DSE

I prefer the Contour2 over the GP. Not as many bullet points on the sell sheet, but better image quality overall. Sony is the top choice, but their formfactor is as bad as GP (worse in some ways). Replay is my choice alongside the Contour.

In a few years, HD will be dead. File sizes won't shift by much. 4K h.265 isn't much larger than 1080p h.264. The speed of output is likely the reason for the faster cards, and by requesting class 10 cards, it also reduces the fairly high risk of faulty/counterfeit cards/failed jumps.

Still all-optical, plus no remote connnex. YMMV

http://www.nlf.no/sites/default/files/fallskjerm/dokument/13-1.03.31_su_bulletin_13.01_midlertidig_bruksforbud_vingedress_tony_suit_x-bird_3_0.pdf

Far more people have died trying to achieve a "flat stable body position" than have died due to RSL. But, to each his own. I don't have a problem with someone making their own decision, whether they do or don't have all the information. However, I do find myself wondering about a DZ that would ban RSL's altogether.

it's ridiculously cool. playing with one now.

OK, supposing for a moment that you're right; you were tricked? So what? I once worked at a DZ where an asshat tandem instructor constantly 'tricked' videographers into exiting too soon. He got me too, once. Cost me a whole 30.00 in video pay because the exit wasn't on tape (the rest of the skydive was). I wasn't happy, but rather learned from it. He never got me again. Perhaps you should do the same. However...if you're really _this_ hurt over a bad spot, perhaps skydiving isn't for you. You had all kinds of opportunity to look out the door and say "no." YOU are the only one responsible for your spot. And yes...if you took a freshly stamped A license student on a bad spot like that, you'd probably get your ass kicked (and deserve it).

If I were in the position of wanting to buy a GP3 right now, I'd wait until the Ambarella A7L hardware update happens (very soon). That 'fix' should take care of all the problems. I'd expect a couple of months til it happens.

Are you suggesting the RSL was responsible for the outcome? From third-hand information on the fatality, I believe this isn't the case.

I watched it at high speed... Summary: Spot was bad, but not even close to 6 miles. Perhaps 1.5-2 off the DZ. Dunno about the politics,but the self-described 'fat kid' is obviously off, so for some reason doesn't deploy, and looks at his altimeter several times before finally deploying at normal altitudes, landing on the beach not far from the water's edge. Based on titles in the video, 'fat boy' knew he was in trouble @8k, but continued to track. Based on titles in the video, apparently 'fat boy' felt he could track more efficiently than the canopy, and perhaps that's why the deployment waited til 3.5k? Seems that had "fat boy" deployed when he realized he was in trouble, the concern for off-landing would have gone away. Even the best wingsuiter can't approach the glide ratio of a larger canopy. Deploying high in a bad spot (assuming winds are with you and not against you) allows for greater time under canopy to make decisions about where to land out or mentally prepare for a water landing (in this video, there are a couple of other spots I'd have aimed for, where the beach juts out). Deploying high also allows spotters on the ground to observe and track your line of flight, giving more time for them to begin rescue preparations and/or notify authorities if necessary. 5,000' occurred between the first heads-up about the spot, and when deployment occurred. Seems to me, this is the bigger question, vs "these people conspired to drown me." FWIW, a dumbass, wingsuit 'instructor' put two brand new wingsuit ladies _in_ the ocean not too long ago. They were half a mile out to sea. I'm pretty sure their situation was worse, but no one is claiming a murder conspiracty. What happened here is entirely your own fault. Edited to add a map showing the spot. At no point were you farther than 2m away from the DZ. Not a great spot, but certainly not a "killer conspiracy" spot.

Don't you think you've answered your own question above? Although I have jumped full-face systems with a stick on camera, it's not something I'll regularly do, simply because I don't care for the odds. Too many friends in this sport have found themselves in entanglements; at least one of them likely would not have survived without a cutaway on his helmet. I'm a believer in cutaway systems. If you can't cutaway the helmet, or don't have a cutaway system that will work under load that will release the camera, it's not something I'd recommend jumping.

I don't believe it's up to you to prove that the RSL saves lives; there is more than enough information that they do. Your DZO's rules are his rules, but aside from inviting legal action in the event something should occur, it also seems incumbent upon them to demonstrate statistical information showing that RSL's have hurt more people than those assisted. At the end of the day, it's the DZ's rules, whether they're very smart or not. Me? I'd question a DZ that has such a rule and seek another DZ if possible. Otherwise, SUICC.

Exactly. Why not both? I've got a TB on Google, but also store locally.

As warned nearly 3 years ago, the lock on "AVCHD" is too specific, and with AVCHD on its last legs, AVC owns the landscape, while HEVC is just around the corner. Identifying a codec is a mistake that will need to be corrected sooner than later. A gopro set to 127 degrees FOV is fine for the conversation of viewing width (so everything isn't far away in fish-eye), but the quality does take a hit.

