Tri vs. Spectre

[Thunderbow 1]

Is a spectre anything like a tri. I am thinking of buying a Spectre. What is the general opinion of them?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am.

[meltdown 0]

I've got a Spectre and really like it. Both the Spectre and Triathlon are 7 cells, but I think the Tri is a square whereas the Spectre is tapered. Don't know about the Tri, but Spectres have really nice soft openings.

[Salsa_John 0]

love my Spectre. I have gotten within 10 meters of X on 5 jumps in last 3 weeks vs 3 in prior 4 months on a Sabre 1. very responsive in flat turns. Soft opens

"You did what?!?!"

MUFF #3722, TDSM #72, Orfun #26, Nachos Rodriguez

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Spectres are great all-around canopies. I use one for my wingsuit jumps (a 150) and I can shoot accuracy approaches as well as swoop with it.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[kelpdiver 2]

A large portion of my last 30 jumps were on spectre 210s or Tri 220s (which is listed on the PIA chart as a 239?). Though with my experience, I never know when to blame the equipment or me for things that happen.

It's felt to me that the spectre is a bit zippier, and I can plane it out very well for landing, but with a lot more forward speed. One spectactularly bad landing going sideways. Now that I have the tri 220 full time (with an older 2.07 rev lineset), it moves more slowly, but with 9 tries I'm still figuring out the flare - it's definitely responding more slowly to toggle input.

I like the spectre, but got a good deal on a used Tri at $600. Spectres are common as gear shop rentals in California at least. Certainly go demo one if at all possible.

[councilman24 37]

To me "soft" openings equal TOO long an opening. I demo'ed a 190 Spectre when they first came out. 700' openings whether terminal or hop and pop. Doing 2000' exits under the clouds makes it a little low. I didn't think that one had the same flare power as my Sabre 190 OR my Triathlon 190. But, they are nice canopies and if you don't mind the long (soft) openings they're fine.

I prefer a canopy that lets me know it's open. Not one I have to watch for 500'. Of course I'm an inch shorter than I was 20 years ago.

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

[darkwing 5]

I am a former spectre owner (600 jumps on it), and have seen many triathlons in action, but not jumped one. It seems to me that a spectre is clearly superior to a triathlon.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[dunesurfer 0]

I have owned two spectres and swear by them. True, the openings can be snivelly, but with a litle practice you can "tune" the snivel length with slider position and number of wraps on the tail.

[SCR10480 0]

I have two words for you...PD
__________________________________________________

[bob.dino 1]

I jump a Spectre 190 loaded at 1.05-ish.

700' to open at terminal, yeah. A hop-n-pop out of a C-185 at 2000' had me open by 1850'. Dumping one second out the door - no sissy counting to three here .

[kelpdiver 2]

  Quote

To me "soft" openings equal TOO long an opening. I demo'ed a 190 Spectre when they first came out. 700' openings whether terminal or hop and pop. Doing 2000' exits under the clouds makes it a little low. I didn't think that one had the same flare power as my Sabre 190 OR my Triathlon 190. But, they are nice canopies and if you don't mind the long (soft) openings they're fine.

You don't have slow openings with the triathlon?

Still using the packers for a bit longer, but I had some massive snivels on the tri (one might have been 1300 from when I tossed the PC). People told me it was the 7 cell way, but I hadn't noticed it as much in the past with spectres I had rented.

[dragon2 2]

I've got both (well 3 actually). I've jumped a Spectre 190, Tri 175, hybrid Tri 160, hybrid Tri 150, Spectre 150, Spectre 135, Tri 135, hybrid Tri 120. I still own the last 3.
What can I say, I like 7 cells

I don't know about the bigger chutes, doesn't make much difference for me, but from the 135 down the Tri seems to fly zippier then the Spectre even though it is square and the Spectre is tapered. The spectre is trimmed steeper which is why I think the zippiness comes from on a Tri because it swings you around more then the Spectre does.
I like both. Got an occasional harder opening on a Tri and the occasional too-soft opening on a Spectre.

The Tri is cheaper 2nd hand generally speaking because it is not a PD chute. I really don't like the stock colors. I like the hybrid (CRW) option. It is a fine chute as is the Spectre.
If you liked the Tri you'll like the Spectre!

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[dragon2 2]

  Quote

People told me it was the 7 cell way.

And BASE and CRW canopies aren't 7cells??

Newer design canopies tend to open softer then older design ones (except for the above 2 kinds of course), 7 and 9 cells. And it depends on packing, pilot chute etc. My first couple of jumps on my brand new spectre 150 I had ~1000ft openings, after a while it began to open slightly faster which I liked better. My current canopy a spectre 135 opens just right for camera work, wingsuit and low hopnpops too

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[councilman24 37]

  Quote

[
You don't have slow openings with the triathlon?

Nope, nice brisk 150-200' openings.

Most newer jumpers would call it very hard, I call it normal. I just let the nose hang and wrap the tail.

And my other canopy, a Sabre 170, manage to usually tame to a range where I like it.

Opening characteristics have nothing to do with the number of cells. Even in pre ZP days we had slow opening canopies (Unit) that would fit right in now and neck breaker canopies. Newer designs are intended to open slower because that's what the market is asking for now.

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

[Tink1717 2]

I love mine. it works great for Bird-Man. Mixes well for CRW and always opens soft.

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[sundevil777 102]

Doesn't anyone grab the toggles to get it to open faster?

I had a Paraflite Astrobe that would not open unless I grabbed the toggles. It was kinda like a trigger, I decided when it would stop sniveling (It helped that I had stay open toggle handles). I still grab the toggles immediately after opening, I think it would take me longer to grab just the rear riser.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[councilman24 37]

Shouldn't have to. Not to mention if it's opening the way I want I shouldn't have time.

Also, I've had my finger ripped to the bone, through Newman gloves, by getting my hands in the risers during opening.

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

[kelpdiver 2]

  Quote

Doesn't anyone grab the toggles to get it to open faster?

When talking about it, a woman at Elsisnore told me she would speed it up by spreading the risers. Hadn't tried it yet - still wanted to get a sense of baseline.

Thanks for the info, Terry. Sounds like I get to play around with packing variations to get the opening speed I want. I'm not a fan of the instant openings though - I had enough of those in my AFF days with a PD300. Lots of bruising there.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Personally I would go for my rears to help bring the slider down a tad faster and thus (ever so slightly) speed up my opening. But that's just me. I like to have my slider collapsed and stowed and have my chest strap loosened before I go for my toggles. If you've got a snivelly canopy that you don't like, then just pull a little higher.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over