Leg strap altimeters ???

[dropdeded 0]

Lowtimer here,I have seen chest mounted and wrist mounted altimeters.On the cover of this months Skydiving Magazine there is a picture of the Golden Knights and I can see 4 altimeters mounted on the ...legstrap?Like I said,Im a lowtimer and I cant understand why they are mounted there.Do they each have an audible and the legstrap mounted altimeters are for use by other team members during formations ?How far off am I ???
dropdeded

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The Dude Abides.
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[skygod7777 0]

as far as i know, it's for the other team members. i was on a 4 way team 2 years ago, and i put one there for everyone else, and had a audible and a wrist mount for me.

later

[tombuch 0]

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Lowtimer here,I have seen chest mounted and wrist mounted altimeters.On the cover of this months Skydiving Magazine there is a picture of the Golden Knights and I can see 4 altimeters mounted on the ...legstrap?Like I said,Im a lowtimer and I cant understand why they are mounted there.Do they each have an audible and the legstrap mounted altimeters are for use by other team members during formations ?How far off am I ???

dropdeded

RW flyers rarely look at their own altimeters. Generally, they are looking across the formation, or their eyes are sweeping the formation. It helps to have altimeters within easy view, as you suggested. The alternative is to stop, look at your own wrist altimeter, then get on with the jump, but serious RW is moving so fast that stopping to check a wrist alti isn't practical.

A chest or leg strap altimiter is also easy to see when tracking. And, many RW flyers do have audibles.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[Hooknswoop 19]

Be cautious when using someone else's altimeter. I have seen people drop their rigs on the floor with their chest mounted/leg mounted altimeter on the rig. Drop an altimeter too many times and it doesn't work so good. I have also seen camera flyers forget to zero their chest mount altimeter they have mounted up-side-down for the tandem instructor to look at. I only use my altimeter, and I don't trust it very much. I generally rely on my peripheral vision to see the ground when doing RW and look at the ground when doing tandem/AFF and use the altimeter as a back-up.

Hook

[weid14 0]

you can't see them in freefall, they are for canopy ride only and tracking. you can use a standard wrist alti and mount it to your leg strap easily. of course when packing it will take some abuse. I quit wearing one a few years ago when I droped mine and it broke. yes they wear an audible. When you get enough jumps from say 10,500 feet you also get a mental clock, and just know it's time to go. Or it could be you can see the ground in your periphery and it's a signal.

[drenaline 0]

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When you get enough jumps from say 10,500 feet you also get a mental clock, and just know it's time to go. Or it could be you can see the ground in your periphery and it's a signal.

the 4 skydivers in the 4-way wear audible altimeters, if one does not work you can be sure that one of the other 3 will work and will see the teammate break out and track. They don't need visual altimeter, maybe for canopy ride but I think they have so much jumps that they can manage the ride without the altimeter.

HISPA 21
www.panamafreefall.com

[dropdeded 0]

thanks guys,I guess they know what the hell they are doing,I mean,GKs and all.I cant see that they are wearing wrist alts either.
Very interesting stuff.
dropdeded

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The Dude Abides.
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[weid14 0]

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thanks guys,I guess they know what the hell they are doing,I mean,GKs and all.I cant see that they are wearing wrist alts either.

Very interesting stuff.

dropdeded

you won't see many trained 4/8way teams wearing a wrist mount. It gets in the way and will be covered up during the skydive anyway. Audibles are used and eventually you just know when to leave. Like I said I quit using mine over 1000 jumps ago (95% of those 4way).

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Exactly. The only time I really look at an alti on an RW dive is during the track, after my audible goes off. Until recently, I kept my alti on the front of my left legstrap. It's hell on the alti lens, though, so when someone walked off with my alti one day, I just never replaced it. Now, the only time I look at an alti is when I am doing AFF and tandems, and then only when my "clock goes off".

Chuck

[Dumpster 0]

I've seen some pics with jumpers wearing altimeters high on thier arms, too- I wonder what the advantoge may be?

Easy Does It

[ernokaikkonen 0]

I'd suppose that's a way of wearing a 'sort-of-wrist-mount' without it getting in the way while doing 4-way. Just a guess...

[eames 0]

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I've seen some pics with jumpers wearing altimeters high on thier arms, too- I wonder what the advantoge may be?

Well, as far as swooping goes, I'd rather have mine on my arm than on my hand/wrist. A wrist-mount can be annoying when you're trying to switch quickly from front risers to rear risers to toggles.

Jason

[Watcher 0]

The Legmount works well (other than the fact that it gets it completely out of your way, and you actually cant really see it in freefall) for canopy. I look past mine when I am thinking about the swoop, and where about I want to start, Its a nice cross reference with my eyes in one single line of sight.

Jonathan

[Zoltan 0]

interesting topic...

I hade many problems with my alti. If i wear it on my cheststrap i hardly see it because of my full face helmet... If i put it on my wrist then it might disturb during the work (i do mostly 4way training jumps). Alos the wrist mounted alti is not so practical duringthe canopy ride, since your hand is where it needed :).

Since no serious 4way jumper is checking the visual alti during the jump ( first because of the mental clock, second, if somebody is jumping with his own team he/she knows very well by the points they made, that is it time to go or not yet. If the team jumps 10 point avarage from 10k then at about 8-12 points it should be over and turn and track for few secs and pull, you just feel it)

And the best location for an alti is realy on the leg strap. The only disadvantage is that it ca be demaged easily there.

z

[councilman24 37]

Hey, I just thought of another reason. Chest mount is getting to be too close to focus on without my reading glasses. I may have to move it to my leg strap just to be able to read it.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[riggerrob 643]

If you are having difficulty focusing on a chest-mounted altimeter, try mounting it a bit lower on the main lift web. You could sew a pillow mount onto your harness, or use one of Pat Works plastic mounts that we discussed last week. The big advantage of Pat's mount is that it can be quickly removed to avoid damage in transit, packing, etc.

[derleth 0]

i'm the one that started the thread on pat works' mudflap altimeter mount. it took about an hour to make once i finally found the perfect piece of plastic in an old goalie glove (the blocker, of course ).

the mudflap mount (just below three rings) is awesome. i never thought about the packing-abuse the altimeter might suffer, and i made my fit snugly inside the flap, so it is more difficult to remove. i may have to shave some of it it off to make it easier to extract. i highly recommend it and those that have seen what i built also want one, now (git yer dammed hands off mine) .

... On landing a wise man once said: "A long walk always beats a short ambulance ride."