Ronaldo

It was not a stupid question. I should have explained or at least put a link to it. As said before the H-mod (Howard modification) consists of small triangles sewn at the leading edge between the non loaded ribs. It acts like a cross-brace at the nose, transferring part of the force applied on the loaded ribs to the non loaded ones. This helps create a smoother leading edge profile. The triangles also help to “form” the nose reducing drag. The side effect of the mod is softer openings due to the reduced nose area. Here goes the video: http://discovirtual.uol.com.br/disco_virtual/ronaldo.pqd/Skydive (you must type the password "portalpqd" and then click on "h-mod") Please note that the opening shown as “before mod” is one of my canopy’s softest ones. The usual openings were all faster than that (I had a few slammers). The H-mod will add a little bit of performance to your canopy. If you’re not 100% comfortable flying it then it may not be a good idea to do it right now. Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

If you’re willing to spend $150 on your canopy I’d suggest the H-mod. Right now I’m test jumping my Cobalt and I’m really amazed of how this modification improved the openings and dive speed. I have noticed an improvement of about 50% on opening times. This is not estimated data; I have already compared video footage. Opening sequence times increased from 4 to 6 seconds approximately (from line stretch to a fully inflated canopy). A pocket slider is a cheaper but not so good looking modification. Another positive aspect of the H-mod is that it may add some resale value to your canopy while a pocket on the other hand might depreciate it. If you’re planning to stay with the Sabre for a while then maybe the H-mod is a good option. If you’re thinking about selling it soon, than just get the pocket slider to save your neck. BTW, I psychopacked a Sabre for a while and although it helped a little bit it was not the ultimate solution for the problem. If you need a video to compare the openings just let me know. Blue skies! Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

Hi, I don’t know about any free videos, but here is a link for 2 owner’s manuals that helped me with packing. What I find particularly interesting about these manuals is the way you separate line groups and the fabric between them. Instead of placing both risers on one shoulder, separate left and right groups keeping the slider behind your neck. This will allow you to identify and separate clearly A, B, C and D line groups (one of the most difficult tasks when you’re learning). When you do that you’ll notice that the center cell is in front of you and that is very easy to keep everything symmetric. In quick steps: 1. Separate the nose inlets (3 or 4 to each side, depending if you have a 7 or 9 cell canopy); 2. Pull the stabilizers out; 3. Using your forearm pull the steering lines out of your way; 4. Grasp all D lines close to the attaching points and start aligning the fabric panels between D and C groups (use the seams between the line attaching points as a guide); 5. Pull the fabric out keeping the lines at the center; 6. Repeat for the other line groups (both sides) until you have the canopy properly flaked like shown on picture 8 of the Techno manual (picture 10 of the other one); 7. Flake the fabric between the steering lines to the outside and keep the steering lines in the center; 8. Bring the slider in front of you and quarter it. At this time you may find useful to move both risers to one shoulder; 9. Treat the nose as desired (roll it, tuck it in or leave it hanging exposed depending on your canopy characteristics); 10. Place your hands down close to the steering line attaching points and gently pull the tail until you can grab the warning label (this will avoid disturbing the previously organized folds while pulling the tail to wrap around the canopy); 11. First roll a small portion of the trailing edge at the area close to the warning label then while holding this first fold with your finger, start rolling the rest of the tail to the same direction. This little trick will maintain the roll tight close to the lines which will help keep the slider in position (you sure want that). 12. Gently lay the canopy on the floor while keeping the lines taut; 13. For dressing the canopy and putting it into the bag you may try the reverse fold technique or even psycho-pack; Parachute manuals: http://www.parachutes-de-france.com/sources/doc_tech/51_fr_Manuel_Voiles_Princ_Ed4.pdf http://www.parachutes-de-france.com/sources/doc_tech/52_fr_Manuel_Techno_Ed5.pdf The most important thing is not only to learn how to pack but also understand why a canopy is packed this way. The canopy pressurizes from center to tips, while it happens, the air pushes everything (lines and fabric to the outside). Fabric has much more drag than lines so it will run faster to the outside. That’s why you should keep the lines at the center otherwise the fabric will run over them causing burns. This is valid for every area of the canopy (line groups, tail and stabilizers) I’m not pretending to give you packing lessons here just to show you what helped me while I was learning. You may practice at home but always have someone experienced watching you pack before you attempt to jump your pack job. I still pack this way with great results. Hope it helps Safe skies! Ronaldo Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

