Prism nexus maiden flight

[kevmort]

So today I had my first proper flight of my new prism nexus, so tell me is there another name for a lazy Susan when it's at the zenith?? And how the heck I managed to do some side slides from drifting down the wind window from the zenith to the right of the window to about 3 foot off the ground then side slide to the Center then fly back up to the zenith lol , good times and really enjoyed my new toy [emoji4][emoji4]

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[Happyspoon]

That's great! Kinda nice you are starting in the winter (I'm guessing), it will make warmer flying all the more enjoyable

Are you going to start recording yourself? I've found it helps me hugely in figuring out how to improve my flying.

Keep it up!

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[makatakam]

I will fly my duals soon. I promise. Really.

[Exult]

For me good weather is over rated - good wind is not. Sun makes the kite difficult to see and your skin hurt (OK being sun pessimistic). Moving around makes one warm as when piloting. If using finger straps chose a pair large enough for your gloves. I've been toying with the idea to make a slit in a mitten and seal it around my tight pair of finger straps. I didn't bother finishing the novel Snow Crash ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash ), but it is mild for your kite.

[Happyspoon]

I like the glove idea! I've only tried gloves once while flying and I really missed the feel of the line on my fingertips. i'm never flying in strong enough wind for it to be a big deal that the kite is anchored to my hands, doubt I'll bread a wrist or anything. I'd love to see pictures if you make one! you're sure righta bout getting warm while flying, except for my hands and ears maybe

Didn't like Snow Crash? It wasn't my favorite of his books (and I think I've read them all now) but the world he built was crazy interesting. If you haven't tried Reamde I thought it was a nice departure from his other works. 

[kevmort]

Here's an idea for gloves for you guys
Fishing gloves [emoji4][emoji4]

I must admit I'm using the standard wrist straps and thinking of putting some Velcro on the top of the straps and a matching bit on the index fingers of the ski gloves I have

I would like to record myself but need to get a suitable camera to do so [emoji4]


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[Happyspoon]

Those look super convenient! You could probably thread the whole strap through one of the finger holes too if you wanted!

As for recording I was surprised at the quality of the no name action cameras, dinner of which can be got for $50 or even less! I recorded myself with a cell phone leaned against a cooler for awhile too

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[makatakam]

16 hours ago, Happyspoon said:

Those look super convenient! You could probably thread the whole strap through one of the finger holes too if you wanted!

As for recording I was surprised at the quality of the no name action cameras, dinner of which can be got for $50 or even less! I recorded myself with a cell phone leaned against a cooler for awhile too

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Dinner?

I an a fisherman and have used fingerless gloves since the 60's. We used to just cut them and hem. Works well for all cold weather activities that require some manual dexterity. Definitely a plus for those who fly in winter.

Today's smartphones have incredibly good cameras, and with an external battery, enough "juice" to record quite lengthy videos. There is not much need for additional expenditure if you already have a decent cell phone.

[kevmort]

Well if I could afford to loose my phone I would use it to film myself but things have a way of walking away in the uk lol


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[RobB]

5 hours ago, kevmort said:

Well if I could afford to loose my phone I would use it to film myself but things have a way of walking away in the uk lol


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That's nuts... I have the impression that things are so civilized in the UK. I haven't been there in 20 years, maybe that's changed ? I have no problem leaving my cameras & kite bags (worth way more than the cameras) on the beach here in New York. I even leave everything there to run back to the car or to the bathroom. Maybe I'm just too trusting ?

[makatakam]

8 hours ago, kevmort said:

Well if I could afford to loose my phone I would use it to film myself but things have a way of walking away in the uk lol


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Things occasionally walk away here in the US also. There's a-holes everywhere, but:

My iPhone 6 cost me $300 used. My camera cost me $1500 used. I would rather lose the iPhone. I'm lying about the camera, It's only about $500, but you get the point. I would prefer to lose neither, but you have to take the shot with something. Best way to hang on to either would be to have a friend do the filming. I know some people who have set up the equipment inside a locked vehicle and flown their kite in front of the vehicle, shooting through a window. 

