ChrisHoward

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Posts posted by ChrisHoward

  1. Remove all opinions from the question and simply look at the numbers. UPT and SunPath build more rigs than any other manufacturer. Either of those companies have most likely built more gear than all the other manufacturers combined. 

    If you take into account UPTs longer history and the fact that their Tandem Rigs also go into their Serial Number count, then I would be willing to bet SunPath has probably built more sport rigs over the last 20 years than any other manufacturer.

  2. On 10/18/2023 at 11:13 AM, KellyF said:

    They made a couple out of ZP,  as I understand it. I remember Craig Buxton jumping one pretty regularly in the early '90's. Between the openings, and the much easier production of the Sabre, I think PD just didn't think it was worth pursuing at the time.

    You mean to tell me that PD decided the Sabre opened better than something :-)

  3. · Edited by ChrisHoward
    Edit: Didn't watch read the article.

    On 12/6/2022 at 2:53 PM, SethInMI said:

    I noticed this comment from Jesse:
    image.png.ceb2cd14ca47474b02afe8f361a967f0.png

    Why does a headwind vs tailwind matter for the roll performance? I can understand if he is talking about a change in wind speed during descent / a bit of wind shear? or that somehow near the ground there is some interaction with the surface that affects the wind just above it? otherwise the only reason a headwind would be preferred would be to slow down the landing runout right?

    I'm with you. In the sense that the head wind vs tail wind will affect perspective and not actual performance of the wing in its given envelope of air.

  4. · Edited by ChrisHoward

    SunPath sets the bar for all other manufacturers to follow. I am yet to see another manufacturer that can hold a candle to the Team at SunPath, and my customers have had issues with almost all of them at one point or another. 

    Edit: True story. I once had a customer come in with a brand new Jav that fit poorly (sized by another rigger). SunPath flew one of their staff out to the DZ to re-measure the customer and build her another new rig.

  5. Hey Ed, There are several manufacturers with "Longer" Rigs for sale. Feel free to contact me for more info. But you can check out the "L" variants of the Mirage G4.2s or the Icon L series gear. Both are definitely longer than your average. The Icon is the longest standard size I have seen of any rig to date. It is loooong.

  8. On 3/5/2022 at 2:47 AM, swoopfly said:

     

     

    Define "member has a current valid Class 3 medical". Many things that invalidate a medical are required to be reported to the FAA if/when they happen not just at time of medical renewal. So if there was a known issue between medicals that the Member didn't disclose to the FAA that they are required to and that issue became know to the USPA then maybe.. they were within the realm of responsibility to act on it.

  9. On 2/14/2022 at 9:31 PM, mark said:

    An MC-4 canopy control line has one line continuous from toggle to canopy, and other control lines branch off from this one continuous line. Is this the same thing as "trunk and branch"?  If not, how are they different?  From the MC-4 manual, a close-up of the branching off from the continuous control line:1278083035_ScreenShot2022-02-14at8_25_14PM.png.1407463a8f4d40ce1011494507883e3b.png

    They are the same.  The one difference that comes to mind is that on the MC-4s I have seen (DOM 84ish) they used Flat Braid Dacron and the "Cascade" was simply sewn to the side of the continuous line. On the BASE canopies that are finger trapped into the line.

  10. On 1/26/2022 at 9:24 PM, RiggerLee said:

     It dug into dimensions for pin clearance, rotation, pin orientation, orientation of the pin attachment to the bridle, even pin design and geometry. They did identify some potential failure modes.

    I think it may have been the WatchThyBridle guys? They basically demonstrated (with pics) how to lock up every BASE rig on the market if the right combination of shit was to align.

  11. On 1/29/2022 at 7:11 PM, andrew_rawls said:

    which is something contrary to how the #1 selling container on the market is engineered.

     

    You can not compare these 2 rigs. There is more differences between these 2 rigs than just cutter location.

  12. 14 hours ago, RiggerLee said:

    And matching the thread hides a host of sins in there less then perfect sewing. They have chosen over and over again that looking cool is far more important to them then functionality. 

    Manufacturers are now all offering "Contrast Stitching" on containers, binding etc. because people like the look. So they are already doing this to a certain extent and charging a mark up for the extra effort.

    As for military requiring contrasting harness stitching. They aren't going to care about aesthetics and manufacturers will do whatever is necessary to maintain those contracts.

  13. I have no clue about the document you listed so total speculation here. But it could possibly be due to incidents/accidents being caused by forgetting to sew a harness after hot gluing. Rare but has happened (even in recent years) but it couldn't happen if it was never glued in the first place. I seem to remember hearing that some military are now also requiring contrasting harness thread for the same reason.

