AHoyThere

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Everything posted by AHoyThere

  1. http://www.exitequipment.com/switches_xq025.html
  2. That's what I was thinking. Especially with a nice, big, heavy 5DmkII like that one. Something like this... https://www.chutingstar.com/skydive/stock-tonfly-cc2-skydiving-camera-helmet or this... https://www.chutingstar.com/skydive/bonehead-flat-top-pro or this... https://www.chutingstar.com/skydive/vapor-wes-pro-3431 Good luck.
  3. This is the latest revision of my FTP. The new top plate is custom made. It is made out of 1/4" Lexan. The main thing it does is offer a lot of flexibility. I'm planning to mostly use the Sony a6000 for stills and Sony FDR-x1000v for video. I'm planning to get a wider lens for the a6000 so that the angle of view will match the x1000v a little better. If I wanted to add a 2nd video or if something happened to the x1000, then I can add the GoPro very quick and easily. If something happened to the a6000, I can put on my older DSLR. If I wanted to, I can take off the new x1000v and jump with the older CX150 or even older CX100 for a more narrow FOV. If for some reason I wanted to jump with two still cameras, I can mount both the DSLR and a6000 at the same time. Run one with a hand switch and the other with a mouth switch. Now all we need some good weather so we can start jumping. Smile at the camera(s).
  4. Maybe you can find something here that could help... http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/192273-REG/Hama_HA_5131_Extra_Long_Screw_15mm.html/prm/alsVwDtl Good luck.
  5. Here is a picture of me working the other day. Too much fun. https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B1Afb_rxqejPUVAyQ29mb2Jtazg&usp=sharing
  6. With my FTP, I just use a pair of Safety Glasses. They fit tight and I even wear them while wearing contact lenses. Never had a problem with them. This is a link to the model that I like best. I buy them at the local hardware store. But seeing this price is so much less, I might have to mail order some if they ever wear out. http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/safety/vision/eyewear/virtua-clear-temples-clear-lens-anti-fog-11329-00000-20?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=CjgKEAjwuMmdBRDljdfi2_qQpxkSJADDCRwsdbVKwBpcQyab2eu7OuT8fbthRy-BtpggRAAxOoD8-fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
  7. I store everything on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device in my house. I haven't gone down the Cloud Based Backup service route yet. But there are some options there that are becoming more affordable. The NAS has four 1 TB drives in a RAID 5 which gives a little bit of redundancy in case of a drive failure and almost 3TB of usable storage space. I set up a new folder each year. The folder name is simply the year (ex. '2014') and then sub folders by date for every day that I take any pictures or video. Those folder names include the full date in yyyy-mm-dd format with a short descriptor of type of footage and location. (ex. 2014-05-30-skydive-psi) Subordinate to those daily folders, I create more sub folders to manage my work flow. It depends on what I'm doing. If I've been shooting Tandem Vids, then the sub folders usually include the names of the customers that I shot. I'll create those folder names prefaced with a 2 digit number so that I can keep the customers listed in the order that I shot them throughout the day. 01-Jimmy 02-Jenny 03-Johnny The other types of sub-folders I create may include 'vid', 'stills', 'Review', 'Vegas', 'Small', 'Final', 'RAW', etc. It varies though, depending on what I'm doing.
  8. I think the main thing is to get them involved with some task. I've always said that skydiving is a participatory sport, not a spectator sport. A spectator can only see so many canopies land before they get bored. Most of the ideas for kids have already been listed. Teach them to pack. 'Catch' tandems. Babysit for other DZ staff who have young kids. Help unharness tandems when they come back in. Learn to edit videos. The non-jumping things they can do will vary with age, responsible-ness, interest, ability, etc. Good luck.
  9. Thanks for posting that. Looks like a lot of work that someone went through to put that together. This spring I'm going to switch from a 7D to the a6000. http://camerasize.com/compare/#154,535
  10. And this shutter release adapter ... http://www.gethypoxic.com/...0&category_id=13 The Sony version of a wired switch... http://store.sony.com/remote-control-with-multi-terminal-cable-zid27-RMVPR1/cat-27-catid-All-Cameras-Alpha-DSLR-Accessories Cheers
  11. Just planning to keep the Canon Lenses with Canon bodies. But it's good to know the option is out there. In some regard, two of these cameras would not be too bad. One for stills and a second one for video. But there's no Hypeye for a camera like this. Is there?