[kevmort]

The uk is much like all others country's around the world has its good parts as well as its bad , I'm working on the wife for me to get an action cam off our mobile network I'll bay monthly and it will link to my phone and a supplied watch via wifi plus it has 4G for things like facebook live [emoji4][emoji4]


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[Happyspoon]

The uk is much like all others country's around the world has its good parts as well as its bad , I'm working on the wife for me to get an action cam off our mobile network I'll bay monthly and it will link to my phone and a supplied watch via wifi plus it has 4G for things like facebook live [emoji4][emoji4]

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Sounds like a good setup! Live streaming some kite flying would be fun to watch!

I often have my action cam on the end of a ski pole at the end of the field. I think the weirdnesses if it keeps people from getting too close tried trying it to a SLK string but I need a bit more stabilization if I want watchable footage

https://goo.gl/photos/L7bFQQQtMPoWEzZX7

And lol by dinner in the previous post I ment 'some'. Silly autocorrect.

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[kevmort]

Well if you guys have the EE network for your cells in the us you should be able to get one , it's on a monthly plan and if you already have an account with them you get it cheaper than if you just have it on its own [emoji4]


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[Exult]

On 12/6/2016 at 9:53 PM, kevmort said:

Hmm... Looks handy. However, on very cold days Jack Frost might pinch you hard in the finger tips. However, perhaps you can cover the tips over the finger straps with these gloves (sorry @Happyspoon , when reading through this topic again the day after posting this I then noticed that you kind of already suggested this.) ?

On 12/6/2016 at 9:53 PM, kevmort said:

thinking of putting some Velcro on the top of the straps and a matching bit on the index fingers of the ski gloves

Clever idea! I'm sure that one quite rapidly could be spoiled by flying with your finger tips. I really hope that enough of the feeling is preserved through the glove. Perhaps making the glove quite narrow towards the finger tips to reduce play would help?

Here is how I handle the finger straps. These thin gloves wont work on very cold days below -5degC (23F). Then I need to resort to wrist straps. If there is need for a kite hat (or rather it's brim) to shield off the sun, a combo of a turtle neck, soft thin cap and kite/sun hat can work.

On 12/6/2016 at 9:07 PM, Happyspoon said:

Didn't like Snow Crash? It wasn't my favorite of his books (and I think I've read them all now) but the world he built was crazy interesting.

I like SF that provide new thoughts that I'd never would have been able to come up with myself (and of course the story itself must be OK, but that is more difficult to describe). In the beginning of Snow Crash there was a pizza courier on a hover board and some hackers' virtual reality town with the hackers territory in a central place. It was a long time since this was pioneering (perhaps was when originally published). I may be very unfair when judging this book since I didn't finish it. And I know that this is a book that you "should" read.
Say about 15-18 years old I read a paper bag full of SF paperback, to a large degree Arthur C. Clarke (one atypical favorite was "Tales from the White Hart"). That helped me a lot with improving my English. Today I have less time (even during my spare time) or competing interests - kiting e.g. most certainly takes much time. In more recent years I have read a few Alastair Reynolds books.

[Happyspoon]

Thin gloves ad finger straps seems like an interesting combo. I got a 4D for Christmas which came with finger straps. I have only gotten to fly for a few minutes so far but I think they are going to take some getting used to. I'm lucky that it never really gets cold enough that I need gloves, and I keep finding myself taking them off once I'm a little warmed up on the field. 

Kev, have you gotten much of a chance to fly over the rest of the month?

[kevmort]

@happyspoon sadly no but we have a day trip tomorrow to the south cost with winds predicted to be 14mph [emoji4][emoji4]


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[kevmort]

Oh and I have a new toy to take too [emoji4][emoji4]


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[Happyspoon]

Yay! Hope it works out and excited to see the footage!

BTW I got to take a friend's Nexus up briefly and was able to coax it to axel surprisingly well in about 14mph winds so I'm sure you'll be doing those pretty quickly

Have fun! It just snowed here and there is absolutely no wind so I'm guessing I won't be flying today.

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[kevmort]

@Happyspoon please see " video help " lol and I hope so lol , mind you I have found a workaround for playing the video animations off prisms site [emoji4]


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[Exult]

On 1/1/2017 at 8:09 AM, Happyspoon said:

Thin gloves ad finger straps seems like an interesting combo. I got a 4D for Christmas which came with finger straps. I have only gotten to fly for a few minutes so far but I think they are going to take some getting used to. I'm lucky that it never really gets cold enough that I need gloves, and I keep finding myself taking them off once I'm a little warmed up on the field. 

