betzilla

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Posts posted by betzilla

  2. I agree heartily that their website leaves something to be desired.

    They have a new facebook page, and are responsive to messaging there (at least, that worked for me). To the OP - I'd suggest you try getting in touch with them that way, if for some reason you don't want to call.

  6. Quote

    I've personally landed with an RSL disconnected and dangling after a jump. Part of my gear-check is to make sure that RSL is connected before exit, which means the red lanyard it got somehow snagged in freefall, or it wasn't fully latched on that rental rig.

    That incident completely changed my POV on RSLs/MARDs.



    Hey there, @uer16! Was your RSL shackle among those affected by the service bulletin referenced earlier in this thread? Just curious...

  8. Quote

    there should be more than one size fits all large and small rubber bands.


    Technically that's TWO sizes fit all ;)

    Parasport came out with silicone stow rings, creatively named "Silirings," that come in five different sizes. They come in packs of 12, one size per package. I haven't personally used them (my Sun Path semi-stowless bag came with Tube Stows, which are working fine for my particular needs), but if you're looking for more size flexibility, these might be just the thing you're looking for. You can get them at ParaGear (where I work), and probably a bunch of other shops too.

  9. Quote

    Embrace that skydiving is a process of incremental improvements



    YES. When I was a student (before tunnels were convenient or powerful enough to be useful to students), one of my instructors said, "Imagine trying to learn to ride a bike one minute at a time, a couple times a week. How long do you think it would take to stop falling over?"

    I also want to mention that one of the most gifted instructors I've known had to repeat one of his student jumps around 30 times, and WAS given the, "listen, we're going to let you try this one more time and that's it" talk. He passed, and was a better instructor for having struggles as a student.

    So, Erica, if you enjoy jumping, pushing through the frustration will be worth it!

  11. Quote

    the excess steering line was "hitched" around the keeper thing for the bottom tip of the toggle



    hmm. seems like it might be related to how the excess was stowed on that particular jump - if somebody decided to stow it the same way UPT used to recommend it be stowed with Tru Lok toggles, that could open a person to that type of problem on those Mirage risers, I reckon...

  14. Quote

    The trick for all is to do it with finesse, which is different than using brute force and swearing.



    Is finesse and swearing ok? I find myself using that combination a lot on rigs of all types for which I'm rated ... :D

  16. Quote

    I'm skeptical. I do not believe that the vast majority of riggers go and seek additional training in things they believe they are capable of. Yes, a good rigger would realize their limitations and take it upon themselves to further their education. But in reality guys are out there taking money for whatever comes in the door because they are permitted to do the work.



    I largely agree with this, and I think it's more true the less contact the riggers have with others.

    I'm beyond grateful that my early rigging years were spent in a busy loft with a couple very patient, experienced Master Riggers wandering around to answer my questions.

  18. Quote

    I've always had good luck with these. And they're inexpensive so if you go with a different size or chest mount altimeter later you're not out much.

    http://www.paragear.com/...ALTIMETER-HAND-MOUNT



    Thanks for the plug, Bob!
    (full disclosure: I work at Para GearB|)

    The hand mount Bob linked to is just like what Alti-2 sends with their Galaxies, though, so it might not do the trick for you, OP. But then again, it might.... If you're jumping a borrowed altimeter, the jumper might have tweaked the velcro part of the hand mount a little (I've seen all kinds of tweaks on DZs), and maybe in a way that doesn't work for smaller-boned jumpers - in particular, I'm thinking that if the velcro part has been sewn in place, it might be sewn such that you just can't get it as tight as you need it, and still have enough hook velcro exposed to fasten it securely?

    There IS a wrist strap available for Altimaster galaxies - if you own that altimeter but want a wrist mount, this would be your most economical route.

    Anyway... The AloXs hand mount is pretty cool, and looks like it would do a very good job of positioning the AloXs for easy view, and not letting it move around.

    Larsen and Brusgaard's Alti-Track also has a hand mount that positions it a little closer to your thumb than to the center of the back of your hand (but it doesn't give you the option to switch to a wrist mount in the future, so if that's important to you, keep that in mind!). The Stella is similar, but doesn't have the sexy logbook function - however, the Stella DOES have an available elastic wrist mount accessory (sold separately).

    And speaking of Larsen and Brusgaard, if you want digital, and you want a wristmount, you should definitely check out the Viso II+. Their elastic wristmount comes in *all the colors,* five different sizes, and allows you to position your alti exactly where you want it.

    All of these are available at Para Gear, and many other pro shops. Good luck finding what works for you, and with learning to jump!

  19. Quote

    You can customize an iphone and get charged when it ships and the same goes with laptops and many electronics



    The market for iPhones is basically the entire population of the developed world, plus a growing proportion of the developing world. So if you decide you don't want that "customized" iphone and don't pay for it, chances are pretty solid that another one of the millions of humans in the world will want the same configuration, so Apple won't lose the $45 they have sunk in the phone - they just sell it to the next guy.

    The market for skydiving equipment is extraordinarily small by comparison, and the equipment is highly customized. If you flake out or get injured and can't complete your purchase, the small companies relying on the revenue (some of those companies are truly tiny: you could count their employees on the fingers on a single hand) are still responsible for your turquoise/orange/brown monstrosity with custom monograms and left-side throw-out, built for a guy who's 5'2" and 250 pounds, jumping a VK79.

    See the difference?

    There's just no reasonable comparison.

  20. I know a guy who, as a static line student, failed his PRCP (practice ripcord pull) jumps like 30 times. He kept flipping through the risers while he was pulling the dummy handle. He persevered and became an exceptionally fine AFF/I and Tandem I/E.

    Lots and lots of people have trouble. Don't give up. And if you become an instructor one day, you'll be better at it for having struggled as a student.

  21. I don't personally have an age limit, but my employer set a 20 year age limit on certificated components long before I started here. I've made a handful of exceptions, but for the most part, I'm grateful for the rule -- it allows me to decline to work on gear that is technically airworthy, but gives me the creeps. I've referred pilots with 21 year old gear to other area riggers several times - the skydivers obviously know where they can find other lofts, so that isn't necessary for them

  22. An OP 143 does not quite pack up as small as a PDR 126. As you get down into smaller sizes, the proportion of that sexy low-bulk fabric, to lines and reinforcement tape, gets smaller and smaller, so the "one size smaller" rule becomes a little less true. 126/143 is where you begin to notice the difference.

    I've packed lots of 308s with PR 126's, and a couple 308's with OP 143's, and the OP 143's are a total pain in the ass to close. It's doable, but you've gotta use everything in your bag of tricks to make it happen, and you'll really want a cigarette afterwards (this coming from a non-smoker).

  23. You can get a pair of the metal housings at Para Gear for seven bucks plus shipping (this is crazy-cheap. I used to work at a place that charged like $30 for this exact product, so what you pay will depend where they're sourced), and you'll pay another $5-10 to have them tacked into the channels on the risers.

  24. You need to meet some minimum amount of force required to extract your stowed line, or your deployment can get chaotic. This goes for line stowed in a pouch (stowless bags) and lines stowed the old fashioned way, with rubber bands. I think I recall the extraction force that PD recommends to be 12-15 pounds. If you can get that with a single-wrapped rubber band, great.

    But the people at PD have recommended double wrapping all stows you can with standard rubber bands ("medium rubber bands" are not a thing). Since I tend to think the people at PD know more than some random packing class teacher, and more than I do, I am inclined to take their advice and double-stow.