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Buying Used Online

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I've been looking at used rigs online, and some seem to be within my budget. My one concern is...I wouldnt be able to test jump them, or have them checked out by a rigger or anything. Has anybody ever purchased a rig online, what suggestions do you have. Is it even not a good idea.
-chris

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Sure you can arange to just jump them and have them inspested by a rigger. Do a search on the talk back area for "Escrow" That should be a good starting area.
I bought my first rig online here at Dropzone.com ,and just bought a new for me main less then a month ago off an Ad at rec. I'm currently in talks to buy another main off an internet ad. Great deals are easy to make online sometimes.
A rainy day at the DZ is better then a Sunny day at work

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I too got my used gear online. I got it from a known drop zone's rigger, so I was not too worried about sending the money to him and having him send me the gear. If you are not comfortable with that I know many local DZ’s will contact the seller for you and have them send the gear to the DZ. This way they act as a go-between for the buyer and seller. The down side is they will get a fee and you will have to pay the shipping regardless if you buy the gear or not.
-Larry

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Merrick and I both bought our first rigs online, on here actually! You can find some really good deals...take care and ask a lot of questions. I didn't test jump mine first, but I'm sure that could be arranged with a reasonable seller, just pay for the shipping perhaps. We did get the reserve repacked on each of them by our rigger just to 'be sure' and had it fully inspected.
Do you know what you want already as far as type of container and canopy? The only suggestion I'd have is that you test jump the type of gear you are looking at buying if you possibly can...borrow it perhaps if you can't get a test jump on the rig you actually are considering purchasing. I kinda wish I'd done that before buying the Triathlon. It's a good canopy and all, it just ended up being a little too large for me and not what I really thought. I got lucky and ended up getting a new rig at a steal from the DZO a month later, then sold the first one, but that could've been avoided if I'd tried out a Tri of that approximate size first.
Anyway..just some thoughts.
Family Photos

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I see that most of the people posting on here bought online on dropzone. I have not bought online but have a friend who did. the difference here is that he bought on ebay. ebay may be a good way to find old records but not a parachute. the rig my freind got ended up not being what was advertized. Not only that but it won't open without a lot of coaxing ( this thing will snivell you into the ground.) I guess what I'm saying here is be very very carefull.
Don

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My one concern is...I wouldnt be able to test jump them, or have them checked out by a rigger or anything.


If you find a rig that you are REALLY interested in, talk to the seller about sending the rig to Deland so you could have a rigger inspect it and jump it.. You give the money to the DZ before they give you the rig.. You jump it.. If you like it, you keep it, they send the money to the seller.. If not, you give it back, they ship it to the seller, and you pay the shipping.. Most people won't have a problem doing it through a very well known, reputable DZ/gear store/rigger.. If they do.....well, there may be something wrong to begin with..
Have you looked around the local area? Deland, Titusville, Sebastian, Lake Wales, Z-Hills, etc.....with so many DZ's around, there's a lot of used gear for sale.. They're close enough that you can travel to them, see the gear, inspect it, have a rigger check it out, and jump it.. Myself and a few others here go to some of the DZ's I listed on a regular basis - say what you are looking for, and we'll keep our eyes open..
Mike

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I bought my first canopy here in dz.com. I worked it out with the guy selling it. He told me if I wasnt into it to send it back. He wasnt going to sell me something I wasnt happy with. That same canopy is for sale in the classifieds and I will do the same for anyone who wants it!!! (shameless plug)
Its a pd210 by the way (buy it buy it buy it)
Talk to the seller of whatever your interested in. Most likely they will work with you to sell their stuff. I would like to think the majority of us arent crooks.
Johnny

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I've had nothing but good transactions buying online. I've got a XRS off dz.com from a guy overseas, 120 mz reserve from Chicago-dz.com, and a new Viper 105 off ebay. All great and fast transactions. Most skydivers are trustworthy folks!
I've got 1300 total in my little rig, there are advantages in shopping online.
jumpervali

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I'm looking for a Vector container with a PD210 main, and a comprable sized square reserve canopy. Gotta have a cypress too, though, if the price was right, I guess I could just get one on my own and have it installed. I guess I'm looking to spend no more than $2,500. If anybody has anything that fits that...let me know.
Chris

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This is out of the classified section of dropzone.com
Posted By: David O'Dell (awos) All user's Ads
For Sale: Good first rig
PD 210, Rainbow, ~400 jumps, new lines ~100 ago
Swift plus 200 reserve
Vector II container, Black w/red&purple flap, sized for med/small jumper, I'm 5'10", 155lbs. It fits very tight on me!
$1,200
You may want to look at all the post on this section. There are some good deals
jumpervali

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"And if I might ask why a PD210? And why limit yourself to a Vector?"
I'm currently using a NAV 240 (I only have 14 jumps, and I jump about once everyother week- hence the slow progression), i figure that by the time i would get a rig, I'd be at about a PD210 skill level. As far as vector is concerened, I took a tour of RWshop and liked what I saw as far as their R&D is concerned. I'm also used to jumping Vectors.

