kansasskydiver 0 #1 September 26, 2003 Yeah so i'm sitting here at work checking fed ex's page every 5 mins to see when it was delivered. I know it's an amazing canopy and I'm going to do a hop n pop from 10 tomorrow to test it out. What else shall I be expecting with this canopy? Anything to watch out for, advice on packing etc... All and any help/opinions are welcome<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andy2 0 #2 September 26, 2003 write up a review, for some reason I see a cobalt in my distant swooping future. I'd be curious to see what you think about it. --------------------------------------------- let my inspiration flow, in token rhyme suggesting rhythm... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kansasskydiver 0 #3 September 26, 2003 YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was delivered at 1:38pm. now i just need to get off work early and go test the baby out. i have a feeling i'm going to enjoy this.<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grega 0 #4 September 26, 2003 Quote What else shall I be expecting with this canopy? Anything to watch out for, advice on packing etc... All and any help/opinions are welcome Hmm in right hands you can expect only pure joy and pleasure I have it, Cobalt 120 comp., wl 1.76 and i have nothing but good to say. But be careful it can maim."George just lucky i guess!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NewClearSports 0 #5 September 30, 2003 You must have jumped it by now. What did you think? Did you like the openings? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beavdog 0 #6 September 30, 2003 kansasskydiver and I both jumped and packed the comp cobalt....neither of us got many acceptable openings in about 8-9 jumps. im curious if there are any tricks to getting the two stage opening that Atair raves about. Here's to the Breezes that blows through the Trezzez..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #7 September 30, 2003 Quote im curious if there are any tricks to getting the two stage opening that Atair raves about. You need 9 inch pilot chute to experience the two stage opening that Atair raves about. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #8 September 30, 2003 No acceptable openings in 8-9 jumps? Congratulations, join the club. Did you also get to enjoy the lackluster swooping performance from the "Comp" model? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #9 October 1, 2003 Track a little, throw out the pilot chute and DON'T even think about flinching or touching your risers. Good luck.My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
f1freak 0 #10 October 1, 2003 I love my Cobalt, i have NEVER had a bad opening or flight.... BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will NEVER buy another ATAIR product, the customer service is the absolute worst i have ever seen. if you need anything for your canopy expect to WAIT for it (6 to 8 weeks for a line set... and thats not installed...) In my opinion Atair is focusing on the military sector and kicking us to the curb. it's a shame that such a great canopy is being produced by such a crappy company.HAVE FUN... ...JUST DONT DIE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andrewstewart 0 #11 October 1, 2003 QuoteI love my Cobalt, i have NEVER had a bad opening or flight.... BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will NEVER buy another ATAIR product, the customer service is the absolute worst i have ever seen. if you need anything for your canopy expect to WAIT for it (6 to 8 weeks for a line set... and thats not installed...) In my opinion Atair is focusing on the military sector and kicking us to the curb. it's a shame that such a great canopy is being produced by such a crappy company. I have to disagree as far as their customer service goes. I had to chop my Cobalt because of line twists and I phoned Atair about it. I spoke to Dan and he gave me lots of good advice and explained several things that I could do, which I have since implemented and I now have consistent, nice openings (touch wood). Speaking from personal experience, I moved from a 7 cell to a Cobalt and that was primarily the root of a lot of my problems: that I wasn't flying the opening, I was looking up, I grabbed the risers, and that my packing was not neat enough or specific to a high performance canopy. To be fair to Atair you'd have to obviate all of those issues to be truly objective about their canopy. As far as hard openings go, I personally only roll the tail on my Cobalt a couple of times and I still get nice snivels. Just my 2 cents... - A Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jerry81 10 #12 October 1, 2003 Quoteim curious if there are any tricks to getting the two stage opening that Atair raves about. From what I understand, a slightly domed slider does the trick pretty well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TALONSKY 0 #13 October 1, 2003 Best way I have heard to get good openings on Cobalt is sell it to someone else and buy a Crossfire 2. I find it interesting when hearing how most people get good openings on Cobalt’s they pack just “this way”, oh and you need to buy a smaller pilot chute. Then to get a good opening you always need to pull in just the right body position. Hell all that sounds much more of a pain than any canopy should need to open well. In fact reading about Cobalt seems rather reminiscent of the original Sabre openings. Sorry to slam the Cobalt but for a canopy that is supose to have the most spectacular openings of any canopy, they sure seem to fall short of that clam. Kirk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #14 October 1, 2003 I'm probally the worst packer around and my old Cobalt was a great opener. I used a 32 inch F111 pc that was on my Javelin when I bought it. I trash packed, opened in a sit, in a stand, and did just about everything wrong I could and it was a nice opening canopy. I used to grab the risers and shake in the openings and it was still great. The 135 demo I tried opened so hard I had to quit jumping for the day after 2 openings. There are lots more sensitive canopies out there then the Cobalt in terms of openings. There is a real inconsistancy in the openings of the Cobalts. A lot of it is hype that does'nt pan out after you experince it. I do like the fact that they would'nt install any relines, you have to ship it to a "reccommended rigger" for that work. Customer Service was flakey... really anxious to get you a demo and work on the initial sale, but lacking in follow up service and maintence. I've experienced worse support from only one other skydiving company and I was willing to forgive that one since they made it up to me in the end.