Altitude Warning Alarm Stratigy

[GaryP 0]

I use my visuals and alti to keep height aware. The audible only is there to confirm my heights for me - not to indicate them.

1st - break-off
2nd - pull time
3rd - get something above my head NOW

Usually I hear the 2nd alarm as I am deploying, i.e. I don't deploy when I hear it, I hear it when I deploy which just confirms my height.



g.

"Altitude is birthright to any individual who seeks it"

.

[Salsa_John 0]

1st Break off altitude for that jump

2nd Pull altitude for that jump

3rd Hard Deck 2500'

"You did what?!?!"

MUFF #3722, TDSM #72, Orfun #26, Nachos Rodriguez

[winsor 186]

I tend to stick with the basic one-tone dirt alert. In addition to standard Dytters, I have a Skytronic and a Cool and Groovy whatever-it-is on hand, but don't put much stock in the excess complexity. When it comes to safety equipment, simple=good.

I set my first tone about 200 feet below breakoff. Thus, if it goes off and I'm still turning points, I'm not paying attention to my altitude.

About the only time I set the tone for breakoff is when I'm shooting camera. I'm too far away from the other jumpers to watch their altimeters, and try not to ruin the shot by looking at either my altimeter or the ground (except out of the corner of my eye).

If I have a snivel that puts me into the basement, I am acutely aware of it without having a voice in me ear saying "you have ten seconds to live, you have eight seconds to live...." If I don't get slowed down in a very reasonable time frame, I'm yanking handles.


Blue skies,

Winsor

[GaryP 0]

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If I have a snivel that puts me into the basement, I am acutely aware of it without having a voice in me ear saying "you have ten seconds to live, you have eight seconds to live...."

Actually... I've always wanted an audible that said in a quasi-sexy cyber-fem voice something along the lines of :

"TWENTY seconds to impact....DING"

"TEN seconds to impact....DING"

"This skydiver will impact in FIVE seconds.... have a nice day"

g.

"Altitude is birthright to any individual who seeks it"

.

[adamsr 0]

I agree with what seems to be the general concensus, that you have your audible warnings too low, the idea of audibles isn't to give you details of how high you are if something goes wrong after you pull.

personally i have mine set for 1-breakoff, 2-pull height, 3- 2k, and if i hear that something has gone wrong and it's time to pull!!

Also you have to realise and understand the audible is NOT a replacement for your altimeter it is just another backup alert. You should never be suprised by your audible going off, and always know more or less how high you are, especially around pull height.

[Unparagoned 0]

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Actually... I've always wanted an audible that said in a quasi-sexy cyber-fem voice something along the lines of :

"TWENTY seconds to impact....DING"

"TEN seconds to impact....DING"

"This skydiver will impact in FIVE seconds.... have a nice day"

g.

You mean a little like this
http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=2235

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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I was wondering what experienced skydivers think of this stratigy.

Altitude Alarms:

1st 3500'

2nd 2500'

3rd 1500'

My strategy is different.

I only just recently started jumping a Pro-Track. I love it, and of course I had to decide what my warning altitudes would be.

Because I generally break off at 5,000' (being a newbie), I set my first warning at 6,000' so I know 5k is coming up, then second warning 5,000', and third at 2,000' so that I'm warned in case I'm dealing with a fast mal and really need to be reminded to give it up and pull silver.

I would welcome comments on my strategy, especially if anyone sees something faulty about it.

P.S. I always jump an analog mechanical altimeter and just because I use a Pro-Track, I still use the analog as I normally would. I won't rely on electronics. I use my eyes and mind to stay altitude-aware. And there is no substitute for looking at the ground, after all.

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[Zenister 0]

from playing with my alarms (pro track, a borrowed ditter and the neptune that i can hear if my hands are close enough)...during a variety of dives.. i'd say (in freeflying at least) that a 1000 ft gap isnt going to be very useful... remember your when your audible goes off that is where you were

i tend to set my (primary) audible lower than the altitudes i 'need' to do something at.. that way i know if i hear it, generally i've fucked up..

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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The emphasis durning AFF was to pull the main. You know: Pull at altitude, pull stable, just pull.

Uh oh...

I thought it was, "Pull; pull at altitude; pull stable."

As in, you'd better pull, period.
If possible, pull at a proper altitude.
If possible that you have the luxury, pull stable.

As in, don't wait for stability if it means you'll cruise on through your altitude. I had an instructor pull me because I cruised on down from our planned deployment altitude of 5,000 because I was trying to stop potato-chipping.

I'm pretty sure I was taught in the order I wrote above.

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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from playing with my alarms (pro track, a borrowed ditter and the neptune that i can hear if my hands are close enough)...during a variety of dives.. i'd say (in freeflying at least) that a 1000 ft gap isnt going to be very useful... remember your when your audible goes off that is where you were

i tend to set my (primary) audible lower than the altitudes i 'need' to do something at.. that way i know if i hear it, generally i've fucked up..

As my operating theory, I'm using the premise that I won't be using the second and third alarms, really. I just want that casual reminder that my skydive (the freefall, anyway) is over and it's time to get ready to deploy. That's why I use that 6,000' mark. At that point I'm tracking, barrel-rolling, and deploying all in sequence, really with little regard for the 5,000' foot alarm. Yes, I realize that when I'm hearing those alarms, I'm already cruising down through those altitudes.
-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[masher 1]

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P.S. I always jump an analog mechanical altimeter and just because I use a Pro-Track, I still use the analog as I normally would. I won't rely on electronics. I use my eyes and mind to stay altitude-aware. And there is no substitute for looking at the ground, after all.

With the tone set to go off _before_ break off, you will become device dependent. Just ask Squeak (he posts here).

You will turn points (or whatever it is you do) waiting to hear the tone before you get ready to break off.

.

My personal setting is 3500 or 4000 (500 below break off), 2500 (I should hear this as the slider is coming down) and 1500 (wtf are you doing?)

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies

[Squeak 17]

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Quote

P.S. I always jump an analog mechanical altimeter and just because I use a Pro-Track, I still use the analog as I normally would. I won't rely on electronics. I use my eyes and mind to stay altitude-aware. And there is no substitute for looking at the ground, after all.

With the tone set to go off _before_ break off, you will become device dependent. Just ask Squeak (he posts here).

That would be meMatt's right I used to have my setting similar to Jeff but I forgot my dytter one day and that changed the way I use it now.
I always thought that I was ready & waiting for my dytter to go off. On the jump where I forgot it, I checked my alti at what I thought was my normal time and I was 1000 feet lower than I thought.
I ceased wearing the dyttr for the next 10 or so jumps, just to check on my alti awareness. On the next 3 or 4 jumps I was consistantly lower than I thought i was.
Now better at judging my alti visualy and mentallty and I'm using my dytter agin but this time my heights are set for
break off (4000' - 5000' depending on jump)
Wave and Dump height 3000' (I also count on every track off 5 to 10 seconds)
you've got a problem deal with NOW 2000'

I used to think I wasn't dyyter dependant, but you'd be amazed at how dependant you can get.

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?

[Avion 0]

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I used to think I wasn't dyyter dependant, but you'd be amazed at how dependant you can get.

That's just what I want to avoid.

To Everybody:

I get it!

1st Breakoff 5000

2nd Pull 3500

3rd Hard Deck 2500

My plan is only to hear the 1st alarm as I'm turning and starting to track.

Thank you.