Nice job man! You may also try the Pinnacle Studio, it’s very user-friendly though not as pro as Adobe Premiere. BTW, try not to get so much separation on your jumps, maybe it’s a good idea to reduce the groups (2-3 way maximum) Congratulations, it sure looks like a lot of fun! Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

Which kind of buckle (quick fit adapter) you have on your rig? Is it the stainless steel type made by PdF? I have a Wings with this PdF ss buckle and it also tends to slip very slowly due to the smooth finish but nothing to be concerned about. A couple of months ago I experienced an unusual slippage under canopy but I noticed it was mostly “caused” by the jumpsuit material. I was doing a BBF training and as I didn’t have a RW suit at that time I picked one from the DZ. Right on the first jump my canopy started to turn to the left noticeably (it has always flied straight). On the following jumps I checked the leg straps while in the air and I was able to see that the right strap was loose. The only thing I could think about was the jumpsuit material which was really slippery. The turns stopped a few jumps later when I switched back to my ff suit. If the problem continues I strongly suggest that you contact the manufacturer. Uneven leg straps may cause opening problems. Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

2 places I really recommend for great prices and customer service: http://www.para-service.com contact Roy Torgeirson http://www.tso-d.com/ contact Marcelo Camarano Blue skies Ronaldo Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

Well, definitely not as cool as the ones posted here but this was my 4th (1st hand held) jump. BTW, I’m no BASE jumper as I did only 5 bridge jumps.

I replaced the lower steering lines on a Crossfire I bought used (demo canopy). The canopy has a lot of jumps so I decided to replace at least the brake lines for safety reasons. I just replaced the lines from cascade to toggle because I’m not sure if I’ll keep or sell the canopy (long story). If I decide to keep it then I’ll have the whole lineset replaced. How I did it: I measured the original lines and used them to cut the new ones (as it is Vectran I was not concerned about shrinking). If you have the line specs for your canopy it would be even better. To lock the fingertraps I used Jump Shack’s method (no sewing): http://www.jumpshack.com/default.asp?CategoryID=TECH&PageID=Nosewtrap&SortBy=TITLE_A Safe skies Ronaldo Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

Thanks! Well, taking the camera out before the lining was added was really easy but now it is just a little trickier. To avoid forcing the padding out and possibly ungluing it I installed 2 small bolts to limit how much I can pull (see the pic attached). No, I don’t plan to hinge the box. I really like the clean looks with reduced chances of snagging something. About sighting: my previous helmet had its d-box already adjusted. What I did was to plan ahead and design the new case reproducing the same angles. Actually, my horizontal reference was the top face. I tried to install the bracket in such way that the camera would be aligned with this face. I have already tested it on the ground and it looks great. If I was making a general project I would have used bolts and nuts to attach the bracket with enough clearance to allow minor adjustments, but this was a very customized item so it was worth spending a little extra time measuring to get it right at first. Also, this is not a professional camera helmet and as with any open helmet, you get small angle variations depending on how you wear it. To get really precise aiming you really have to install a ring sight. Blue skies Ronaldo Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

Thanks! If you can’t contact Rawa by e-mail you may consider ordering it through Aerostore (http://www.aerostore.com/). Ronaldo Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