    When was that document last revised?

  15. 11 hours ago, pchapman said:

    Does Parachute Systems currently answer messages or are they now completely gone, despite the website being up?

     

    I recently hit them up for information regarding line trims for an old Chute Shop Hurricane 135. Got an email response the same day.

    • Like 1

  17. On 3/31/2020 at 9:39 PM, dpreguy said:

    If these rigs are not airworthy - or have a presumption of lesser airworthiness based on age alone - not condition -, then say so.  Put it in writing. Then the mfg is the one telling them they can't have them packed anymore, not me.  At this point I am the "bad guy" telling them.

     

    I agree. This is a sore point for me too. I would also include any sport rig that the manufacturer has decided they will "No Longer Support". If they don't want their old gear out there anymore then they should step up and issue an AD. Instead they are trying to dodge liability by dumping the onus on the field rigger.

    • Like 1

  18. On 4/26/2020 at 3:25 PM, jenc0322 said:

    so I was wondering if anyone had the chance to compare how op143, 150 LPV and 135 smart packs

    The OP will pack smaller than the LPV. In my experience the LPV offers the least bulk reduction of all the low bulk reserves I have packed. As a side note, the Icon sizing isn't great from my experience and I wouldn't trust using their chart to confirm fit on extreme ends of their scale.

    • Like 1

  19. On 12/9/2009 at 7:37 PM, JerryBaumchen said:

    Although I do wonder just how they did it when you say:

    I suspect it would go along the same lines as AADs. If it's not TSOable then simply insist that it can't impede normal reserve function.

  20. · Edited by ChrisHoward

    On 12/23/2019 at 10:54 AM, skydiverek said:

    These are all JAVELIN containers in this video. BTW, the Javelin spring is 20 lbs strong. Vector, Mirage, and Infinity is more than 40 lbs.

    I feel it is important to add 2 additional comments on design differences so that people don't simply walk away with your 20lb vs 40lb statement.

    1) The Javelin RPC doesn't need to push past all the flaps that Vector/Icon/Mirage etc do, making its job easier.

    and

    2) The Javelin RPC also stands taller than other RPC designs giving it launch benefits that I am not smart enough to quantify.

  21. 2 hours ago, pchapman said:

    So yes Chris Howard, for someone to say 10,000 jumps is a "standard" is using too strong a word for it. Nevertheless, as Gowler pointed out, the expectation in the industry is many many years without a battery change for most jumpers.

     

    1000 jumps is many many years for some jumpers. To claim his product won't "Cut It" because it can't achieve some random number is just silly. What Df8m1 should do is say that his unit will require battery changes when "prompted" by the control unit. That way he won't be judged against some arbitrary metrics no one else is held to.

  22. 1 hour ago, gowlerk said:

    The MarS M2 battery is said by the manufacturer to be good for 15 years or 15,000 jumps. Whichever comes first. I am unaware of any published jump # life for Airtec or AAD, but a new CYPRES no longer needs to be sent for service and it's lifetime is 15.5 years. A Vigil battery is good for 10 years. So although I don't know where he came up with 10,000 jump life his point is valid.

    So there is the M2 apparently. I am not going to use that as any Standard Bench mark, especially considering it's relatively short field history (I will wait until one lasts its 15 years 1st).

    Cypres still has a service cycle, it's just left to the user to decide to maintain it or not. And guess what they do at the 5 year cycle, check/change the battery. It even lists "Power supply:...........................................................service life warranty**"  And guess what the "**" is. "** If maintenances have been performed within the scheduled time frames."

    Vigil 1 had a 10yr battery and look what happened there. They had to run a trade in program because they couldn't get the batteries any more. Vigil 2 also had a 10 yr battery but guess what, Any unit more than 8 years old will automatically get a battery change if it is returned to the service center for any reason. And that doesn't even account for the "Expect 5yrs or 2000 jump minimum", stated in their manual.

    So Airtec doesn't state a life limit, A.A.D. states an expected minimum of 2000 jumps, and Mars states 15 years or 15000 jumps which at this point remains nothing more than marketing. There is no "Industry Standard". His point is invalid. Period.

  23. 8 hours ago, 20kN said:

    The standard for batteries in an AAD is around 10,000 jumps. 1k will not cut it.

    Well he definitely won't be able to "cut it" if you simply go making up your own arbitrary "Standards". Please feel free to point out what manufacturer states 10,000 jumps to be an expected "Standard" battery life.

  25. Something else for you to consider would be your location. Your profile suggests you are located in Sydney. I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of Talons in Australia were built by Parachutes Australia who are conveniently located in Sydney. Of the 3 rigs you mentioned one has local support, just saying....