Phantom fogging problem

[joelgibson 0]

Bought a phantom full-face 4 months ago. I started experiencing mild fogging six weeks ago. I did an SCR jump yesterday with broken cloud coverage from 4-7k. At 8K, I fogged over completely.

What I did before and during the dive re: the helmet

I alcohol wiped my visor inside and out at the twenty minute call. I closed the visor from my mid front float position 3 seconds before the count. I positioned the mouth hole directly in front of my mouth. I pursed my lips and breathed through my mouth for the entirety of the skydive.

I went fog blind at 8k, and my next moment of vision was at 2.5k in the saddle with my visor flipped up.

Is this a phantom problem, or do I need to get some high tech anti-fog stuff?

Rest of the jumps that day were made in a Pro-Tec and goggles(no fog).

SCR 15113
USPA Coach-C
Hellfish 1004

[stayhigh 2]

MotoSolutions's Fogtech works great. Couple drops and wipe em out.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[skydiverek 63]

I know that some helmet manufacturers recommend using ONLY water on their visors. They say that doing otherwise will wipe off the anti-fog layer that was 'installed' at the factory. Maybe that happened to your visor.

[Pobrause 6]

Quote

I alcohol wiped my visor inside and out at the twenty minute call.

Doing so has most likely damaged the anti fog coating of the visor ore even better removed it completely.
Buy a new one and be smarter the next time ??

-------------------------------------------------------

To absent friends

[ILUVCHUTERS 1]

I have a Phantom and have had no problems with fogging. But I have never used anything on it other than a soft cloth to clean it.

Curious - why alcohol?

[joelgibson 0]

I used alcohol on it after the fogging problems started. Checked out recommended fixes, and that was one of them. Clearly, it is not a valid fix.

SCR 15113
USPA Coach-C
Hellfish 1004

[joelgibson 0]

stayhigh

MotoSolutions's Fogtech works great. Couple drops and wipe em out.

I'll try this

SCR 15113
USPA Coach-C
Hellfish 1004

[NWFlyer 2]

Do you wear the helmet for the whole ride up? I find that (especially when it's colder or the air is more humid) this greatly increases the chance of fogging (at least on my G2, I can't speak for a Phantom specifically). I will wear my helmet till seatbelts are off, then hold onto it till I start doing my final prep and gear checks, then I put it back on, and leave the visor open till the last practical moment before I get ready to exit. This generally means that if the visor does fog, it'll be mild and usually very late in the skydive so that I can solve the problem by opening the visor under canopy.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[joelgibson 0]

NWFlyer

Do you wear the helmet for the whole ride up? I find that (especially when it's colder or the air is more humid) this greatly increases the chance of fogging (at least on my G2, I can't speak for a Phantom specifically). I will wear my helmet till seatbelts are off, then hold onto it till I start doing my final prep and gear checks, then I put it back on, and leave the visor open till the last practical moment before I get ready to exit. This generally means that if the visor does fog, it'll be mild and usually very late in the skydive so that I can solve the problem by opening the visor under canopy.

Put it on at 2 minutes, and close the visor after I take my position.

SCR 15113
USPA Coach-C
Hellfish 1004

[ILUVCHUTERS 1]

Ah, I misunderstood - thought you did it before.

i got this stuff called Cat Crap - it works on goggles, I wonder if it would work on visors?

[BigMikeH77 0]

I've had fogging issues with my PhantomX since day one. Sometimes its not as bad as others, and sometimes it's just downright dangerous if I don't open my visor immediately as a part of my housekeeping routine. I've used their recommended anti-fog wipes but to no avail. I just try to keep the vent around the mouth area as open as possible.

It's still a good helmet, but the fact that one of the most significant changes Square1 made when designing the PhantomXV is the venting kind of speaks volumes.

[joelgibson 0]

BigMikeH77

I've had fogging issues with my PhantomX since day one. Sometimes its not as bad as others, and sometimes it's just downright dangerous if I don't open my visor immediately as a part of my housekeeping routine. I've used their recommended anti-fog wipes but to no avail. I just try to keep the vent around the mouth area as open as possible.