  12. It's time to get a different still camera. This post got me looking at the newly announced Sony a6000. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4599050#4599050 So, what would be wrong with using this camera... http://store.sony.com/mirrorless-dslr-camera-zid27-ILCE6000/B/cat-27-catid-All-Alpha-a6000-Cameras?_t=pfm%3Dcategory With this lens... http://store.sony.com/20mm-f-2.8-wide-angle-lens-zid27-SEL20F28/cat-27-catid-All-Alpha-a6000-Cameras?_t=pfm%3Dproduct_cross_sell%26pfmvalue%3D27-SEL20F28 And this shutter release adapter? http://www.gethypoxic.com/browse/still-camera-switches.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=150&category_id=13 Any thoughts on this set up? Good? Bad? Pros / Con? Fast focus, light weight, fast frames per second shutter release. I'm not seeing a whole lot that can go wrong with this setup. It's just different from the standard Canon DSLR's that I've always used. I don't really know anything about 'mirrorless' cameras. And my Canon lenses won't work on this camera without an adapter. But I'd use it as a dedicated freefall still camera. What do you think?
  13. Maybe this should be posted in the 'History' section? Anyway... On this day thirty years ago, I made my very first skydive out of an airplane. It was a wimpy little 172. We pounded in under a 26 ft capewell attached Paracommander and wearing a belly wart reserve. It’s been a great journey so far. If given the chance to do it all again, there is very little that I would change. I often think back in wonder at all the amazing things I’ve had the opportunity to do and the people I’ve met along the way and all of those things either directly or indirectly attributable to this thing called skydiving. On Saturday we had good friends join us as we built a 12 person ’30 Way’ out of our Caravan. The six person ‘3’ and six person ‘0’ built on the very first try. Great memories of this day will never be forgotten. Thanks to everyone who made it such a special event and memorable day.
  14. I'm going to be near Moab soon to visit some friends. While I'm in the area, I'd like to make some fun jumps. (Sorry that I can't go during the M.O.A.B. boogie.) I see the following DZ's ... Skydive Moab Skydive Canyonlands Where is the best place to go? Is there any other DZ to consider? Thanks much.
  15. I'm driving a 1990 Honda Civic that I bought used in 1992 for $4k. I just learned that if you register the same car for 20 years in a row, that the county will give you a free set of brand new license plates. After 22 years though, my Honda only has about 240,000 miles on it.
  16. I wear safety glasses with my FTP. They work real well for me. http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/555386-virtua_safety_glasses.html#.UFIwv43N-Xs I wear contact lenses when jumping and I haven't lost a contact yet while wearing these. They are cheap and the safety glasses have stronger hinges than other cheap glasses. My helmet fits so tight that I just shove those in place when ready to jump and they stay very securely in place.
  17. Good job John Mitchell. Good job.
  18. Don't give up. We have pages and pages of threads talking about downsizing too soon. Putting on cameras too soon. Doing demos too soon. Chasing tandems too soon. Jumping from Balloons too soon. Swooping too soon. Doing BASE too soon. Doing wing suits too soon. And doing any of these without proper instruction from those more experienced. There has been a lot written about all of these other extensions above and beyond the basic skydive. But very little has been written cautioning jumpers about the risks, dangers, and preparations that should be given consideration in preparing for doing a stunt like this. That's why the blanket 'fail' statement wasn't enough. In the case of a Mr. Bill dive, if the jumpers haven't done hundreds of Hop-n-Pops, in order to make sure that they can exit stable every single time, then they should probably make a few hundred (or many more) hop-n-pops before even considering a stunt like this. What should be the correct actions to take if the exit goes unstable? What extra equipment is needed (hook knives), etc? If you even think there is a chance that you might go unstable with the exit or end up head down on the exit, then don't even think about trying a Mr. Bill. It is fun to try new things as we continue gaining experience. That's why there are so many different disciplines and why this is such a great sport. Hopefully the old timers on these forums can keep on doing what they can to keeping it safe.
  19. I thought that ruined the whole thing. It was crude and unnecessary, and spoiled the amazing mood of the video. It's a lousy distraction to see a beautiful woman doing something so amazing, and then to spoil it with crude hand gestures like that. In my humble old-fart opinion. You may all now commence to tell me how horrible I am, and those of you who agree with me may now commence to cower in silence to avoid looking un-cool like me. Sorry. The 'hand gesture' thing has become a bit of a sub-culture, 'Term of Endearment' at this DZ. Not sure how it started over the last couple of years. I think it is an extension of the 'Him, him... f# him" chant. Utterly crude but has a frequent presence at many a dz. Some of the newer jumpers have been working at getting their pics for their FB page etc. of them backing out of the door on exit displaying the gesture. At a lot of drop zones, there are a lot of little traditions that get established. Not sure how this tradition(?) became established at this DZ. As a card carrying member of the Old Guy club, I hear you loud and clear. Kids these days, I tell you.
  20. Hey Gary, Thanks for the props on the vid. It was something we've been wanting to do for a LONG time and finally got around to trying it. It was a lot of fun and just wanted to share it. I thought John did a great job with editing the vid. When you going to come visit us again?
  21. Well, this is something that we don't get to do every day. And the bonus was, it worked!!! And the video turned out pretty cool too. Just had to share. Enjoy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMOupXmAJno&feature=relmfu