klafollette

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Gear

  • Main Canopy Size
    170
  • Reserve Canopy Size
    176
  • AAD
    Cypres

Jump Profile

  • Home DZ
    Chicagoland Skydiving (Rochelle)
  • License
    D
  • License Number
    26795
  • Licensing Organization
    USPA
  • Number of Jumps
    1200
  • Years in Sport
    14
  • First Choice Discipline
    Formation Skydiving
  • Second Choice Discipline
    Freeflying

Ratings and Rigging

  • Pro Rating
    Yes

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  1. I was looking at this as an option for my Bonehead ReVolve full face. It would all depend on how short the strap can be made, since on a full-face, the chin strap pretty much only extends across the chin. The strap mounting holes are much closer together than on an open face, where they are farther up the side of the face, closer to the ears. Anyone know how short it can be made and still work?
  2. Yeah, I've been using search through the forum to find an answer to this question, but haven't found it yet. I"m looking to get a Contour to mount on my REvolve full-face, either the Roam or HD. I'm concerned that the 170 deg FOV on the Contour Roam would end up getting a good chunk of my helmet in the shot. Anyone have direct experience with the combo? Other option is to go with the the Contour HD which has a FOV of 135 deg, but I like that the Roam looks simpler to use with just the slide on/off switch. No other power button to deal with. Planning to get the BoneHead mounting plate with the Contour Rail. Anyone have direct experience with the combo? Getting for personal use, mostly on RW jumps, would like the wider FOV of the HD, but not if all I'm getting in the shot is a bunch of helmet.
  3. I have tried both. If you're looking for something quick/easy, then Brian's style works great. Depending on your rig style, the ends might not hide under the riser covers and look a little odd. Last season I bought a new pair of RWS Trulock toggles from ChutingStar, and had them put their style S-Locks on them. They work just as well, and are nice as they are hidden between the risers, and I could get them in the same color as my new risers. Overall, I prefer to Brian's style purely from a fashion point of view.
  4. Ditto on the pocket slider. Stuffing the nose can lead to pushing lines you've worked so hard to get in the middle of the pack-job, starting to move around the outside, and increasing chances of a line over. Monkeying around with the pack-job can be fleeting at best in controlling opening speed. A pocket slider provides a controlled consistent way to control opening speed once the canopy has undone all your fancy packing tricks and starts to inflate.
  5. I've had the UPT semi-stowless bag for this past season, and love it. Advantages: Definitely easier/faster to stow lines. Promotes on-heading openings, reduces chances of line twists since unstowing lines does not cause bag to rock side to side like a standard bag does as the tension of the rubber bands on each side come undone. And you don't need to replace as many stows. Disadvantages: Paying for a new bag. Other than that, I don't know of any.
  6. As a new jumper, would recommend keeping it simple and having a manual wrist altimeter like a Galaxy. You don't want to worry about batteries dying or malfunction on ride up, leaving you without a visual alti. A L&B Optima would be a good audible backup, and nice since it will also do pattern altitude beeps. Only after you are 100% comfortable with gauging altitudes by sight, and can fly a pattern without looking at your altimeter, would I then consider an electronic wrist alti.Even then I personally prefer the analog mechanical on my wrist. My Galaxy is going on 12 years without a problem. It just works. All always, this is only my opinion. Talk to your instructors, blah blah blah.
  7. Not a nightmare. I change mine every year. Just a couple screws, the plate, and the ratchet mechanisms to deal with. Only tricky bit is to keep track of how the ratchets are orientated on the visor once you pull them out. Just do one side at a time, after you pull the visor off the ratchet, immediately press it into the square hole of the new visor. If you're afraid of getting confused, put an orientation mark on the ratchet with a magic marker, wherever it makes sense to you.
  8. Mine did not come with a bottle of solution. What does that mean?
  9. Had mine since April, here in hot humid Chicago. No issues with fogging. In the fall when it starts cooling off will be the real test. My only issue has been the chin strap keeps loosening between jumps, and it's a pain to keep having to tighten it in the plane. Is there a recommended way to tack/secure the length or something, so it doesn't change?
  10. Proper Vector closing loop length is indicated by the binding tape on the edge of the side flaps stacking on top of each other. the grommets should not be stacked. http://www.unitedparachutetechnologies.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40
  11. Ditto on the recommendation to changing the slider. I've had some back issues, and every once and a while my Samurai will spank me with a hard opening, for whatever the reason. I had a pocket sewn onto the leading edge of my existing slider, and now have soft smooth consistent openings, whether I pack or have a packer do it. Depending on the canopy, either a larger slider or pocket slider may be the answer, I'd talk to your canopy manufacturer about their recommended solution, and likely your local rigger can do the mods.
  12. Only thing I don't like about this method is that the pilot chute kill line window is not visible, at least not with my UPT pilot chute. You have to pull a little bridle out and flip around to see the window which is now inside the fold. Not so important when I pack myself, since I check it during the packing process, but if using a packer, I always like to check it, even if I cock the pilot chute myself.
  13. Ditto to Andy's comments. From the proposal, this would be an entertainment "skydiving simulator", with small diameter air column, slow speed, turbulent air at the edges. Not even close to what one of the AirVenture style tunnels give you. Might be good for basic learning belly stuff, but not much else.
  14. Question for anyone with a Revolve. I'm looking to upgrade, I have a Gunner and one of my beefs was the audible pocket was only accessable by pulling the foam pad off the velcro every time, to get at the back side audible pocket. How does the REVOLVE audible pockets work? Can you get at it without removing padding, etc? I pull my Pro-Track out frequently to get look at the jump stats log or change altitude alerts.
  15. Once you have your license, Definitely look at used market, either at your DZO, or a reputable retailer like Square One or Chuting Star. Talk it thorugh with your instructor and local rigger. Given this was 10 years ago, my first rig was a used Mirage with AAD, Safire main, and PD reserve, all for around $3K. I downsized the main canopy one size (with a used main) after 400 jumps. I jumped that for another 100 jumps before I bought a new custom everything rig (a Vector3 M-Series BTW), which all ran about $6500 for container, main, reserve, cypres. Buy used, save your money for more jumps before looking to buy new anything.