sundevil777

Any more actual experience or 2nd hand experience to report?  Rock sky market says they are great.  Thank you.

4 hours ago, Deyan said:

Properly manufactured risers don't fail at the grommet. They fail between the middle and the small ring. Most manufacturers have the RSL ring integrated in the confluence wrap

What does everyone think of the option of having the Collin’s lanyard or not? If a rig could be made with or without the feature, might we be better off with good RSL ring placement and the simplicity of no Collins lanyard with any of the current MARDs? I understand the choice doesn’t exist, this is hypothetical.

On 3/16/2021 at 8:07 AM, Travman said:

To add, before the pro-pack, canopies were often flat packed where the canopy was laid on its side.  Hence why the focus of this packjob was that the canopy is kept facing forward the whole time. 

Then of course there is the psycho pack....

The “factory pack” as it was called back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, could be done very much like a reserve is often packed, including the nose pointed forward like a propack.

The psycho pack has been working well for many years here, Precision Parachutes had it listed on their website along with instructions. It isn’t so different.

On 3/18/2021 at 10:12 PM, billvon said:

Two minor nits:

1) It requires a steeper angle for doing real video

2) It makes it harder to see your handles if you use a gopro size camera

My first video system was a chin mounted camera with a recorder in a pocket.  It worked OK - but the camera was the size of a dime so it didn't interfere with anything.  

I agree the view from the chin is not as good as the top of a helmet, but it still is nice.

I disagree about interference with moving the head down for the chinmount.com design at least.  That one is very tight/low profile to the helmet.  I've used it with a gopro Session for almost 3 years.

It is easy for jumpers to think they'll just cutaway or breakaway a snagged top mount camera. It is not so much the snag with a main that really bothers me. The unappreciated risk is entanglement of a top mounted camera with a deploying reserve bridle/lines/whatever. Reserves are often deployed while in a head high, even back to the wind orientation, resulting in the reserve deploying past a helmet. This is when being really snag resistant is critical. At least 2 incidents in the last few years of reserves being found on the ground fouled by cameras, I believe.

2 minutes ago, nwt said:

Are any of these issues relevant to someone buying an AAD today?

The history of a product is important. The design had a major flaw that presumably was fixed. Potential customers should know that, especially if they are asking specifically about the relative merit of the different mfgs fire/no-fire parameters.

As an engineer, I know what it is like to develop a new product that already has competitors. Those competitors set a "target" for performance which most design engineers would want to at least equal. The designers of the Vigil had every opportunity to ensure their product was at least as good at deciding when to fire - they could compare it to their competition. To fail at that very basic task leaves this design engineer wondering in what other ways it might be lacking.

3 hours ago, outdoort said:

Honestly tho, in any of these devices, in 10 plus years if you need a battery change, its possible the batteries in these devices are no longer manufactured, unless its a real common battery they are using in them. No clue what type of battery is in any of them.

 

 

Like the batteries in an original Cypres, the Cypres II batteries are likely NOT simply industry-standard batteries. They probably have some unique set of specifications with ambitious performance requirements, etc. that an industry-standard battery might not meet. By having unique specifications, and therefore a unique "part number", they would then have the opportunity to negotiate with the supplier a long term agreement to continue supplying that battery.

Regarding fire/no-fire parameters:

We should remember some incidents where the logic of an AAD wasn't smart enough to realize that it was being fooled by environmental conditions into thinking it needed to fire. Wasn't the C182 door opening incident with a Vigil?  The incidents of units firing when trunk lids closed were Vigils, correct?  The world record big way team suffered from units firing because of pressurization on a C-130, weren't those units Vigils?  My memory is that the original Cypres units turned themselves off, and the Cypres II units didn't do anything (desirable).  It would seem there is more "smarts" in the logic for a Cypres which allows it to realize you actually should try to detect unrealistic data, to recognize the pressure changes aren't realistic for a skydive. 

The other AAD manufacturers had a clear market they were going after when they decided to compete, they cut corners when it came time to the logic. Perhaps my memory is wrong.

