aufreefly

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Everything posted by aufreefly

  1. I have a mudflap mounted altimeter and used to wear both it and a wrist mount. I compared to two over several jumps and never got any noticeable deviation. It should be noted that my mudflap altimeter is mounted as high as possible. See picture for reference. picture
  2. That only applies if you don't have digital cable (ie have a cable box) or if you want to watch the non-digital channels while recording something else.
  3. If you want to watch one channel while recording another you will have to get the directTV Tivo, it has dual tuners. If you have any specific questions on how you will set up post them or PM me. The home media option is set up through a USB port and can also be used to transfer files from one Tivo to another. Just a note...35 hours is at low quality which is really not worth watching. To bump it up to high or best you will only get about half of that. To add another drive and expand your capacity by 70 hours is 160 dollars. On a related note forbes.com and others are very concerned about the effect DVR's will have on their precious advertising revenues. And guess what, they are right. I have not watched a commercial in a month and am able to watch what I want when I want it. If you have any more questions, fire away! I can't say enough about how awesome Tivo is.
  4. They actually stopped answering that number claiming that they had staff spending five hours a day deleting messages. I have been calling them whenever I pass by a payphone on the way home from class. I know they just delete it, but it still feels good to know that eventually they will have to reprint all their literature if we keep it up.
  5. I agree. In the user guide on the Atair website it says to look at the canopy and watch it deploy. I did this for quite a while and would overcompensate and give myself twists (never had to cutaway from those self induced twists). I started watching the horizon and concentrating on keeping level by feel and visual input. No more line twists, for me anyway.
  6. Yeah, the video shows the 135 first (hard opening) then the 150 (line twists). Most of the time the Cobalts that I jumped tended to open well, but compared to the Xaos, Nitron, and Stiletto that I have jumped they seemed to open really hard a disproportionate amount of the time. I sold my Cobalt 135 and the new user has some video of the openings Hard opening line twist cutaway Interesting perspective of two stage opening Unfortunately I don't have video of my other cutaways, but I agree that my lack of experience played a factor in most of my cutaways. I think that all in all the Cobalt is better than most, but not the best opening canopy that I have jumped.
  7. I used to think that, until I tried some 10 way RW (thats big for me). I really wish that I had gotten into RW in the beginning and am actually considering getting an RW suit and pursuing it more seriously. I hope that there will be enough people getting into the sport who do RW so that in 10 years there will be a 400 way RW formation.
  8. I will be standing at the flagpole at 7:45am tomorrow Auburn sept 11 ceremony
  9. I have found another use for DZ.com... For those of us who have been posting (or lurking mostly) since we began jumping, we can look back and get a feel for the way we thought when we were beginning skydivers. If I think about the way that I used to think, "it won't happen to me", or "I'm better than that", it scares me. I think that I just made it through those lower jump numbers on pure luck. I wish that there had been someone like skybytch or billvon to tell me to my face..."you are not ready for that canopy, let me show you what a LARGER canopy can do in the hands of an experienced pilot". People hear that sort of thing all of the time, and they don't heed the warnings. Why? For me it was seeing the people that I respected as skydivers flying the pocket rockets and swooping a mile every landing. What I didn't see was the years that they had put in to get to the point where they could do that. Another thing that I noticed looking back, is that reading your old posts can be a lot like reading your diary ( I have never kept one). I keep on reading and thinking "I said that?". This applies to skydiving and the political flamewars, just knowing my online alter-ego people must think that I am an ass. This probably will not interest anyone but I wish I could round everyone up that helped me to be a better skydiver (every skydiver that I ever talked to at length) and thank them for providing their advise. I guess the best thing that I can do is try to talk to the newer jumpers and tell them the little that I have learned in the sport (relatively speaking, I only have 600 jumps). But even that does not feel right because only with time have I realized that I know so little about the sport. Does anyone else feel the same way? Or am I alone here...
  10. I have about 400 jumps on Cobalts and for the most part I was very happy. I did have one that opened really hard, but the others usually opened well. The bad one that I jumped can be seen on the beginning of this video (kinda large file) http://www.auburn.edu/~huntmic/freeflyvids/sdafreefly.mov Right click and save Edited to add: I did have 3 cutaways due to linetwists. Although, I think that some of this was due to body position and NOT the canopy. Just goes to show no matter how "big" a canopy flies ( it was a dream to fly) an elliptical canopy can be sensitive on opening and therefore should be treated with respect. (As the second opening in the video shows).
