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Jason Paul

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Everything posted by Jason Paul

  1. Hey Sid, Jason here. I'm the guy who showed you a bit about flying fighters, and let you play with my green homemade fighter for a while. I tried your B-Series for a minute, but there were too many differences in the setup for me to really get a feel for it (longer lines, shorter handles, that sort of thing). Cool that your kite made it into Kitelife! Did you take the photo? Do you know where more are from Zilker? Jason
  2. Yup Paul, I break your rule by exceeding the gap with my leaders. I don't compete, and I don't really do quick slack-line tricks like axels, 540s, etc. My only slack-line tricks are catches and throws. With catches, the extra length isn't a problem. With throws, in the time that the kite is gliding out to the end of the lines, I pull the handles apart while the line is slack, just by spreading my arms a bit. This generally pulls any tangles out of the leaders/handles before the kite reaches the end of the lines. I probably wouldn't rely on that in competition though, as I'm sure that would be the time it didn't work. Jason
  3. Wow - I haven't been here in a couple of weeks and missed all of this! I also measure across the gap rather than around the curve. Since different handles have different angles of curvature, measuring across the gap makes sense to me. My homemade handles measure about 14.5" across the gap. For leaders, most would consider mine looooong. They're probably around 18" on the top, and a little shorter on the bottom. However, I only have 5-6 knots on the top and two on the bottom. I made them this long for catches and throws, so I'd be grabbing dacron rather than spectra. Also, the entire length of the leaders is not doubled. I essentially have a loop at the handle end that is larksheaded onto the handle. This makes the leaders lighter and makes for smaller knots. Jason
  4. If you still have the sleeving, you can just cut the other three lines to match the shorter one. Just untie the sleeving knots and slide the sleeving up the line. Then cut the spectra at the new length and retie all the knots. The process is pretty simple, just be sure to measure well so they're all equal - or at least the left/right are equal. As for lines, 90# should be sufficient unless you're flying in high winds. Or, you can get 150# and skip the sleeving. I can't imagine flying on 120' lines. That would be like another ZIP code compared to what I'm used to! Jason
  5. It also depends on the throw of your handles. If you have small handles, it's going to take more input to get a response from the kite. One of the first things to do is what Dennis said; put pigtails at all four connection points. With pigtails giving you the ability to make line length adjustments at the handles, the equality of the top and bottom lines becomes less of a problem. you can adjust to get them where you want them. However, don't forget to check for right and left equality. Seems like that problem would show itself with a top/bottom check, but it can still be missed. Having your left to right line length unequal would probably be an exercise in frustration. Jason
  6. That's a lot of wind. I've seen a few homemade versions that would handle that. Generally, they use a lot more venting (or almost all venting), or just have strategically-placed bits of sail suspended within the frame. As for a stock Rev, I don't know about a vented 1.5. A vented Supersonic might hold up, but would be very fast. I would think your best bet for a stock one would be a vented Rev 2 if you can find one - or get a custom. Jason
  7. Probably a while since I'm in TX and don't get out of state much. I'd love to though! Maybe some day. Jason
  8. Penny, if you were referring to me, it wasn't my kite. I just got a few minutes on it at a local kite festival. Coincidentally, Tim Elverston was also at that festival, and I got to see him fly it for a little while. He seemed to know his way around a deca. Thanks, Jason
  9. I wasn't new to quads either. It's not a big problem with them - just something you'd get used after a few flights. The issue was just that the Deca is symmetrical. So, it looks the same whether it's upright or inverted. This is a problem if you forget you're inverted for a second and give a hard slide to the left. 'Cuz it's gonna slam full speed to the right, and when the wind is around 15mph that can cause a problem if you happen to be 20 feet from the kite booth. Jason
  10. I don't personally know much about them, but it looks like the $600 one is the "Great" Deca. I think there may be a mistake on the website because the text for that one shows a span of 9.5', but the "dimensions" shows 71". I'm thinking that the Zero-Wind is 71" and the Zero-Wind Great is 9.5'. I did get to fly one last year - I think it was the Deca 6 (which I also think has the wrong dimensions - 30 x 30 x 30?). It was fun, and made a nice snappy popping sound with quick direction changes. I did get mixed up and flew into the kite booth at the festival though. Since it's symmetrical, there's no obvious top or bottom if you're new to the kite. It was fun, but I kept thinking I was going to break it. Jason
  11. This should make it simple. Skyshark straight P-Series spars. General equivalents: P200 = 2-wrap P300 = 3-wrap P400 = 4-wrap The Skyshark spars are generally cheaper than Revolution spars. The most weight savings will be in the LE, so that's the place to start. Any of these will put noticeably more flex in the frame, but will greatly increase low wind performance and responsiveness. As Penny said, P200 will probably be too fragile. Personally I use P300 and like them a lot. I've flown in everything from 2-4 mph (still some work) to 20 mph (lots of flex), and haven't broken one yet. I have made quad sticks to help stiffen the frame. P400 might also be a good choice. They will lower the weight significantly, but not flex quite as much as the others. What to do. Get three of the spars and two ferrules. They all use .2400 solid internal ferrules (get the longer ones). You can leave two at factory length if you want, and only cut the center spar. You want the total length of the LE to be .5" to 1" longer than the length of your SLE to account for the increased flexibility. Use CA glue to put the ferrules in each side of the center spar (just like your SLE is). Your endcaps will now fit on the OUTSIDE of the new Skyshark spar, rather than inside like they do on your SLE. Make sense? Once you get the parts it should make sense. Also, if you're not used to cutting spars, your kite shop should do it for you. Just tell them how long you want the spar, and they'll probably do it for you at no charge. Steve at GWTW will do this. Hope that explains it. Jason
  12. If you go here: http://community.webshots.com/album/451923825aNoKWm You can see mine. What we're referring to is the string/spar setup on the back of the Rev in those photos. They help stiffen up the frame and change a few flight characteristics for the better IMHO. They also act as a kickstand, allowing you to lean the kite back without it falling back flat onto the ground. Jason
  13. Jason Paul

