cjdskydiver

Well "If" there were heaps of bodies and heaps of data to support the claim that the aad that requires more service has a far far greater likely hood of doing what its designed to do, well then the safety factor would outweigh the cost factor. So either the sample size is to small or that is just not the case, I tend to think the latter. When the first cypres came out the company existed shorter then the life time of the product. So... (oh and fyi the company that is behind the vigil has been around since 1986, not that that makes any device more or less reliable, but just a fun fact)

If it cuts the loop when I fail to slow down, its all the same to me. And, then yes, I prefer the one that does not require more service. Amazing right? Operative word being "If"... Re-read my second paragraph...components age, software is improved, environmental conditions affect electronics, things can happen that you can't see and may not get detected during POST (power-on, self-test), etc... AAD/Vigil has done a great job marketing, telling people what they want to hear..."No scheduled maintenance"..."Max. 20 years life expectancy"...the company hasn't even been around that long...

Choosing a life-saving device based on the service requirements...amazing... You service your car regularly, right? Why wouldn't you want to do the same for something you're depending on to save your life...? You update your phone, PC, etc with the latest software occasionally, right? Why wouldn't you want to have that done for your AAD as well...?

Thanks everyone. I had marginal success with HandBrake. The quality was poor with some videos. I've had great success with Any Video Converter, which I found out about in an old thread in one of the other dz.com forums. Choose custom installation when installing it and uncheck the boxes so you don't get the unrelated AVG, or whatever, add-on browser toolbars. http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/ I haven't tried MPEG Streamclip yet, but will check it out.

Looking for recommendations for a freeware video converter for Windows. I want to convert MP4 files from a GoPro Hero2 to something I can download to my iPhone 4S. I can import the videos into iTunes just fine, but I get an error msg about non-support when trying to download to the phone. Looks like a bit rate or codec issue. I used GoPro Studio to convert from MP4 to MOV, but the iPhone doesn't support it either. I did some searches for converters and there's lots of them out there. Many of the reviews on download.com warn about ads, toolbars, annoying popups, and even malware that come along with the installation. Trying to sort thru things and find something useful. Basically, I'm looking for the VLC Media Player (awesome!) of video converters...no fuss no muss, just does what you want, with no baggage... Is there some philosophical reason Apple doesn't provide universal support for the common video formats?

Do any European countries have gear lifetime limits? I'd heard that Germany has something like a 10 year limit on a reserve. If so, would that apply only to residents, or for visitors as well? When I've filled out waivers/docs for some DZs in central/eastern Europe, they ask for a lot of detail about gear - model, size, DOM, number of jumps, etc. In the U.S., visitors generally follow the rules for their home country.

Maybe not doom, but in the last year their stock value has dropped by half. Stock prices can fluctuate for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is over or under valuation adjustments. In a world fraught with new ideas beat out by newer ideas and market players always hungry for the next big thing, stocks can carry earnings ratios that are madly off the norm for years before correcting. For reference, Groupon stock took a nosedive over a 1 year period in the past, from more than $26 per share to less than $3. They didn't go out of business then and a year later the price had more than tripled. The company could get buried by a new player or concept tomorrow, or could bury all the competition because of a new concept it develops tomorrow. That's the world of tech stocks and why wild swings have little to do with a company's future viability or profitability. BTW Brean Capital just gave Groupon a "buy" rating yesterday, saying the stock is undervalued based on recent sales. Yeah, take a look at the stock price today, big jump...earnings/revenue beat, positive analyst view plus upgrades.....I initially got in when it was in the $3 range, recently added some in the $5-6 range...sure, it's a gamble, but then so is life...

Even before I was a rigger I was informed that the AAD must be airworthy during the entire repack cycle. This came up in regards to battery replacement. I questioned why I was going to lose a couple of months of battery life (replacing it at like 1 yr, 10 mos) because of the timing of the repack. If one takes the most conservative interpretation of the FARs/ACs and only packs a rig if the AAD is airworthy during the entire repack cycle, then you're on solid ground with the feds. Hanging your hat on notations on the PDC, depending on the jumper to follow-thru on maint, etc is putting yourself out there. Why take the risk? If you keep things simple and say, "Your rig is good for 180 days, go have fun.", then you're in a much better position. A rigger can twist, spin, interpret things all they want to justify why they did something, but at the end of the day if you get called on it, you may have some "splaining" to do. It's not worth it. "But I thought..." isn't going to hold up in court.

Hmm, responsible adults, er skydivers...boogie coming up, travel booked...reserve is in-date but I forgot about that pesky AAD service...guess I need to cancel my plans...yeah, right...anyone ever been questioned about AAD service during a gear check when registering for a boogie...me either...they just look at when it was last packed... Let us know how that policy works out for you when the feds come knocking, eh... ................................................................................ Back to my last post .... If the rigger writes on the packing data card "Cypres retires October 2014" the boogie manifest should notice when they do gear checks. Hmm, lots of people lined up to register, get their gear checked and jump...the DZ staff just wants to get people processed as quickly as possible..."should" is very subjective. They're not examining the packing data card for AAD maintenance, service bulletin compliance or anything out of the ordinary...just the last pack date.....maybe in a perfect world...

