mereanarchy

I called about a week ago, they said they were more at the 35 week mark currently.

This isn't my first rig, I currently have an older rig I am putting jumps on right now, but it came as a unit, so I didn't have to worry about putting components together. This would be my "I'll be in it a while" rig...

I just saw the question you asked about the N3 and Fuel helmet. Yes, the alti is held inside the helmet with a rubberband-ish thing (not actually a latex rubber band, more a rubber gasket). It is SUPER tight at first, I actually got the sideplate with the hole in it so I can access the buttons without taking it out of my helmet, I only take it out to charge it. Works awesome, and I hardly feel it.

he is after a pulse, only option for bottom (and ribs) is white

Good advice, thanks :)

awesome, thanks for the reply. Yup, I meant canopy demo. One question I do have, I am interested in demo-ing a variety of canopies. Some I don't have concern about fitting in my current rig (I am currently flying a 260, and would like to demo 230/240s) but a canopy like the Pulse packs smaller. Is there a method to allow me to demo a canopy if it won't fit in my rig, or am I SOL? Anyone else going?

well, I preregistered! Looking forward to it, anyone have any words of wisdom from previous excursions to Carolinafest? Recommendations on a place to stay? How do demo's at a boogie work? That is one of my main reasons for wanting to go down. Thanks!

anyone have any water training on the calendar near PA/MD/VA? I have everything else I need for a B license... thanks!

As another update from Facebook, they have officially broken ground and are looking at a later 2014 opening.

I am looking for the same logic, regardless of if it's new or used gear, correct? I am definitely considering used gear, but piecing gear together, new or used, is the issue.

so I have been looking at different rig components, and the manufacturers charts on what fits what, and am officially confused... lol. (Edit: this discussion is for either new or used gear, but more related to the puzzle of putting it all together) Currently I am looking at a Vector3 container. Would like to put a PD253 reserve for now, and a Pulse 230, but still have reasonable downsize abilities, like going to a Pulse 210, or a regular volume 190? My current exit weight is 240, and I have around 60 jumps. What the heck size container should I be looking at? On this chart: http://www.unitedparachutetechnologies.com/PDF/CHART_00037___Rig_Sizing_Chart.pdf It makes it it look like if I want a PD253, I can't have that "small" of a main, but the wingloading would be a respectable one? Am I better off going looking at a PD235 reserve? My concern here is that is max exit weights: http://www.performancedesigns.com/pdreserve.asp as I am not an advanced skydiver, obviously. Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Tried switching ports, it was a no-go. Still having issues getting onto alti-2.com, where on there are these drivers you mention? Thanks for your help :)

I know people have had issues with the NMU, but thought maybe someone could help with this... I downloaded the NMU, but keep getting the following error: "Connect failed: Open: The port 'COM2' does not exist." I have tried plugging it into all of the various USB ports. I read somewhere on here that maybe a shorter USB cord would help? Suggestions? Yes, I realize that there are disgruntled people out there with the NMU, I just want to try and get to a point where I can change the names of my alarms and add in some DZ names... thanks

Fiance ordered me an N3 for christmas, it arrived and I finally convinced him to let me open the box. No users manual, but not suprised since most things have the manual online. Went to www.alti-2.com, and attempted to download the manual. Won't download at all. For that matter, I can't register the N3 either (browser screen is totally blank). Anyone else having trouble, or can someone direct me to an N3 manual that isn't on the forum page for Alti-2? Many thanks!

I have some neoprene gloves that I literally can't even put on until 8k or so in the air, otherwise my hands sweat in them and damp gloves on subsequent jumps suck I wear the 3.0 under armour thermal stuff layered with an insulated running turtleneck shirt over it, and a thin undershirt under it. On the bottom I wear a pair of the 3.0 tights with a pair of regular running tights. All of this is covered by my jumpsuit and keeps me toasty warm. For socks, I wear ski socks, same philosophy as the gloves, I put them on right before I jump and take them off when I land. Keeps them from getting damp from regular wear, which keeps them warm. Hope this helps!

thankfully, although I have made some mistakes, thankfully I actually had trouble coming up with something? The one thing I would change so far that I have done... As a student, changed canopies on my 3500 h&p, which was jump 18ish? Had been on a Navigator, switched to a Sabre2 one size smaller. Because it was a subterminal deployment, and a new canopy, it took longer than I was expecting to open. I had my eyes darting back and forth between the opening canopy and my altimeter, hands on my cutaway handle, willing the stupid thing to open. In reality, there was no problem on opening, but note to self, when downsizing, give myself a LITTLE more altitude to get used to the snivel. :) On the upside, I was proud of myself for how alert i was to my altitude and my handles!

for a newbie like me who hasn't had a reserve ride (yet), this is scary as all get out! Not going to lie, almost makes me want to get my riggers ticket just so I only have myself to blame (or trust)...

