lilchief

Moist! =D Whenever I've been shooting film with the 7, I've used 720p @ 50fps to aviod jellying when the object is moving fast. Please post the new vid when you've completed it. would be really nice to compare 24fps tp 60fps =) But what I dislike so far is that the IS is not activated when you film. It's really annoying.. =/ "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

I've not been able to test our my 7D with 50fps@720p. Have you seen any footage from it? is it usable? how is it compared to CX100 footage? "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

you're absolutely right! Navigator, Shiluette, Electra have all been made from ZP top skin and F-111 bottom skin and ribs. That have proven to hold up very good. It doesn't suprise me that the Pulse is performing very well. As long as the top skin is airtight, then the canopy will performe well(of course, after time the F-111 will give less support and degrade the canopy's performance slightly). But when pressure is lost out through the top skin, performance is lost. "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

There are several more experienced riggers here that might comment more accurately then me, but I'll answer your question. I believe that 700lb HMA will most likely last 500 jumps on a pilot. You'll extend the lifespan of the lines to their max potential by packing for smooth openings. The faster and harder the opening, the greater heat generation will occur on the slider grommets and they'll start wear out/melt the lowest part of your lines(1" over the softlinks), softlinks, and maybe even your risers. But what I'm explaining to you now is what I've seen on canopies with HMA smaller then 135 and loaded more than 1,6. I haven't seen much of these damages on Pilots with HMA since they are still somewhat rare where I've been packing. Spectra lines will shrink, but is also able to be streached almost back to it's original length. With nice openings(not hard or fast) the shrinkage will happen later, maybe after 500 jumps or so. The significant shrinkage will not be noticeable until at the end of the lifespan on the lines. Take that into consideration and remember that you'll probably not do more then 300 jumps on that canopy before changing it to something else. (With HMA that will mean that the next skydiver will most likely have to replace the lines during the time he/she has it, or in order to sell it again). The info you have found regarding HMA is correct. I can't see anything else that you need to know. So it's more like the next skydivers problem =P I'd recommend you to go with spectra lines since we know how much they last. HMA may snap early or last for a longer time, but I guess that other Master riggers may give you a better feedback on what to choose. =) "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

That were my first thought to. But seeing them in use and speaking with the skydivers I'm confident in my opinion. All of them had more then 500 jumps, but most of them had more then 1500 jumps and competing i FS or FF in this world cup. Some of them changes to their old canopies. But yes, we may discuss a lot how much their individual skills with canopy flying would affect the outcome. I wish I had the opportunity to jump different ZPX and ZP canopies in varoius sizes to see for my self and compare them. That would have been a good way to pass judgment on general level. But in the end we all need to se for our selv and make up our own mind. I'd really like to try the Sensei in ZP to see if it's just the canopy or the material, but I haven't found anyone around me yet. The Pilot I've flown a lot in various sizes and I remembered that they had different flare characteristics then the Sabre. But they did come to a full stop without issues. "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

I was talking about for PD's non coated 500lb HMA. 300LB is only for those special interested, and they know what they are getting. The normal skydiver is using 500lb HMA, and I've seen Pilots with them. I can't understand why Pilots are fitted with HMA when HMA is more expensive and doesn't yield any increase in performance compared to Spectra. I've never jumped or monitored coated HMA, so I can't comment on that. "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

I've jumped the Sensei 101 last year once, så my personal feel i limited. but, I've seen this year many canopies that have been jumped with ZPX and spoke with the jumpers. My conclusion based on what they said and what I saw is that ZPX is not holding up. ZPX is strechy and not that "ZP" as they've markeded/hoped/anticipated. I've seen lightly loaded Pilots to Sensei's @ 2.3 WL that have stalled upon landing, still with forward speed, causing the jumper to run and stumbel or even fall(not hard). It just seems that the ZPX can't keep the same cell pressure as standard ZP. What I felt on the single jump i did with the Sensei, is that I reached stall point with still enough forward speed that I really had to run it to keep up with it. Others that were used to Velocity canopies experienced the same thing. And no, it wasn't because they've got different flare, it was because the Sensei with ZPX actually stalled before it was shut down. But I'd guess that with a better coating it will be more airtight and perform better. But then it wouldn't pack that lite. Another thing I've noticed this summer is that HMA suspension lines will last as little as 250ish jumps on a katana or Velo. I wouldn't recommend HMA for anyone that doesn't practice swooping. It hasn't to do with danger, just that you would have to reline your entire canopy anything between 250-500 jumps. Control lines maybe as little as 120-150 jumps. if you can afford it, then go for it. If not, use spectra on semi-elliptical/rectangular canopies and Vectran for those who like speed and fast canopies, but can't/won't afford reline every 250 jumps. just my 2 cents..

Throwing in my 2 cents about it... I saw it when I was in Czech republic 2 weeks ago. It is snug fit and good looking. it will also protect against wall bumps and still lets you easy access buttons and screen. it also may suffer a severe bump to. The flaws I saw compared to their blackbox is weather protection in freefall and bumps towards pointed objects(like corners and edges). It you hit anything other then a flat surface you might damage your camera. But with a proper positioning and careful movement of the helmet on ground/in air, that might not be an issue. i've got the blackbox since it protects the camera against the elements and for all strikes(as long as it's not to hard) against it. But it's slightly more bulky then the cage. Edit: due to spelling "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

