RichM

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Posts posted by RichM

  1. Assuming your laptop really is beefy enough (I take recommended specs with a large pinch of salt), play close attention to what going on in your system as you dump. Im assuming you're dumping from laptop, to camera, to vhs deck all in real time. I recommend that you ensure your paging file is big enough and preferably on a seperate partition to your system drive. In a desktop I'd recommend on a different ide channel and hard drive, but thats probably not an option on your laptop - paging file should basically be ram*2. Make sure you aren;t doing anything while dumping and dont have any other programs running, and use msconfig.exe to remove all those unwanted processes that could take system resource and cause a momentary blip. Make sure you have lots of contiguous hard drive space - a fragmented movie file might cause dropout as the access switches to the next fragment. Pre-render as much as you can. Hope this helps.
    Rich M

  3. Done a fair bit, some pointers in general should include:

    Use aids, white boards, overhead projectors, powerpoint presentations, etc.
    Make sure you talk to the audience, not the aids.
    Begin each section with an overview/objective so the audience know what you are talking about and why.
    Close each section with a summary of the critical bits of that section.
    If using powerpoint or something similar, stick to bullet points, dont be verbose, you want the audience focussed on you, not the screen.
    Never use more than 10 bullet points, and aim to use no more than 6.
    Supply handouts if relevant, so they can take away and read up on the bits they were asleep for ;)
    Make sure the audience seating is comfortable and they have a good view of you and your aids.
    Dont walk in front, stand in front, or otherwise obscure your aids.
    If you dim the room for projectors ensure the room isnt too warm or the seats too comfy :)
    Vary your voice, tone and delivery speed. Use emphasis on critical parts, don't waffle, be concise.
    Use relevant jokes to keep their interest, should be fairly easy on a safety topic - show them some dangerous shit.
    Get the audience to do a lot of the work by asking them questions.
    Two basic wasy of presenting a topic:
    1) sequential, just start at the beginning and go to the end in sensible chunks
    2) hub and spoke, declare the theme (hub), deliver a spoke, return to the hub and show how the spoke fits, then out on another spoke, etc etc

    good luck
    Rich M

  5. Quote

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    That technique is used for Dacron lines on reserves because a knot wold be so bulky. So it could have been a rigger. Applying that technique to thinner lines doesn't work, obviously. I prefer to finger-trap the loop for attaching toogles and sew. No knot to hang up and is very clean.

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    I'm fully aware of this. However he states the line is not Dacron and the canopy was a main not a reserve. He also indicates they don't know who the rigger is. Why not just ask the jumper? I think it's logical to question whether a rigger performed this work and to ask why they think it was done by a rigger. Perhaps the jumper or a friend did it and they don't want to reveal that individuals identity.



    I understand your concern, but (a) yeah, I didn't ask because I didn't think of it, and (b) it had just had a new line set fitted including brake lines and I know a rigger did it for her. You sound like someone on the defensive - you haven't done a 135 Jedei lineset in the last month have you? ;)
    Rich M

  6. Quote


    Not sure the statistical approach you're going for here, I've landed crosswind on purpose but I think you may need to ask WHEN you started doing that. I could have 1000 jumps and land crosswind on purpose but started landing crosswind @ 100 jumps



    Agreed, but theres only so much info I can gain from a poll ;) It was more intended as a stimulus to thought and debate. Working well so far I think ;)

    Edit: And thanks to all who have contributed so far.
    Rich M

  10. Last weekend we had an incident at our dz where an experienced young girl had a toggle become detached during the flare for landing. She has several hundred jumps (actual figure unknown) and is flying a Jedai 135 loaded at about 1.3. It happened during a straight in approach and she cartwheeled across the ground and is thankfully fine.

    Inspection of her kit revealed that she had recently had the line set changed. Looking at the still attached brake toggle showed that the rigger who did this attached the brake toggles by threading the brake line up through the grommet, all the way around the toggle, back down through the grommet and tying a thumb knot in the line to prevent it slipping out through the grommet. However the line was not the thick stuff (dacron?) and the thumb knot was not fat enough to prevent it being pulled through the grommet. There being no other prevention in place this is what happened as she flare to land. Had she been a swooper this might have been posted in incidents instead :(

    We reattached both toggles by folding the brake line back on itself and tying a thumb know forming a fixed loop, leaving 3 inches or so of loose end. Threading the loop up through the toggle grommet and then the toggle handle through the loop so there is no way it can just pull out - it would have to break. Finally finger trapping the loose end.

    I haven't been able to find out who the rigger was or where it was done. I do know it wasn't done at our dz (Headcorn, UK). Please everyone check your gear and be sure - brake failures on landing can and do kill us.
    Rich M

  11. Watching with sadness at the continual stream of injuries and fatalities caused by low turns, many just to get into wind. In many of these incidents it seems that landing off the wind line might have reduced the injuries. With the huge assumption that someone comfortable in their skill to land off the wind line is more likely to take that as an option in a difficult situation, I wondered how many of us have practised landing crosswind and downwind, and at what stage in our skydiving careers.

    I have 650 jumps and have landed crosswind and downwind on purpose, quite often as I like it ;)
    Rich M

  15. Quote

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    sorry but i like her anyway:ph34r:

    hope this make it up then:$



    No doubt that she is attractive, but, this IS a BOOBIES thread. I am just trying to stick to the rules:D


    Life is so constrained by rules :P
    Rich M

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  20. I am also no expert but I have found that canopy choice has played a significant factor for me. I downsized from a 170 Sabre to a 135 Sabre to a 120 Sabre and my swoops were pathetic, I was downsizing to get better swoops but my technique was being hampered by a canopy that just doesn't swoop well. I swapped to a Xfire 119 and my swoops are now getting much much better. If I knew then what I know now I would probably have gone for a Xfire 129 instead of the Sabre 135/120 and would still be jumping it now. I reckon I could swoop a Sabre reasonably well now, but I don't think it was a good canopy to try to learn on.
    Rich M

  23. If you were landing into wind you should have been able to come to a stop then step down. Don't try to put your feet down until the canopy has stopped flying. Alternatively declare your intention and ensure there are lots of cameras so that we can all see the fun ;)

    Rich M

  25. Quote


    I'm ready for an update on the stats... Rich?



    Based on the last 3 days processing and assuming no changes in processing power by any team - we will take
    position 75 in 12 days
    position 60 in 32 days
    position 50 in 112 days
    position 43 in 3 years
    position 42 in 7.5 years and hold

    kicking butt B|
    Rich M