tetra316

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Posts posted by tetra316

  3. In need a new Cypres finally and see that they are now offering the Changeable mode versions. Is there any reason to get one other than it would appeal to a wider crowd should I decide to sell it? I take it they are exactly the same as the expert when set in that mode.

  5. vcarter


    During most my Coach jumps I was tracking away at altitude and I don't remember the coaches following me. Which bring up an interesting question, should coaches follow you away on track away and pull just in case something like this were to happen after the coach and student separate?



    No, what happens if the student has a late pull by the time the coach decides to dump? Then you have both pulling at the same time in near the same place.

  6. I've worn hearing aids in both ears since I very young. I did my AFF at a small Cessna dropzone which did not use radios. They used paddles in the landing area for all students which worked just fine. Don't remember if I kept my hearing aids in or not for AFF but I always wear them now with both my closed face and open face helmets. Depending on the student helmets available, your hearing loss and their radio set up you might be just fine using radios. Definitely test it out in a loud environment first. If that doesn't work my concern would be someone paddling you in who has never used them...it can be confusing if they are trying to mirror you to get you to do what they want.

    Never had an issue in 2700 jumps with hearing aids....well except for that one time I forgot to buckle the helmet and felt it start sliding off my head. Just kept one hand on my helmet until after I deployed ;)


  7. wolfriverjoe

    ******Did you just quit a previous job?
    If so, then COBRA continuation offered by that employer is the easiest option.



    When I transferred jobs COBRA was a joke. Extremely overpriced. I found an individual policy for way less for a couple months.

    Well, when I moved jobs, COBRA could be paid for retroactively. For a longer time than I was going to be without coverage at my new job.

    Since I didn't have any preexisting conditions that would require me to keep continuous coverage, I simply didn't pay for it. If I had needed it, I could have paid for it retroactively.

    This course of action was suggested by the HR person at my old job.

    The rules state you only have 60 days to elect Cobra coverage, at which time it is retroactive to your termination. However, after 60 days you are out of luck. Since I had to be employed at my new job for 3 months before getting insurance this was a no go.

    http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-consumer-cobra.html

  10. mirage62

    Quote


    Are you sure BJ will stay retired? I thought that this was his 3rd? or so come back.



    LOL, well I only knew of last years.....but you history in big ways may go a lot farther back than mine. ;)


    I doubt that! I just started doing big ways after the 400 way. Hearing about that from a local jumper was quite inspirational.

  11. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't there several organizers on the east coast who routinely put together 20 to 100 way sequentials (Louis French, Guy Wright etc.)? If so then by BJ/WT retiring then only the 200+ big ways will be disappearing from the east coast. I thought WT really only did Kaleidoscope and the last couple WT sequentials record attempts during the last several years. If this is the case then I don't think we are losing anything in the 100 way and under category.

    Also, I really don't think we are losing out on big ways in the future. My opinion is the big way world really cannot support two camps of organizers putting together 200+ ways (in the US). As we've seen, while there are a lot of people who jumped with both groups I think most only jumped with one group for whatever reason, probably mainly money. I just don't think there is enough skilled flyers to support two camps. And I think this is evidenced in the last couple record attempts by both groups to build 200+ sequentials. We just don't enough skilled big way and sequential flyers to spread into two groups.

    So while one group having a monopoly on 200+ big ways is not necessarily a good thing it's also not necessarily a bad thing. I think there are both good and bad aspects to it. And no matter what happens - big ways are still a hell of a lot of fun in so many ways!!!

  13. mrubin

    I've stayed at a bunch of hostels around Europe and the U.S. without any problems and I've almost always been alone. I feel that the biggest safety thing is common sense. Don't leave valuables out in the open. Anything that you absolutely cannot lose should be carried with you. Take a lock because I've been to a lot of places that have lockers, but you need your own lock. Read reviews on hostels.com or hostelworld.com to find one with a good reputation.



    Seconded. I spent a few months hosteling around Europe by myself as well.

  14. I ordered my Infinity in 2003 (I think) with cadmium. Still looks and works great. Just don't let it sit in any moisture - but that should be said for any gear. As long as you aren't constantly jumping on the beach it'll be fine. Plus it's not as slippery as SS which I've seen some complain about in their leg straps. For me the extra $$ is not worth it.

