Grumpy

Ya cheeky young git! Show some respect for your elders. Remind me to give you a thump in the ear next time I see you. (I'll probably forget myself - my memory isn't what it used to be !!)

Hey - that's me! Myself, Obes and Brainer are 3 of the most awesome skydivers you know ...???? Jeeze Jasmin, didn't realise you know so few skydivers : ) Dave xx

The big goofy flapping laughing smiling faces are a huge part of the magic of skydiving for me and I don't want to lose that by hiding mine behind a full face helmet. My most valuable footage is not of the carefully planned and competently executed jumps (that would be my most rare footage). It's of those jumps when it seems like the sky is full of grinning idiots you are lucky enough to call your friends. It just wouldn't be the same if it was a bunch of full face helmets.

I have a hook knife and I've never used it to save my life. I can say the same thing about my Cypres. A lot of jumpers could say the same for their reserves. Better to have and not need - than to need and not have I reckon.

I'd agree with two knives - I've got one (small) under the mud flap and one (large) in a pocket which I got put on the leg of my jump suit. It's got a pop fastener but I lost two knives when the pop got 'un-popped' on exits and then the knife was free to fall out. Better to get a velcro flap over the top of the pocket.

I don't use the small tube stows as my locking stows for the reasons you mention. I don't have any facts / experience to back this up but it feels too tight and also inconsistent with the tension on the rest of my stows. What I've done is bought a bag of large size stows (for Dacron lines) thrown away the black ones and used the remainder as locking stows. They last for ages (though having said that, they will no doubt both break this weekend) I use the small size stows on the rest of the positions on my d-bag (My canopy has vectran lines) Hope this helps.

I'm borrowing someone's JVC and two things to beware of on it (and I believe all JVCs) are 1) The viewfinder has to be fully extended to switch on the camera which leaves it very vulnerable to riser strikes / snagging. If you know someone who's good with a soldering iron this can be modified (as in the case of the one I'm using) but I have no idea how to do it. 2) The camera is in auto-focus mode by default. To switch to manual mode (which you need to be in - otherwise too much footage is lost while the subject moves from the center of the frame and the camera starts hunting for something else to auto-focus on) you've got to enter the menu system with a jog dial, select focus, select manual, move to infinity and then exit the system. Then you've got to strap the helmet to your head. You have to do this EVERY time you switch it on. That's a lot of messing around when the 1 minute light comes on (and if it's in standby for more than 3 minutes it switches off so you've got to switch it back on and begin again) and it's time I'd rather spend doing my final checks. I'd suggest that you go to the store and ask for the instruction book to check it this is the same on the DVM-75 but I believe it is. Unless it's a big saving, I'd stick with Sony.

There's a good review here http://www.dansdata.com/dcrip7.htm One big problem is that when you come down off a jump (!) you can't firewire footage to anyone else nor put their footage onto your tape because the digital format of the IP7 is different.

Why not get a 0.42 and zoom the camera in a little so gives the same field of vision as a 0.5. Then if you want to try a wider angle for footage within the formation, just zoom back out. Effectively, you'll have both lenses in one with the 0.42.

I know someone who jumped one. As the Remster said, a lot like the original Dytter - just one warning. The guy never said anything bad about it's reliability but he didn't always hear it free flying. If you're wearing a fullface or doing flat flying, it should be ok. It would certainly be better than nothing as long as you don't start to rely on it. I think that on the ground you wind the dial anticlockwise until it beeps (no self calibration) and then wind it clockwise to the altitude you want it to sound at. Next time I see the guy I'll ask him about it (probably see him this weekend)

I don't know anyone who used one but apparently unstable bug-ridden software, the inability to view any recorded data without a lap-top and the high price made this flop. It disappeared almost as soon as it was launched . Never read a good word about them. Never read a bad word about a ProTrack. End of comparison : ) PS except for the above posting that went up while I was writing mine !!

Here in Australia, it is compulsory to have an audible if you're freeflying. I think it's a good idea - I think two audibles is an even better idea.