jimmytavino

....bought the dcr-HC 85 about a month ago, and have been using it on the ground only,,,to shoot some footage and ,,as an editing/playback deck... I skydive with a VX-1000, side by side with my trusty old TRV-7.. then i firewire the footage to the 85 .....sooon though, I will mount the 85 to my helmet.... I am getting used to the touchscreen controls. The playback edit features, from my old trv 20 are all there,, but instead of push button and roller wheel control,, they all require dancing through a series of menu selections.... i'm getting the hang of it The memorystick/ photo capabilities, seem to be good quality,, and the the sticks are compatible with my digital still and my photo printer..... We are planning a night 16 way, this saturday,, ( ALL POPS ).. I just may use that occasion as the reason to take the new camera skydiving......

..... .... hahahah!!! " a little knowledge is a dangerous thing!!!" ... I noticed that the stock of Tazer Inc... jumped something like 7.50/share this week....It was one of the markets "leading gainers".... you should reenact this "field test" for them,,,, and I'll video it...

...be at peace Chris... Friendship always endures........... remember.... " we are not human beings having a spiritual experience,,, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.".. Tielhard d. Chardin... and as you have noticed,,, Tommys spirit is still with you...and with anyone with whom he shared the sky, time on a dropzone, or a ride to altitude.

I fall into that category as well...

........buzz on!!!!!... bro' It's great that you had a chance to visit and skydive at some new places and with some new faces...... I am a big advocate of " traveling places to make jumps at new and exciting dropzones"...I hope to do a bit more of THAT myself,,, before this summer slides by.... Still isn't it nice to pull into the parking lot at the "old Home DZ " all charged up from such a visit to find welcoming friends, a willing Instructor ( Peter LeGere) to join you on a 2 way ( in Fact to OFFER to do the two way with you when you announced that you planned to do a "solo") .. and a smiling cameraperson who would rather video THAT skydive, than go with the 12 way, that was on the same load?? hahahahah Once again....."jmy makes the right choice".... That was a fun fun skydive happy to share it,,, and the video ,, with you. Still pics later.... once I get my "real" work done for the day...thanks for the smile which I enjoyed,,, as we neared pull altitude.... you did a great job... " Farm On " !!!!!!!!!! o[:-)

.... being a 100 % Italian-American Boy I never tried it ,, until I got "growned-up".... When i met my wife who is Irish - English in heritage,, her Mom made it for us.... on Saint Pattys day..... ....

..... try this instead..... quit skydiving,, but if your gear is relatively state of the art,,, don't sell it just yet... it will hold its value for the immediate future..... you can always sell it later..... OR you may find that after a while,,, being,, "ground bound" doesn't agree with you and you MAY find that you would LIKE to visit the DZ and make a few... Then you still have a rig with which you are comfortable....( parting with your gear,,, is SO final ) and just in case you head Back to Perris for a visit or something,,,, you will be "good to go",,, Just get a reserve repack.....

...ditto.... it just seems wrong to cut the rubber cover off... so gaffer tape it.. flat against the case of the camcorder.... Remember... "every videographer needs One good roll of gaffer tape..... but if you work it right.... it may last you for years".....

.........reminds me of a parachutist center page photo from many many years ago.... It was basically 2 separate 4 ways..... flying on the same level,,, and about 8 feet apart from one another... It was titled,,, "Expanding Awareness" and the neat thing about it was..... All four of the jumpers in One 4 way... were docked together but EVERY one of them had their heads turned so that they could SEE the other 4 way.... while those IN the other 4 way... were "tunnel vision locked" on only the people to whom they were attached.... trust yourself to do more, see more, feel more and appreciate MORE on every skydive that you make..... You will surprise yourself about all that you otherwise might have missed....... skydive softly, skydive often, skydive with friends

..... amazing ....now there is a Pup with some Pep in her Step ...doing twice as much as usual with half as much...as most many she live many many doggy years

.......

... years ago I knew a stone and brick mason who told about a customer who was slow to pay,,,, as the mason was helping him build a house.... The foundation was finished and the framing was done,,,and the customer set the tone for the job ,, by whining about all his bills, and delaying the payment to this mason.... The mason stayed true to his contract though,,,, and went ahead and built this fancy brick fireplace and chimney... The mason asked for payment as the owner was about to move in.... and was "put off" yet again.... It was near the holidays,,, and when the selfish owner decided to light a fire in the new fireplace,,,, huge clouds of smoke,, POURED into the living room,,, and the owner had to douse the fire... The furious owner called the mason and demanded satisfaction.... The Mason said,, " pay me what you OWE me and I'll "fix it "... Upon receiving full payment,, the mason arrived took a ladder off his truck,, set it against the chimney , climbed up and dropped a Brick.... down the chimney flue... A crash was heard and pieces of glass fell to the floor of the fireplace... The mason had "cemented" his own brand of insurance,, by installing a pane of glass across the flue pipe about 4 feet above the fire chamber.... The glass shattered,,, the chimney worked,,, the mason left,,,, and the customer got to clean up the broken glass.....and the rest of the mess.. ... As a tradesman who works hard and always delivers,,, it really galls me when a customer has such low regard for the effort required to meet their demands..... So many people think you just snap your fingers and the work gets done,,,,... To have to wait.... any length of time to be paid for work already finished is absolutely unfair..... but who said life was Fair???????? ..... so you have to anticipate,, and cover yourself... ...... and develop a good instinct regarding who will be honorable and who won't.....And it is a constant surprise that,,,, "those who you think will pay,,,, don't" .... and those who you figure will NOT pay,,,, do....

