Zlew

http://www.gethypoxic.com/reviews-tests-hacks/hacks-and-mods/90-cx200.html

Trunk has a page somewhere showing how to add threads to the CX190 series (think it's up to like the 230?). That's my current back up plan if mine die. Off to a meeting, but will try to find the link. No OIS, really small, and like 300 bucks. Seems like a good play if you add the threads (epoxy and step up rings and a little tinkering).

I just got my second UTP bag in yesterday, and the instructions they have show them stowing almost all of the line in the pouch. When they came to one of our boogies last year, they demonstrated it the same way (less than 6 inches of excess line?). Makes me a little nervous, but that seems to be their recommendation on the stowless bag. I would be interested to hear how you guys pack your stowless bags.

When I learned to pack, one of the guys who was our local rigger made 100 jumps where he set the brakes, walked the lines up, shook the canopy, pushed the slider up to the stops and wrapped the tail. No flaking or origami with the nose or other fabric of the canopy before putting it in the bag. The videos showed his openings (on stilettos) being just as good/soft/etc as you would expect them to be, and he had no malfunctions. The way I remember his argument was- most of what you do when packing a parachute is to make it last longer, not to make it open. Flaking reduced the possibility of line burns on fabric, but didn't make the canopy open softer/better. This would explain why manufactures etc. would recommended it for the sake of extending the life of the canopy and reducing the risk of damage. This was a long time ago...so who knows, but seems to make sense. I flake on every pack job (well...most... :) ). I know I have had some true trash pack jobs this season where I cringed as I tossed my pilot chute, only to have the best openings of the weekend.

good pilot chute (not worn out), and good throw stow-less bag

Getting everything rigged up now, and have not had a chance to jump it yet. I'll post pics/video once everything is done. So far it looks promising. Auto focus is really fast, no shutter delay, bursts really well/fast/long (even in RAW). Picture and video quality look really good on the ground. I may have to tinker with the IS settings. The pancake lens is on the way, but even with the kit lens the thing is really small compared to my Canon. So far it looks promising, but we'll have to see how it does in the air.

Anyone jumping with an EMP1? Any thoughts/suggestions/tips? I just got one for this season for team pics, and other outside pics. I may use it for some secondary video as well (just for giggles). The combo of the small size (esp. with a pancake lens) and the 4/3rds sensor, low shutter delay, and over 4FPS is really appealing. I hope it works out!

There are a few up there, but I've never been. As far as I know they are all smaller Cessna operations. There have to be close to a dozen folks from Tulsa/OKC area who regularly jump at SDD (about 3 hours from there I believe). SKydive Airtight is the one I hear mentioned the most, but I've never been there.

The future is pretty awesome! Can't wait to see where all of this goes in the next few years as the price and sizes shrink, and memory becomes faster and cheaper. 4K gives you about an 8M image. Depending on how you use those pixels, you can get fantastic quality for enlargements at 8M. I have 11x14 prints from years ago taken with an old 8M canon SLR. For portrait type pics where you are pretty close to the subject, they enlarge perfectly. In fact, for most of my prints at that size (from studio shoots) you really can't tell the difference in the pics shot at 8M, 10M, 12M or 18M. The ideas and concepts in the video are pretty sweet. I think it is a ways off for mainstream photographers (a few years), and probably a little further out for skydive applications, but still pretty awesome. That camera is about 12K USD right now... but the Hero3 says it can do 4K also. Have any of you Hero 3 owners tried to export stills? The idea of a sensor that small really getting good 4K images seems hard to swallow... but I'd be interested to see how it does at 1/30th the cost, and probably 1/30th the size/weight.

I'm not a big guy, but jumped big wings for a while... Bigger wings will give you more range for sure, but any time you are hanging everything out to grab as much air as you can, you will be less nimble. With all wings, you can always collapse them and fly with your elbows in. This is how I prefer to fly; helps the backslide issue, and is more nimble, and can use the wings for exit and as needed in freefall. My jumpsuit this year I went back to Med wings with big booties. Not sure I'm totally sold on the huge booties, but you can use them to slow down. I blew a wing on one jump and went down to the level of the formation, and went "tunnel style" to slow down by putting my arms out like super man and straight legs close together. I shot up as fast as (faster?) than I usually do just hitting my wings. In general flying with my legs out/more positive I am able to use less wing and fly closer to a mantis position with my elbows lower than my head, and hands close to my face. So that might be something to consider...

True, but i've seen several others that they didn't post on their site. The only ones where I see things coming from below are with RSL or fast/back deployments.

found the grail for actual skyhook videos http://unitedparachutetechnologies.com/index.php?option=com_zoo&view=item&Itemid=445#V After watching 20 or more of these, I think I would (will) hook up a skyhook. I didn't see any where the jumper was on his/her back and had any lines/PC etc. come under their arm, or really touch their body. I think it is positive enough to put my fears at ease. I might work putting my chin down into my cutaway procedures... but I think the hook would be a good idea. I'm still "no go" on a standard rsl though.

+1

The bonehead box makes it really quick/easy to get to the card on the bottom. It's expensive (about as expensive as the cameras now!) but works really well for me in that regard. I like the cookie box too, but it secures with a thumb screw so it is slow for what you are wanting to do. The bonehead pops right out.