If it gets cold enough for gloves and a fly the 4D I use the thin gloves and put my index finger through the string loop that hold the finger straps attached to the lines if using the line set that came with the 4D. The finger straps themselves are then inside my hand.
 

On 12/6/2016 at 9:53 PM, kevmort said:

Here's an idea for gloves for you guys
Fishing gloves

When I was out today it was -11 degC (12F). I then used the thin gloves when assembling(/disassembling) the kite and the mittens while flying. When removing the thin gloves when needed (doing lark heads, adjusting the bridle...) have your back against the wind so that the hands are more protected. I also widened the tension of the shoestring in the lower parts of my boot (to allow the air to circulate all the way to the toes), while the upper parts of the shoestring had normal tension (my boots allow this separation of tension along the shoe string). Well insulating underwear is mandatory. But I guess this is nothing new for a fisher.

[SHBKF]

5 hours ago, Exult said:

If it gets cold enough for gloves and a fly the 4D I use the thin gloves and put my index finger through the string loop that hold the finger straps attached to the lines if using the line set that came with the 4D. The finger straps themselves are then inside my hand.
 

When I was out today it was -11 degC (12F). I then used the thin gloves when assembling(/disassembling) the kite and the mittens while flying. When removing the thin gloves when needed (doing lark heads, adjusting the bridle...) have your back against the wind so that the hands are more protected. I also widened the tension of the shoestring in the lower parts of my boot (to allow the air to circulate all the way to the toes), while the upper parts of the shoestring had normal tension (my boots allow this separation of tension along the shoe string). Well insulating underwear is mandatory. But I guess this is nothing new for a fisher.

I too have flown a 4D extensively.  I even traded a Quantum for a second 4D last year, my first ever kite trade.  A couple years ago I stopped using straps for this kite at all.  I use only the sleeved loops of the lines themselves.  The kite does not have much pull even when you fly it in higher winds.  When the wind gets too strong the leading edges start distorting & the kite kind of squirts across the window.  I fly it mostly on a five meter line set but occasionally use a 10 meter set.  In colder weather I use only glove liners for the 4D which still gives me a direct connection.

After years of solo winter backpacking adventures I still wear gloves in layers.  If I have a piece of equipment that I can't operate while wearing thin gloves I actually practice until I am able to do so.  I prefer mittens worn over glove liners for the maximum warmth.  But kite flying keeps me in gloves.  The boot lacing technique mentioned is also important as I have experienced my feet turning to wood due to poor circulation from trying to cram on an extra pair of socks into lighter boots.  In this image of a cold morning I am dressed in a down jacket with high tech long johns & shorts.  It was around 15 degrees with no wind.

SHBKF

[Exult]

On 1/7/2017 at 1:10 AM, SHBKF said:

I too have flown a 4D extensively.  I even traded a Quantum for a second 4D last year,

Going multi kiting?

On 1/7/2017 at 1:10 AM, SHBKF said:

 In colder weather I use only glove liners for the 4D which still gives me a direct connection.

Well the demands for preserved feeling through the fingers were quite relaxed for my latest and above session - I was out with my Fazer XXL for the first time. The wrist straps were held with with four fingers (mittens on) through them (similar to @Dodd Gross "wrist" strap style?). I got so warm (centrally, not perifally) from this activity (running back and forth in the snow, using large arm movements and pulling) so I hardly wore the down jacket at all - just a cardigan.

On 1/7/2017 at 1:10 AM, SHBKF said:

In this image of a cold morning I am dressed in a down jacket with high tech long johns & shorts.  It was around 15 degrees with no wind.

A quit rare combo (?) - but function is king. Remember as a child when sailing with the family I often had the almost same arrangement (shorts and a down jacket). When sitting in the cockpit the legs were protected from the wind and often warmed by the sun, while the down jacket protected you from the wind. B.t.w. could the white object in front of you be a 4D? 4D no wind flying, as you know, is good exercise keeping you warm!