ZigZagMarquis

Skylab, I know its a pain, but I'd send it back to Airtec again, or at least get on the phone with them. Its not exactly the your problem, but I had (actually still have) a Cypress that was displaying codes that weren't in the book after a string of jumps years back. Basically, the book says to just cycle power on the unit and if it counts back down to "0", its good to go, but it kept doing it and I finally sent the unit back to Airtec (actually SSK in OH) with a listing of the codes I'd seen and basically asking them "What's up with that?" They sent it back saying it was "okay." I think it did it a few times after that, but I really don't recall. The only thing I could figure was at the DZ I was jumping at then, the landing area was a mile or two away from the hangar/packing/loading area and maybe 100' higher... not enough that any of us ever bothered messing with the settings on our Cypress (okay, maybe we should have ), but maybe enough to confuse it from time to time. I still have that same Cypress in my then primary / now back-up rig, its been through its 4-year and 8-year checks since with no problems; it drops dead in Oct 08 & then I get to do something "fun" with it...

Without actually seeing the canopy... I'd say the $400 to $600 range is about right for an asking price. With 400 and some jumps on the canopy, even if its in great condition, you're probably looking at a line-set in the next 100ish jumps... of course we're assuming the lines are Spectra. If you can talk the seller down in price anticipating a line-set sooner then later and/or get them to ship it to a rigger local to you to inspect before you give them money to buy it, so much the better, but good luck with that. I don't know if you know this, but Sabre 190s (and Sabre's larger) from that era had "double steering lines" which some folks found distasteful, IMO while not un-heard-of, just a bit different... but that and the orginal Sabre's "rep" (somewhat true, somewhat urban legend) as a "wack job" canopy (if you do buy it, make sure its got the correct sized slider on it (call PD))... are all different stories. A few months back now, I sent a Sabre-2 170 back to PD for a buddy I do reserve repacks for and with a line-set, new slinks, a simple patch, replacing the kill-lines / sleeves on the slider and shipping to/from PD, all that ran him a bit over $300... so go check PDs new price list for service / Mx.

Most CRW dogs you see will have at least two hook knives, if not more. If asked, "Why do you have two (or more) hook knives?" They're likely to say something like, "In case I need one, I pull the first one out and throw it away... was going to drop it anyways... then pull out the second one and get to work." Anyway... Et All, I really don't mean to pile onto a pissing contest... well... okay, like its ever stopped me before... But those "cheap plastic" hook knives that a lot of gear mfgr's give away "free" with a new rig are about useless. If you're going to carry one, get a real one.

Bill, Thanks for posting that... and please pass on our thanks to Brian.

Consider getting a real job.

Terry, Thats a very brave and telling comment you make there. I too have wondered the same thing; maybe we're trying to "re-invent the wheel" too much here.

Terry, and hopefully DualHawk will see and respond to this too... In Terry's, above, two things... 1) Are we talking a kicker flap or a kicker plate? There was speculation at my DZ this past weekend that it was going to be a kicker plate, as in another loose thing to hunt down after a reserve deployment and/or buy a new one. Seems like a kicker plate would be a step "backwards" in time? 2) Re... new PC with a smaller bottom diameter... a smaller bottom, or smaller top and bottom?? Tapered spring? Other mfgr's use them and I've had reserve rides on their systems, so, obviously, they work, but their packing instructions usually perscribe stuffing the pilot chute material inbetween the coils as you compress the spring, otherwise "spring lock" can occur. I've also found these style springs more prone to "slipage". What is your and DualHawk's (Storng's ??) 2 cents on #1 & #2???

Hey! I'm Chef too!! Chef You're an original PIMP! You know your way with the ladies/gents and you know how to satify. Everyone likes you and you like everyone.

Yeah, when does this "getting older shit" quit sucking, Bozo??

You're just now figuring this out?

Hmmmm... thanks for the kudos, but I don't think that was me... ... but if you want to send me some Yeungling... I WILL LET YOU!

If you had to, you'd use your reserve on the 120th day after it was last packed... wouldn't you? That's 4 months. Its not "legal" but I've seen reserves dumped that had been packed for years and work just fine. Sure, if you want to repack your main after its been packed for several weeks / months without being jumped, then there's no reason not to and no one that should stop you; it would be a good chance to inspect things and make sure alls 4.0. However, if the main was properly packed and properly stored, then there should be no reason to fear a main pack job that's been closed up for several weeks to a 3 months, but, again, if you want to repack it, that's fine too.

I wouldn't sweat 3 weeks. I've jumped main pack-jobs that are 3 months old without a problem.

I do have a "lucky charm" so to speak... the following printed on a small slip of paper in with my reserve packing data card... Meet me Jesus, Meet me Meet me in the middle of the air And if my wings should fail me, Lord Please meet me with another pair Most folks see it and assume I'm deeply religious or something, but mostly its just a cool line from a Led Zeppelin song. Anyway, does it also count to be reverse Superstitious?? Like making it a point to go skydive on a Friday the 13th.

I'll do the same for free for similar reasons. Its a great thing to do for young skydivers once they've been in the sport for a bit and have a few jumps under their belts to where they can appreciate and undertand what's going on. ... if they want to help pack their own reserve rather then just watch... it costs extra...

Until what... it gets bigger! Additionally, the french fell seam will be 1/4" wide; the 'smallest' patch you could do would be 1" square. It's called ripstop nylon for a reason. Yeah... no shit!

Hmmmm... hadn't heard that before, but I don't doubt it. Please expand? I've known some folks who have dyed a rig. Usually its from some color, ugly or otherwise, to "all black". What ever the color of the rig, the material got that color somehow... and it probably involved dye at some point. I can see though where some would be suspicious that a re-dye job may leave some sort of residual effect that could weaken the nylon of the parachutes or, worse yet, the harness... something akin to the dreaded "acid mesh" boogy man of days gone by. I'd like to hear more.

A stitch in time saves nine. Good luck!

Show it to a rigger. See what he or she says.

... maybe we just found yet another use for an expired Cypress!!? But seriously... Don't Try This At Home, Kids!

What about Anne Lockhart & Maren Jensen?

Can we watch!??

Did her..., in Swamp Thing! Yeah, Adrienne Barbeau... there were a couple of reasons she was popular...

Not a whole lot you can do about that. Jumping in the desert... we chuckle at folks who get canopies with white in them or white jumpsuits, both turn "tan" in short order. PD does offer a "canopy wash" on their list of things they'll service, but the consensus seems to be its not recommended to wash a canopy. Anyway, its probably OBE at this point since the orig post is like 2 years old...

mmmmmm.... Lynda Carter.