Spectre with mesh slider?

[baseninja 0]

Just wondering if anyone has tried, or heard of, using a mesh slider (small or large mesh, or even a PDR style) to get a Spectre to open faster.

I've seen some crew guys with mesh on their Lightnings, but not on mainstream rigs. Don't know how it would affect the openings, might have to make one and find out before long...

[Stumpy 284]

what do you want to use it for? Terminal? in which case, i would think its probably not the greatest idea. Crew rigs open REALLY fast. Got a bit more info about intended use?

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[baseninja 0]

I wanted to go back to a 7-cell, and like PD. Ended up with a Spectre 120. I also have a tendency to pull low, and think the Spectre opens too slow. (for my taste). The hard openings won't bother me, that is the goal. Just don't know how skydiving lines will handle whacks like that...

[Stumpy 284]

Um.... i'm gonna have to reserve comment on this one. Anyone more experienced than me care to give some advice?

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[councilman24 37]

The Spectre opened too slow for my taste too. I demoed one of the first ones out in 1997 because PD was replacing a lemon canopy. 700' openings from a 2000' hop and pop or terminal deployment were too slow for me.

But this is what newer skydivers want. I want a canopy over my head, not a streamer. So, my Saber 1 and my Triathlon are just fine. Of course I'm an inch shorter after 24 years of jumping.

A mesh slider probably isn't a good idea. Other than packing it nose open and slider back your probably stuck. Call PD and see what they recommend. If you do try a mesh slider start with hop and pop and work up second by second to terminal to see if its still slow enough. But my guess is you won't get to terminal before hurting.

The only real fix is to change canopies.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[ryoder 1,590]

Quote

Just wondering if anyone has tried, or heard of, using a mesh slider (small or large mesh, or even a PDR style) to get a Spectre to open faster.

I've seen some crew guys with mesh on their Lightnings, but not on mainstream rigs. Don't know how it would affect the openings, might have to make one and find out before long...

Put a vent in the slider. Take a look at PD's reserve sliders for an example.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[diablopilot 2]

I've seen a spectre 150 with a ported, mesh covered slider. (Slider with a hole in it and mesh put in it's place). Seemed to work well for the guy.

Remember a couple of things if you're gonna try something like this

1) You're probably jumping a micro lined canopy. It will transmit shock to your harness (and body) MUCH more effectively than the Dacron found on most BASE canopies.

2) In the identical design of canopy the ZP one will usually open harder.

3) ZP failure mode is MUCH different that F111 type low porosity materials.

Have fun.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[hookitt 1]

If you're willing to send me the canopy, I'm willing to try it ... out of the cessna first. Then build up to terminal if it opens acceptably.

JPs idea with the hole cut in it and a mesh back up sounds like a good one. If have a slider that's the same size, cut a coffee can sized hole in it and try it out.

As some of my friends and I say, "That sounds like a really bad idea, lets do it"

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

As some of my friends and I say, "That sounds like a really bad idea, lets do it"

I think that's one of the reasons why I like you......

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[ostrich 0]

When Spectres were first out and I got a brand new one, I was convinced something was wrong with it because of the slow openings. I had transitioned from a Falcon 195 and was used to something more brisk.

I had my rigger verify that the slider was the right size, I sent emails back and forth to PD. I was thinking using a heated coffee can to put a hole in my slider to speed things up.

Then, after about 75 jumps on the canopy, it stopped snivelling for 1000 feet and has some of the nicest openings of anytighin I've jumped. Just give it awhile to break in.

[GraficO 0]

I used to have one and it always provided medium brisk openings...

What are you doing with the nose?

GraficO

GraficO

"A Mind is a terrible thing to taste."

[DancingFlame 0]

Leave your slider collapsed while packing the canopy. You'll get realy BRISK opening

[baseninja 0]

Yea, I was thinking about the coffee can idea, PDR style. I think it was even used in BASE for a while.

And I'm with you hookitt, its only scary the first time... hehe

[whatever 0]

hey
how's this workin' out for you?
tried it yet?

please share any info you gather, as I'm considering getting a Spectre for wingsuit jumps and wouldn't mind a faster opening either...

soon to be gone

[Nightingale 0]

my first jump on a spectre I damn near chopped because it took so long to open. I had my hands on the cutaway handle and was just thinking "peel..." and it opened.