On 3/15/2021 at 5:36 PM, ST0RMTROOP3R said:

Anyone that has had any experience with this product have any positives or negatives about it? I have heard that the footage can be not as great compared to a top of the head mount? I have also heard the opposite. If anyone has some footage taken from this perspective I would love to see it! I like the idea of a chin mount compared to a top of the head style but I wanted to get some more input before I make a decision one way or another...Thank you for any info you can provide.

I've seen at my DZ 2 of the Vmag mounts lost due to being knocked loose.

I use the chinmount.com version. Great quality, lowest profile, low price, if you bump into something, it dislodges instead of departs. The Grellfab chinmount is similar in this respect, but the Grellfab is much bulkier than the chinmount.com mount.  I ordered it with a bunch of extra "up" angle because I fly with my head lower than the young kids.

Top of head stalk-type mounts are lousy not only because they can snag not only a main or main PC. More important is they are in a great position during most cutaways to snag part of the deploying reserve as it passes by the back of your head. 

The environmental testing (vibration and temperature extremes) the cypres withstands at service time tells me which company really knows about electronics.  In my previous life I did electronics packaging design engineering for Boeing. The value of the very thorough testing is easy to under-appreciate. 

On 2/26/2021 at 9:34 PM, KDEMM89 said:

Hey everyone,  I just bought a Parasport AERONAUT ALTIMETER and it is reading 11k out of the box. I don't understand why it would say that elevation in my house. Do I have to do something to it? It's an analog altimeter so I don't think it takes batteries... it came with no paperwork so I really could use some help. Is it normal for altimeters to read high altitudes on the ground?? It doesn't make any sense to me. 

Think of it as reading -1000 feet. Something rotates to zero the dial.

After a few years and few hundred jumps, regularly applying cypres lube on the inside radius of the 3 ring loop. The loop is kinda dark, but looks undamaged. The pic is showing the inside radius “flipped outward”. You can see a spec of lube at the left. I had lubed it a couple hours before this pic while hooking up the main. The lube absorbs into the fabric without making it appear saturated. 

2 minutes ago, ST0RMTROOP3R said:

Good point. I think really the only reason I want a good digital alti is to have it track my jumps so I can get more accurate exit height and free fall times in my log book. Right now I have a STELLA analog alti that works great it just doesn't do any of the fancy tracking that I wish I had. Some day the VOG is supposed to support it but not as of yet.

Consider whether logging features are actually worth it.  I like my digital alti because it is a lot less bulky than an analog alti, and the precision while under canopy is appreciated.

There are 2 Neptune 3 visual/audible altis for sale in the classifieds here. They do all the logging stuff.  If I didn't already have a Neptune 2 that still works great, I would buy one of them.

3 hours ago, ST0RMTROOP3R said:

I loved the idea of the speaking audible. It has rave reviews from anyone that has tried it. There are a few people at Kpow that have them and when I asked they all said it was amazing to have the spoken altitudes in your ear. Most of them are wingsuit guys too so they have a ton of experience and figured I would go with it. It doesn't track your jumps yet but I figured that if I get a good digital alti then it will do that for me and the audible will do just what it is meant to...keep me aware of my altitude while I don't have my wrist in view. They are still continually working on updates for more features in the future. If you want to try mine out sometime I would be happy to let you. We can do a trade for a jump or two if you like? I can try your digital alti and you can try my VOG. I added you on insta so I will let you know next time I am headed to the DZ.

With a VOG audible, there is especially no reason to be looking at your visual alti while jumping with others. Your eyes should be able to confirm that your audible isn't crazy, even at break-off time, you don't need to look at your alti nearly as often as you likely are. It is a big time waster when you should be concentrating on flying with others.

23 hours ago, ST0RMTROOP3R said:

When I jump with a coach or someone with quite a bit more skill we have no issue getting together and making the dock but with the other newer jumpers I am having a hell of a time making it happen.

Ha! No surprise there. Did your AFF coach not ever use the hand signal for "fly better"?  Just remember to do that!

