style reserves, they weren't meant to be highly loaded.  -- e.g., one manual of theirs suggests a max wing loading typically around 1.1 lbs/ft sq.

As for the "L or R" joke, some did have a problem with built in turns. Subtleties in how one canopies are sewn can create that problem, and the company didn't have a complete handle on that. Normally not a big problem, but someone inexperienced might hold a bunch of brake to counter the turn and then pound in a bit because they didn't have as much flare left.

So in general, nothing wrong with them as a general purpose reserve, but not in the class of a PD-R or Smart etc.

 

[riggerrob 452]

I have packed hundreds of Tempo reserves and at least a dozen were deployed during emergencies. All but one user reported that they opened fine, flew fine, turned fine and landed fine.

The only user who complained about his Tempo not flying straight, started with a student harness that was adjusted (for height) asymmetrically. Not the fault of either his main or reserve canopies.

The last couple of years of Tempo production had span-wise tapes sewn onto the bottom skin.

[SkydiveTemple 2]

Great reserves. They open great, fly like a main with great flair. The company was bought out and are now made under the name SMART reserves, with some slight changes. I'd own and jump one any day, in fact am looking for a 210 now! PISA the parent company makes great parachute, locate in S. Africa..

 

[weldingninja41 11]

I have a tempo 170 in my rig right now. It's 20 plus years old. I had it pull tested before I went to rigging school and got my own ticket. I have 3 rides on this reserve. 2  cutaway malfunctions and a total nothing out in a wingsuit where I had to go straight to reserve. It flew great had very good flair. It's is also the smallest canopy I have ever flown. I landed standing up and on target all three times.