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SHBKF

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Everything posted by SHBKF

  1. You can also add weight to the kite to slow it down. The Prism Quantum Pro has an optional weight set with one very heavy weight for that purpose. Again, as mentioned, you still have to be concerned about frame strength. Lighter kites like the Zephyr will snap a lower spreader. (How would I know this?) But with any dualie once you see the leading edge distorting or the kite shudders you are at the limit. Some kites actually surge across the window in little squirts as they shudder. What you really need is probably a smaller tough kite, a speed kite like the Whizz or ultimately a vented kite. The vented kites are designed for higher winds & may be capable of handling 30+ mph winds. Of course you are into more expensive kites with the extra labor & better materials needed. Here is an image of my best vented kite. It is a Tekken DOA extra vent custom by Sky Sport Design. Lam Hoac currently offers a full vent custom built for you at $600. Welcome to the world of exotic boutique kites. SHBKF The vents may be hard to discern in this image. Painful to acquire, lovely to own.
  2. It looks even better in person!
  3. Ah, the never ending quest for the light wind kite. Been down that path for some years now & have spent quite a bit on the journey. I too was looking for an inexpensive one to start with & bought a new Prism 4D. A short time after that I lucked into a well used HQ Shadow. You got me to thinking about all the kites I acquired & where I am now. So here's the list of SUL kites Prism 4D blue Prism 4D Berkeley Edition Prism Quantum Pro SUL Prism Flashlight HQ Shadow Nebula SUL Sky Burner Pro Dancer SUL Aerostar Sano SSL Sky Sport Design Transformer II SUL Sky Sport Design Tekken SUL Rsky Nirvana WW Then there are the ultra lights or maybe just lights Prism Zephyr Inferno Prism Zephyr Eggplant Sky Burner Solus EC UL Sky Sport Design Sea Devil light Sky Sport Design Tekken light edit: add PBSK Bad Boy II ultra light (how did I miss this one?) So that is sixteen kites, (make that seventeen), in these two categories. I am not a master flier but you might call me a collector. Most (12) of these kites were bought on the secondary market. The Nebula is likely the only SUL ever made of that model & the kite is no longer available. The Sano is the first production one of that kite. There may have been less than a hundred ever offered, no longer being made. Prism Flashlight no longer in production. All of the Sky Sport Design kites are still available as custom kites. Rsky makes newer kites than the older one I have. All others are likely still available as new. I like buying on the secondary market as there is considerable cost savings plus I like having kites others have flown. Most by much better fliers than I. You can also find kites no longer available as new. I have two 4D's & two Zephyrs, I like them. What do I fly SUL these days? Still flying the little 4D. Fly anywhere, anytime, but it is a 58" wing span. The Pro Dancer SUL will make you look like a hero when no one else is flying. Fly it on 90# x 100' lines. It breaks 50# line sets in very light wind. I have had to put it away when small children trying to fly their kites were reduced to tears by their efforts. Sky Burner Pro Dancer SUL But the Nirvana, sigh, it is something special, click. It is teaching me slack line tricks in very light wind. SUL kites have very little inertia which makes it more difficult to do tricks. Some of the other kites are waiting for me to learn more. I will revisit them from time to time. Rsky Nirvana WW The UL & light kites are flown when there is 4 or more mph of wind available. The Z is a good kite to always have in the vehicle with you "just in case" you find a spot to fly. The Solus EC is a large beautiful kite that will glow like a opal in a sunny sky. The Lam Hoac Sea Devil light is a confidence builder & has helped me learn to fade consistently. Sky Sport Design Sea Devil light The conclusion of the matter. Certain kites "click" with different people. You'll have to try them to find out what works for you as you go down the path of your KiteLife. Your tastes & needs will change no doubt. Take your time, save some money, get that kite you think is too expensive. You will forget the expense once that special kite distracts you a bit. Lengthy post, too much information, Oh well, SHBKF
  4. Link? I actually just walk into the store as it is right next door to my in town garage. Just saw them hanging on one of the displays near the counter. I suspect they would be in the wiring area to bundle up rats nests of wire that are too long or hanging down under the dash. I have been accused of being a Luddite, sorry, SHBKF P.S. I have lots of straps, been collecting them for years. Sewing notions are odds & ends used by seamstresses. I know a few of those fine people.
  5. Auto parts stores have really nice ones. Also available in sewing notions at department big box stores. I go back & forth from obsessive packing/wrapping/banding to just get it in the sleeve without any wraps at all sort of neatly. There is a name for the first type of behavior - Obsessive Compulsive Kite Disorder or OCKD. I like to shorten that to OKD. Another similar thread is currently showing similar symptoms, the tail packing/wrapping/wrinkle worry one. Quad fliers are routinely rewarded with heightened elation brought on by successful line management made possible by OKD. OKD behavior is it's own reward, SHBKF
  6. I fly inland in variable conditions. It is a rare day that the wind is consistent for an entire session. I typically fly three hours or so. I usually fly four or five different kites during that time span, dualies, quads & maybe even put up a SLK if the wind is somewhat steady. The wind that inspires me to go to the field is usually pretty good. Many times I will begin with a standard sail, maybe even a Rev 1. But if the wind picks up or is gusty I will switch to my favorite 1.5 Rev the mid-vent B. I have noticed many times that I will end the session flying the mid-vent as the evening calm sets in. As the wind slows I believe I may be flying down to as low as five mph. But at ground level the wind is lower so I try to stay above ten feet where the wind is a little better. So the wind may actually be higher than my perceived five mph. I can see one flag nearby & it needs to be more than gently flapping. When the mid won't fly any longer I am usually ready to pack up & head for home.
