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SHBKF
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Posts posted by SHBKF
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7 hours ago, makatakam said:
_._ _. ...._ _._ _ _._ _ kn4kqt -- I don't get it. Communicating with kite aliens?
I am beginning to learn international morse code. That is my amateur radio license in morse code. In phonetics it would be" Kilo November Four Kilo Quebec Tango", quite a mouthful & difficult for other hams to get on the first try when I am transmitting on SSB. I recently got my ticket as a General class operator. Kind of a "secret handshake" for anyone out there listening in the ether..... But you likely figured it out. Currently running only a hundred watt station so even SETI may have a hard time hearing me. Too bad I can't get SHBKF as a call sign.
Quite a bit off topic, I digress, SHBKF
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Get a full size dual line kite, close to 96" tip to tip, in a modern design. Even 90" would be considered nearly full size these days. You'll do better for several reasons. Just trust me on this. I have many, many kites. (Wow, I finally admitted it.) It will fly better in general, fly in lighter wind & most importantly likely fly more slowly. May cost a bit more but you're headed there eventually anyway. Not going to say told you so if you don't & do so later. Going to say just follow your heart. You'll find yourself there eventually if you like dualies. Personally, I love em'. SHBKF
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5 hours ago, riffclown said:
Doesn't @SHBKF usually win the Sky Dog drawings???
Stranger things have happened, SHBKF
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4 hours ago, esinger said:
When I came home one day last year, there was a 2016 Cadillac in the driveway... I have plenty of leverage in the "Another Kite?" domestic arguments, it's now just a roll of the eyes LOL
We arrived home tonight & as I approached the back porch my wife said, "Oh, there's another kite." I said that I had been expecting one. I picked up the long tube & commented how I would have to keep the nice tube to use if I sold a kite. She laughed & said, "Well that's not too likely." She's used to me getting kites shipped in & really does not get after me about it. She also has a late model Cadillac among her personal collection of vehicles. Gotta love her. SHBKF
Here's what was in the tube. Some of her horse & rider figures on the right are worth as much as a good kite
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There are endless ways to tie the tip knots while tensioning the sail. You can do a fairly simple knot & cover it with a vinyl end cap. The knot will likely be held securely by the cap. The main thing IMHO is to make the tip snagless by tucking the remaining cord back into the tip of the sail. My objection to most wing tip cords by Prism is that they are too short to get very elaborate with your knot tying. Many people give up on vinyl end caps as they continually knock them off & lose them. Try different things until something pleases you & the kite. Seems like I would have some kind of standard after many years of tying them but I don't. But I also rarely undo the tips once I have assembled the leading edges. When you have a kite with a leech line tied at the tip it gets even more complex. Just try things & keep on flyin'. When you figure out the best way let us know..... SHBKF
P.S. I tried the old trick of trying to buy a set of kites that all looked alike but were different weights, like SUL, UL, standard & vented. Did not work. One day I am flying a mid vent Rev for the first time & my genius wife immediately notices. She proceeded to comment on how the screen vents should help with the wind gusts. I barely knew that myself at that time. She just knew it somehow. Sometimes I think she reads the forums.
my favorite 1.5 Rev, the mid vent
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I believe most dualie kites would list a tip to tip measurement in inches as the size. Back when I bought my first sport kite, in the eighties, I had to choose full sail, 3/4 sail or 1/2 sail. The full sail was the then standard 96" tip to tip. At least that is the way Premier was doing it the day I went into Kitty Hawk Kites on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I knew nothing other than what my budget would allow. Wanted the full sail but my funds would only allow the 3/4 sail, 72" tip to tip. Inquired about line sets & found the price so high that I left the store just happy to get only the kite for eighty bucks plus the govenor's tax. Went back the next day & bought a 150', 200# Skybond line set with a winder & Skyclaw handles. Borrowed that money from my wife. Then we went out in a steady 25 mph wind & did some scudding on the beach. What a day that was....
Too bad I did not keep flying all those years since, SHBKF
Premier Aerosport 3/4 sail, still flyable even
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Hard to believe someone has won three times....twice in one year even, just sayin it's possible, SHBKF
Peter Powell three pack
Sky Dog 2.6 power foil
Sky Dog Jammin
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These home made stainless steel kite stakes were made for the local clay soils. While they are not really suitable for beach use they sometimes are used in the sand to hold an extra kite laying belly down by the kite bag. The real problem with them being so compact is that they were hard to see at any distance. My solution was to tie a ten inch long surplus red Valentine ribbon to each one. You need one really good kite stake for sure. Extras always come in handy. SHBKF
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As I spent my first hour with the Kaiju outside in the evening calm I worked on mostly up & over. Pretty shaky at first getting used to the seven foot lines. Was surprised I could easily launch the kite suddenly enough to achieve shuddering as the kite got just past face level. That was a sign for me to slow a bit so I could develop the move until I was smoother. I also initially lost good form as the kite peaked because I did not have my arms extended properly ready to sweep the kite over my position. It is almost like you are slinging it past your position. The move required me to keep focusing on steady pressure while turning around & stepping back smoothly. Essentially I had to get myself in position to continue downward flight into a dive while keeping consistent sail pressure. At first my turns on the other side were failing because the kite lost sail pressure & would not turn, just stall & float. I was not stepping back. I must admit that things were happening so quickly that I was almost a bit panicky, over-driving & over-steering the light kite. Once I started to get it the magic began. Up, over, turn & land. I find it nearly as hard to describe as it is to execute. Kind of reminded me of my first attempts to fly those touchy quad sportwings.....But for a flailer like me it should be a bit easier. SHBKF
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6 hours ago, RobB said:
Glad there's one more out there flying. Let me know if you want to fly sometime !
