DSE

I've had this a couple of times when I've used less than new batteries (My school has eight units). Replacing with fresh batteries, and cleaning the contacts with an eraser has solved the problem. I hope yours is as simple. There have been two times that the battery has been at half mark after sitting in a box for a while, and then goes dead on a climb. I can only assume that the length of time running and not being actually turned off, has caused the unit to think it has battery juice when in fact, it does not. Did you have it turned off each time between those jumps? I've found the batteries are good for about 800 jumps

I call BS. Never a riser pop in 1000 jumps on a Curv, and never a toggle fire in 6000 jumps on RI gear. Nor have I heard of one from any one jumping RI gear. The design not only reduces the risk of toggle fire, it essentially eliminates the opportunity.

rules have been added to the SCM: http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/Downloads/SCM_ch13.pdf

"Tape is dead" doesn't mean you can't use it. But...very few computers come with firewire any longer, and that's the only way to get DV off a camera (unless you use analog mixer and composite output, which makes "bad" look much worse). The bigger question is whether your DZ can even ingest DV for editing, or if they'll allow it. I wouldn't. Standard definition is entirely dead, most people have HD displays. HD is on its last legs as well, with 4K growing 6X more rapidly than most believed it would.

Wendy answered it really well. Think of driving...although the license you have allows you to drive in other countries, the signs, side of the road, speeds, and how to manage yourself in congested traffic are likely all different. No two dropzones are completely the same, so you want to be prepared for those small (and sometimes large) changes. Some DZ's absolutely demand an AAD. Other's don't. Some require helmets, others don't. Some will have a First Man Down rule, others may have a mandatory direction while others have no directional rule at all. I'm regularly jumping in another country and it's a challenge to see the difference in rules, observance of rules, patterns (or lack thereof), and even gutter gear with duct tape on it that no S&TA would allow on a US DZ. YMMV. The cool thing is that the more you travel and jump, the more your comfort level will grow and provide you with better decision-making tools/experiences.

Thanks DSE. I had no idea, even using the online manual. Does this mean I'll still be better off using a 60 minute tape vs a 2gb stick? ps I have Laci at the DZ if need be You're mixing a few "metaphors" here. Let's start with the premise that tape is dead. Period. Over. Gone. You're currently shooting DV which is not only dead, it's rotted and decomposed in its grave of about 8 years ago. Kudos for keeping it breathing this long. Next...modern cameras shoot a variety of "bitrates." This is how much data is written to the card every second. Frankly, you needn't worry too much about bitrate, but the way you phrased your original question, I answered with a technical answer. So... Own an 8GB stick. That'll give you slightly over an hour of storage space with any of the standard modern cameras. Just be sure to dump your video to the Laci at the end of the day, and be sure to reformat your card in the camera at the beginning of each day. Or be like most people and have multiple cards, and forget which card you used on which day and confuse yourself from time to time.

The HC 36 is a DV camera. DV is 12.6GB per hour (13GB) Bitrate isn't a conversation in DV, as it is 25Mbps (which is why it was known as DV25)

It depends on which camera you get, and whether or not it has variable bitrates. An HDV tape used 13GB per hour. An AVCHD @ 16Mbps is about 9GB, depending on content.

What a terrific article! Thank you for sharing. This will be good for a training piece/safety day.

A7RII is 40+ megapixels, the growth in this technology is mind blowing. It's not just the pixel count; it's the incredibly fast focus, the internal processing/noise redux, the very fast refresh...there are so many things the video side of Sony brings to the still photography world... They've done this one well.

It's happening in droves. If I wasn't so deeply vested in EF/L, I'd drop my canon gear in a fairy breath to move everything over to E-mount Sony. I have already begun that investment, and zero regrets. My 5DmkII hasn't been touched in a couple of months, whereas I've used the NEX for several shoots, plus a couple in the air. I'm really excited about the A7R for a bigger camera as well. The thing is, Canon and Nikon simply cannot keep up with the video companies now moving into stills. Sony is the new prince of stills, aiming to be the king. They build around 30% of the imagers found in various cameras as it is...so they already had a solid foundation on which to build.

It's slow and trimmed steep and at light loads the flare is weak. If not timed just right it'll drop pretty quick. At higher loads, it's great. There is nothing "docile" about the canopy at higher loadings; John LeBlanc described it as a "7 cell Katana" at PIA a couple of years ago.