  7. I got a Nexus early on. Here's what I did when I found out Prism sold a stacked version of the kite. Of course I got a bit carried away with the idea. I decided I needed all blue ones & stacked them myself. Making stack link lines was one of my first kite projects. Spectators really love seeing stacks fly, especially with the tails attached. Five of these kind of turns them into a power kite if you don't mind a little work out. So, what color is your Nexus? I know somebody that might need a blue one. SHBKF
  8. Some of us are just kite hoarders. A few of the dualies in the assorted category down in the Kite Dungeon. Five years ago I thought kites were kind of an expensive extravagance. SHBKF
  9. The controversial springs. A little bitty wire, a sleeve on the tube & some Velcro. This one has a vinyl protector added to the vertical. Good lookin' kite. Hard to go wrong with red, white, blue & black. And look at that curved leading edge, nice. And it fits inside the pick up fully assembled. Who needs others riding along? This one is staying with me. It's a keeper. SHBKF
  10. Welcome to KiteLife! Have seen you on that other forum & enjoyed your posts there. Glad you decided to join us. SHBKF another avatar I use you might have seen......Aleleeann
  11. I have #3 of 14 of the same batch of kites. I received it in a trade a little while back. It is a beauty. My intention was to get it as a back up to my heavily flown standard 4D. The 4D is a wonderful kite that will allow you to fly most anytime & anyplace. Some say it is a bit twitchy & not for them. But if you put in some time with this kite it will improve your flying of most any other dualie. But that's just my thoughts from out here in the sticks. SHBKF climbing high on short lines & no wind gliding out to gain ground .
  12. My earliest dive stops were done with a standard sail SLE Rev with the infamous Super Leading Edge in the sleeve. I will say that the SLE is one tough kite because the first few were done without any brakes applied. Fly em till they're rags I say! Here I am about to perform a "dive stop" off to the right. Notice my great "archer stance" technique. Still confused by dualie flying at this point in my second Rev session. But I did have modded leaders with lots of knots anticipating that some day I would understand & need extra braking. Loved those days, SHBKF
  13. You continue to amaze me. My, you have been busy. They are all beauties. You must be full of KiteLife!
  14. WOW! Just came in from the garden, picked up the notebook & went to my favorite forum. A PM from John is always a good thing. I'll be sure to report back on the unexpected surprise. Life's good when you have a KiteLife. Thanks to everyone who helps make this site possible. SHBKF my little bitty 1.2 was my first foil four and a half years ago
  15. I live in the western part of Virginia about 150 miles east of you. Flying conditions are less than ideal here in the mountains. I too bought a Zen a few years back hoping it would be the answer to light wind flying. At first I struggled with the same wing flips, even though I have experience flying a similar size Revolution One. I would also give too strong of inputs & jerk the kite right out of the sky trying to "make it fly". So I looked to this forum for help. All the above advice are great useful clues. I have adopted Wayne's frame advice & it made a meaningful difference for my efforts. Time on the lines is always a good path to follow. Handle changes can help but I have stayed with 13's. I have not tried magic sticks yet but intend to explore that modification also. When it all comes together it will be a wondrous day. You may get sore from smiling. My only bit of additional advice is to try flying the kite slowly just coaxing it along. And be persistent in overcoming your inland conditions. Welcome to KiteLife, SHBKF
  16. In the mid-sixties I had a paper route in Brigham City, Utah delivering the Deseret News. It was my first experience in how to operate a small business as we were all essentially independent contractors. My route took about an hour & one half delivering 50 to 60 papers on my 3 speed English bike. The newspaper company was always trying to get us to sign up new subscribers. Incentives were given based on the number of new subscribers we recruited. The most memorable premium I ever received was a Gayla Sky Spy kite. While not my first it was a very good kite. I could stand out in the street in front of the house & launch it by propping the kite up, laying out about thirty feet of line & towing it until it cleared the roof top & got into some clean air. I considered this advanced kite technique at the time. I was fourteen. Once in the air it was easy to go to the end of a 500' spool of line. We used the latest kite technology, Hi-Flier Megalon Super Strength kite cord made of thin light nylon. It was much better than the old cotton string of the fifties. You could splice on more line but after a while the kite could not lift more line & it would not go higher, just further away. If you had out enough line you could let go of the line & the kite would still have enough tension on it to keep flying as the line slowly slipped along the ground. It was a lot of effort to reel in a thousand feet of line using an empty Suran wrap tube. One time we even tried to use an Erector set motor to make a power winder but long extension cords were hard to come by which was the limiting factor on that effort. Eventually I got a Hi-Flier spin winder. Certain times of the year the west wind would blow for days. I don't know why we left the kite up all night for the first time. But once we found out it was possible we would try to go for a record number of hours. The best we ever did was three days. When the kite did come down unattended we would leap on our bikes & follow the string for a couple blocks to hopefully find the tough little kite laying in a yard some ways away. Eventually there came a day when the kite was not to be found. Then I went into a dark time of no kites, but the girls kept me distracted.... SHBKF
  17. Welcome to KiteLife. Great getting to chat with you this afternoon. SHBKF
  18. Welcome to KiteLife. Great getting to chat with you for a moment. Couldn't stay logged in too long at that point. Hope to catch you again. SHBKF
  19. SHBKF

