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Zephyr good for use as low wind kite?? - Silver Fox It Is


JaseRicco
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20 minutes ago, makatakam said:

Fly it at factory settings in 8-12mph wind a couple of times to get the feel for it before you adjust for low wind. The first few times fly it at factory settings in decent wind.

Got it...I would assume I should fly it with weight in 8-12 as well, or am I removing the weight?

 

21 minutes ago, makatakam said:

...and no upper spreader. You can also vary the amount and location of the weight. More on that later.

I guess there will be a couple things to discuss later, because I have seen this a few times. I am not sure I understand the reasoning, or maybe I just didn't realize it could be done, behind flying without an upper spreader. I have a few questions regarding this, but maybe we can/should save that as well as weight placement and amount for a different discussion?

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7 minutes ago, JaseRicco said:

Got it...I would assume I should fly it with weight in 8-12 as well, or am I removing the weight?

Weight in.

 

8 minutes ago, JaseRicco said:

I guess there will be a couple things to discuss later, because I have seen this a few times. I am not sure I understand the reasoning, or maybe I just didn't realize it could be done, behind flying without an upper spreader. I have a few questions regarding this, but maybe we can/should save that as well as weight placement and amount for a different discussion?

No upper spreader allows the sail to billow and increases the physical depth of the sail. Sequence to follow is: 1.Spreader and weight installed, 2.Spreader removed and weight installed, 3. Spreader installed and weight removed, 4.Spreader and weight removed. Of course, bridle adjustments will be necessary at each of these four steps, not only for the change made but also for wind conditions. Once you experience the difference each change has made to the way the kite responds to the wind and the inputs you give it, you will be able to choose the ideal option for wind conditions and your flying style or flying preferences.

Not as complicated as rocket science. Not as simple as a fidget spinner.

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4 hours ago, JaseRicco said:

After many questions, lots of answers, opinions and advice, I placed my order for a Prism Zephyr in the Citrus colorway last night!! 

1

That's great. Now for the hardest part. The wait. Oh, the anticipation of waiting for a new kite to arrive. 

 

Removing the upper spreader is just a way to try and extend your wind range at the bottom end. It reduces performance and controllability, but'll do in a pinch when you don't have your low/zero wind kite handy.

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Congrats on the new kite! 

1 minute ago, JaseRicco said:

I hate and love the wait all at the same time. 

Yes, I'm currently waiting for both of my Lam Hoac kites as well. According to the tracking info they should arrive Monday and hopefully get a chance to go flying on Tuesday :). Sadly, checking the tracking # every 15 minutes doesn't seem to make the delivery any quicker :huh:

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1 hour ago, TonyB said:

Congrats on the new kite! 

Yes, I'm currently waiting for both of my Lam Hoac kites as well. According to the tracking info they should arrive Monday and hopefully get a chance to go flying on Tuesday :). Sadly, checking the tracking # every 15 minutes doesn't seem to make the delivery any quicker :huh:

Thanks, I'm excited. And congrats to you as well. 

Mine should be here by Sat., and should be in the air Sat. night. 

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11 minutes ago, JaseRicco said:

Thanks, I'm excited. And congrats to you as well. 

Mine should be here by Sat., and should be in the air Sat. night. 

Very nice! I'm looking forward to seeing some photos and perhaps some thoughts about your new kite when it arrives :).

The ironic part is Lam lives only about a 6 hour drive from me yet the kites take nearly a week to ship since they have to go through customs (he's in Canada, I'm in WA State). If I didn't have to work I could have just driven up and picked them up in a day lol. Lam is a very cool guy though and offered to teach me some things in person when I have time to make the trip.

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Yes, I def will be posting a few pics and a review about the Zephyr as a standard and low wind kite. 

I totally would have driven there lol. Lam is a nice guy. We sent a few emails back and forth, and even though he knew I couldn't afford one of his kites, he was very willing to answer my questions, and was very helpful. 

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Unfortunately it was. I ordered two because I couldn't decide on the color. Each kite came from a different retailer. When I opened up the first kite there was a significant amount of black staining all over the sail. I thought maybe just a fluke, so I opened the second, same exact thing, except it had some red staining as well. Since I ordered two different colors, from two different retailers, and the staining looked more like a defect rather than use, I contacted Prism directly. Rep was very apologetic and suggested a kite swap which I happily accepted. When I didn't hear back I sent an email stating that I would need to know asap so that I can return my kites in time for a refund. This was the response... 

"Hi again Jason,

Sorry for not getting back to you yesterday – we spent a good amount of time going through our stock of Zephyrs here at the shop trying to find a replacement for you, but we were surprised to find that all our current stock has this issue. I assumed we had product here at the shop that I could send to you, but it turns out that all of our remaining Zephyrs have sail stains. We’ll be coordinating with stores to let them know about this (you were the first to let us know, by the way) and will be making plans to get new, clean Zephyrs back in stock.

Unfortunately, this means your best bet is probably going to be a return right now. If you have any trouble from the stores you purchased from, please let me know – we have really excellent relationships with all of our vendors, so I’m sure we can help you out if for any reason they have an issue with you returning this kite.

I’m so sorry about this whole ordeal, this is definitely not the kind of experience that we are looking to provide our customers. If there’s anything we can do for you at this point, please let us know.

Thank you,"

I replied that I was sorry to hear that and am really bummed, but that it is not their fault, and thanked the rep for his candor and for doing what he could to correct my situation. Hence, the decision to go with my second choice...Silver Fox 2.3 UL. All in all, great customer service from Prism. Wish more companies took this approach when it comes to satisfying their customers.

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12 hours ago, Kansas Flier said:

That's an expensive habit, but sometimes you need one of every color.

I wasn't clear about my intentions. I ordered two in, but one was going back. I wouldn't have kept both haha. But your arguments hold merit in my mind, and I just might try them in the future.

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6 hours ago, mwp said:

Mine had the staining too when I purchased four months ago or so. I decided to fly it anyways :lol:

I was def. leaning towards keeping it anyway, but I was thinking more down the line...how would I explain the staining if I wanted to sell the kite in the future. I don't know.

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