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #15 October 1, 2003 When I faxed the demo request form, I heard nothing for a week or so. I started to send out some e-mails, and didn't get a response. Once I did (maybe two weeks later) they said it was going out right away. Well, six weeks later, they called to see if I was still interested. I said sure, and three days later I got a 95 Comp in the mail. No risers. No card for the links, just daisey chained and swinging free. Oh, the slider was still collapsed, so I know an inspection was not dome inbetween demo jumpers. Great first impression. I only jumped the canopy for 5 jumps before disconnecting it and tossing it aside. Good stuff. John LeBlanc isn't losing any sleep. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NewClearSports 0 #16 October 1, 2003 For me to get good openings with mine I needed to push the nose deep into the centre of the packjob pull the slider out about an inch infront and roll the tail tight. I know this is not normal with most canopys (I would never even consider this with my Velocity) as it could cause off heading openings or a line over, but I never had any problems with my Cobalt. What I found amazing about the Cobalt is that even with a wing loading of over 2.0 I could always kick out of line twists. The front risor pressure was very light and I could dive it like mad. Even the 96 Velocity I have now doesn't dive like my 95 Cobalt did. However the openings, speed range, top horizontal speed of the Velocity are superior and all help it swoop like a bat out of hell. These are the main reasons I swiched, but the Cobalt was an amazing transistion canopy. I believe the Cobalt is the best 9 cell out there. Untill you are ready to go to X braced 21 or 27 cell you have made the right choice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #17 October 1, 2003 I pack like phreezone does, horrible, and my Cobalt is awesome. I can spend 30 minutes meticulously packing it or i can shake it, stuff the nose, roll the tail and bag it and it always opens the same. Nice and soft. And, i jumped the 135 that slammed phree (correct me if it was a different one phree)for almost 40 jumps before i got mine and it never slammed me once. I love my cobalt and I am planning on buying another one soon. To each his own. This could be a thread with the same comments about almost any canopy out there. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #18 October 1, 2003 The 135 that is Purple and Green at SSM is a great canopy... the demo one they sent me was at Xmas of 2001 and I put the first 2 jumps on the canopy. It was Neon Yellow with Neon Green diamonds. Demo came on no risers and had no links. I was seeing stars literlly after its openings. On video you can actally hear a CRACK of it opening. The Yellow and Blue Cobalt I had was a wonderful canopy that I never complained about. We have a 135 at the DZ that looks like he's getting better openings then I ever got out of my 150 and mine were wonderful!Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #19 October 2, 2003 QuoteThis could be a thread with the same comments about almost any canopy out there. It could be, but it's not. If you'll search back through the archives you'll find a lot of complaints about the openings on the Cobalt. Inconsistent might be the best way to describe them. I challenge you to go back and find even half the number of threads complaining about openings regarding the Crossfire/Crossfire2, Sabre, Sabre2, Stiletto, Velocity, etc... I put about 30 jumps on a Cobalt 170 a few years ago, the canopy was a dream to fly, but after a more than a few jumps I was afraid of the openings. I strongly believe that if they could fix what appears to be an opening problem that they could probably sell a lot more canopies. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #20 October 2, 2003 True enough Jimbo. There does seem to be inconsistences with Cobalts, i have read enough of these threads to learn that. I simply meant that with canopies, and with almost any other product, you are going to have people that love it and people who hate it. I happen to love mine, yet have no problem with people who don't. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
voidlizard 0 #21 October 2, 2003 QuoteBest way I have heard to get good openings on Cobalt is sell it to someone else and buy a Crossfire 2 ...,... Disagree. I have 120 jumps on my new Cobalt 120 1.6. I had several (may be five or eight) very hard openings, several line twists (I have kicked them out without cutaway). All of thouse things happened because of my mistakes. I did not roll the nose tightly, I was grabbing the risers during the openings and so on. Now I have soft, on-heading openings. Mostly on-heading - I guess it strongly depends on body position. Now I have no problems with the canopy. Yes, the canopy requires neat packing. I can't trashpack it like Safire. But it flies great. PS. I have 25'' PC. It little bit more than Atair recommend for 120^2 canopy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TALONSKY 0 #22 October 2, 2003 Well I guess what I was really trying to say is that for a company that their most prominent feature of their canopy was suppose to be the really great openings it seems from the feed back here over the past year and a half that most of the canopies have opening problems and need very special attention to packing( body position, or a smaller than stock pilot chute) to get good openings. Maybe I am just spoiled by canopies that need no special attention to open great. I can say that for the 330 jumps I put on a Safire I never had a hard opening(and I would trash pack it in 4 minutes). I now fly 2 Crossfires an original and a 2 and have only had 1 hard opening(due to a really bad pack job) in over 200 jumps. I also have seen reps from Atair on this web site slamming every other manufacture out there, in short I personally feel their product needs some work and the companies sales tactics are far too similar to a used car salesmen. To be honest I was at one time considering a Cobalt until I saw how their reps act at this web site. Kirk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andy2 0 #23 October 2, 2003 so how are they packing these cobalts to be able to deploy in sits and HD? (their promotional video) --------------------------------------------- let my inspiration flow, in token rhyme suggesting rhythm... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TALONSKY 0 #24 October 2, 2003 Well as stated by canopy pilots who jump Cobalt, that one Cobalt would open great and the next would slam them. So obviously they made sure that the ones used on the video open slow. It sounds as though the design might work fine but do to some problem(manufacturing tolerance or something) a fair amount of their canopies do not perform as well as they should i.e….(they slam you on opening) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #25 October 2, 2003 Thats not a great performance, opening wise. In 2000+ jumps on Stiletto 107's, I've had less than 5 bad openings. Two of those were due to broken A lines (and really weren't that bad), and the rest due to unstowed toggles (no line twists, just turning severely). I pay very little attention to the pack jobs (shake it, wrap it, and bag it). I also open in a variety of speeds and body positions, and still no troubles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