The major jumpsuit manufacturers know how to achieve a draggy RW suit with as little bagginess as possible. Don't just fill out an order form, make sure they know what you're trying to achieve to get their ideas. Type of fabric of course is important, and double layers, large diameter grippers on the outside of your legs (not the back of leg), along with inner leg grippers, knee padding, cordura for the booties and entire lower leg starting above the knee.  The first suit i bought from Tony Suit had all of the above and their swoop cords, which I only used twice, so it is an expensive option not likely to actually be used. Dual arm grips might be useful for extra drag without flappiness.

2 hours ago, irishrigger said:

Hi,

is it possible to retrofit a MARD into a Wings container? Container is from 2006. has anyone on here done it or does it have to be shipped back to manufacturer?

I had a look on their website but cannot not see anything. also have not worked on a Wings with a MARD

Thanks

Irish

https://www.dropzone.com/forums/topic/24149-what's-wrong-with-wings-containers%3F/?tab=comments#comment-4555389

18 hours ago, mark said:

I agree with nwt.  Before the 2001 rule change, the regulation was unambiguous -- skydivers were required to use single-harness, dual-parachute systems.  Because of poor drafting, the 2001 change addressed only what a single-harness, dual-parachute system consisted of, to distinguish it from a tandem system, instead of requiring its use.

But it doesn't matter.  It's been litigated, and the commonly-held (pre-2001) position prevailed against us barracks-lawyer types (or sea-lawyers, if you prefer).  The incident was Dwain Weston, Royal Gorge Bridge, 5 October 2003.

Most people don't like ambiguity.

Lawyers require ambiguity for their profession to thrive

1 hour ago, ST0RMTROOP3R said:

Has anyone used the new Digialti from Freefall Data Systems? I am looking at it as my first digital alti and want to know if there are any positives or negatives I should know about before making my purchase. Any info or insight would be appreciated. ✌

 

Here is a link to the alti on chutingstar.com for reference: https://www.chutingstar.com/skydive/altimeters/digital-altimeters/digialti-digital-altimeter-led-lightbar

I like the supposedly tough glass and aluminum case, as the original version of the sonoalti felt cheaply designed and made.  I like the font shape, which is similar to the Neptune/Atlas, much better than the awful font of the Viso/Ares.

Expect low resale value.

My advice is to not increase your altitude awareness with lights on your visual altimeter.  If you really like the idea of lights, wouldn't one of the systems to have lights visible in the helmet be better?  Don't be the guy wasting precious freefall time looking at your fancy lightshow of a visual alti before breakoff. Consider what audible altimeter(s) would work to obtain the altitude awareness you seek.  There are lots of interesting audible products.

Forearm mounted alt is don’t work for those needing a lot of drag from loose fabric on the arms. A hand mount where you put the finger loop only through your index finger (a smaller than normal finger loop might help) and placing the alti more toward the thumb improves visibility without requiring so much rotation of the hand. 
 

I say getting an audible alti is a good idea even if you accept the concept of needing to be more alti aware before using it for break off indication. You can program the audible to give you only the lowest warning-reminder you don’t have time to try and fix it.  I see no harm in that.

16 minutes ago, tstar said:

Oh I see what you're getting at... the inherent accuracy of a digital readout vs the vague location of a needle on a scale that's not very... what's the word? Granular, or not finite enough?? Yeah the dial would have to be eight inches across!

Same difference between a digital watch or an analog one I suppose...

Precision has a different meaning than accuracy. Engineers get technical about such things. A digital readout isn’t necessarily more precise, it depends on how many digits/decimal places are actually used, but can still be inaccurate.

6 hours ago, tstar said:

Well... That sucks! I've been wearing it around the house getting used to it, looking like a 60 year old idiot! lol

I'm not sure I understand your accuracy versus display comment, the display is merely paint and a needle or an LCD screen. I'm admittedly new and ignorant but I assume mechanical altimeters use mechanical pressure sensing, gearing and a mechanical connection to the spinning needle on the display versus digital pressure sensing (multiple sensors for redundancy/comparisons?) and all the fancy computing and algorithms to generate the jump profile. I don't know how the needle is physically moved on the altitrack/stella, mechanical or magnetic... 

