MarkM

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Everything posted by MarkM

  1. MarkM
    Do you have the link for those? I've been meaning to try out one of them myself before I start to get into high altitude jumps.
  2. MarkM
    This happened to me today. While doing a casual inspect prior to packing I noticed that a rapid link was enscrewed and it was bent too far out of shape to screw back up. I think I'll be ordering a set of slinks. I used them on my old canopy and never had problems with them.
  3. MarkM
    Yeah, I really like mine too.
  4. MarkM
    That's very well written. She should see if she could get it published.
  5. MarkM
    Nope. I won't even touch anyone who has a boyfriend. If they're interested in me, they can break off their other relationship. I don't share.
  6. MarkM

    Tunnel injuries

    MarkM replied to billvon's topic in Wind Tunnels

    About the same thing happened to me. I pinched a nerve in my neck which caused part of my left arm to go numb, lasted about 2 months too. I also faced planted into the net from about 8 feet up when I broke the column of air by hitting the wall once. Luckily I was wearing a full face helmet and only put a big scratch on that.
  7. MarkM
    Thats the essential of how these threads go on DZ.com. There will be people who post suggesting one or the other but I am sure others will flame them for making that decision. Yeah, I've noticed that and it's a bit of a shame. Sometimes the advice you get from the locals at a DZ isn't always the best. I've gotten the "you'll get bored with xxx" speech more than once at a DZ, but had opinions on this board(this was 4 years back) to balance it against. At least with the experienced jumping there's the jump numbers / 100 + 1 WL rule that gets quoted, which is a nice hard limit guideline to go off of. But for noobs the response is a lot more hands off. This seems like a more recent trend, but I don't know.
  8. MarkM
    You know, given that you're jumping a 150 I don't see why you can't buy new for the container. Figure it'll be awhile before you downsize to a 135 and it'll be a long time before you go off of that. You could have a container made for a 150/135 main and it'll probably last you awhile. I guess it depends on what WL you're at with the 150 though. I'm 5'6" and that's the route I went with my Mirage M3. I have a 150 main/150 reserve in it now and it'll take a 130 main later on. I think us smaller people can get away with buying new on our first containers because we can't downsize as much.
  9. MarkM
    13/16. But it's hard to tell just by a pic. It's how people move that really gives it away. The things you need to know when you live near Miami
  10. MarkM
    Tunnel time helped me get through AFF without repeating and the coaching there also gave me some basic building blocks for skills beyond AFF. But I was wiped out after 15 mins in a wind tunnel. I don't know how well I would've handled 20 mins on day 1, then a skydive on day 2. If the people coaching you in the tunnel are the same instructors that will be with you during AFF in freefall, I think that would be a big plus. If not, I would probably consider a smaller block of time in the tunnel with a coach, then a few days after that doing AFF at a DZ which has a good post AFF program. Ron's offer of coaching for you covering his slot isn't a small thing, post AFF coaching can run $80 a pop and you will require some amount of coaching to get your A license.
  11. MarkM
    I just spent the last 8 months bloodying up my fingers jamming a Tri 160 into a Mirage M3, which now fits a Hornet 150 oh-my-God so perfectly. I wouldn't wish trying to pack a square 190 into a M4 on my worst enemy. I know you have this "I'll be jumping this in 5 years" plan, but I really doubt you'll keep to it. With the 50% deal you can't lose no matter what you're going to do, so buy what works for you now.
  12. MarkM
    Not sure what the date is. The video is "Aerodyne Research Triathlon Packing Video" by Aerodyne Research Corp. I probably bought it during the summer of 2000. That's when I got my first rig, which was used, and I collected all the docs I could on the components from each manufacturer.
  13. MarkM
    I think that's called split rolling the nose. Anyway, I got a Triathlon packing video from Aerodyne a couple years back and that's how they showed to pack the Tri, by split rolling the nose. That's always given me soft openings.
  14. MarkM
    Ahh Canada, yeah, I'm sure it gets real humid there At 9pm it's currently at 84% humidity in Fort Lauderdale.
  15. MarkM
    And buying presents before the "holiday" hits, even if they're only for yourself: http://www.ccrane.com/freeplay-plus-wind-up-radio.aspx http://www.healthyharvest.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=771&zenid=1fe28e6b9abb7d7873ef9b70373b6db0 http://www.kooleraire.com/ Now I just need to pick billvon's head for different types of small, clean, quiet 900 watt power generators so I can keep my computer running during the next one.
  16. MarkM
    Yeah. Use another paint editing program to translate the bitmap to a png or jpg.
  17. MarkM

    Two more storms???

    MarkM replied to Jib's topic in The Bonfire

    If this keeps up I think I'll start up a Plywood, Water and Batteries Depot.
  18. MarkM
    Hit the print screen key, then open up MS Paint and select Edit->Paste. I then save that as a jpg or png(forget what ms paint can handle) and open it up under a real paint program and crop the size down a little.
  19. MarkM

    Butt Bungies

    MarkM replied to weegegirl's topic in Freeflying

    Yes I use one and I consider it a safety device. I can pull my fully secured rig off my body if the leg straps move down towards my towards my knees(while I'm in a sit position).
  20. MarkM
    I'm sure in this case Mr. Dick would've been the first person to tell you how stupid you were for not properly checking the spot.
  21. MarkM
    Student status I had various 240-260+ canopies. Off student status I was on Triathlon 240 and 220s, then migrated to my own Triathlon 160 at around jump 35 or so. That was a little under a 1.1 WL. Migrating to a Hornet 150 now which I'll be loading that a little over a 1.1 WL, I'm mostly just making a switch to a little more aggressie of a cut(semi-ellip) and a 9 cell. That Hornet should last me quite awhile and it'll probably be several hundred jumps before I max out what I can do on it.
  22. MarkM
    Yeah, for a cheap suit made quickly, Kurupee is an option. My suit was $159 and I got it in under a month. I really like it too, just make sure to get the cotton suits. But I've heard some people have had problems with the suits not being like they ordered. On the other hand, I've also heard that Kurupee takes care of the problems when they do happen.
  23. MarkM

    Vigil AAD

    MarkM replied to padalka's topic in Gear and Rigging

    If you've ever flown on a commercial airline I wouldn't at all doubt that there was a 12+ year old computer system keeping you alive at some point during the trip. If old computers aren't used in businesses, then why did we have the Y2K scare 4 years back where everyone was fixing COBOL code that was done back in the 80's?
  24. MarkM
    Just called to check and Homestead is a NO.
  25. MarkM
    Yeah, that was pretty neat. It could've ended with her strapping on a rig and basing out the window, but I guess you can't have everything.