Triathlon....

[Stevehend15 0]

I unpacked my used triathlon today..... In the add it said it was a 2001, turns out its a 97.... Should I be pissed because I am just a little. Is there a big difference between the two? I plan on downsizing after a hundred jumps or so. Also, in center cell is yellow and it seems to be discolored just behind the d-bag... Its a blackish yellowish color now. What should I do if anything?

[peckerhead 0]

Dude, you bought a used canopy that was 4 years older than advertised so of course you should be pissed.

If the seller lied about the DOM he may have lied about other things as well like jump #s, condition, etc.

If it was a good deal it may not matter but you should have it inspected by your rigger and see what he thinks. Not much difference in design between a 97 Tri or a 01 Tri. They both have that great S. African Z-p fabric which is so much better than the new stuff.

Without knowing all the details of the transaction and how the canopy was described before the sale I can't really say exactly what you should do. If it was cheap and in good shape I might just let it slide but I would at least contact the seller and have a nice little chat about the DOM.

[rwieder 0]

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In the add it said it was a 2001, turns out its a 97.... Should I be pissed because I am just a little.

Number 1: KNOW what your buying BEFORE you buy it. See the documentation first. Know your seller, or at least check out their reputation. If you cannot determine any of the above, avoid the seller.

SkyDiving is a small sport. Sellers and Buyers develop reputations very quickly. All i can say is you must not have done your research, and that probably isn't your fault. Learn from this experience. All of this said, that 97 will fly just as good as the 2001 depending on REAL jump numbers and line trim.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[Andy9o8 2]

The moral of the story is that if you're buying a used canopy from a stranger, have it inspected by a rigger before finalizing the sale. If the seller isn't willing to do that, it's time to wonder why not.

[ryoder 1,590]

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Not much difference in design between a 97 Tri or a 01 Tri. They both have that great S. African Z-p fabric which is so much better than the new stuff.

I agree that the SA ZP (aka "Gelvenor") is far better than the slippery-as-snot crap, but there is one thing to beware: The earlier Tri's were made of fabric that looks and feels exactly the same, but is a lot bulkier. I mean like 40% bulkier! I don't know what year the change was made.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Stevehend15 0]

Ok..... Gonna try and defend myself now.... Before I bought this rig I had called all the manufactuers about the gear. I had serials for everything but the main and they all checked out so I assumed the main did too. I talked to my rigger on many occasions about this rig, and she told me to go for it. Talked to Sun Path and they said the harness should fit me. Talked to the seller on many occasions. I had the option of demo'ing the rig before I bought it, but the drive was too far for me to take now. I still have the option of returning it. The rig looks like it has barley been used and could not find a blemish on it. From what my untrained eye can see the main looks like it is in very good condition. The colors are all bright except for a dark spot on the center cell. The lines look good from what I know..... No fraying or discoloration. It also comes with a kill line PC and collapsible slider(which I did not expect). Cypress has 7 years left. I might have been quick to post these questions before I go to my rigger on Saturday.... But its a bad habit of mine to what answers 5 mins ago, sorry. Im not going to take any chances.... if this gear is not up to par I am not going to jump it. My rigger is going to have the final say in everything I do with this and what she says goes. Thank you for all of the advice and comments even though they were absolutly stupidic. Here is the link for the add............ http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=33904&d=1

[bwilling 0]

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In the add it said it was a 2001, turns out its a 97.... Should I be pissed because I am just a little. Is there a big difference between the two?

There's been a number of 'refinements' to the Triathlon over the years, and I'm not intimately familiar with when and what occured, but I'm sure Aerodyne is... You may want to contact them regarding that issue.

I have a newer Tri, and the 'version' number is on the same tag (on the tail of the canopy) that the serial number is on, if that's any help... current version is '5.0', but I remember reading that they could retrofit some of the older canopies to more current specs. Your rigger may be aware of this, and if she's not, and the canopy checks out to be in good condition and you decide to keep it, you may want to contact Aerodyne anyway.

Good luck!

"If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."