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Perfectly good answer!
I just wanted to make sure that someone was'nt doing a sales pitch to you.....
You might want to consider a ZP canopy like a Sabre 210 or a Safire 209 also. They will land a bit differently, but I've always liked ZP landings better then the F-111 landings. With a Nav being Half- and-Half you are already used to the differences. An F111 will land different then a half-and-half, but its not a big deal. Just something to consider.
A rainy day at the DZ is better then a Sunny day at work

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A large Zp canopy will last you a lot longer too. They keep their porosity much longer. One of the things to keep in mind is gear is not a single unit. It's the harness container, reserve, aad, and main. Like a car has a body, engine, transmission, and interior.
Get yourself a harness that fits well, and holds the canopies for your level at it's Max pack volume. That way later when you down size your main it will still be able to hold your new main safely. The aad, and reserve are still useful in it. If you down size your reserve later the same still applies.
Remember most rigs are cheaper bought as a whole but you can mix and match components until you got just what you want. Don't be in a hurry to rush out and buy a rig! Take your time and look for the deal that's what you need, not what you think you want. Some folks pray on young jumpers. Always ask for advice from a rigger or older jumper you trust!
jumpervali

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Using home dz's as the middle man will make you alot more confident with the transaction as well. This way each of your dz's are vouching for both you and the seller. Sometimes even payment can be arranged through the seller's dz...this way you can pay with a credit card and the dzo will pass the funds on to the seller.
Just my 2 cents....
Tee :)

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Sabres are by far not "Slow". Sabres have opened hard and fast enough that some people have severe neck injuries from them. A Spectre is real slow, gentle openings, and I know of a used Spectre 210 for sale if your interested, send me a Private message.
By different landings, you have to do a gentle 2 stage flare on a ZP, where on an F111 you just stab the toggles basicly to land.
A rainy day at the DZ is better then a Sunny day at work

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Slow openings are nice if you've ever had any type of back/ neck injury, jump a camera or are looking for something gentle on the body. A slow opener (800+ feet) does'nt present any more chance of a mal like a streamer or line-over then something that opens in 200 feet.
The Sabre2 was designed to open just like a Spectre I've heard, so it seems like a lot of people like them slow. I miss the soft openings of my old Spectre......
A rainy day at the DZ is better then a Sunny day at work

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I bought my First Rig about 6 months ago, It was a Mirage G3 M05 on EBay for 900 with an old (1982 GQ security X210 5 Cell) but very usable reserve. I was able to then borrow a main canopy from my college. I am so glad i was able to get a great deal. About 3 weeks ago i found a Javelin NJ with a PD 113R for 1295 on rec.skydiving and talked to the guy selling it and when i got the rig i was very impressed, the rig used to be owned by Rook Nelson and its a great rig, i even decided to misroute the pullout so i could test out the resreve right away, It works!!
In conclusion i felt that i got a great deal on equipment online, i cant wait for my Nitron 120 to be finished, and saved a whole lot of money, course i still jump without an AAD, but those are expensive. I think if you know the exact harness sizing you need, and exactly what you want, and know the right questions to ask to make sure you know the condition the rig is in, buying online is the very best way to buy.
Jonathan Bartlett
[email protected]
C-31802

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I'm currently using a NAV 240

Right on, that's the canopy I've been jumping as a student, and I liked it a lot.
My last two jumps though, I jumped a Sabre 170 and I like that canopy even more;)
So, my suggestion is that you try to demo come canopies before you buy, especially since a 210 is a relatively huge canopy. You wouldn't want to find yourself wanting to downsize shortly after having bought a canopy of your own...
That's exactly why I'm not buying a rig just yet. I don't want to blow a lot of money on a canopy that I know I'm gonna find too big after a short while.
Just my 2 cents though; do whatever you feel is best.
Alphons
http://www.liacs.nl/~avwerven

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I took a tour of RWshop and liked what I saw

Have to admit that I once jumped what I think was a Vector. Once under canopy, the chest strap turned itself into a throat strap, which I didn't find terribly pleasant.
I recommend trying different containers. They don't make Voodoos that can fit a 210 sq.ft. canopy, but you might still have a look at a Javelin, Reflex, Mirage or maybe some other brands as well.
Just my 2 currently quite drunk cents...;)
Alphons
http://www.liacs.nl/~avwerven

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