    SUL vs Indoor

    Your question is about quads but the dualie SUL has the same issues across a much greater number of builders. Here are some thoughts that apply to kites in general but I am speaking of dualies. The nomenclature of kite types is kind of murky as to precise specifications of light kites, ultra light kites & super ultra light kites. Different builders definitely have varying ideas as to what exactly is a SUL. Generally a super ultra light kite is going to have light construction throughout & will not be able to handle even six mile per hour winds as well as a ultra light kite. The SUL will have very light tubes with small connectors, the lightest fabrics, bridles made from kite line instead of bridle line & may even be slightly smaller. Some kites are said to be SUL but may be quite heavy & even have tail weights installed by design. Some kite builders don't offer much below a light version perhaps feeling they lose some desirable characteristics by going too much lighter. I have several SUL kites that I really enjoy & they can be day savers in poor inland conditions. They all weigh under six ounces. A standard kite would typically weigh more than ten to around twelve. I usually fly SUL kites on 75' to 100' line sets of 50# or 90# weight. Once you develop your light wind flying skills it will help you with flying the heavier ones in light conditions. Much more can be said about this topic. You need to have a couple SUL kites in my humble opinion. SHBKF My beloved Sky Burner Pro Dancer SUL, a full size sail that will easily break 50# lines R-Sky Nirvana WW, this kite is teaching me pretty much everything. We click. And the little 58" Prism 4D, bout worn this one out. A small twitchy kite that I often fly on 18' lines, 50's are too long. Do you first 360's with this one, or 720's. Keep going until you fall down laughing. Three completely different flying kites but all SUL
  20. Enthusiasm & optimism will take you a long way. Be sure to add some perseverance though. Best wishes, SHBKF
  21. Found myself really missing chat today. Traded PM's with Riffclown a bit regarding the issue of it not working. I always close chat when I'm done but I know others leave the tab open & it sometimes shows them still logged in for days at a time. I find myself checking it with two to five people showing without me knowing that any of them are actually actively monitoring. I wish the chat software would clear out the room after a lengthy period of no one posting. I may start posting a time in and an amount of time I will stand by. Or perhaps a time when I am logging out. It would also be helpful if the service would show a notification when someone enters or leaves chat. I know some have logged on & I have missed greeting them. I must admit to trying to get them to post for a bit. But some are just looking or perhaps a bit shy. I am a lifelong introvert & chat brought me out from under my rock. Just a few thoughts from the field, SHBKF EDIT: 3:54 pm 5/8/17 CHAT IS BACK ON!
  22. SHBKF

    Double trouble

    So is this shot called "X marks the spot" or perhaps "Dazed & confused"? Love this stuff. My first thoughts of this kind of adventure go back several years to RobB talking about bar flying with a piece of beach driftwood. He is another of my KiteLife mentors. You guys are the best. Thanks, SHBKF
  23. What a great picture with the tails trailing off seemingly almost to infinity. And what an inspiration to us other fliers! As I progress in my KiteLife I am continually encouraged & challenged to go just a bit further. The example shown here would be a giant leap for someone like a solo hill billie kite flailer. But now it has me thinking about the real reason I may have acquired two Zephyrs sometime back. There are very few, if any, coincidences in life. Hmmm....need another tail. SHBKF
  24. SHBKF

    Leader help

    Here's an image of the first set I ever modified. I had previously tried to fly my kite one time at this point. I was unable to keep a Rev in the air for any length of time when I made these but I understood I was going to need to "tune my kite". Had Know Eye Deer what that even meant. I was still in the launch, spin crash cycle. A few more sessions & I was starting to get it. But I still thought I needed the forward drive of the standard settings as I was flying the SLE leading edge tubes. So I did not move out to the further knots for some time. Knot spacing is 3/4" on these. The lower leaders are standard stock items. I still use this set up & have made more elaborate ones since. SHBKF
  25. Wow! What a great first post. Keep em coming. We all like to hear the stories from your journey along the path of kiting. Take your time or go as fast as you wish. The field of kites is a vast expanse. Welcome to the KiteLife, SHBKF kite similar to my first one flown on the streets of Cuyahoga Falls back in the day, way back....
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