I did a bunch of jumps on the Storm (CRW loaded at 1.33) canopies and was very impressed with them. So, I demo'd the sport version (various wing loadings) and really liked they way they flew/opened/landed. It's my understanding that Wingsuiters have over 200 skydives. That's why, at a reasonable wing loading, I thought a Storm would be a good choice. Not being a wingsuiter, I defer to your expertise. Again, I agree that wing loading my be the key here. I love the Storm. I don't care for how it lands at 1:1, but at 1.3 or higher, it's a terrific canopy. I'm at 1.5 and have really enjoyed it. Neither of the above wingloadings are necessarily good for newer skydivers, and at 200 jumps, one is very much a newer skydiver. Especially in higher altitudes.

Exactly. It's essentially a 7 cell Katana. You'd recommend a Katana to a low-time jumper?

A Sabre II at equal wingloading to a Storm would not be more aggressive. I have both, with at least 1000 jumps on the SabreII, and triple that on the Storm. There is nothing 'boring' about the Storm. To the OP, talk to PD about why they rate it as it is. Or, spend some time searching the forums. You'll find several posts from many people who have actually flown the Storm. You'll find several posts explaining why it's not an ideal first canopy. PD will send out a demo, but you'd do well to have an email or phone conversation with them first.

With all three coaches having taken a position either on a podium or the US Parachute team, this is a terrific opportunity if you can make it to CSC!

I agree about the Sabre 1 being a great wingsuit canopy; most would tell you right off that the Crossfire is a terrible choice for wingsuiting. Sure, some people use them. Jonathan Tagle consistently defended his use of his Velo, too. In spite of double-digit cutaways with it.

Rob, I have both Storm and Pulse in a 170 :) THey're in my student kits. The Pulse is a great canopy for packing and long glide. It wants a long area in which to land, and isn't ideal for zipping in and hitting a target. The Pulse doesn't do so well at high W/L, either IMO. The Storm is fast, but shuts down equally fast. I'd choose the Storm. The heavier the W/L, the better she flies and shuts down. If you get to Toronto...you're welcome to take both for a ride.

The FAI (and USPA) definition of suit size/class are tied to the wingroot and where it joins the body.

Who is training these TI's? Is there a rated USPA examiner doing the training, or is it a DZO that has a lot of experience in the sport acting as an examiner? Is it a local guy that has a lot of history, maybe a manufacturer employee? Former USPA Examiner? If what you're saying is accurate, somewhere, somehow someone with a rating would likely be overseeing this process.

The Storm is trimmed somewhat aggressively. Without going to PD's site to dig into their recommendations, it's not something a low-time skydiver would want to be under, wingsuit or not. Yes, it's a very manageable wing, but it has a very positive flare, not a trait you'll see in newer skydivers (amongst other features).

If it's a local comp, then the host/organizer (technically Meet Director) can decide. The system is set up to allow whatever the meet director wants to do. Perhaps it's only tracking and small wingsuits (there was recently a meet where all WS were of one size). If it's a USPA Nationals event (there aren't regional events yet), then the Meet Director decides. Every association/organization out there can decide what they'd like to do. For example, if CSPA or APF wanted to host only intermediate suits, they could. Complicated enough for you? The short of it is, this is controlled at local, national (NAC), and FAI levels, and it really boils down to what each event group chooses to do. I'd imagine this will flesh out with more of a fixed being at some future point in time, but with so many governing bodies and/or associations around the world, it'll take time for standards to form.

Where is the like button on this post?

Not that Im' permitted to share. The one I expected was supposed to be a production model; it's not. It's a pre-production model. On August 27, I'll be doing a seminar with a "real one," so I'm told, and I'm not permitted for NDA reasons, to comment much on Pre-pro models. For the cost, it's an amazing camera (even if I don't have all the firmware), but until I see a "real" one... Sad thing is, like the A7R, they're already shipping in some places. Unfortunately, the pub staff don't always get the shipping models before the retailers do.

you might want to ask this in the wingsuit forum. However, you'll likely have better openings with a wingsuit and Spectre. I jump Storms (either 135 or 150s, rig dependent), and prefer them over the Spectre. However, at your lower jump number, the Storm might be a bit too aggressive. The Spectre is an ideal wingsuit canopy, IMO.