That sucks about the dive data being unreliable, makes you wonder how accurate the altitude sensing and display is!!

Thank you for taking the time to warn me...

Merry Christmas!!!

Tim

Precision is related only to your ability to distinguish where the needle is.  If the face of the altimeter were much larger in diameter, then the increments for 100 ft would be farther apart, and at some large diameter, you could even make marks for 10 ft.  You could also get greater precision with a slimmer needle. However even if the altimeter you use is very precise, it doesn't mean it is accurate because you might not be zeroed correctly for instance.  What is behind the dial has nothing to do with precision.

I wouldn't assume our altimeters have multiple pressure sensors. The data collected by an altitrack or protrack is fine for the way we actually use it during a jump because it gets averaged out over time, smoothing out the noise.

The altitrack isn’t very popular, and for good reason. Return it if you can. The data is so noisy as to be useless in its details (same applies to the protrack), if you want an analog face, just get a mechanical alti for much less money.

Their ads now say, digital precision with an analog face...which is stupid because the precision is determined by the display, not at all by what is behind the display. 

3 hours ago, outdoort said:

Got a call from velocity today. Basically he just said “no he wouldnt be comfortable sizing me and selling me a rig until after aff”.

 

i can see not wanting someone to waist their money on a rig they grow out of too quickly, but aside from that idk why people arent comfortable recommending a rig that has a canopy sized 1:1 or less for a beginner. 

 

i thought the general consensus was to stay at 1:1 wing load as a beginner.  Everything that ive read so far says exactly that!  

 

i feel like if i grow out of my rig then its not the biggest deal because id probably keep it and just buy another.  I can see myself very often wanting to jump with a canopy thats safe and mellow (enjoying the views up in the sky).

 

In a ideal world, yes id get my a license before buying gear but idk how things are gonna work out because i have been keeping an eye out for used gear too. I tend to have a hard time saving money as im self employed so hopefully i even have the cash at the time i may see something come up for sale...

 

i guess at this point im gonna hold off buying new, and just keep an eye out for a appropriately sized container that will hold a 210-230 sized main and a similar size reserve...

I think what he was uncomfortable with was taking your money before you have started jumping.  It is a sign of integrity, not wanting to take advantage of you.

29 minutes ago, outdoort said:

Hey Sundevlil! I was wondering what the “n” and “w” designators were with the infinity containers... ?

i called velocity last thursday twice and left a voicemail and havent heard back from them. Maybe they will call me Monday. 

 

Whats ur exit weight and how many jumps u have/ experience? Thanks!

The good folks at VSE will get back to you. I've found that messages sent through their "contact us" response form get answered within a few hours when they are there/open. Blake Johnson has helped me lately, he's very quick to respond.

The "N" is for narrow. W is likely wide. I now weigh 200 without gear (you should figure 30 pounds). I've been jumping since dinosaurs roamed the earth, and enjoy a wingload that makes landing easy and non-stressful.

The last 2 times I bought a new Infinity, I let them determine the best size, I just told them what canopies would be in it, and that I wanted it to fit nicely.

I have an I-66N, with a pilot 210 zpx and bulky dacron lines. It fits easily.

It seems there is a lot of activity in a competing technology, fuel cells. Especially with a new thin polymer that can strip the nitrogen away from ammonia, and some innovative way of making ammonia more efficiently. I don’t have the link to post, but it seemed to be real. Ammonia infrastructure is well established and relatively low pressure requirements should make it possible to be distributed by existing gas stations with reasonable investment. Getting hydrogen for a fuel cell from ammonia is a very interesting alternative.
 

It is important to not be tempted to allow batteries to be prematurely declared the technology winner by having government subsidize it exclusively. Should be something like an X-prize for the ability to provide electricity for vehicles by any means whether battery or fuel cell or whatever.