1) Don't crash! 2) use toggles to dig out 3) Canopy courses! 4) Listen to those who are able to land consistently(>10 jumps) on the same approach with a swoopmachine 5) Get a Samurai 105! opens 10 times better then the vengence and is also airlocked. 6) Don't do more then 450 rotations(preferably only 270). Otherwise you'll have to get so low to hit perfect that you're almost to low everytime(I did 630's and crashed after some time) 7) get a digital altimeter and keep it on your mudflap. It's perfect for accurate setups 8) Calm down...You still learn how to swoop even if you don't do a hookturn. better to bust one landing and walk away then get airlifted away. =/ 9) Smile

how much on lines are left free after the last linestow? I got a tip from PDFT to leave 3-4ft from the bag to the riseres when I had a linetwist on my stiletto ones. just my 2 cents..... "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

Thanks! I did actually use sandpaper on the edges to prevent it, but I may add some silicone or the classic ductap ;) They don't touch the edges here on the ground, but I assume that they do during the freefall. =) "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

stayed there one week as a cameraman for a 4wy FS team. The DZ is nice with an enormous landingarea and many outs if you're landing out. Thay also have a terrace where people may sit and watch others jump and land. The food is also nice and the cafe turns into a bar after jumping. There's always people at the DZ sharing beer after the last load. I didn't sleep at the DZ so I can't comment the bunkhous facility. But they also have a nice packingarea. It's very active during weekends with many tandems, but duing the weekdays is more slow and relaxed. If you show up as a funjmper the weekends would be best. But if you're a team you could do many jumps in a week. Check with them when you plan your trip and see if there's any others teams around when you plan on going there. It will help you out getting more jumps since the plane will be fuller. I did enjoy the stay and would recommend the DZ for everyone.

Nice! ..ops! =D I can't come up with an idea to you that might work as a deflector, but good luck and post it here so other's may copy it =) "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

It's more of a bragging then helping you, but I couldn't resist showing off the best setup I've seen so far(cuz I made it ). but you mentioned that you've finished your last 2 exams? Does that mean you've got a job that pays well? In that case..get a CX 150/155 and drop the HC5. It's lighter, more compact and DV tapes is a hassle compared to flash. I'll never regret going digital after ditching my PC350 for the CX 100(105 here in Norway). It'll also save your neck after a hard day with 10-15 tandem/RW/AFF/what.not jumps. As to getting the connector slimmer: I like to think that they thought of it while making the Hypeye, but fell for the shape when considering the brutal punishment we put our equipment through and that it needs to be easy to grab. That said....it should be possible to strip the plastic housing around the cables and make it slimmer. But then again you might end up getting a super fragile component that might break at the worst possible time ;) "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

They changed my USB-altritrack communitcator from a 32-bit os compatilbe to a 64-bit os compatible free of charge! I love those guys...that's why I've got Jumptrack, Altri-track, Viso, Optima and Solo... =P "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

forgot to add..if you have a photo store nearby, stop by and bring your XS and try the different lenses out. You might even manage to rent them for a day. Take some pic's and see what you think.. "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

As Dragon says, you've got the 15mm, 10mm and 8mm lenses. as for Fisheye, you may get the super circular fisheye with a 8/10mm lens. the 15 you'll get a "normal" field of view as what you see with your own eyes. There's also the Canon 10-22mm and Sigma 10-20 and I bet Tamron or Tokina has something similar. First I'd recommend you prime(fixed focal length) because they tend to perform better then zoom(almost entirely correct). 15mm is my choice, and there fore I recommend 15mm. And you're not that likely to change the focal length anyway. I started with the Rebel kit lens, then a sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6, then the Sigma 15mm f2.8 and finally Canon 15mm f2.8. I've also used my 28-80mm on my 40D for different situations. The other benefit with a 15mm is that you get f2.8 which under poor light condition will allow much more light inn then a f4. I've rarely had that issue since I've not jumped in that poor light that I had to relay on f2.8. but when you go lower on the apperature, then your depth of field(DOF=distance where you'll have the motive in focus) gets narrower and you relay more on the autofocus. I found that the sigma 15mm f2.8 AF was not as fast as I hoped, causing me to loose exitshots on tandems. I therefore this spring upgraded to the Canon EF 15mm f2.8, which has a far superior AF, IMO. as for DOF, check this one out: http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

Ozone/ROK.. "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

alriiight! and for some reason, all of a sudden the PD homepage is filled with OP pictures...I wonder why... "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

silly answer, but it's the best: FLy your body before just adding drag. A lot of drag will reduce fall rate, but also limits your ability to move around in the sky. Of course you will be able to move around, you're not going to be stuck up there. But it will be slower and not as clean as with a less baggy suit. With that said, suit makers are skilled and will help you out with adding drag if you point out our high fall rate. Cotton font and maybe cordura on some parts. But I wouldn't recommend getting a pricy first suit out of 2 reasons: you're more likely to land rough in the beginning and after getting some more jumps you'll know more what you like, and not like. It's hard to fall faster then the others, cause it's not fun looking up at them all the time =P I've done it my self... my best advice would be to train effectively and get coaching in both RW and FF. Good luck

..I'm just a photographer "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

Can you determine how many jumps the rigs have or how many jumps from innstalling a new droige/bag before ear begins? "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

One side says: "My shit works best!" The other side says; "My shit works better!" Customers say: "We don't know!!! And we don't want to fin out if it works!" Conspirators says: "well, they didn't to that test THAT way regarding THAT parameter, because their shit would fail" I say... :"Fuck it..let's just pull a little higher, don't jump under influence, don't cut any corners and hopefully we'll reduce the chances that we will put the testing and theory to the final test as test dummies...with a fast pulse". "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

Try BH Photo in NY "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no

+1 Adding a cam take away your attention! That's critical in some cases...a GoPro or Contour will easily break if snaged, but some of the already reduced brain capacity will be used purley for filming. If not...why bring the cam? ..my 2 cents.. "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci www.lilchief.no