Do you have the cache link for the b card?

I appreciate everyone taking the time to reply. I certainly don't plan on downsizing soon, and wanted to make sure I wasn't hurting myself in the process. I intend (but you know what they say about that) to have my next canopy be a zp, with something a little more playful, but I have zero interest in ever swooping, if anything I see myself going the way of accuracy more than anything. I also agree that what I love now will change as my skills grow. Heck, it's always possible I will come back in 200 jumps and declare my new saber-3 (cause, ya know, it's the future) to be the best thing ever

as an aside, I appreciate you taking the time chatting about this with me, esp since you have never seen me under canopy it certainly isn't easy, but getting feedback from a 6000+ jumper certainly never hurts...

I agree completely, and never had an issue getting them opened, it was just "one of those things" I realize I really have no clue, but I don't feel like I have been "punching out" my flare, although if I understand you correctly I must have been to get the pop up? I also understand the need to change my own flying characteristics to match the needs of the canopy, at least to a point. But at what point does the pilot decide that that particular canopy isn't the right one? I did learn to modify my flare on the Sabre-2, and minimized the pop up, so I think that had I stuck with it, I could have removed it completely, but I certainly never felt comfortable or happy with it. sure, definitely, agree 100%. As I learn more about canopies, what canopies are out there that are a good go-between from the PD, which I am loving, to something as dynamic as the Sabre-2? It felt like a big jump, but everything feels like a big jump with only 4 months experience.

Sure... and with my VAST amount of experience I feel super confident in my assessment, lol in the 20 or so jumps i had on the Sabre-2, never once did it open fully inflated. Always had one, or both, end cells closed, which wasn't a big deal, but somewhere in my pea-brain a warning light goes off saying THIS SHOULD OPEN THE WHOLE WAY AT LEAST ONCE! Maybe an effect of light wingloading? Also could not, for the life of me, get the flare to agree with me. When on the Nav-280 I was regularly having standup landings, and when on the Nav-260 (Albeit I only jumped it a couple times) my landings were smooth, but on that dang Sabre-2 I popped up 5+ feet on my landings almost every time. I say almost because I finally got the pop controlled somewhat before I switched to the PD, but I felt like I was always fighting what I "naturally" wanted to do in terms of a flare vs what the canopy wanted/needed me to do. On the PD, the flare the canopy seems to want, and the one that I want to naturally give it, seem to be much more in tune with one another... if that makes sense?

Dave, I am 200 without my rig on my back, so about 225-230 out the door. It is a true PD260, so yup, it is a F-111. I love my canopy for sure, I just wasn't sure if I am doing myself a disservice by staying down. So far I have jumped a Nav-280 and a Sabre-2 260 on student status, liked the Nav but hated the Sabre-2, but my favorite so far is this PD.

Hey all! I am a newbie, 40 jumps, currently on a PD260 loaded at 0.86. The PD has about 200 jumps on it total, so it isn't a ragged old canopy. I currently have zero desire to downsize, but I want to see if there are any downsides to staying at a lower wingloading for too long? IE. bad habits that can come from that, etc. It certainly seems like everything I am reading would encourage how I feel, but there also doesn't really seem to be a topic that covers the opposite. Would love some experienced thoughts on this...

hey there. I am a newbie, 40 jumps since July. I just ventured out for the first time, I had a conference in Cali and took my rig with me to Perris. Although the DZ is huge, I never felt out of my league. The organizers there were fantastic, and Grace Katz and Mark Brown took me under their wings for the day I was there. I went back one more afternoon to spend some time in the tunnel. I would definitely recommend it for a newbie who is coming from a Cessna DZ.