I agree. Not totally sold yet, but I have been watching more and more skyhook spinner videos... and there is a chance I could talk myself into using one on video jumps. They all seem much less sloppy with less proximity to helmet/camera than the RSL vids.

another good video showing all the reserve deployment getting up close and personal with the camera/body. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDptCvRDCBE

and the split second before that it looks like the bag is touching the top of his head.

More food for thought (fuel to the fire?)? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=I75Z9iTLdwo#t=70s This video has this argument written all over it! To my point- When this guy chops you see all his lines and everything go right past his head on the video. Counter to my point- A, it opened just fine, and B... I think this guy would be a grease spot without an RSL/skyhook. I don't think he had time to pull it on his own (def no time to roll over) and the fast deployment saved his life. To one of my early points... He fought it way too long, lost altitude awareness, and cut away dirty low. This is why you have to realize how much altitude you lose when you are in a spinner, and have to make a decision and take action quickly.

I think this is one of those things where if you are in doubt, you might as well hook it up. Statistically more folks have had their butts saved by RSL/skyhook than those who have pounded in because of it. Having said that, I choose not to use either when I fly camera. I have spent a lot of time researching, and watched tons of videos, and this is the conclusion I have come up with for myself- 1- my most likely malfunction based on my gear is a spinning malfunction. 2- shooting video, I typically open higher and have a little more time than others 3- I am EXTREMELY aware that in a spinning mal on my gear, I am still descending at near free fall rates and have to react quickly. On spinning malfunctions some of the relative wind is coming from below you, it is very common when you deploy in this situation for reserve PC, Bag, and/or lines to launch past you head, under your arm, or otherwise contact your body. With all that shit on my head (even in low snag designs) I don't like the idea of my last chance at saving my life rubbing up against or snagging on part of my helmet. For me, it is worth it to have that extra second or two to roll over and launch my last parachute into clean air. I'll see if I can dig up some more footage, but this is one that shows the issue really well. This isn't an RSL/skyhook but is a very fast deployment while on his back under a spinning Petra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=nRYa_pXJ_p4#t=41s This was my last chop from this year, was glad to be able to roll over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk0fSCtULxM&list=UUHNuDXLq-8UWPWNA1myLFJA&feature=player_detailpage#t=30s

optical image stabilization

Did you get what you needed on this? I can take pics this weekend if you still need them.

Hop'n'Pops have higher risks of line twist than terminal due to the lower forces getting you to line *edit stretch As for the "Spinetto"- There is some history there. When I started jumping (late 90's) the Stiletto was the hot rod of the day. It was the gold standard, one of the first true elliptical canopies with a tapered leading and trailing edge, and one of the first canopies that was commonly loaded up (not much by today's xbrace standards). It was also the most popular high performance canopy. Anyway...before this time, line twists were not really a malfunction. lower aspect ration canopies, square canopies like Sabre (1) and Monarch of the day, and lower wing loaded canopies were no big deal with twists. They would fly nice and straight...canopy would stay above your head. Just kick out... no biggie. Enter a bunch of stilettos out there, loaded up a little bit... and people found out real quick that line twists could get very violent very quickly. They have a tendency to "spin up", dive to the horizon, and you have to get rid of them. That's when the term "spinetto" started and it has stuck. Now loaded elliptical and corss braced canopies are pretty common. The Stiletto isn't any worse than any other similar canopy when it comes to diving/turning/spinning in line twists... but it was one of the first and most popular and thus the term. my "spinetto" early this season - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk0fSCtULxM&list=UUHNuDXLq-8UWPWNA1myLFJA&index=13&feature=plcp

Depending on exactly what you are using it for, you might look at the Sony .8. I shoot 2 cameras for 4 way comp, and needed a wide angle for my 2nd camera (have the century .55 on my main camera). I didn't want to spend a ton on $, so I tried out the .8X. I haven't done any DSE style testing on it (because I dont know how to, ha!) but I can say I've been very impressed with the lens and I am actually using it more for my primary footage now. Image quality seems razor sharp with great colors. For 4 way, and the way I fly i think it actually gives gives a better angle than the .55 does. I think it would be great for 4 way, 8 way, Big way, and tandems. Not so much for inside footage. Very very happy with it so far. Maybe soon I'll post some videos showing the .55 and the .8 running at the same time (or at least some screen grabs). http://www.amazon.com/Sony-VCLHGE08B-Wide-End-Conversion-Camcorders/dp/B0033WTQPC 60 bucks....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006NZ9OHG/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00 This is what I ordered. Two of them for less than the price of one Sony. I knew it was a risk, but figured for 30 bucks it was worth the chance. DSE- Yes they show charge info just like the Sony. Pushing them on longer training days (a dozen jumps or more, including some landing footage) they have lasted as expected. So far they are doing just what I expected them to do and have been my primary battery since May.

I picked up a pair of the extended batteries for my 150 several months ago. Off brand, and was something like 40 bucks for two of them. I've used them all season and not had any issues (put about 150 jumps on them so far shooting 4 way). I'll see if I can find a link to where i got them.