vitriol

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Everything posted by vitriol

  1. Not what I hoped... This I'm not sure I understand. Do you mean the suit is so out of balance that flying in formation is difficult? What do you mean out of balance? Unstable? And is it mostly that it's not good for beginners, or even more experienced people don't like it for them? Thanks
  2. Anyone else got to fly one? I ordered mine and should receive it in january, but curious to see others impressions in the meantime.
  3. If you want a lever machine with a commercial group, but much cheaper than a Bosco, try the Bezzera Strega. Commercial group, but smaller boiler and works on 120v.
  4. thanks! My suit will already be ordered by then, but I'm still curious to read your impressions when you have a chance to fly it.
  5. Ristretto pulled with my lever machine with either: 1-Café Saint-Henri Godshot espresso blend or 2-Metropolis Spice Island Blend Once you know what you like and how to make it, it's hard to drink coffee anywhere else than at home...
  6. Did you get a chance to fly it? I'm also looking for opinions on the swift. I'll be buying one or a phantom 3 in the next few days. Thanks!
  7. Charles Lindbergh bailed out successfully 4 times, 2 at night. I remember seeing a video from a jump plane in an inverted flat spin from wich the pilot bailed out at the last minute, but I don't think it was in the US. just found it: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3a9_1345519037&comments=1
  8. I should know better than to post this, but what a whiny bunch you make! Are you the lottery police or something? jealous? If you don't want a ticket don't buy one, simple as that! If you think they make so much profit with the lottery and you are jealous, go buy some gear and sell tickets too. They had a great idea to raise money, good for them. Why should they give that money to charity. They never promised anything like that: you buy a ticket, you could win some gear. Nothing more, nothing less.
  9. How does it compare to other tracksuits like the Tube 3 or Phoenx fly PTS? Thanks!
  10. I have a Neato XV-21. My place has dark hardwood floors, dark ceramic and a big black carpet, and we have a WHITE CAT. . I wouldn't live without the neato now! It cleans about 800sqft before needing to go back to its docking station to recharge. When charged it continues where it left, up to 2 times, wich means it can clean about 2400sqft by itself. Larger than that you will need to move the robot by yourself to do some rooms separately. Same if you have stairs. I live in a 1200sqft loft, so I just have to open the bathroom door before I leave and when I come back everything is clean, even under the cabinets and bed. You do have to prepare the place for it tough: no electrical chords or dirty socks on the floor, or it will get caught on it. What made me choose this model over the roomba is that it "looks" where it goes, and cleans by doing the outside perimeter then the middle, instead of just bumping over stuff and turning in a random direction until the whole room is made like the roomba. I've had mine for maybe 8 months, no problems so far. It doesn't clean as good as a normal vacuum, as it only passes once on every spot, but as I make it clean way more often -every 2 days- that I would do it myself, the end result is a much much cleaner place.
  11. Not an expert opinion, but I had the same requirements a few years back. I bought a small canon sd870is and it was an awesome camera for the price and size. It had a wide lens, and with the waterproof case I bought for it I could take it underwater to 40m, wich is deeper than most waterproof cameras, and there's less chances of flooding. Nowadays the small compacts are way better, and I played with a canon s100 and was really impressed. Better image quality, better videos, longer zoom, wider and faster lens, etc. You have a ring you can turn, and you can assign a few different functions to it (zoom, focus, etc), wich is really handy for macro shots and other difficult shots for compact cameras. The s100 is no longer the latest model, so you can find it for pretty cheap, around 250$. For the waterproof case, around 100$. Also, the camera is small enough to put in a pant front pocket, so you can have it with you most of the time. Here are a couple of pics that show the image quality of the sd870, but keep in mind the s100 is way better in all aspects. Hope this helps!
  12. In my experience, if you are going to hike a lot, you'd be better off with something like this: http://www.gregorypacks.com/products/mens/technical/324/contour-50 Mostly because it is just more comfortable and the way you can organize your stuff makes more sense for trail use. If you won't be trekking that much, the osprey talon is hard to beat. I used mine backpacking for about 12 months and I reckon it could last another 3 months easy. Being so lightweight, it is easier to tear small holes on it and the material is easier to get dirty. For my next trip I'm buying the Gregory contour, I just love how efficiently you can access the gear you need on the trail and it is a bit more comfortable and waterproof than the osprey. On the other end the osprey is lighter, easier to pack because of the small hipbelt (like if you need to put the backpack on a bike or bus top) and cheaper. hope this helps! Edited to add, that I agree that you should try them on if at all possible; I love arcteryx backpacks, but they don't fit my body as well as osprey or gregory. Also, I need a large back with a medium hipbelt on some models, while being only 5'7".
  13. Popsjumper, I am sorry if my posts burned you out. Please feel free to ignore me if you think answering would cause you to feel anything less than good. It's just a forum on the internet, no need to have bad feelings. In the worst case, if nobody awnsers, the thread will die on it's own. And I can live with that. You are right I don't get it, maybe because english is not my native tongue. I do make an effort to write and understand as good as I can. I do know DZ can do whatever they want, and that I can choose to comply or go elsewhere. And that's what I did. I did buy the logbook. And will bring it with me when I go back there, in case I meet the same instructor (the DZ itself accepts e-logs). I do prefer not having a paper logbook. So yes, I am wondering what would be the reasons to argue against them. For example, if a DZ tells me they don't accept them because the USPA doesn't accept them, I could argue that the USPA does accept them (I'm just assuming for a second here). Maybe they would learn something and then change their mind, maybe not. If they tell me they don't accept e-logs for a legitimate reason I don't know, I would have learned something. If they tell me they don't accept e-logs just because they can, well I will have to decide if I comply or go elsewhere, but at least I'll know, and I will have an opinion. Edited to add: I've only jumped at 8 different DZ (3 in Canada, 5 in the US), but so far 4 of the DZO themselves have accepted my e-log. The rest of the times I only saw employees, but they also accepted without question. The only exception so far has been one instructor, in a DZ that normally accepts e-logs.
  14. I know that. That's why I asked "what would it matter to the DZ?" If the USPA say it is ok for them, Is there a reason why a DZ would still not want to accept them? I know they totally can, but what would be the reasoning, except being against change.
  15. Popsjumper, I am sorry if I irritated you. I'm just thinking now that IF the USPA says it is ok, what would it matter to the dropzones which type of logs we use? After that, what anyone use would be up to them. Like you say, why would you care what is accepted if your way is?
  16. I agree. I just sent an e-mail to the USPA, I'm curious to see what they are going to say.
  17. What is it that can be verified on paper that can't on an electronic logbook? If it is the signature, we already said some e-logbooks allow that. Where does the USPA say it has to be on paper? They only say it has to be recorded as far as I know. Give me your logbook and I'll fill and sign 20 jumps for you. Hey I can even sign with Spot's signature if you prefer! At least for the electronic one someone has to actually jump, which makes it more complicated to fake.
  18. The way I read the SIM, there's no explicit requirement to have the information on paper. Only to have it recorded. Same as other aviation logbooks. So I believe it is just a matter of people learning it is acceptable. Me not logging my jumps on paper is not an infraction. People demanding paper logbooks is them trying to follow a rule that doesn't exist. Viva la revolution!!
  19. If you can read a piece of paper you can read a screen. The owner of the electronic device can open the page you need to see for you. And if you're really old school, they can print the last page of their electronic logbook for you.
  20. Well, maybe it is just a question of values. I try to do things because they make sense, not just because it is the way people do things. And if you see something, agree to it and then do something else, well, let's just say it is not the way I do things. Maybe I am being close minded, but I also know people are always reticent to change, even if it is a change for the best. It's pretty much what I am trying to do with this thread. Talking about it is a good beginning I believe. Like you do when you talk about spotting techniques or the proper way to determine separation between jumps. After you and others talked about it here I heard a few people start to question the 45 degrees rule for separation at the DZ. I'm not saying it is a change that can save lives, but I believe if you can improve something why not. It was 12$, so half a jump ticket. And it is pretty big, wich is a big waste of paper and some plastic. Reduce, reuse and recycle
  21. Well, it is what it is because some people want it that way, and not because it is the best way. There's something else that bothers me: when someone at a Dropzone checks your logbook, they never ask for I.D., so the logbook and licence could be someone's else. Also, anyone can fake a signature on one jump to be "current". Much easier than to steal someone's else electronic altimeter! (and I can now copy your signature ). It's all a trust system. If you don't trust the person with the electronic logbook, you call it's home dropzone. Same as you would do if you don't trust someone with a logbook you think has fake entries. I' m pretty sure if I go to your wingsuit school with my log book, with 250 jumps and signatures, and you've never seen me before, you'll call my home DZ anyways to confirm I really have over 200 jumps. Sorry If I'm so argumentative, it's a subject that has bogged me for a while!!
  22. LOLOLOL well then I guess it's not coffee but "coffee flavoured drink"!
  23. Metropolis redline espresso. Second best way to start a day http://www.metropoliscoffee.com/shop/coffee-1/blends-4/redline-espresso--1
  24. what reasons? All requirements can be complied with by an electronic logbook. The only problem is people who don't want to change their habits. It was the same in aviation, where it is A LEGAL REQUIREMENT to have a logbook, and now the vast majority of commercial pilots use electronic logbooks. Why would a piece of paper have more value than a virtual logbook? We now live in an electronic world, even the money is virtual now, don't tell me a skydiving logbook -that has no legal value- is something so special that can only be done by paper! I bet in a few years nobody will care if you have a paper logbook or not.
  25. I know many won't agree with me, and I don't want to upset anyone, but my opinion is that a paper logbook is not necessary, and that forcing everyone to have one is retarded. I can understand some people like to have hem to relive the memories, write details of the jumps they make, or to collect "cool" signatures. To each their own, and I respect that, but personally I have no need for that. I don't have any USPA ratings, so I'm not sure how that works, but I guess if you need for example 500 jumps to get a rating, after you got that number of jumps a personal logbook is not necessary. And even for a rating I see no reason why a good electronic logbook containing all the pertaining information and signatures could not be acceptable. Now, in my case, I see no need for a logbook. I jump only for fun, and have no desire whatsoever to ever get any instructional or Pro rating. I have an alti-track that records all my jumps, and all the relevant information for verifying currency if someone wishes to do so. What really annoys me, is that some people don't want to accept the idea of someone not having a paper logbook. Here's what happened to me recently: I decide to go on a trip to my favorite DZ in the US. I check their website and it is written there that you need a logbook to prove currency, and that an electronic logbook is acceptable, so I only bring my alti-track with me. Because of work and the end of the summer here, I wasn't current anymore (a bit over 3 months since last jump). So I expected a coach jump. Well, on top of that they asked for a 50$ ground training. Ok, whatever, it's their dropzone, if that's what they require and I'm not happy I can always jump somewhere else. So I decide to take the course without complaining (and the expected coach jump). After the course the instructor asks for my logbook. I give him my alti-track. To make a long story short, I was forced to buy a paper logbook to enter my recurrency jump if I wanted to jump, and that was not negotiable. I find that completely stupid, as I was doing a recurrency jump anyways, I had jumped there the year before and had my uspa licence with me. His point is that anyone can steal or take someone else electronic logbook -as if nobody can fake a paper logbook! Anyways, all that to say that IMO, for licence or ratings requirements a paper logbook is not better that a good electronic logbook (like the skydive log app), and for currency purposes an electronic altimeter with memory is good enough. People that refuse to see that, IMO are closed minded and I refuse to encourage that by using a logbook to make them happy.