tso-d_chris

I have owned L&B products, and found them to work well (despite a poorly designed user interface). That does not automatically make them better, IMO, or guarantee my exclusive future business. Please remind me what the Alti-track will do that the Neptune does not do? The only thing that comes to mind is a replay of the jump's altimeter display (in real time?). For Great Deals on Gear

As counter-intuitive as it might seem, I would ideally try to point MY RESERVE (with brakes still stowed)Down wind toward a suitable landing area. My reasoning is that the canopy will maintain a downwind heading more easily than an upwind heading with no input. Most important is getting under my larger reserve. For Great Deals on Gear

I don't think skydivers have had the option of such versatility long enough to be able to say that an altimeter is only going to be used in a single manner. So far Alti-2 is the only company that offers that versatility. L&B does not have a comparable product. Nor are they advertising any that might be forthcoming. Personally, I like the idea of having a non electronic altimeter, so the L&B wristmount is not an option, no matter how well it is engineered. For Great Deals on Gear

The Sabre2 neither has nor deserves such a reputation. True, it is not the only canopy in its class, but it is an excellent example of that particular class of canopy. For Great Deals on Gear

Claiming that Mirage is the best is not promoting your product?!?!?

I am no impressed with the features of the new line-up. apparently, the audibles have been crippled, with two new versions of the ProDytter, but no new Pro Track. The only logbook features are contained in the awkward looking handmount. If L&B dicontinue the ProTrack, there will notbe a L&B product featured to compete with the Neptune. For Great Deals on Gear

Just a reminder: Please don't be loading your canopy at 2:1 when you do this! For Great Deals on Gear

I'm glad you are happy with your Bonehead. They have long been known for excellent customer service. I'm not sure I understand what was wrong with the helmet when you first received it. Was the chin strap too long? Why didn't the helmet fit well? For anyone looking for a helmet, if possible, try some on first. Different brands and models fit differently. It works out pretty well, actually, cause no one seems to have the same shape head! Just bear in mind that the one you think looks the coolest may not be the one that fits you the best. (I recomend good fit over cooler looks) For Great Deals on Gear

This website offer prices by the foot of film, which they estimate based on reel size. This company prices the same way, but appears to be significantly more expensive. Here is another company that seems to be reasonably priced. I don't know how many feet of film you have, so I can't tell if the prices are better or not. You should only need a single copy, which you should be able to copy yourself, or with the assistance of a friend with a DVD recorder/burner. BTW, I used "transfer video from film to dvd" (without quotes) in Google. You might be able to find much better deals just by playing with the search terms, or trying froogle. Hope this helps. For Great Deals on Gear

But they did imply a single sized block! That's why I left off the 396, 427, 454, and the oddball 409. For Great Deals on Gear

I had the opportunity to check some well used standard rings. There was absolutely no sign of chipping. The plating was admittedly polished, but having not been used for at least a year, it is unlikely the plating was completely worn off. Without more than a visual inspection, though, it is impossible to know with my limited knowledge of chemistry. I am inclined to believe, however, that the Florida air would have caused visible corrosion if the plating had been worn completely off. At this point, judging by what I have actually seen in my short skydiving career, I have to maintain my position that a chipped ring is an example of defective materials, possibly from a fault in the plating process. For Great Deals on Gear

Been there, done that. I agree 100%.