That's a good question. It's hard to tell the cost of every supply because some were already available at home. Here is a list of the material used (I still may be missing something): - Fiberglass material (1 gallon of Polyester resin, cloth, brushes, gel coat, catalyst, etc) - $ 40 - Epoxy putty (I used it for enlarging the area around the chin attachment) - $3 - Super glue (CA) - $5 - Quilted fabric (for lining) - $5 (2 yards) - Foam (for lining) - $ 4 - Bolts/ nuts/ threaded rod (for the helmet itself and a sanding tool I made) - $7 - Polyurethane paint (1/4 gallon), catalyst, contact glue (for lining), sandpaper and solvent - $30 - Chin cup (from Hawkeye) – $40 (I bought it for the old helmet and used it again inverting the ratchet) - 1 sheet of Balsa wood (1/4X3X36) - have no idea, still have plenty at home from my R/C modeler times. I guess $3 or less I also bought some material that I did not use and some that were not applied directly to the helmet (such as the sanding tool). Doing the math above we get approximately $100 of supplies. Obviously I’m not taking into account the cost of a drill, air compressor/ spray gun, pliers, etc. If you consider just the material spent and you already have the basic tools to start, yes, it is definitely worth doing your own helmet (at least here in Brazil, I have no idea of how much these items would cost in US). Now that the helmet is done I can easily say it was worth doing it, but sometimes during the initial steps I cursed Radir for not having the mould anymore. Thanks for asking, it was very interesting for me to do this math. Safe skies Ronaldo Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

Thank you all for the compliments and for taking the time to check it out. Man, it’s kind of hard to estimate because most of the work was done at night on weekdays, but doing a quick math I can estimate a little over 60 hours of working time. I’m not counting the time I had to spend on the hospital to receive a few stitches in my hand (I was removing the mould from the plug with a knife). I had to slow down the manufacturing process a little bit after this . Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

Hi folks! This is my first post here on DZ.com and I would like to share with you the result of a couple of weeks of hard work. My previous camera helmet was severely damaged (cracked) and I was really afraid I could lose my camera sooner or later if I had a riser strike. This helmet was already a repair and adaptation of a helmet I bought from a local manufacturer. I didn’t want to buy from this manufacturer again because I didn’t like the quality and I knew I could do better. The first choice for me would definitely be a Rawa (http://www.rawa.com.br), but Radir told me he doesn’t have the mould for Sony IP-5 anymore, so I knew I would have to start from scratch. I got the idea of an integrated helmet/casing assembly from a model I saw on 2KC web site (www.2kcomposites.com). BTW, these guys make really cool helmets. I tore everything apart and started building the plug using the original helmet as a base. After measuring camera’s position and angles I started making the casing using balsa wood (used on model airplanes), which is a very easy material to carve and sand. I spent a few days applying putty and sanding until the helmet got to the desired shape. I decided to build a mould that would allow me to laminate the actual helmet in one piece so I used a thick rubber tape to split the plug in 2 halves. The idea of the tape was to create a boundary so I could laminate the mould in 2 steps (applying wax at the first half before laminating the second one). I wasn’t sure it would work but it did, and later I was able to laminate the actual part with just a little sanding required for the split line. The next steps were kind of fun, cutting holes for the lenses, power and rec switches and painting using Polyurethane. The camera bracket was built using an aluminum plate cut and bent to hold the camera loosely. The gap was then filled with foam so the camera fits snuggly and is also very well protected. The bracket was positioned and glued inside the casing. The wisest option would have been to drill holes on the casing and attach the bracket with bolts and nuts instead of gluing. Well, the damn thing looked so good I didn’t have the courage to cut holes on it . I’m pretty sure I will regret this decision if someday I have to do some maintenance on the bracket. The lining was one of the most difficult steps, and it was not because of the sewing involved. I was really concerned about isolating outside noise in order to hear the audible perfectly in freefall. The helmet is very short and the bottom of the ears rest on the lower edge which is why I decided to project the padding bellow these edges. Here is a link for a few step by step pictures. Sorry, the descriptions are in Portuguese but I think I have pretty much explained everything. BTW, the whole helmet was built inside my apartment (including painting) which is a true testimony of my wife’s patience and tolerance. http://spaces.msn.com/ronaldopn/ Click on "apresentação" and then "tela inteira". BTW, if you have pictures of your own project, please post! Safe skies! Ronaldo Nogueira - BRA Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted