EDYDO 0 #1 July 9, 2004 This week, while using the Pro Track as an audible and the Neptune as a visual, I made a number of hop and pops. The Neptune recorded all correctly, the Pro Track missed any jump under 6 seconds of freefall. Ed Edited for spelling. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #2 July 9, 2004 QuoteNeptune recorded all correctly, the Pro Track missed any jump under 6 seconds of freefall. As it says in the instruction manual. Try putting the ProTrack on "SLO" mode.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #3 July 9, 2004 I scared the crap out of myself using my neptune last weekend... twice actually. First time was a night jump. I remembered reading in the manual that the backlight would turn on in freefall (if its enabled) and stay on till landing. But I had no way of testing it. Didn't have the manual with me to confirm what I thought I remembered reading either. So off I went on a 2-way RW night jump. We left the plane docked, and got stable quickly. I checked my altimeter. Completely dark and unreadable. Crap. Pointed at my altimeter and tried to see the other guy's, but he let go and started a 360. So what the heck, I did my 360 and we redocked. Figured I'd try to hold on next time and read his altimeter till breakoff. But to my surprise, mine was lit up and working great. Stayed on till touchdown. Whew! Plenty bright but not blinding, and easily readable in freefall and under canopy. I love it. Second scare was a 9-way using the neptune as an audible. Breakoff alarm sounded at 5000 (where it was supposed to). Tracked away... and tracked... and tracked... and tracked I knew it was going to be a longer than usual track because the breakoff was higher than I'm used to, but it didn't feel right. Finally felt really low and checked my altimeter... 2000 feet. Pulled right away. Neptune says deployment (it seems to show the bottom of the opening) as 1200 feet. Flatline went off as I sniveled through 1800. Some of the older jumpers dont consider 2000 low, but 1000 feet lower than planned is low no matter what. No idea why the pull alarm never went off, but that was the first problem I've had with my neptune. I'll be checking my visual a lot more carefully when I track from now on. Other than that, I'm loving the neptune. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #4 July 9, 2004 I really like my Neptune, but doing four-way with some people last week that had Protracks, we saw that there was some differences in recorded speeds. My Neptune has the latest software, and we saw as much as 25 MPH difference in average speed between it and the ProTracks. There were some differences - one jumper had his ProTrack in his helmet, which will affect the pressure reading some, and I had mine on my hand. I don't know how accurate any of the computers are supposed to be, and I don't know who's computers were closer to the true speed, but that seems like a pretty big difference.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,110 #5 July 9, 2004 >Breakoff alarm sounded at 5000 (where it was supposed to). Tracked > away... and tracked... and tracked... and tracked . . . Don't do this!! Often, people pick up speed during breakoff (they shouldn't, but they do) and things get louder, making your audible hard to hear. If you are going to break at 5 and track until 3, break off, count to ten (while tracking) and then wave off and pull. Looking at your altimeter during the track takes you out of a good body position and takes your eyes off other traffic - and breakoff is when you need the best visual scan; that's where collisions occur. Audibles often aren't heard. Whether due to higher speeds, inattention, bad batteries, bad settings etc they can (and do) go unheard pretty often. I've missed my audible probably one in ten jumps, but since I often set it for after breakoff it's usually not an issue - I'm already tracking. "Skydive until you hear the first beep, then pull when you hear the second beep" is a very bad idea (IMO) because sometimes you don't hear those beeps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flylikeahandbag 0 #6 July 9, 2004 The protrack has two settings - TAS (True air speed) SAS (Skydivers air speed). This may account for the difference. I can't remember the explanation for the two settings, but I use SAS which gives slower speed readings than TAS. Maybe someone with a manual to hand could post the explanation. Also I believ the best place for a for the most accurate readings is on the ankle (correct me if I'm wrong) if my memory serves me.-------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 5 #7 July 9, 2004 Quote... we saw that there was some differences in recorded speeds. My Neptune has the latest software, and we saw as much as 25 MPH difference in average speed between it and the ProTracks. There were some differences - one jumper had his ProTrack in his helmet, which will affect the pressure reading some, and I had mine on my hand. I don't know how accurate any of the computers are supposed to be, and I don't know who's computers were closer to the true speed, but that seems like a pretty big difference. I don't know how Neptunes calculate, but ProTracks allow you to select either true air speed (TAS) or skydiver air speed (SAS). SAS is always slower than TAS, and it can be much slower. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #8 July 9, 2004 Yep, lesson learned. But the alarm definitely didn't go off... I didn't just miss it. I use the internal pockets in my Z1. So loud in there I have to make sure the speaker is facing away from my ear when I put it in the helmet. Did a tracking dive the previous jump and heard both alarms without any problem. On almost all of my jumps since I bought the neptune, I set breakoff at 4000 and pull alarm at 3500.... 500 feet higher than I plan to pull to give me time to stop tracking, wave off, and pull. Since they come only about 3 or 4 seconds apart, it would usually be obvious if the alarm didnt go off. But I'll definitely be looking at my altimeter more carefully from now on. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 37 #9 July 9, 2004 What Bill said! When I started in 1980 the only audible was a Para-alert. It had a sensor unit you mounted on the back of your helmet and a separate speaker. The only reason I had one was for camera jumping. All most no fun jumpers used one. I watched two 8 ways, one week apart and mostly same people, go through 1000' before breakoff partly because of horny gorilla's at the end of RW. Chest mount visuals (standard then) read high on your back. Half the people swore they were goin to get a para-alert and none did. My point is in the "good old days" many jumper overly depended on a visual altimeter let alone an audible. IMO if an audible ever surprises you, you screwed up. You should be aleast altitude aware enough to expect your audible and act whether it goes off or not. You say you'll be checking your visual. How about checking the ground? I admit I've never gotten as good at it in 2500 jumps as I should. In the airplane or under canopy is fine but in freefall I've never been able to focus on the ground long enough to estimate altitude, or alternatively I've never been able to do it fast enough. This I consider a failing of mine. Another thread talks about her visual stuck at 3500, something I've seen plenty of. My second audible, an early dytter, was always off by 500 to 800 ft'. My time out worked great, but I ususally don't have my frap hat on for take off so don't hear the "working" beeps. My protrack seems to eat batteries. I don't rely on any it initiate action. Hmmm, I have to admit I often use it for break off, having checked my visual a few seconds before, just for consistency. But tracking until it goes off? Not a chance. Any and all of these can stop working at any time. I chose to set break off about 500' high, to allow for reaction time with others, pull at 2500', about 500' low to remind me, and flatline at 1500' to try to keep me from dying. But to each his own. It is interesting demoing a new canopy and hearing flat line on my timeout as it snivels through 1500'.I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EDYDO 0 #10 July 9, 2004 Quote As it says in the instruction manual. Try putting the ProTrack on "SLO" mode. Thanks, I am in Raeford and my manual is at home. If I put the unit in slo mode and take it to terminal, will it matter? Do I have to change it before each different type of jump? It's not unusual to sign on for 3500 and get 5500 by the time the Otter is on jump run. Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #11 July 9, 2004 QuoteIf I put the unit in slo mode and take it to terminal, will it matter? Probably not. The "exit" and "deployment" parameters of "SLO" are more sensitive so if you do a long climb out the unit may be fooled into thinking you "exited" before you really did.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