Make sure you take Rob up on this offer. Have you watched his videos? His light wind flying is spectacular & he is the Master of Slides. He has inspired me to keep trying for years. SHBKF
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Just showed the above image to my wife. She said, "Wow! Men can sew!" But we all knew that.
Way to knock em out RiffClown. SHBKF
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mrfixit,
Welcome to KiteLife. Hope to hear lots from you in the coming days. Noticed you mentioned ham radio. I am going for my ticket in two weeks. Hope to qualify for tech & general. If I make general maybe I will talk to you on the lower bands some day soon. Join us in chat if you would like. It is a fairly active part of this forum where you get to meet others & discuss kites or anything else on your mind. SHBKF
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Mine is #12. You were pretty fast on the draw to get a single digit.
And this is why we call her Polecat. Two years ago she spent several hours on top of this 25 foot light pole, until the hail & thunderstorm arrived about 3 AM. It was her first night at her new foster home. SHBKF
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This kite is going to remain assembled for some time. At five feet tip to tip I will be able to easily carry it fully assembled in any vehicle with the lines attached , ready for action. The materials, hardware & assembly are superb. I am very impressed. This one will no doubt have a very special place in my KiteLife.
Here it is down in the Kite Dungeon getting acquainted with another recent arrival, The Jester by RiffClown. The beginning of a long friendship for sure. SHBKF
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Here's a picture of mine getting ready to lift off in the front yard. My first ever attempt at one hand flying a dualie. Short lines are going to make taking a picture a bit problematic. Notice our cat "Polecat" laying in the drive observing.
First picture in the air. Shot with my Nikon D3200.
Not a great shot, but a great moment. SHBKF
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5 minutes ago, Mike Klaiber said:
Mines out for delivery too!
Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile appThat is so cool, our kites have already flown together coming from Portland to Roanoke. Look forward to the next Bedford festival where we can fly them together my friend. We can fly our RiffClown kites then too. SHBKF
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Kite magic! "Out for delivery" Let the enjoyment commence. Magic kite! SHBKF
edit: arrived at 12 noon. Had nice discussion with mail lady about flying kites. She told me about a good place to fly I was not aware of. She flies with her grandchildren.
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Watching all the videos has really been enlightening. I now understand how to improve my up & overs with landings or turns instead of lucking into a turn or just plain crashing. I can see why I have made errors in flying 360's. I will improve my hand & arm positions, walk backward with intent, learn to precisely feel the sweet spot of sail pressure & maybe land enough to keep from getting silly dizzy. The throw launches will add immensely to my enjoyment as they look so trick. The lessons on the fade launch will be very helpful to do the same more consistently when flying outdoors. I will also learn to rotate the kite better in no wind conditions which will translate well into improving my outdoor flying. I have already been to the rodeo with the Zero G & the Wala. Look forward to introducing it to my two line repertoire. No indoor venue available out here in the sticks but have plenty dead calm conditions to look forward to enjoying. Thanks for the KiteLife you share, SHBKF
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Wooo Whoo! Kaiju's are beginning to ship! I got one comin' soooon.... to the Kite Dungeon. SHBKF
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I'll be interested to hear your impression flying the little zoomer on longer lines. I tried some 50# x 70' & had quite a bit of line sag. The kite had a bit of delayed reaction when the inputs had to deal with the bow in the lines. I still prefer the 50' length. I have not tried the kite on a short set but I should just to see if I can keep up with it. When the Micron really gets loaded up it will kind of shudder & squirt across the sky as the frame flexes then unloads. I usually fly off to the side & land in those conditions.
I suppose it goes without saying to be extra careful with Spider Wire. I would not try it if anyone else is in the vicinity. I have used it on a Prism Zero G glider in no wind conditions. It is hard to even see the line it if it gets away from you. The advantage with that kite is the line is so light that it does not affect the flight of the kite as much as a heavier line would from it's weight alone. A heavier line will cause it to veer off it's glide more quickly.
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One of the cool things about building up a collection of kites is you can't fly them all often enough to stay well connected. Now that may seem like a funny statement. So what happens is that you keep buying different kites to try & the older acquisitions stay in their sleeves. After awhile you come back to one of your previous favorites & you get to fly it with the advantage of your matured flying experience. You might just fall in love all over again. Or you might be able to connect with one that you previously did not click with at all. Sometimes I would go on a trip & only take the one kite that I had struggled with on earlier attempts. Kind of forced me to try harder & become friends with the difficult one. That was true with the Prism E3. But I must admit that I did finally just cave in & get an E2 instead. KiteLife is so varied. SHBKF
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Love it! Continue to be surprised. The Maker is pushing the envelope a bit further, again. SHBKF
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If you have ever flown a small foil you certainly must realize what a magnificent flight above video shows, a super kite with superb fliers putting on a dazzling display. I am humbled and amazed. Well done Master fliers! SHBKF
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Dang it! Them goodins' will just ruin ya. SHBKF
Beach flying advice
in Quad Heads
Posted
Great advice up above. I did not do hardly any of the correct things starting out. I survived it all & had a great time in the process. I eventually achieved a fairly decent flying ability despite my worst efforts. I did really excel in acquiring kites, but that's another story.
SHBKF