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    You can replace the SLE in the 1.5 with SS P300s. Makes for better light wind performance and overall snappier response. Since doing this, I can't stand to fly with the SLE. One possible downside for some is that the frame is more flexible. Quad sticks help. Jason
  14. Also consider talking to your local kite shop. You might be able to get similar pricing while supporting the local guy. Jason
  15. Hey Nic - not my system, so I can't take credit. Those instructions are by GWTW forum member woodpeckr Rich (?) Durant. Anyway, I just used regular endcaps, but a hole has to be drilled. It can get crowded with the knot inside the endcap though, but it works on my Rev 2. However, www.kitebuilder.com makes a cap specifically for this. I think they actually call it a woodpekr endcap. Jason
  16. Yes, that's pretty normal with the quad sticks. When everything is tightened up, they put a slight bow in the LE - this in turn puts a bit of slack in the sail at the center. Just don't tighten the quad sticks up too much. As for the rubber washers, there are several options: Some sort of auto hose. Surgical tubing possibly. Tie knots in the bungee instead of using washers. I'm sure there are other simple solutions. Or, if you want to take it a little further you can do away with the knots altogether. Here's a link to some basic instructions for it: http://www.thedurants.net/kites/quad/no.knots/index.html Hope that helps. Jason
  17. Hey Michael, Are you actually in or around Austin? If so, you might see if they're still having the fun fly on the third Sunday at Old Settler's Park. If they are, you may be able to get to try out both. I haven't been able to make it out there very much, but it's a fun time. I would also recommend checking out the Rev 2. It's in about the same wind range, but hardly pulls at all. Personally I'm not much for pull. I flew the SS in 15-20 mph wind and it was fun and pretty controllable. It seemed to pull about the same as a 1.5. The SW pulled more and I just didn't seem to like it as much. I didn't want to try a Blast in that wind. My only Revs are a 1.5 and a 2, I don't have a Speed Series Rev. So, my experience is only based on 5-10 minutes on each one - but the SS is the one I kept wanting to fly. Another option is to make your EXP more fun. Try it on shorter lines (like 35' - 50'). It will speed everything up and open up the option of throws and catches. It's not the same as speeding around the sky like a SS, but it's a different kind of fun. Jason
  18. The 3PTs are tapered, so you can't use three of them in the LE. You could try to use two on the ends and a regular P-Series in the middle. However, you might break a 3PT as the outers of the LE. You can use two 3PTs as downspars (verticals) for lighter wind flying. You can see some photos of my quad sticks here: http://community.webshots.com/album/451923825aNoKWm I just had to put a little scotch tape on the ends of the quad sticks to get them to fit tightly in the standoff connectors. Jason
  19. I would think that the overall lower mass of the SUL would make it more difficult to flic-flac, especially in higher winds. When I say, "For the standard, replace the SLE", yes I'm talking about the standard 1.5. You can replace the SUL spars with stiffer spars. For the quad sticks, I used a standoff connector from a dual-line kite. However, last time flying one of them broke, so I'll have to get another one soon. It's been over a year though. Jason
  20. I would think an SUL in 13 mph wind would be pretty snappy. If you want to make your 1.5 more snappy: 1) Fly on shorter lines (25' - 50'). 2) Use longer handles. 3) For a standard, replace the SLE with something lighter, like a P300 or equivalent. Those will make a difference in both snappiness and low wind performance. I've also added quad sticks to mine. It helps keep the frame a little more tight with the P300 LE. Jason
  21. I agree, I like short lines. I think I'm going to make a new 50' set and that will be about as long as I want to go. What I consider advantages: The kite is more responsive/faster (advantage if you feel the EXP or 1.5 is sluggish). Takes up less flying space. More practical 3-D flying. Easier for doing cool stuff like landing on things. Less line to wind/unwind, so less time setting up/breaking down. Better in low winds - IMO at least. I'm sure there are others, but these just came to mind. Of course, there are tradeoffs as well (like a much smaller window, and a disadvantage in higher winds), but I still like short lines better. Jason
  22. You should be able to get a full replacement bridle for $8 - $10. Check with a good online shop if you don't have a physical kite shop in your area. Jason
  23. Rotator cuff - it's the set of muscles/tendons in your shoulder that holds your arm in the socket. Jason
  24. I'm pretty sure the Blast is part of the speed series, but it pulls more than the Supersonic and Shockwave. Jason
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