  11. Through Fark I found this article on the proper way to set up incendiary devices. I just don't understand how anyone could justify to themselves the possible injury or death of innocent people, not to mention the destruction others property, to push forward their cause in this manner. http://www.earthliberationfront.com/library/elf_manual300.pdf
  12. 20> "Do these pants come in a smaller size?" 19> "Just a Fresca for me, thanks." 18> "Can't hang out, man. Gotta take little Timmy here to ballet class." 17> "Let's go with the plain white enamel crown, please." 16> "Oops, my briefs are showing!" 15> "Coco Chanel always said to look in the mirror before leaving the house and remove at least one piece of jewelry." 14> "Ain't no such thing as 'too much banjo.'" 13> "Hey, you're going to damage the needle doing that! Just let it play!" 12> "Who's up for 'Pictionary'?" 11> "I'm just sayin', dogg, superstring theory may be the only beeyotch steppin' up right now as the possible grand unified theory of physics, but until we can experimentally verify that it be the shizznit, I ain't down wit it, cuz." 10> "Man, turn that bass down. I can scarcely hear myself think!" 9> "No... thank YOU, officer. I believe I *have* learned a valuable lesson this time." 8> "We don't use potty talk in *this* house, little mister!" 7> "This Zima is the shiznizzle, but two is my limit." 6> "Now THAT'S good matzo!" 5> "We can't record it this way, with all of these grammatical errors -- for gosh sakes, we're role models!" 4> "I disagree, Kyle. Yanni could kick Tesh's ass." 3> "Calgon, take me away!" 2> "Heavens to Betsy, ladies! Cover those booties immediately! You'll catch your death of cold!!" 1> "Now wave your hands in the air like you're trying to catch fireflies on a warm Cape Cod summer evening!"
  13. I think that we should impose some kind of limit on wing-loading with the option to test out. I realize that it would not be very popular at first, as some people would have to re-evaluate their current wing loading. But anyone starting after the rules were enacted would just see it as another part of skydiving. I think that it should be left up to the DZ's. Everyone who jumps a high wingloading at a low number of jumps should have to put their money where their mouth is. I can just hear the excuses now: "I normally can land in the peas", "I have never fallen before", "I felt pressured by the attention". I am pretty sure that one person that I knew would be alive today were these rules enacted. Do you know anyone who would? I currently jump a XAOS-21 120 at a 2.0 wingloading with approximately 600 jumps.And I would happily take a test to prove my canopy skill, if I fail then I don't need to be jumping a highly loaded canopy.
  14. Coldplay puts on a really good show. U2, Smashing Pumpkins (now Zwan), and Cowboy Mouth are also good.
  15. I have two helicopter exits on a video that I made. The first one is faced off on opposite sides of the helicopter and stepping off. The second was one person on the strut facing in and one crouching inside facing out...both were good. http://www.auburn.edu/~huntmic/freeflyvids they are on the sdafreefly movie
  16. That would be my recommendation. That was the only way I could get any sleep at quincy. It was way too hot even at night. I think that before I go this year I will get a window A/C unit and attach the dryer tubing. Stick in sleeping bag and enjoy. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2326017822&category=20711
  17. Skydive Atlanta Anniversary Festival $15 to 15,000 Super King Air Jumps High Altitude Loads $28 Allouette Helicopter Jumps $20 Registration Fee Food Saturday night Plus Party with DJ's The new king air is amazing, blue crushed velvet interior, a sound system and blazing fast. I just got a birdman and would enjoy others to flock with. Chris will be cooking ribs and the party on Saturday night will be off the hook. Hope to meet some more DZ.commers there.
  18. Check out the second video for slo-mo of a chick washing a windshield of a car with her boobies. This site is going to get a bookmark. This could be an effective sales pitch for skydiving...come to the dropzone, this is what it is like, no really
  19. There are boobies and a clip of two chicks making out...all it needs is a few midgets and sheep oh yeah, there is some swooping and Base also http://www.ekstremsportveko.com/video/ekstremsportveko2002.wmv edited to add a link with a lot more boobies
  20. http://www.ekstremsportveko.com/video/ekstremsportveko2002.wmv
  21. I said that I would go to my reserve between 10k and 15k. In reality I went low before and ended up duming my main at 1400 feet and snivelling through my CYPRES firing. I tried to pull at about 1700 and missed the first time. Muscle memory, didn't once think about going for the reserve.
  22. Here is a picture of my cat and dog doing what they do best...absolutly nothing... http://www.auburn.edu/~huntmic/pub/theo%20and%20ruffus.jpg and here is our pit bull on the night that we picked her up from the side of the road, my girlfriend SWORE that we would find her a home or give her to the pound...yeah right http://www.auburn.edu/~huntmic/pub/girl.JPG edited to add link
  23. Yeah I thought that would be a problem but as it turns out it does not effect my packing very much. I guess that it depends on how you pack (weights, tying rings together, etc). I ususally just put a weight between the risers and the left one is slightly distorted, but I have had nothing but quality openings on my Xaos.
  24. I have mine mounted on my mudflap. No problem. Actually there is one, once I started jumping with my altimeter here I refused to go back. It comes in handy while freeflying and tracking.