.....

well i don't start out in the middle.... i often video from the perimeter,, and move around out there,, but only get directly above a group , if it's a four way team... So if i'm on the outside edge,,,,of say a 10 way or a 16 way... sure... a weak tracker,,, can easily get under me IF I stay out there... So that's why I move to the area just vacated by the others....... ... if separation happens a bit LOWER than planned,,,, you bet,, there will be someone who gets antsy and basically does a 180 and pitches,,, I. E. NO track .. And THAT is exactly who i am looking for,,, as I fly past them and into the center...If they DO "fail to even remember" that there is a camera person above them,,,, i'll do my best to "fly defensively" and watch out for themmmmmm!!!!

...in freefall it's weightless.. of course at opening,, it's 4 Gs.... i dunno ...maybe 8 ... 8 and a half pounds... .... as for the altimeter.. there was room for it.. (It doesn't really weigh ANYthing..... That bonehead helmet has a back ratchett clip and a good solid chin cup as well so it's not that bad....and stays solid to my head...) but back to the Alti.. Tandem masters can look at it,,,,,,and "after-star geekers" can look at it..as we get down near 3 grand.........

thanx....I was using a tripod type quick connect base is attached to a bonehead BatRack.. mating clip is attached to camera tripod mount screw... A 1 inch webbing strap with plastic clip wraps both cameras... (the vx 1000 is directly connected to the helmets flat top plate, via 1/4 twenty mounting threads ).. I did feel like I hit the top edge of the door, as i exited last,, and once during the dive it felt like I took a knee to the head.. i was the tail of a diamond and the left wing and i kinda had a "positive" dock The camcorder was found with the mating clip still securely attached..... I dunno.. maybe it wasn't properly engaged into the base....... ..... maybe I was distracted by the chorus of "him,, Him '.. at 10 grand,( it was my # 2,900) , or maybe I was distracted by four of my "sky-sisters" 2 of whom were floaters and 2 of whom were divers......

Part of the reason i wave is because i am excited...to be in the moment of a skydive... The big wave is an expression of that..especially on a hop & pop,, when acceleration is so noticable. ( Plus i want the people on the GROUND to know I am about to pull.) hahahaha .. As we conclude a freefall,,we should shift into "deployment mode"..... and for many, that starts w/ a wave.. while Looking around and above if we are in the air with others. Then square up, go to the handle,, and throw.... yelling "yahoo" as the slider comes down, is optional

.... well losing that camera was "free" Since it was bought and paid for,,,, years ago...... Replacing it.... however,, is another story. I have ordered a DCR HC-85..... It's supposed to be in,,, this week.....same general size and shape as the trv 20,,, better CCd,, better still photo resolution,, good digital playback effects..reasonable cost..... Still It may serve as a ground based camera for a while...I'll shoot ground footage with it,, and pre boarding footage as well... I have a trv 7 which still works pretty good, and plan to put that back into service for the immediate future...... the plan is to shoot freefall footage with the 7 and with the VX-1000,, then firewire that to the HC 85,, and dub the tandem vids off the better camera.......

..... It gives the cameraperson a terrible feeling in the pit of the stomach...... .........It was a sunset load , a week ago sunday. I had done 3 tandem videos, 1 AFF video and was about to enjoy jump # 2,900 to finish off the day.... Nice jump... myself and 7 real good friends.... The dive went great. but upon landing I discovered that my Sony DCR-TRV20 was GONE!!!! ...... talk about taking the wind outta your sails...... damn... It was getting dark.. i stayed the night @ the DZ and was out looking for the camcorder @ 7 AM..... We had outside video on the dive which showed the camera still with me,, as I deployed... But just as certain,,, as my slider came down,, the camera came off. We pretty much figured out where we were as we opened, and had a rough idea where to look... I knocked on the door of a neighbor south of the field,,, on monday morning,,,to ask permission to look for it... the woman says,,, "oh I remember you,, you made a video for our son when he jumped last year,,,, we watch it all the time...".. Then after I explained the I had "dropped" a camera,,, she replied,, " Oh you know WHAT??? My other son said he HEARD something crash into the woods last night,, while he was out on the back porch. I couldn't believe it,,, but the teen came out and Pointed in the general direction of a huge stand of trees...At least it was a place to start.... It was thick with underbrush,, wet, muddy, full of mosquitos, damp with dew, and very tough to move around in..... But after an hour and a half or so... i found it....... It was totally smashed,,, But at least it did not have to lay out in the mud forever... The tape came out damaged,, ( I have it at a video shop who assures me they can save it..) There is very little which can be used.. I found the battery and it seemed to take a recharge,, but everything else is broken.... Still it's only just a piece of equipment and NO ONE on the ground was hurt and no property was damaged... . and now the camcorder can retire on my shelf instead of in the cold wet darkness of the muddy forest....... pics. attached.... jmy