It's still a good helmet, but the fact that one of the most significant changes Square1 made when designing the PhantomXV is the venting kind of speaks volumes.

what is their recommended anti-fog wipe?

SCR 15113
USPA Coach-C
Hellfish 1004

[BigMikeH77 0]

I don't remember, but it came with the new helmet. Some brand of dry wipe that didn't work well for me.

[stayhigh 2]

Don't buy scuba anti fog, they don't work.

I've used MotoSolutions stuff quite a bit. I found there anti fog stuff thru Square1, and I bought their Raincoat stuff for outside. I used to jump thru rain quite a bit.

It worked on Phantom visor. I've never tried it on G2 or 3's

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[bob.dino 1]

joelgibson

Put it on at 2 minutes, and close the visor after I take my position.

My routine, designed to minimise chances of fogging:

1- Wait until cold air has hit my face to close the visor.
2- Breathe out just before I close the visor.
3- Don't forget to breathe in

Idea being that if I can minimise the amount of warm moist air trapped in the helmet, I'm less likely to see fogging on exit.

If you're getting fogging at 4-8k, the above advice probably won't help heaps. But if you're seeing fogging out the door, it should help.

[coolskydiverguy 0]

The phantom is a fog machine. Everyone complains about it. The only way to keep them from fogging is to drill enough holes in the visor that it feels like a open face or just bit the bullet and buy a G3.

If it fogged up at 8k to the point in which you were blind. What did you do until pull time?

[wan2doit 6]

Anyone ever just wipe spit on the inside to prevent fog?

Used to do that to the face mask when scuba diving - worked fine.

[Deimian 43]

It looks like I am the exception. My phantom never had fogging problems during freefall. I've never used any product on the visor. In cold weather, under canopy, I open it to prevent the visor from getting foggy, but on freefall I never had any problem.

[Ralph_W 0]

That might be a German "non-problem". Because I never had issues with my Phantom too. Several hundred jumps in all kinds of conditions and even trough clouds (which is also forbidden in Germany). No fogging of the lens. Just keep it clear, by simply washing it with water and mild soap.

Silence is golden. www.bt-ag.ch

[joelgibson 0]

coolskydiverguy

The phantom is a fog machine. Everyone complains about it. The only way to keep them from fogging is to drill enough holes in the visor that it feels like a open face or just bit the bullet and buy a G3.

If it fogged up at 8k to the point in which you were blind. What did you do until pull time?

Break off was 5.5, so when people let go, I did a 180ish, tracked, and pulled

SCR 15113
USPA Coach-C
Hellfish 1004

[pms07 3]

coolskydiverguy

The phantom is a fog machine. Everyone complains about it. The only way to keep them from fogging is to drill enough holes in the visor that it feels like a open face or just bit the bullet and buy a...

Not "Everyone" complains about their Phantom. Mine is fine, fogs very little. I use a bit of Fog Tech on it, especially when conditions seem more conducive to moisture forming inside the lens.

And who recommended using alcohol on the lens? Save that for an after jump beverage...

[kcjen24 0]

+1 Fogging problems since day 1. I've tried leaving the helmet off until just before exit... I've worn it during the ride to altitude. Both ways, I've gotten fog.

Then again, maybe I'm just a heavy breather....

[BigMikeH77 0]

I find that pushing the helmet liner away from the mouth vents helps for a little bit. Even in freefall, however, it just fogs... I'm glad the Phantom XV was designed to help mitigate it, but at the same time disappointed because I just bought my PhantomX in January

[platypii 20]

Same. Demoed the phantom, TERRIBLE fogging problems. Couldn't get the visor up under canopy due to gloves (and demo so minimal experience with the mechanism). Had to lift helmet precariously on top of my head to land.

Will NOT jump a phantom again!

BASEline - Wingsuit Flight Computer

[BigMikeH77 0]

I learned the hard way to avoid heavy gloves with the PhantomX... The small visor release buttons on either side are just too difficult to open w some gloves on. I was under canopy, completely blind from the fog, only able to get one glove off (the left one was under altimeter) and thus only able to kind of unlock one side. Was ready to rip the visor off completely if I had to.

Live and learn. I stand by my choice of the PhantomX and think its a good helmet; but just like many other kinds of gear it has its quirks.