SparkieRob Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 I made my first set out of Brickies Line, the string brick layers use to maintain course level. I use old bridles, mostly from my used and abused but well loved B2. Bridles can be done 2 ways. Lower test poundage doubled over so there are "2" strings through each knot. Higher test poundage but a single string with knots. That's a great idea. Do you find the mason line is too stiff or thick? I found it too elastic. In the lower winds it would be ok, but I could feel it "mush" higher up. There wasn't the connection feel to it as it would soak up a short sharp input and turn it into a slower one. But looking back, the line drag and drop from long lines would have the same effect. And you would learn to adapt to it. Give it a shake and let us know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 You might get away with Brickies line for light wind, but I doubt it would stand up well to strong winds! Nice thing about the bridle line - it has 2 parts, a outer sheath and an inner core!! If the sheath wears through, you still have the core to save you! Line not cored, fails immediately!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 I found this site. Which would be the best to order and how much of it for a Rev 1.5? with 90# lines. http://www.thekiteshoppe.com/categories/Kite-Line/Spools-%26-Bulk-Kite-Line/Laser-Pro-Bridle-Line/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkieRob Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 I found this site. Which would be the best to order and how much of it for a Rev 1.5? with 90# lines. http://www.thekiteshoppe.com/categories/Kite-Line/Spools-%26-Bulk-Kite-Line/Laser-Pro-Bridle-Line/ Best to just to just call Theresa (from The Kite Shoppe) and chat to her with your requirements. I would reckon 10 feet should be enough to have.... 3 foot per top leader, about 6 inches per bottom and top pig tails. That leaves you some change. Those are pretty rough estimates. You could always get more... When I get some, I want about 100 feet! Papa needs some train lines!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmadz Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 I think that I may try to make leaders out of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Yes, when I buy bridle line, I likewise buy it by the roll (about 100' - 150'). I got mine from Midwest Kites, and as can be seen from my earlier photo, I use different colors, for top and bottom (no reason, just personal preference). I actually have a lot of colors, because I tie bridles, for the revs, and mix & match colors. I have both 90# or 100#, as well as 170#. I use the 170# (single strand) for my Rev leaders. It's just easier to tie a single line, for me, than a doubled line. You're going to loose close to 3/4" of line, every time you put in a knot, so it's hard to know exactly how much to start with. I would assume that for a 13" - 14" finished leader, with 8 - 10 knots (allow about 8" for those), plus about 3" for your loop at the handle end. So start with a couple of pieces 13"+8"+3", or about 24". Tie your loops in each line, first, using about 3" of line doubled over, and tied to make a loop (make those loops identical in size). Now, hook both loops over a stationary hook, or something that you can really pull against. (I use a workbench vice, with a smooth 1/2" rod, clamped vertically). As some have mentioned, tie the first knot (just a plain overhand knot), in the first leader, about 4" or 5" from the knot in the loop. Now tie the first knot, in the second leader, and make sure that you match that knot, to the knot in the first leader. (pull em hard) Once you have pulled on these (hard), and made sure they are firmly cinched, make your second knot, 3/4" to 1", past the first knot, repeating your matching and cinching, in both leaders. Now you should have two leaders started, with two identical loops, and two matching knots. Pull on them firmly, with the two loops secured over a rod, or on a hook, and make sure that those first two knots, match each other. Now just continue with this procedure until you get 8 - 10 knots, and your overall leader is about 13" - 14" long. Watch closely, as you tie each knot, making sure to keep them even, from one leader to the other. Pull them tight each time. When you get finished, just clip any excess, and melt the tip so it won't fray. Now repeat that for the bottoms, but only make the oveall leader about 3" or 4". I usually add just 1, maybe 2 knots, just past the knot in the loop, or just leave the original leaders on the bottom. They will be fine, because they are usually short, anyway...... Good Luck......... ps...........you might want to spend a little time, learning to fly the Rev, first, just as it comes, before you get too hung up, on making pigtails & leaders. This will become more clear later, once you begin to keep the Rev in the air 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Thanks alot for your answer. Makes it very clear, and yes I will wait awhile before I begin this project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Dowler Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Nick - I disagree on waiting!! Just another thing to retrain!! Why start out with "bad" habits, then try to introduce "correct" ones?? Here's a good way to start with leaders: Setup as normal, but with your top lines in the middle of your knots. Get everything all straightened out and ready to fly. See if you can launch, if not move the top lines in a knot and try again!! Repeat til you are able to launch relatively easy!! Learn to fly it about! Remember that setting for next time as a place to start. After a few flights, try flying at least 1 knot further out on top!! As you progress, you should find your "sweet" spot on the leader that fits your style of flying!! PS: the knots also allow you to adjust as winds change! With just the factory pigtail, you only have one knot, and can lose control in high, gusty winds, very easily! The long adjustable leaders let you tune some of that (if not all) out of your setup!! All IMHO, of course!!! Your mileage might vary!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 True, true, all true, but I was just trying to get him into the air, before putting him through a lot of extra stuff to think about. It's been a long time since we started flying, so this stuff makes perfect sense to us. Do you remember your very first flight. I remember mine, and if I'd had a bucket full of knots, it wouldn't have helped anything, because I wouldn't have known what to do with them........IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevRookie Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 It's true that the beginner needs to fly first and tune later. Paul LaMasters gave me a set of pigtails in Swift Current to get my handles set up, but I didn't understand the theory of WHY you would go in or out. 20-30 flights later in different wind conditions, the light is starting to dawn, but unless you have an old pro flying beside you & walk you through adjustments, it's just too much overload at first. Doing it alone means that discovery takes time and experience. I ended up getting a quad foil to use as a trainer after I broke the rods on the Rev with one crash too many. It has helped a lot to build instinct and muscle memory and I have slammed it into the ground so hard a few times that I'm sure it has paid for itself in rods not replaced. I may be a slow learner (I know I have bad hand / eye coordination) but