In some European countries, with a 365 day cycle, one might be trying to screw a customer out of nearly a year of their AAD life if using that philosophy. Heck you can't guarantee a customer won't keep jumping your reserve pack job past 180 days at a DZ without strict repack checks, or have a main-reserve entanglement due to a low pull, or fill the reserve container with sand, or bake the rig in a closed car in summer in Arizona, or jump with a wet reserve after a pond landing.... or whatever. But I guess we all choose our own exposure to risk. Edit: Trying to be helpful here and not just dismissive --- At least if the customer disregards your AAD expiry instructions, plus notations on the reserve card, it is pretty clear who is at fault. Print it on his invoice if you want and keep a copy so your warning is on record. Any rigger could have a customer snivel in with a not fully inflated reserve after an AAD fire and have relatives of the deceased come after you. In comparison, I would hope you are pretty well covered for liability if you can show you told the customer what date the rig is no longer current. As mentioned, one could offer to do the repack without the AAD while it's out for service... I'm going to follow the law, even if it means I'm applying the most conservative view of it. When I do a repack, I'm saying it's good for the full 180-day cycle, with no interim maintenance required. If they keep jumping it after 180 days, it's not the rigger's problem. Your other comments don't even enter into the conversation...

What do you do if the rig is not back for repack on day #181? Mark You're not responsible for an out-of-date rig...

Hmm, responsible adults, er skydivers...boogie coming up, travel booked...reserve is in-date but I forgot about that pesky AAD service...guess I need to cancel my plans...yeah, right...anyone ever been questioned about AAD service during a gear check when registering for a boogie...me either...they just look at when it was last packed... Let us know how that policy works out for you when the feds come knocking, eh...

Your first option, plus offer to repack the rig so he can continue to use it. Otherwise, decline the repack altogether. I personally won't repack a rig unless the AAD is serviceable for the entire 180 day cycle. I can't trust that the jumper will follow through on the required maintenance. In regards to others' comments, annotations on the packing data card are meaningless and unenforceable. You'd be putting yourself at risk.

Wow, why not?

Although good point, what does that have to do with terminal openings? Full altitude/terminal jump = likely lots of traffic Hop 'n pop for swooping = likely less traffic

Along with the Mirage...

I can't say enough great things about the Curv!! It fits like a glove and all the features are standard. And it's sexy! I have a Vc2 for freeflying and a Vc3 primarily for wingsuit jumps. No problems with the reserve pin flap on either. I've used the Vc3 for freeflying as well. Just got it a month ago, so it likely has any fixes. Plus, I'm a rigger and I do put more material in the upper part of the freebag anyway, per their seminars at the PIA Symposium last year. I've been an RI customer since the late 90s, with three Talon 2s over the years. Best products and customer service out there, no question.

Is this open to any jumper, or just KS students/alumni?

If you fold the sides of the riser end inward appropriately (equal on both sides), finesse the SLink tab in the center between the sides, then "set" the SLink with some good tugs, the side folds should trap the tab. It's been working for me. I don't tack main or reserve risers.

Get a Voodoo Curv instead...it only comes with stainless steel h/w, along with Type-12 webbing sewn onto the Type-7 leg straps to eliminate the slippage problem.

But if you know one has a vulnerability that could cause it to fail when needed, and the 70+ year old solution is tried and proven, why change?? Just askin... JW I emailed Bill and Mark at UPT about it last year and never received a response...I have several concerns over using Spectra for a reserve ripcord...some of which have already been brought up in this thread...all it's gonna take is one incident...

Try PD. I've gotten scrap pieces from them in the past. You can probably buy first-quality new as well.

LOL...I'm just a satisfied customer and happy to share my experience and help others out... :o)

You could check into buying from Square 2 in Eloy, AZ to avoid the sales tax... :o) BTW, 15% off the Mirage at Square 1. Other rigs up to 25% off.

While you might be able to get a better price somewhere else, whatever small amount you might be saving is worth paying for the outstanding customer service Mike and his team is offering.. especially if there is a problem with whatever custom-made gear you bought... Mike will go out of his way to solve it for you! I've bought 2 complete systems from Mike and I think we probably reached 60-70 emails both times from contact was initiated until gear was in hand - all of the mails were more than timely replied to, often within the hour (as many others also point out) and always with the feeling that they were happy to help.. I won't go anywhere else for new gear, even if there a buck or two to save... Alex I shop for price and customer service, and have been happy with both from Square 1 and SSK. Couple of emails and phone calls for my latest order, done deal. Give Jackie a ring at Square 1.