Juan Mejías Posted April 14, 2021 Report Share Posted April 14, 2021 Hi all, I was wondering if there's a commercial model of kite messenger available (you know, the device to carry things along the line pushed by the wind, and then release it once it reaches the kite) I've been looking for quite a while, but can't seem to find any. Thanks! NOTE: I know it's possible to make your own, but in this case I'm looking for one I can buy, if there's one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmond Dragut Posted April 15, 2021 Report Share Posted April 15, 2021 i know is a Popper by Premier on stores and are the old Gunther kite ferry on eBay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Mejías Posted April 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 Thanks Edmund! I'd prefer one where the messenger is actually dropped after reaching the top, rather than coming down the line, but still these are both pretty good options that I didn't know. By googling those I also just learned that they're known as "kite ferries", which I also didn't know. Appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmond Dragut Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 the ones you speak about I think there are obsolete do the safety reasons. I remember many years ago a ferry witch drop down a figurine with a parachute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mebeatee Posted April 22, 2021 Report Share Posted April 22, 2021 Akin to the ol' candy drop at a kite fest...bad enough being bonked with a tootsie roll let alone run over by kids....or the parachuting teddy bears... bt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Mejías Posted April 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2021 I get your point, although it seems a pity. Parachuting teddy bears sounds awesome to me. 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZBear Posted April 22, 2021 Report Share Posted April 22, 2021 I'm not familiar with festivals outside of Washington & Oregon, but the Teddy Bear Drop is a mainstay out here. I'll see if I can find out what the dropping mechanism is. check out the Washington State International Kite Festival page at SATURDAY - World Kite Museum (kitefestival.com) for the schedule with the Teddy Bear Drop listed. There's even a picture of one of the bears parachuting down... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmond Dragut Posted April 23, 2021 Report Share Posted April 23, 2021 ZBear i am confident that Teddy Bear Drop is using just a releasing mechanism attached to the line before to launch the kite not a ferry system what deliver the Beat from the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZBear Posted April 23, 2021 Report Share Posted April 23, 2021 Ah = true. It's a simple stopper on the line, then the bear slides up the line with the parachute pulling it. once it hits the stopper, it detatches the bear which parachutes down to the ground. I thought the "release it when it reaches the kite" meant dropping off the line, not sliding back down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Mejías Posted April 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2021 @ZBear, yes, that's what I meant (climbing the line, then dropping when reaching the kite, instead of sliding back down the line). I'd love to find something like that, do you know where to buy it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZBear Posted April 23, 2021 Report Share Posted April 23, 2021 Ah, in that case, here's one from the Secret Dad Society: DIY Kite Messenger Parachute Drop | Secret Dad Society It auto drops when it hits a plug. Here's one on kiteplans.org that uses a separate line to drop the payload: Drop Mechanism (kiteplans.org) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Mejías Posted April 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2021 Thanks! I actually knew those, but I'd like to find a commercial model I can buy off the shelf (if there's one, maybe it's just not there) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Friedman Posted June 6, 2021 Report Share Posted June 6, 2021 I have one from Mullers Kite Fishing in South Africa. It's called a Bait Ferry and I use it for KAP..and it works great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makatakam Posted June 7, 2021 Report Share Posted June 7, 2021 14 hours ago, Rob Friedman said: I have one from Mullers Kite Fishing in South Africa. It's called a Bait Ferry and I use it for KAP..and it works great! To drop your camera into the ocean? 😃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Friedman Posted June 7, 2021 Report Share Posted June 7, 2021 Haha I used the bike mount on the end, and hang the action camera upside down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Mejías Posted June 7, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2021 18 hours ago, Rob Friedman said: I have one from Mullers Kite Fishing in South Africa. It's called a Bait Ferry and I use it for KAP..and it works great! That is exactly what I was looking for. By the way, using it for KAP sounds quite cool. Not sure if they'd be willing to ship it to the Netherlands (where I'm located). I've sent them a message and I'm crossing my fingers. Thanks for the tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Mejías Posted June 7, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2021 Aahhh, damn it! They replied pretty fast (see below) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Friedman Posted June 7, 2021 Report Share Posted June 7, 2021 Can't read it...too small. But they are very good people. Tell them you found them threw me..you might get charged double hahahaha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Mejías Posted June 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2021 They say they're not shipping abroad at the moment, because of corona. But I can try again in a few months, so I'll do that. ⏳ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Friedman Posted June 8, 2021 Report Share Posted June 8, 2021 When I got mine, I had also ordered the Seagull kite too. Anna-Marie is great to work with. Good luck with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen.pitts Posted July 26, 2022 Report Share Posted July 26, 2022 Hello KiteLife Forum, Have prototyped and tested a device called the KiteMessenger that uses a 433 mhz transceiver to do the teddy bear kite drop. https://www.kitemessenger.net Haven't decided how much to get for the KM. With the spars, the transceiver, the microcontroller, the 3D printing and the shipping tube the cost is about eighty bucks. Hate to sell the KM for cost but not sure any one will pay, say, $100 for the device before shipping. How much would you pay? With Gunther no longer manufacturing there does not seem to be a commercially available kite ferry and certainly not one that uses an electronic, as opposed to a mechanical, release mechanism. So the KiteMessenger maybe a monopoly but if the price point is too high the uniqueness is useless. There is a guy in Australia that sells a rig for dripping chum and fish hooks. Tried to get him to sell me one but basically he said it was too much trouble to ship to the USA. Going to the Washington State Kite festival in mid August 2022. If you are going you might see a demo of the KiteMessenger there. Also, working on a 915 mhz version with a bi-pole antenna that should improve the range considerably. Allen Pitts Dallas TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunduki Vlieger Posted July 26, 2022 Report Share Posted July 26, 2022 Hmm... is there a video of the setup and how it works? What is the quality of the KM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen.pitts Posted November 21, 2022 Report Share Posted November 21, 2022 Hello Bunduki and the KiteKife forum, Have made some improvements to the KiteMessenger. Added an antenna to extend the range of the radio transceiver and refactored the sail arms so that they now snap into place instead of using screws and nuts. There is a simple animated GIF at KiteMessenger The user manual is being updated to reflect these changes and I am working on a setup video. Allen Pitts. Project Manager KiteMessenger.net Dallas Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunduki Vlieger Posted November 21, 2022 Report Share Posted November 21, 2022 2 hours ago, allen.pitts said: The user manual is being updated to reflect these changes and I am working on a setup video. I am excited to see this :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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