FIRST RIG

[Looch]

Hello everyone! I am finally about to start BASE jumping:) :D }( and would like some opinions on gear. I am considering a new 266FLik and REACTOR4. I weigh 175lbs and live in Australia(low objects and scary landings) Does anyone think valves degrade heading performance compared to strait vents? I am guessing the valves cause some resistance to the airflow during presurization and am wondering if this resistance may be variable. So say for instance one vent lets more air in than another and causes the canopy to turn during opening. Also i have herd of people taking there MULTI off beleiving it was affecting their heading peformance. Is that just terminal or on all delays?
Thanks
Paul

[imported_Tom Aiello]

>Does anyone think valves degrade heading performance compared to strait vents?

I haven't seen any evidence of this. I do think that straight vents allow for slightly faster/cleaner pressurization, but I haven't seen any evidence that valved canopies have a higher off-heading rate than vented ones.

>Also i have herd of people taking there MULTI off beleiving it was affecting their heading peformance. Is that just terminal or on all delays?

The people I have talked to have removed the multi for all delays. However, some of them also feel that the multi yields quicker pressurization, and might put it back on for low objects.

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@mac.com

[d-dog]

>>Also i have herd of people taking there MULTI off beleiving
>it was affecting their heading peformance. Is that just
>terminal or on all delays?
>
>The people I have talked to have removed the multi for all
>delays. However, some of them also feel that the multi yields
>quicker pressurization, and might put it back on for low
>objects.

It is worth noting that the overwhelming majority of experienced jumpers consider the multi to be a safe, proven technology for improving heading performance both slider-up and slider-down. Video analysis of multi openings - particularly at higher airspeeds - consistently shows less deformation of the packjob ("stripping") during extraction and at line stretch before pressurization commences.

There is anectdotal evidence that the multi can speed low airspeed deployments, but not by much. Many of us do not pack the multi attachment lines into the sheath for low-ish (sub 200 feet) freefalls, though nobody can really point to video or statistical evidence showing that this speeds deployment or decreases risk of some sort of malfunction.


Peace,

D-d0g

[imported_Tom Aiello]

A very experienced jumper (he's the BASE instructor at the popular southern Norwegian wall) has reported trouble with low airspeed pressurization of his Flik. I understand BR is investigating.

Given that I have now heard experienced, trustworthy jumpers reporting pressurization problems with both the Flik (at go and throw type airspeed) and the Blackjack (at sub-terminal slider up airspeed), I'd recommend getting a Troll MDV, which appears to be the only vented canopy on the market to be getting pretty unanimously positive reviews.

I'll write more about this in a few weeks. Just now I'm having too much fun jumping...

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@mac.com

[BASE_689]

My latest 19 jumps (17 no slider, 2 slider up) have been made with a Fox-Multi-Vtec-cover parachute (while (nearly) all my 79 previous jumps were made with a Fox-Multi-Vtec).
I cannot say any difference about on heading opening since I have the "valves" done on my Fox with respect to "Vtec only". All my jumps got Multi equipped parachute.
My very few 180°'s has happened jumping our terminal wall, but you know, jumping a terminal wall there are several factors that affect on heading opening (besides packing and Multi and Vtec and covers): simmetry of your shoulders on deployment while on tracking/just stopped tracking, etc etc etc.
71 of my jumps have been made slider off.
I got only 1 nearly 180° jumping slider off, but that jump there was strong wind and moreover I could impact the object (A) not even if I wanted: too strong downwind!!! Plus, I had few off headings, very few nearly 90°. The vast majority of my jumps have got on heading opening.
So, in my very modest and humble opinion:
1) Multi does NOT affect heading on opening (in my opinion, it helps on heading)
2) valves in a Fox does NOT change the heading on opening with respect to a "only Vtec" Fox
3) valves in a Fox do not affect pressurization (no noticeable difference in pressurization with respect to openings when it was "Vtec only"): with valved Fox I did few SL jumps and 3 DB jumps (3 of us using MY canopy, doing one jump each) off a 48 m - 157 ft E: immediate pressurization, "flying" and "responding" canopy as soon as it opened.
Before accusing a single component (Multi and/or valves) of a system to cause off heading openings, a jumper must have cleared any issues about perfect symmetry in packing, about not compromising (with each step of packing) previous packing steps, about not distorting pack job while closing container, closing container very very symmetrically, taking care that no piece of fabric is trapped under/between risers while closing container, whatever else.
Just my 0.02 €
Stay safe out there
Blue Skies and Soft Walls
BASE #689 :D
e-mail: base_689@yahoo.com

[guest]

Hey I am just getting into base as well and ordered my Gear from Rob and Kathy at Morpheus. They are really great people to deal with as well as a wealth of knowledge. I know quite a few well known people jump their gear. I went with a Troll with MDV and the Gargoyle. So I highly suggest them for what its worth. They will be at bridgeday so if you going look for them. They will be hard to miss with the Giant Sheep Dog. Good luck