  15. billvon

    A few notes here:

    1) If you are going to sleep or are at risk for losing consciousness (i.e. you are doing jumps above 25,000 and have an O2 system problem) a cannula is a very good idea for the simple reason that it works whether you are paying attention or not. It also requires less care on exit if you use a helmet mounted system.

    2) Sticking it in your mouth gets you a little more oxygen for two reasons:

    -Less dead space to be cleared during breathing

    -Shorter run of larger diameter hose; less backpressure.

    Skydiving oxygen systems are not flow controlled; they work via a "calibrated orifice" (fancy term for describing a manifold with a hole in it) but that only works if all hoses have the same resistance and the manifolds are the same pressure everywhere. If they don't, the person with the longer/narrower hose gets less oxygen. In practice this doesn't matter too much because the systems are set up to give way more oxygen than people need. But if someone is at the back of an Otter with a narrow manifold, and they have cascaded two hoses to get to the back seat, and they are using a cannula - the flow can become pretty minimal.

    The above is a good reason to have the LAST person in the plane, with the longest hose, tell you whether the flow is sufficient. (For most jumps up to 20,000, if you can feel O2 coming out of the hose, the flow is sufficient.)



    Thanks, that's some good information I hadn't considered. But what about how you actually breathe? I know I breathe naturally through my nose so if I have the hose in my mouth I feel like I have to concentrate on breathing through my mouth instead of my nose. Or does this not matter as you absorb the oxygen anyway?

  16. mjosparky

    ******

    Quote

    When I use the cannula I run it behind my ears, not behind my head, then under the chin strap



    That is the way a Cannula was designed to be worn. Putting the butt end of the hose in your mouth is not very effective because you will breathe through your nose.

    Sparky



    Yep but you do know how many actually do this.......very few. Other than common joke of past cocaine use shredding your nasal passage, I've never figured out why more people don't use it this way. Cool factor?

    My guess is that no one has taken the time to explain it to them. I did big ways almost exclusively and can’t remember ever being briefed on the right way to wear a cannula. I knew how because I was a Fire Dept. PM for a number of years.

    Sparky

    The big ways I've been to in the last couple years have started showing all the ways to wear one. But habits are hard to break. I've don't think I've ever seen an organizer use a cannula either.

  19. mjosparky

    Quote

    When I use the cannula I run it behind my ears, not behind my head, then under the chin strap



    That is the way a Cannula was designed to be worn. Putting the butt end of the hose in your mouth is not very effective because you will breathe through your nose.

    Sparky



    Yep but you do know how many actually do this.......very few. Other than common joke of past cocaine use shredding your nasal passage, I've never figured out why more people don't use it this way. Cool factor?

  20. When doing high altitude jumps for bigways, etc I always use a cannula. It is the most effective method of getting oxygen. Others choose to cut off the cannula and just put a tube in their mouth or use a full face helmet with the visor closed and put the tube inside the helmet through the slit in the mouth piece. When I use the cannula I run it behind my ears, not behind my head, then under the chin strap and a bit down my jumpsuit. The hose from the plane attaches to that end. When exiting I have just a bit to tuck down my jumpsuit after disconnecting from oxygen.

    I've tried pretty much every other method and this is what works best for me.

  22. Quote

    Quote

    That solo tracker should have been moved back in the line-up, after the RW groups, and before the tandems.


    What are people's thoughts as to where trackers should go in the exit order? At Elsinore, trackers get out first, I assumed because they would be exposed to the relative wind the longest. Are other dropzones different?



    At Perris, trackers also get out first. However, at other dzs I've been to they get out last. So I guess there really is no consensus on this order as there is on freefly and belly order. I would think then the real problem is not exit order but tracking direction and the fact that he tracked up the line of flight.

  23. I wear hearing aids in both ears and have always worn them jumping. I've never had a problem with any open face or full face or frap hat. They all work fine and I've never been concerned with lossing them as long as the helmet is snug. Well, except for once when I forgot to snap the helmet closed:$ I felt it coming off and was able to keep it on with one hand until I deployed.