Again you demonstrate that you're unaware of how the process over the past 5 years has transpired. Standardized training was indeed proposed. Years ago. When you're only allowed one crayon in the box, it's difficult to paint rainbows. Hopefully you're now done calling my employers and clients to whine about me and my efforts.

Yet none of the proponents of those preposterous proposals ever even thought about doing an "environmental impact assessment" to see how what they proposed would affect everything else. The big problem was tail strikes and unless there's great conspiracy to hide them, essentially none have occurred since the debate resulted in the three-second rule, the sticker Your posts very much ring like those of many new skydivers posting on DZ.com; filled with opinions and very little relevant experience or information on which to base them. Wow. You're good at alliteration. Yet still, not well informed. Ducks/dark come to mind. You won this debate before the USPA. That's great. It still doesn't mean it was the correct course of action. Obviously, standardized training wasn't the correct course either.

It would be sweet if you're right; I have two in since Jan 25th.

The Larsen and Brusgaard/L&B audible products are all size-appropriate for a G3 pocket. Solo=Allows for warnings in 500' increments. Has three freefall alarms. OptimaII-Allows for warnings in 1' increments (useful, IMO) Has three freefall, 3 canopy alarms. Quatro-Offers four warnings in 1' increments. Top alarm is a tracking aid, will beep constantly until the next alarm, letting you know that it's operating and you won't need to duck your head to check your altimeter. Also has three canopy alarms. I like the OptimaII; it also has a port for a visual altimeter indicator. Works nicely wth the HypEye camera products too. None of the above devices log your jumps. Only the ProTrack and Altitrack permanently log, and the Viso has a revolving log. ProTrack has some audible features, while Altitrack and Viso are only visual altimeters.

I can't defend nor attack PIA; their program is voluntary right down to the projectors. No paid A/V guys. 5 rooms constantly running. Me? I donated a tremendous amount of time, and can't blame the guy that bailed on them because he didn't know what he was getting into. Roughly 250 hours of footage to collate, assign, edit, output, upload is a big task to ask from a volunteer, IMO. Add to it that skydivers are never, ever satisfied with what's in front of them, there is never a real payoff. Maybe someone wants to take on the task of going to the manufacturers and charging them individually to build a collective plate, but that's more work that I'd want to put into it.

A thought or two (not mine, just some expressed...) All of PIA is volunteer. Everyone. so... 5x rooms = 5x videographers 5x videographers + 2 hour sessions x 5 sessions=50 hours of footage (per day) Cost to edit isn't going to be cheap. Who pays for that? I like you guys, but I'm sure not donating that kind of time. Perhaps PIA could talk USPA into spending some of their "sport promotion" $$, but remember, PIA isn't connected to USPA; they're separate entities. Next thought...The PIA really wants butts in seats at the Symposium (which is also separate from the tradeshow floor). If the videos are up, it's hard to get people to attend. Just a couple things to consider.

She really did know what she wanted to say, no advance coaching for her. And she's very easy on the eyes.

But what if you _are_ making money on it? Here's a fictitious scenario; Organizer putting together a big jump. Org has advisors to help select a participant. One of the advisors has a buddy that doesn't meet the requirements, but the advisor slips him/her in anyway. Org has no knowledge. Unqualified participant harms someone else in the jump. To add injury, the unqualified participant was found to have been smokin' up before the jump. Does the org have responsibility? Even though the true fault lies with the advisor? The DZ waiver won't cover this in any event. A separate waiver is needed. Mike is right; no one will go after someone who hasn't got anything to go after. It's not worth the expense. But for the guy that has anything....

Mirage was showing a new Accuracy setup, Aerodyne spoke to it (but showed nothing), and SunPath also pointed to an Accuracy rig. It was interesting to see/hear the renewed interest in Accuracy (perhaps now that it's a separate event?)

It was interesting that one of the vendors there commented "We only service military, so we're not interested in being interviewed." A couple hours later, I introduced a colonel in the Indian Army, responsible for certain types of purchases. He had come to PIA predominantly based on the videos we'd shot at the previous symposium. Then there are the skydiving vendors that practically chased us down with "what time can you come by and get us on tape?" For me, I'm very interested in what the military is doing. Some of the things seen in the video are very cool, such as the CPS mobile breaching system with the sledge hammer, pick and ladder.

I was as surprised as anyone to find out I'd be doing the vids; PIA had asked someone else. That person bailed on them at the last minute. I was asked to help out, but was already in Florida, so no gear with me. Late afternoon on Sunday...no pro video rental stores open. Best Buy didn't have much, so we did what we could with what we could source on very short notice. Scotty Burns agreed to be a camera op, and he had a half-decent shotgun mic. All in all, it didn't turn out too badly. I'm glad people find them of value.