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Feeblemind

Hardopening question? Effects on our media

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Well you guessed it!! Today I had one hell of a slammer!! (I paid for the pack job not the opening) I fimed a non-eventful AFF Cat.-A, when the reserve side tracked I de-arched hard on the wings (I am robust, I do this to slow when I have my camera helmet on) reached and pulled. Next thing I knew I had shooting pain in my neck, as well as both arms and hands. It took me a bit to gather myself, but I had a landable canopy and landed safely.

After my friends helped me inspect my canopy I looked at the video; the opening was so hard my HC5 lost about 1.5 sec of footage. I checked the stills to see if there was 3 frames per sec footage that might show the opening sequence as I obviously was smacking the bite switch! but my stiill camera would not read the files!!>:(

Fortunately I ws able to pull the stills via a chip reader and my D70 appears to be working. Has anyone else had these issues?

YES THE OPENING HURT LIKE A MOFO!!! Ended my day!! This was my worse opening ever and I will no longar us packers and pack myself or forever miss loads or not do video (I will get what I pack!!) >:(>:(


Fire Safety Tip: Don't fry bacon while naked

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Ain't life grand? I've had my fair share of ass crackers on camera jumps and it does suck bad.

Ended up on my back for 4 months after one and lost a complete $4,500 set-up on another. The only effect it had on my gear was the video camera zooming in and out.....no problem with the stills






Action©Sports

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I checked the stills to see if there was 3 frames per sec footage that might show the opening sequence as I obviously was smacking the bite switch! but my stiill camera would not read the files!!>:(

Fortunately I ws able to pull the stills via a chip reader and my D70 appears to be working. Has anyone else had these issues?
>:(>:(



The files are likely readable from any disc recovery utility such as DataRecovery or OnTrack. Check their demo.
Also, SanDisc Extreme III cards come with a disc recovery application. That might help.
Had a slammer or two my self, one the other day where I swore a blue streak with the camera still running. When I got down, the newbie packer says "How was your opening?" I was so tweaked that I didn't say a word. I just rewound the tape and hit play with the audio turned up reasonably loud. I usually pack, but on those 12 jump days with 2 rigs back to back and it's 105 on the ground...I'll use a packer, even still.

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That's the price you pay though. I used to do that every weekend......even though I knew it would eventually bite me in the ass........again......it just takes too much out of ya to jump, pack, dub, repeat, all day long






Action©Sports

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I checked the stills to see if there was 3 frames per sec footage that might show the opening sequence




Don't film your openings. Keeep your cameras pointed at the horizon until your canopy is out of the bag, and the slider has caught some air and started working.

When you look up, and get slammed, your camera helmet is behind your center of gravity, and will pull your neck backwards, which is never good. By keeping your eyes on the horizon, your helmet stays centered over your body, and will push straight down on your neck (still not great, but better than wrenching it forwards or back).

The real lesson is, don't use packers. Today it was just a hard opening, tomorrow is could be a mal, and with a full video and stills set up, that could be the end of you. Pack your stuff. Nobody will be as careful as you will.

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I checked the stills to see if there was 3 frames per sec footage that might show the opening sequence




Don't film your openings. Keeep your cameras pointed at the horizon until your canopy is out of the bag, and the slider has caught some air and started working.

When you look up, and get slammed, your camera helmet is behind your center of gravity, and will pull your neck backwards, which is never good. By keeping your eyes on the horizon, your helmet stays centered over your body, and will push straight down on your neck (still not great, but better than wrenching it forwards or back).

The real lesson is, don't use packers. Today it was just a hard opening, tomorrow is could be a mal, and with a full video and stills set up, that could be the end of you. Pack your stuff. Nobody will be as careful as you will.



Sorry was a little pain killered up when I wrote this last night. I was looking at the forward as I deployed (I dont look up). What I was trying to say that the opening was so hard my HC5 shut down for about 1 1/2 seconds and I was hoping the still camera captured what the video had missed.


I normally only use specific packers, but this was one of those situations where I was not supposed to be flying camera, but they came up short staffed and needed me to "just do one jump". The call was fairly short and I had to set my cameras up after using them on a non-skydiving trip, so I used a packer

Needless to say I am at home from work today with one extremely sore & stiff neck and left shoulder.


Fire Safety Tip: Don't fry bacon while naked

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I almost always use packers (haven't packed in a year or more?), but usually do okay with my Sabre II. (I try to be careful about who packs it though.)

I had a similar issue with my HVR-A1U this spring. I was vidoing a big-way (140+) from the left trail, and one of the divers hit me hard from behind. It shut my vid down for a second or so, but then it resumed videoing. Of course, I aimed for the diver after being hit to make sure I got him on video for the debrief. I think I have had cameras shut off before on whackers but that was because they were being mechanically shut off. This time I think it was a buffer thing, and had something to do with the HDV format, but I can't be sure. I never touched the switches, and it came back on it's own.

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Sorry was a little pain killered up when I wrote this last night. I was looking at the forward as I deployed (I dont look up). What I was trying to say that the opening was so hard my HC5 shut down for about 1 1/2 seconds and I was hoping the still camera captured what the video had missed.



sorry to hear you got slammed man, that sucks.

Regarding the 1.5 second shut off.. here's what probably happened:
the HD cameras record by key frame, the slammer probably prevented your camera from recording a key frame, therefore the footage is missing of that 1.5 seconds.
I've been hit on exit, and the same thing happened, lost about a second of the footage because of it. It wasn't even a hard hit, but I guess just hard enough to make it skip on the tape or something along those lines..

Take care of that neck ;)

Iwan

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That's the price you pay though. I used to do that every weekend......even though I knew it would eventually bite me in the ass........again......it just takes too much out of ya to jump, pack, dub, repeat, all day long



Perhaps it is wiser to hire a dubber than a packer B|

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