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Wayne Dowler

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Posts posted by Wayne Dowler

  3. UMMM now what?

    in Beginners

    Posted

    I know on Bazzer's caps - they won't fit 3 or 4 wrap frames without reaming them out. Yours being metal - that wouldn't work

    Bazzer's caps (and probably JB's) do fit diamond, 2 wrap, and all race rods from Rev. But still I would check for fit. They will go on, but hell to get off on some rods!!!

    • Thanks 1

  10. UMMM now what?

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Paul - makes sense now. I always had the idea that doing this would end up with the bridle right up against the sail. Now I see that it really is just some minor adjusting to get the desired results. Are you using that many connecting knots at the hinge to eliminate it? Or?

    I see what you mean about all the new bridles. The 3 Winds uses a diamond shape in the top connection. Haven't studied John's Sync enough yet to comment. A home build out here is using something that Lam had a lot of input on. Seems pretty solid in all wind conditions.

    • Like 2

  11. Favorite SUL?

    in General Sport Kite

    Posted

    Most indoor kites feel pretty limited outdoors. They usually are flown on  short lines and there really isn't any "wind" to speak of. It's really easy to yank them out of the sky if you are too aggressive with your controls. Indoor has a certain style and outdoor conditions seldom favor it. Another reason most outdoor kites don't do well indoors. Too heavy and no "wind" to keep them working.

    I fly an Ozone, but you still have to be gentle or risk jerking it out of the sky. Light wind in general requires a certain finesse, it's a learned experience! 

    For festival demos - bigger can be better! Full size SUL's really catch the attention of the viewer. But because of the specialized materials used - they can be pretty pricey. Back in 2002-3, my Ozone was $175? or so. Now for a good ultralight, you're looking at $300 on up .... unless you score on the used market.

     

     

  12. UMMM now what?

    in Beginners

    Posted

    Depends on how particular you want to be, Paul. Yes - for consistency, all the connections should pull from the same direction towards the middle. Is it absolute?? YMMV. I will admit to going over my kites and redoing bridle connections, making them all the same. Also when setting up - my caps and bunjis are set a certain way. For me it is all part of the patterning that keeps my brain at ease. For others - it keeps things untangled and "clean".

    Remember this little saying as you connect the vertical leg to the horizontal; - "little through big, big through little". Forms that hinge and knot.

     PS: Paul - you need to show me how you adjust a bridle to take out that "play" you're talking about. WSIKF!!! Or maybe I'll talk to Scotty W. first.

    • Like 1

  15. More lights

    in Adjustments and Modifications

    Posted

    At 260 gr, you are almost doubling a stock quad's weight! Most come in at 9 - 12 oz. As Paul said - not a complete deal breaker, but severely hampers the performance. 

    I would definitely try playing around with the balance and shed as much weight as possible.

    There was a fellow up here in Salem, OR that has done something similar to what you are doing. I only see him at WSIKF in August. Never seen his rig sitting on the ground, only flying. Pretty cool looking setup in the air, just not sure how he did it.

  16. Learning catch and throw. Need some tips.

    in Quad Heads

    Posted

    Can't help with the catch, but yes, a stiffer LE will help  the throw. Are you throwing it from an end? Then the whole LE has to absorb the energy you use to throw it. Stiffer will means less wobble as it goes out. Also try aiming upward a bit. Even on short lines, it needs some decent energy and room to glide and drift down. 

  20. My sons first indoor performance

    in Indoor Flying

    Posted

    Hopefully you find a place down there to continue! It's one of the hardest parts of indoor flying - finding a place to do it! School gyms, community center, indoor soccer fields, all are possibilities. Have this video handy on a tablet or laptop to show folks what you do.

    Congratulations!!

    • Like 1

  22. More lights

    in Adjustments and Modifications

    Posted

    A bunch of us are using lights developed by Mario di Lucca from Island Quad, a team from Canada. They are set on your verticals, form a sort of "magic stick" style stand off, and back light the kite. Plain white LED's so far and no sequencing, changing colors, etc, but pretty solid. Older models had everything electronic on an exposed breadboard. Over the last 2 years, they have improved it a bunch - all components snap on the vertical ( light standard, battery), and a fancy loop that goes out to the end of the LE. Remove the cap, place loop over rod, put cap back on. The older models pretty much made you dedicate a set of verticals just for them. About the batteries - he uses 3.7 Lithium Ion, same size as a double "AA", you need 2, one for each vertical. Think I got 4 batteries and a dedicated charger for $20, the lights around $75.

  23. Dog-stake

    in Quad Heads

    Posted

    I tried JB's at Long Beach on shorter lines (60'?), lots of fun. Didn't take too long to figure it out, but it is a bit weird having the kite in your face! But it opens up a bunch of new possibilities, interacting up close style with the kite.

    Mikey makes a real piece of art, using good quality parts, so it isn't cheap. But it is the best out there I've seen. JB and Mikey played with the design for quite a while, getting all the bugs worked out. 

    • Like 3
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