I do persist. I'll fly the foil through the winter and break out the Rev again when I can fly on grass. I'm really looking forward to it though, because even this rookie can tell that the foil is just not as crisp or precise as the Rev - it flies like a big powerful pig - but I'm learning to master it and learning skills along the way that will help a lot in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 It's true that the beginner needs to fly first and tune later. Paul LaMasters gave me a set of pigtails in Swift Current to get my handles set up, but I didn't understand the theory of WHY you would go in or out. 20-30 flights later in different wind conditions, the light is starting to dawn, but unless you have an old pro flying beside you & walk you through adjustments, it's just too much overload at first. Doing it alone means that discovery takes time and experience. I ended up getting a quad foil to use as a trainer after I broke the rods on the Rev with one crash too many. It has helped a lot to build instinct and muscle memory and I have slammed it into the ground so hard a few times that I'm sure it has paid for itself in rods not replaced. I may be a slow learner (I know I have bad hand / eye coordination) but I do persist. I'll fly the foil through the winter and break out the Rev again when I can fly on grass. I'm really looking forward to it though, because even this rookie can tell that the foil is just not as crisp or precise as the Rev - it flies like a big powerful pig - but I'm learning to master it and learning skills along the way that will help a lot in the summer. I saw a video of a quad foil his morning, I didn't eve know they existed. Bit sturdier for crashing I would think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevRookie Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Yup. I've crashed mine so hard it sounded like a gun shot, but the kite is good as new and still has lots to teach me. I also wouldn't hesitate to hand over the controls to anyone to them try it out, because I really think it's bullet proof. I have a Flexifoil Sting I'm happy with http://www.flexifoil.com/powerkites/sting moderate price for a trainer and less than 2 sets of broken rods on the Rev. Even my wife understood those economics! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Yeah, my first kite, which I just tried flying today for the first time, is a HQ Symphony 1.8. Unfortunately the wind was not cooperating about 1 hour ago when I was at the field, with it steady at 1 mph, so the only practice I got was setting up the kite and folding it back up again, and winding the lines a few times. . I should have known, because before I went to the field I looked at http://www.caniflymykite.com/ and it said NO!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyPuppets LimitVoodoo Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Careful! I'm sure you're aware, you can totally pop one of the cells in your foil... Having said that, I've crashed my Snapshot so hard I took a clump of grass out of the ground foils really are tough. They really are the best way to get into multi-line kiting, in general Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyPuppets LimitVoodoo Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Yeah, my first kite, which I just tried flying today for the first time, is a HQ Symphony 1.8. Unfortunately the wind was not cooperating about 1 hour ago when I was at the field, with it steady at 1 mph, so the only practice I got was setting up the kite and folding it back up again, and winding the lines a few times. . I should have known, because before I went to the field I looked at http://www.caniflymykite.com/ and it said NO!! That Symphony will be an absolute blast 7mph and above! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reef Runner Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Yep, you're going to need a bit more than 1 mph.........I would imagine that 7 mph is probably you, go, no-go, limit. Should really give you a pull at 10 - 15..............yikes........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaginCajun Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 I really love my 1.8 around 20-22mph. Pulls like a beast and is lightning fast . I highly discourage flying in those winds until you are VERY good at controlling the kite. It can be very dangerous at those speeds especially if you hit someone with it. And those are the winds that WILL blow cells. I've seen it happen numerous times in small and large foils. Fortunately I've never blown a cell, but it can happen and then its pretty much game over for the kite. I have seen blown cells repaired, but it takes an experienced person to do it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystainedskin Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Hey Jason... Captain Bob is going to Fort Walton fest. Told him to hook up with Eckfc... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaginCajun Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Oh HELL YEAH!!! You're going to have a blast!!!Absolutely LOVE to show you the ropes. Holla when it gets closer to the date, I'll let you know where we're staying. 850-293-4996 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Oh HELL YEAH!!! You're going to have a blast!!!Absolutely LOVE to show you the ropes. Holla when it gets closer to the date, I'll let you know where we're staying. 850-293-4996 Will do.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbailey49 Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Hey Jason... Captain Bob is going to Fort Walton fest. Told him to hook up with Eckfc... Oh HELL YEAH!!! You're going to have a blast!!!Absolutely LOVE to show you the ropes. Holla when it gets closer to the date, I'll let you know where we're staying. 850-293-4996 Will do.... And this is why I love this sport and the people who do it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbailey49 Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Jason, we need to share a field sometime. Maybe when I win JB for a weekend we can arrange something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaginCajun Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Jason, we need to share a field sometime. Maybe when I win JB for a weekend we can arrange something. Most DEFINITELY Barton! I would really enjoy that! What's the chances of you coming to Ft Walton next month for KHK'S fest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbailey49 Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Jason, we need to share a field sometime. Maybe when I win JB for a weekend we can arrange something. Most DEFINITELY Barton! I would really enjoy that! What's the chances of you coming to Ft Walton next month for KHK'S fest? Sadly, no chance. . We have a lot going on work wise and with other things in March. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainbob Posted February 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 Regarding the leaders, I called a Kite shop today, http://www.thekiteshoppe.com/ and spoke to someone there and he knew exactly what type of leaders I I wanted, which he had already made up. By the way, he says that JB is frequently in his shop, so sounds like he knows what he is talking about. So I ordered a set of leaders for my yet to arrive Rev SLE, which by the way, is supposed to arrive this coming Thursday. It's like Christmas, all over again.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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