First you say we shouldn't account for body parts exposed, and then you say we should express those body parts in two dimensions? Obviously, you can't have it both ways. The only way for the skysurfer to accelerate after about 10 seconds is to change the terminal velocity. This is done by varying the exposed body surface area, or tilting the board, which will reduce the board's cross sectional area surface area, but also, more than likely, increase the surface area of the body that is exposed to the relative wind. Here is where you went terribly wrong. You might be able to question the credibility of an Engineering Professor's explanation of Physics, but I have before me a genuine, up to date Physics book**, which uses skydivers as a specific example. "For objects moving at high speeds through the air, such as airplanes, skydivers, cars and baseballs, the resistive force is approximately proportional to the square of the speed. In these situations, the magnitude of the resistive force can be expressed as R=(1/2)*D*p*A*v^2 "[Serway, p. 164] where R is the resistive force D= the drag coefficient p= density of the air A=cross-sectional area measured in the plane perpendicular to its velocity and v = the velocity Obviously, you have to square the velocity, even without an engine on your back. Obviously, the Professor was right on with his critique of your explanation. Work Cited: Serway, Raymond A. and Jewitt, Jr; John W; PHYSICS for Scientists and Engineers; (C) 2004 Raymond A Serway. Published by Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning. ISBN number 0-534-40842-7 Used without permission under Fair Use guidelines.

Actually, I don't know RiggerRob or his work. I just wanted to emphasize that that attention to detail, and a willingness to always learn more about skydiving equipment are two very important characteristics of a rigger, no matter where you jump or with what brand equipment. I have met several great master riggers, and these are their common characteristics. For Great Deals on Gear

You forgot the 305, 307 and 400. Bonus points for getting the 302, though. For Great Deals on Gear

Hmmm. I tend to have the same complaint about the authors of pretty much every college math book I've used. ("Clearly, this implies....")

A few things I consider before deciding on a DZ's safety level: Are jumpers refused second passes (assuming no second jump plane below)? Are current winds displayed so that each skydiver on the load can determine the proper spot before boarding the plane? Do conditions warranting a weather hold vary, depending on whether or not there are students on the load? (ie. putting tandems out in clouds, rain) Does the jump plane stay clear of the airspace in which the skydivers are flying their canopies? Are students encouraged to pack for themselves? Are students taught to spotfor themselves? Are multiple student programs available to new jumpers? Is free/ low cost coaching / organizing readily available for new jumpers? Are landing directions enforced? Are AFF landings radio assisted by an instructor? Will the pilot adjust the spot at jumpers' request? Do the students have a large, unobstucted landing area? Are packers actually supervised by riggers? Are hook turns prohibited? (IMO education is nearly always better than prohibition.) When cool jumpers do unsafe things, are they grounded? How well is the plane maintained? Is the pilot qualified to fly skydivers? Is there a rigger readily available during most jump operations at the DZ? For Great Deals on Gear

The difference between an adequate rigger and a good rigger. And, the difference between a good rigger and a great one.

I've never seen this before on any high jump number rig, though I've never looked for it specifically. Tomorrow, I will look on a rig or two with over 5000 jumps. If I find chipped cadmium, I'll concede the point. If not, I stand by the argument that it is defective materials. For Great Deals on Gear

If it chips due to abuse, that is one thing. If it chips under normal use, that is defective materials. If it is offered on a rig, it should be durable enough to survive several thousand openings. For Great Deals on Gear

Yeah, tried that. Didn't work. Inverting the fans proved to be easier said than done, as well. Of course, another model might be more compatible with such upgrades, but it would be really nice to just be able to buy one pre configured to direct air in the proper direction. For Great Deals on Gear

I've been looking for a USB powered cooling fan, with fans that direct airflow upward. Every one I have seen blows the air in a downward direction, which actually reduces cooling ability on the laptop in need. Has anyone heard of such a cooling pad? For Great Deals on Gear

How is that not defective materials?

Unless USPA has changed the definition, neither a static line jump, nor an IAD jump is considered a skydive, as the parachutist does not deploy their own canopy. They are instead classified as parachute jumps.

There are a lot of factors to consider. How old is the gear? How many jumps? Location? How new are the lines? Is the same model still available new? What size is the gear? When it comes to containers, it gets even tougher to sell used equipment. The design changes are far more rapid with the container, so age, regardless of jump numbers will have a major affect. Also harnesses are custom built, which limits potential market even further. I wish I had a nice formula, but I don't. For Great Deals on Gear