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Everything posted by DSE
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New action cam model from Sony , AS100V
DSE replied to padraigbrowne's topic in Photography and Video
Using ND filter to reduce jello: How to make it video here: http://youtu.be/L5o3m90zTQg Results video here: http://youtu.be/PgldwfAJB1s DSE mentioned this earlier. Seems to me that it works just fine (even with 4 f-stops lost and on overcast day like on that video). Now, does anyone have 4x4 inches of Neutral density lighting gel to spare? Sheet costs 5$ on BHphoto, but shipping it here is 120$ Write to Rosco. Ask them for a few demo rings/gel samples of their gel. The demo ring contains strips of every color/type they make. Each strip will make three gels for the GoPro or Sony camera if you use a US nickel for a template. Toss in an Xacto knife and a slow cut, you're home free. They look like this: http://learnmorephoto.com/images/roscolux-160x160.jpg -
VeRY cool! Thanks for sharing the script and setup protocol. I can't see this working for a large DZ (it's not common to find fat pipes where big DZ's operate), but for smaller DZ's, it's a great solution!
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Rich Winstock Swoop Incident Cover-Up
DSE replied to skydived19006's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
Congrats to: W. L. "Jay" Stokes 3427 Kirk Verner 2592 Mike McGowan 2342 Sherry Butcher 2295 Mike Mullins 2261 Larry Hill 2012 Jan Meyer 1980 Thomas J. Noonan III 1728 All very good people, all highly qualified. -
You're welcome! Forgive me, I was referring to other candidates. It was an appreciated surprise to see you there, too.
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Are you an Anarchist? Who would represent American skydiving to the FAI? Who would issue credentials? Who would train instructors? And most importantly, who would there be left to complain about? Who would represent skydivers to the FAA? Who would work diligently to protect small airport operations on public airfields? Who would keep the NAA in line? Who would lobby for us in DC? I once had an opinion that the USPA wasnt' all that. And then I became involved, informed, and of a different opinion. Having had the experience of working with a couple of NACs over the past couple of years....USPA may not be perfect, but it's much more close to perfect than many believe. Bear in mind too, there is a significant difference between the BOD and the admin of USPA. The Admin people are all professionals, working to do the bidding of the BOD, who are obligated to represent the membership who elected them. Generally, the board does what the membership asks for. Occasionally, they don't. Charlie is right; new blood will enrich the board. Some board members haven't jumped in years, and only serve their own DZ's. Other BOD members jump their tails off. FWIW, it was super to see two candidates for the BOD make the trek to USPA Wingsuit Nationals, and shake hands with the competitors, meeting them in person.
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Why doesn't that surprise me? Wait...I've watched you sleep (multiple times) in BOD meetings. One time, a few of us in the front row chuckled when you snored. You're sitting in the meetings; if you've really not noticed a couple of these things, then your region might suspect an issue of attentiveness. What else might have you missed? You were sitting next to the BOD member (no longer sitting) whom I assisted in walking out of the room to vomit (Scottsdale) and commented as I helped walk around the hotel. You were present in Reno and San Diego when other 'moments' occurred. How could you possibly not have been aware?
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I could, but I decline. Oh FFS, Spot. Either share facts or don't. This "I'm going to throw out just enough gossip to show that I am more in the know than you" routine wasn't really that clever in junior high when the mean girls did it.
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There is a difference, in my view, between "discussing candidates and their platforms" and people posting "don't vote for this guy because he did this, that, or the other thing." Or verbally reducing them to dust. Or turning something they didn't do into something they did do, because someone on the internet said so. Every single member of the board has warts. Some of them more huge than others, but I've yet to meet a member of the BOD that doesn't have SOMETHING that nobody would like. They're people. They make mistakes in both personal and professional lives.
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I could, but I decline. A-A couple of them are no longer on the board. One of them isn't a skydiver any longer because he lost everything when he was burned at the stake on the internet, and I find that reprehensible. B-While there are a few people that believe that outing someone on a website like this is morally/ethically acceptable, I'm not one of them. It's one thing to bring to light truths about our organization (and it's got flaws enough of its own), its another thing entirely to (often anonymously) attempt to destroy someone else's reputation over the internet. You're invited to attend a few BOD meetings and come to your own conclusions of who is and isn't contributing to the forward progress of our sport. There are often two sides to every story, and not everyone chooses to tell their story here on Dz.com. And its not my job to force them here to defend themselves.
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FWIW, I don't know that it's possible for the board to hold themselves to the standard they expect from us, nor what we expect of them. One candidate in this year's election, was shown to be flying in a beanbag chair ferrying to a demo. Another, fabricated emails that were used to eviscerate another candidate in this year's elections. When the fabrication was discovered, it "didn't matter, because no one wants that guy elected anyway." Yet another posted confidential material on Facebook, where an instructor was crucified long before a USPA Safety/Training committee conversation could take place. We've seen BOD members stoned in committee meeting, we've seen BOD members drunk at meetings, we've seen BOD members participate in covering up competition cheats, we've seen BOD members give ratings for sexual favors. There is at least one sitting board member whose admitted they truly don't give a shit about skydiving, but they sure appreciate the free airfare to this or that place. Over the years, I'm sure nothing surprises anyone. Just remember that the BOD members are like everything else, a cross section of life and real people. A few board members are brilliant. A couple are dumber than a goldfish. Some are intent on building power, while others just want to do the best job they can. If I didn't think my mountain regional director was a super guy, I'd have run against him not because I want the job, but because someone who has passion for the sport tempered with experience should be sitting in that seat. Since he's a good man with a lot of background, I voted for him. Regardless of what anyone thinks...the job the board members do is a dirty, pain in the ass job. I've not been on this board, but have attended most USPA BOD meetings since 2006. "Fun" is not a word I'd use to describe any of it. Reading Judy's words on Tom and Albert doesn't surprise me. I've been around when Tom Noonan is having one of those 30 minute calls with constituents. And the same goes for several other BOD members. I'm stunned at the amount of personal time some of these people dedicate to their constituents, all for a plane ticket and hotel room twice a year, to an event where they get to listen to people bitch, moan, and complain about how bad their USPA board is. Hats off to those people that serve (even the couple that are dumber than a goldfish) for taking the time out to do a thankless job.
