Unstable 9 #26 May 7, 2007 This may not be the place to post about this - But I had a recent experience with a rigging customer in the last 2 weeks which put a sour taste in my mouth in regards to Cypres AAD maintenance. My Friend bought a Used rig which has been in the closet for a number of year. The Cypres was purchased brand new, and shelved right before it's four year check was due. It missed it's 4 year, and the earliest we can send it in for it's 8 year is in August. I called SSK about getting this thing up & going. (can you believe it turned on?!?) Anyways, Option one is we send it in for it's 4 year NOW and then again in 3 more months. ($237.50 now, and then $237.50 again in 3 months). Airtec has mandated that we cannot do the checks early for cases like this. Option 2 is we just hang onto the thing until August and just pay for the 8-year and new batteries for $237.50. So since paying for a full 4 year and then and 8-year 3 months later makes no sense, my customer opted to hang onto it until August when we can get the 8 year and put it back in his rig. either way, I look at this situation in disbelief. He's jumping without an AAD for a summer because of compounding maintenance. The costs of jumping it for an additional 3 months is almost $250, which is ridicules seeing how another $250 is up in August. I thought about this as I looked at the cypres sitting on his desk, and I can't help but think that the maintenance schedule being set the way it is isn't the most effective way of doing it. Right now I'm telling people who buy gear to look seriously into a Vigil or argus as an acceptable substitute for a cypres. I've taken some heat for that, but IMHO they provide a reliable and safe alternative - far more reliable than jumping without one.=========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brianfry713 0 #27 May 9, 2007 I agree that this is ridiculous, but I don't think you'd need to buy new batteries again in 3 to 9 months if you went with option one, so that total cost should be about $75 less. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #28 May 9, 2007 There is always going to be a situation out there that pisses someone off. Airtec gives you a +/- 3 month window on the inspection. That means he can have it sent in and worked on now and jump it all Summer and not have to bother sending it in again for its 8 year until February or March when he wants it again ready for next year. The price of the needed 4 and 8 years should have been built into the price of the rig when it was bought/sold. If not then the buyer should have done the research to see that it was missing its inspections and How soon would you suggest that a Cypres could be sent in for its inspection prior to its scheduled maintence?Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #29 May 9, 2007 Quote My Friend bought a Used rig which has been in the closet for a number of year. The Cypres was purchased brand new, and shelved right before it's four year check was due. It missed it's 4 year, and the earliest we can send it in for it's 8 year is in August. The price of a brand new Cypres included 12 years of use before replacement, 4 years before overhaul, and 2 years before battery replacement. Used unit pricing needs to be adjusted to get back there and it's not friendly for sellers with 4-8 year old units that have missed their 4 year or timed out 9.5+ year old units. Assuming a $900 original purchase price (what a lot of us paid, and what it takes to have the Cypres-1 total ownership costs approximate the Cypres-2) and a 7 year 9 month old unit, the value for use as an AAD now is something like $80 trade-in + 820 * (1 - 7.75/12) - $85 batteries * (1 - 0 years/2 years) - $160 maintenance * (1 - 0 years/4 years) - $160 * (1 - .25 years/4 years) = - $25 which is less than zero. As an AAD to use later $80 trade-in + 820 * (4/12) - $85 - $160 = $108 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
strop45 0 #30 May 9, 2007 Its hard to see any good reason why the user can't request that a maintenance is bought forward, i.e. the 8 year maintenance is done early and therefore the total useful life of the AAD is reduced.The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits." -- Albert Einstein Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #31 May 10, 2007 QuoteIts hard to see any good reason why the user can't request that a maintenance is bought forward, i.e. the 8 year maintenance is done early and therefore the total useful life of the AAD is reduced. How would you mark the unit to indicate this special circumstance? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #32 May 10, 2007 The Cypres is good for a max of 12 years 3 months. To reach that extra 3 months you have to send the unit in for its 8 year check at 8 years 3 months or after. If they move the maintence up to the 7th year and the 5 month then the total life span of the unit is only 11 years 8 months. If you move the maintence dates forward you just shorten the life of the unit. Then you'll have a customer complaining that their unit is grounded months before it reaches it 12 year limit. The maintence on a unit can be done as early as 3 months prior to the 8 year manufactor date. In this case they are wanting it brought forward over 7 months. Maintence would be about $235 plus shipping for the 4 year and $160 for the 8 since the battery would not need replaced on the 8 if it was sent in now. Also the 8 year could be pushed out until next winter/early spring since assuming a Dec 99 manufactor date the unit wouldn't need pulled until middle of winter, if you wait until March then you could get the full 12 year 3 months out of the unit.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jurgencamps 0 #33 May 10, 2007 QuoteThe Cypres is good for a max of 12 years 3 months. To reach that extra 3 months you have to send the unit in for its 8 year check at 8 years 3 months or after. If they move the maintence up to the 7th year and the 5 month then the total life span of the unit is only 11 years 8 months. If you move the maintence dates forward you just shorten the life of the unit. Then you'll have a customer complaining that their unit is grounded months before it reaches it 12 year limit. Euh, the moment you get the 4 or 8 year inspection has no influence on the lifespan of your Cypres 1. After 12 years it is "game over". The extra (max) 3 months is related with the repackcycle of the reserve. Cypres 2 says only expected lifespan, so this can change in the future maybe? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #34 May 10, 2007 In reading the user manual it seems to phrase it that the unit is good for 4 years past its last inspection or 12 years max. I thought that would move the date in but it very well might not. Its an interesting question that I'll ask around about. Cypres2, Vigil and Argus all say "expected lifetime" They just are at different values at this point. The dates could shrink or expand.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
