Equalize!

[northwavesailor]

Just DO IT..............equalize your lines that is........... to borrow a line from Nike!

I'll admit to being negligent and not checking for quad line stretch often enough Our lines need to be off enough to affect flight to realize SOMETHING is not right

I just equalized 6 quad sets (80', 100' & 120') and all (even the ones I equalized back in June) were off! 5 of the 6 required the line shortening method and only 1 was off so little that the fast and dirty 'add a knot' method worked.

I doubt equalized lines will make me a "mo' betta" flyer.............but I'm sure it couldn't hurt

[SparkieRob]

Must do this soon too! Thanks for the reminder.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[makatakam]

I've been lazy this year. I'll check soon and adjust if necessary, which I'm sure it will be. I use no sleeve lines mostly, so the "tie-a-knot" method is what I use most of the time. I haven't removed sleeving since at least four years.

[hyzakite]

I would think with everyone making long leaders for their handles, by making them a little longer on the top and bottom of the handles, and, adding a few more knots to the leaders, and, even staggering the leader knots a little, and, putting your longest 2 lines on the top and the 2 shortest on the bottom, they will be equalized by putting them on the appropriate staggered leader knot according to the actual length of the each unequalized line. Well this works for me as I use 8 linesets with 8 sets of handles.

[makatakam]

I would think with everyone making long leaders for their handles, by making them a little longer on the top and bottom of the handles, and, adding a few more knots to the leaders, and, even staggering the leader knots a little, and, putting your longest 2 lines on the top and the 2 shortest on the bottom, they will be equalized by putting them on the appropriate staggered leader knot according to the actual length of the each unequalized line. Well this works for me as I use 8 linesets with 8 sets of handles.

Yes, I agree with one exception -- don't stagger the knots. With staggered knots, if the lines are all of identical length, they will be at different locations, and therefore you will be flying unequal lines.

[hyzakite]

I think if you have nice kite line to start with and some time on the lines the less equalizing you will do, the idea if staggering the knots was to get closer adjustments with unequalized lines, as equalized lines will get unequalized again and again. Actually my lines don't get stretched much, I choose the kite with the least amount of pull for the wind. I checked 2 sets after a year of use and one line was less than a 1/2" off out of the 2 sets.

I read about one companies very popular lines of have a low stretch of 3.5%. For whatever that means, I would take it as 3.5% of 120' = just under 50 1/2" of stretch in 120 feet! Maybe you can divide some of that stretch by the 4 lines in use although the 2 bottom lines aren't taking too much pull buzzing across the sky while you're hanging on.

In flying the extra-vent in 17mph w/25mph gusts I still see my lines curved/bowed.

I don't believe you knots have to be so precisely matched or your lines need to be precisely equalized that you can or can't fly.

Put your leaders at the kite instead of the handles and ask someone to adjust the leaders at the kite instead of you doing the adjusting. After several adjustments and coming up with the flight feeling you are comfortable with, revile the knots where you are set at. Then, measure each of those lines.

Once the wind changes from coming out of the west to coming out of the south you will feel your lines are unequalized once again.

"Adaption" is the word of the day.