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yes and yes, and for specific purposes, it's a terrific tool. I can't see how one might apply it well in skydiving, however.
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Wish you were here, John. It's going along well, weather not-withstanding. Some very impressive scores going up here!
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Lots of WS jumps out of PAC's, and it's not difficult to safely exit them. I've put out 11-ways from a PAC without any issue. If you were taught and do practice a head-up exit with all surfaces minimized, you'll be able to exit a PAC no differently than any other aircraft (assuming the pilot is maintaining a tail-high, rotation-reduced profile). Causing a stall is a bigger issue for the PAC. With three on the door and three jammed at the rear, stalls are relatively common, scary, and unnecessary.
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No, it's not the same, and if that's the message you took from my words, then I communicated poorly (using someone else' words). It's the braggadocious child that needs to tell the world "I broke the rules and I got away with it." As some have said, the worst thing is to get away with breaking a rule/ignoring a recommendation and thinking you're OK for having done so. Eventually, that attitude will catch up. Whether it's downsizing, putting on a wingsuit too early, jumping a camera, attempting particular maneuvers in a group without the training/skill, whatever. Consider the approach, not the action.
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Guys I did it I finally ran across the freeway blindfolded and I didn't die. OK, that was sarcasm, but I did run across the freeway blindfolded and figured I would report back now that I have experienced my first blind-folded freeway crossing on foot. I know many of you will be disappointed... I now believe I'm capable of running across the freeway with a blindfold on, whether it's rush hour, midnight, under construction, or whatever else is going on when I run across the freeway wearing a blindfold. I ran across the freeway blindfolded, don't really have a reason to do it again and it won't matter anyway because I'll take off the blindfold before winter comes. Distracted by the thought of being "that idiot" not the actual stain on the concrete. Are you proud of me now?
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This can't be reiterated enough. I've gone from a DZ where I designed and ran the video program, delivering jumps less than 10 minutes later, to a place that delivers them by DVD, using copyrighted music, 10 DAYS later. No one seems to be happy at the result. People expect instant gratification, and in this particular case, it's not just a good customer service gesture, it's also good business, because the longer it takes to deliver, the greater the likelihood the video will be lost, damaged, eaten by the DZ dog, whatever.
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VOTE RAY LALLO For USPA Mountain Region Director
DSE replied to MT_Reg_Dir's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
Ray, I'm a member in your region. One angle of this election year is that there are three people employed or operating Eloy running for the board; Larry Hill, Shawn Hill, and Mike McGowan. Why do you deserve my vote vs the three power hitters from the most active dropzone in the United States? Do you feel there is a benefit or should there be concern for a dropzone to potentially have two representatives on the board? -
Sony officially announced today. Sony A7SII http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/
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It also has a narrower FOV than the Sony.
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Search the threads, there are several commentaries. In short, the bitrate and aperture of these types of cameras are too small and low to function for a high-speed sport. https://vimeo.com/41088648 https://vimeo.com/40985675 is at 16mbps, and these are a pair of one of the best offerings out there. And of course the usual...200 jumps, please refer to the now nearly dead thread on small camera incidents.
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It doesn't. At all. But...it's nearly 3X smaller, so has some good benefit in some situations, not to mention the price. I wouldn't drive a car over the AS100 either, but have done so with the Replay.
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Replay is a US Company, their tech support second to none, and they are built of aluminum, not plastic. Incredibly durable, great picture, low profile...there is a reason I've used them on several commercial shoots, and why they were rated very high in the DZ.com camera shootout.
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You may use a personal Flysight for feedback/gates/whatever. HOWEVER Read the rules: 5.2.3 A competitor should not wear any other electronic devices near the official PLD. If any such electronic device affects the PLD system, the score will be zero for that jump. and: 5.2.6 Each competitor shall wear one PLD issued by a Judge. The device will be attached on the jumper’s equipment with the antenna having a clear view of the sky, located and positioned to the satisfaction of the Judge. This decision is not grounds for protest. Use at your own risk. There is no protest, there is no appeal, only a judges decision. Most of the competitors at the World Cup wore their own FlySight for feedback. There were no cases of interference. It is possible that improper mounting, or a Flysight touching another, etc may cause interference. Talk to the competitors from the World Cup; they can share how/where they mounted. Some were on helmets, others in wings, and other creative placements. See you in Chicago!
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Contact Adam at Replay. You can buy lens kits for a few dollars; might as well experiment with one lens cover to see if a small hole fixes the issue. I'd also suggest checking the O ring, and perhaps use a very light coating of silicon ala CYPRES kit. Card speed is critical. There isn't a week go by that I don't hear from someone who has slow or counterfeit cards. So you're formatting outside the camera? That seems a tad odd, but if that's what XD told you to do...