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Homemade yoyo stoppers?


JoneZ
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I just got my Quantum kite -- flies excellent ty B) I was wanting to learn how to do a yoyo sometime soon, but the quantum doesnt come equipped with yoyo stoppers. I was thinking that I could make my own, but havent been able to find anything as of yet on the internet that tells what supplies I would need, etc...

Does anyone have any experience making yoyo stoppers, or could someone point me in the right direction to get me started?

Much Thanks. :)

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I just got my Quantum kite -- flies excellent ty B) I was wanting to learn how to do a yoyo sometime soon, but the quantum doesnt come equipped with yoyo stoppers. I was thinking that I could make my own, but havent been able to find anything as of yet on the internet that tells what supplies I would need, etc...

Does anyone have any experience making yoyo stoppers, or could someone point me in the right direction to get me started?

Much Thanks. :)

Yep...two APA stand off connectors, slit to fit over LE, hot poke a hole all the way thru LE dacron and the SOC, push a zip tie through holes and around LE to secure. voila

T

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Nice..

I'll be stopping by sometime soon to get the supplies. :w00t: ...and,,, maybe get you to hot poke those holes. :P

Thanks so much. :D

~J

Yep...two APA stand off connectors, slit to fit over LE, hot poke a hole all the way thru LE dacron and the SOC, push a zip tie through holes and around LE to secure. voila

T

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So are the yo yo stoppers just the stand off thingies to stop the lines from sliding down to the tips? Just curious since I've asked that ?

I've seen the Genisis, so are the back sided bent stand offs the roll cage or what?

My yo yo's seem to be problematic because the lines slide down to the tips on a roll up.

Just curious.

Dean

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Im thinking thats what they are. Just standoffs that prevent the lines from tangling on the wing tips.

Found a blog on it here.

http://team.aerialis.no/cms/modules/weblog/

Cheers all. :w00t:

~J

So are the yo yo stoppers just the stand off thingies to stop the lines from sliding down to the tips? Just curious since I've asked that ?

I've seen the Genisis, so are the back sided bent stand offs the roll cage or what?

My yo yo's seem to be problematic because the lines slide down to the tips on a roll up.

Just curious.

Dean

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Yup, Yo-Yo stoppers are usually just stand off connectors added to the leading edge to keep your lines from sliding down to the wing tips in a roll-up. Some manufacturers will make custom stoppers for their kites, some use roll bars, it all depends on the manufacturer. Roll bars are pretty neat in that they fix two problems, one obviously is catching the line so the roll up stays put, the other is that they tension the sail from the top to the bottom so that when the kite is rolled up it doesn't crush the sail down and make the kite unstable. The roll bars can be found on kites like the Benson Deepspace and the New Tech French Connection and French Kiss (as well as others).

Another way to help keep the lines from sliding if you don't have yo-yo stoppers is to put a twist or two in the line before rolling up. This helps but doesn't work nearly as good as the stoppers do. Theresa nailed it, just get some APA stand off connectors, clip the back side with some cutters so that the connector will "clip" over the leading edge, poke a hole through the connector and through the sail of the kite to install a zip tie and your done. Very easy to install and very inexpensive. This is actually the same way the stoppers are installed on the Zephyr and the Q-pro as well as many other kites. Some kites actually have the leading edge cut and sewn so the stopper fits onto the leading edge without a zip tie, it all depends on the designer of the kite and how they chose to do it. Don't worry too much about poking a hole in your kite, if done right with a hot tool then there is no freying and no loss of strength in the sail. The hole is so small that it is barely noticeable. This also makes it super easy to replace your stopper in the event that your spectra line shaves one off on accident. If you are unsure about poking a hole in your sail then any qualified kite shop should be able to do it for you. One advantage you get from buying from your local shop. :w00t:

And I also found it easier to get the lines to catch the stoppers with a twist in the lines before rolling up - just a tip is all.

Hope this helps!

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Before you start punching holes, note that position along the leading edge is very important.

Too high, and the kite will fly "weak" when rolled up (don't know how else to explain it) - the nose will be too far forward. Also, since they also move in as they move up toward the nose, it gets increasingly easier to miss the stoppers when you roll up.

Too far down the leading edge, and the kite will "buck" and stall since the nose is too far back.

Essentially, when the kite is rolled up, you're flying it from a one-point bridle. Finding the right tow-point can be a little tricky.

Best bet is to find someone who's already added stoppers to a Quantum, and get their measurements.

Next best would be trail and error, preferably without having to punch a bunch of holes along your leading edge.

I've used binder clips to find the sweet-spot before. Since they just clamp on, you can move them around as much as you like. They have very sharp edges though, so use leaders, and expect them to get trashed.

Move them down until the kite bucks, then move them back up a bit.

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:w00t: I fly the MEFM. Until I find out if I can get a new sail I won't be putting no holes in yet. If I can get a new sail then I'll be able to trial and error it if I have too.

Kinda nervous about porpously making holes in a $500 dollar kite ya know? :P

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  • 2 weeks later...

hehe, Theresa gave me some APA SOCs when I went in to get my kite repaired. I went out to Delta Pk. that week, and was testing placement for them. I lost them both from an unplanned nosedive. I think I should have taped them before testing. lol

I've read online that placing them generally 40% down from the nose of the kite on the LE's is the happy medium in most cases. It seems to make sense, with the bridle and line placements on most kites. The twist in the line is a great idea too. :devil:

Now, if I could only pull off a yoyo without getting overwhelmed, I'd be set to test this theory. lol

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