New RDS available?

[deathtrap 0]

All this talk about removable sliders sparked my curiousity so I started doing some research and came across this website. Anybody have any experience with this one?

[superstu 0]

hopefull after this weekend i'll be able to tell you

Slip Stream Air Sports
Do not go softly, do not go quietly, never back down

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Looks like you have to pull two cables to release both sides of that slider (as opposed to pulling one center one on MEL's). Looks nice though. That's also more than Joe and MEL used to charge for theirs. I don't know what their current price point is though.

Chuck

[frost 1]

Yeah, i have seen like 6 RDS designs so far. It seems that half were dual point of release - PD(?) and Para Concepts style and half are single point of release - MEL style.

I have a MEL slider on my VX and a ParaConcepts slider on JVX.

I really dig MEL's style of single point of release. It was very easy on the very first try to get it off, hold and stick in the suit. It's a huge plus.

The two lines to pull on the PC slider are somewhat of a pain even after 10+ jumps on it. Sometimes the lines are hard to find and/or release simultaneously and without fear of dropping the slider.

However the openings on the PC slider are superb and not having the stiff cables across the slider makes it a LOT easier to pack it properly (which is very important on JVX).

I also love the nice thin rings on MEL's slider. They look super smooth and are easier to hook up then the Para concepts rings with two points of attachment on each ring (not to mention, kinda goofy looking). But I do feel that the 2 points per ring (PC slider) add more stability to the slider overall, slightly helping openings.

I love them both though and wouldnt go RDS-less anymore which is a 180 degree turn from what i felt 2 years ago.

P.S. $340 for an RDS slider i think is too much...

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

The rigger at Raeford, Rob, has made a few. He charges substantially less than anybody else, but he is still using the original Joe/MEL "webbing with grommets" rings. Beyond that, it's a decent single-pull slider. Both of mine have come straight from Joe Bennet though, and since he's my boy I have to stick with him, no matter what he chooses to charge me.

Edited to add: I MUCH prefer the single-pull release. It's just a reach over your head and grab maneuver with little chance of screwing around and dropping it.

Chuck

[RMURRAY 1]

I agree with everything you said. I have had MELs for my VX and have Paraconcepts currently for my JVX. both work great.

If I were to buy now I'd get one from Greg C at Perris because anything over 300 is too much for a slider.
rm

[marks 0]

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hopefull after this weekend i'll be able to tell you

looks like what p.d. has been using.

isn't that scott roberts design?
I like the 2 routing points on the slider rings, with the fully metal rings. I also like that the cables go along the edges and not the center.

the only thing I think I don't like is the duel release.

[pr0ject42 0]

I just got mine in the mail, and while it is my first experience with an RDS, I can tell you this thing is phat. It looks just a touch larger than my stock PD slider (velocity 96). It seems to be very well made. The rings are plenty large and certainly are beef.

I've got a question for you RDS guys out there, do you pull the rings down over your risers or just leave them sitting where they settled on deployment when you decide to remove it? What about after you remove the slider?

[Velopilot 0]

Remove it where it settles then slide the rings all the way down.

[frost 1]

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Remove it where it settles then slide the rings all the way down.

is that the only way?

you could pull the slider passed the loops/toggles then remove it.

Try what works best for you, but please keep your eyes open for traffic - you will have your hands full on the first tries due to combination trying something new and having relatively little experience

[pr0ject42 0]

Yup, only planning on putting it on one rig and doing quite a few hop n pops before putting it on both.

I'm also thinking about just putting a stow on my reserve flap (again) just in case I'm backing up loads or something else is going on that won't give me enough time to deal with disconnecting and stowing the slider.

Do you guys leave your RDS on your "work" rigs when you aren't out just to swoop? Obviously I don't plan on hooking up my d-bag and all of that stuff, I'm not that serious about it, but is it practical to just leave an RDS slider on at all times? What safety concerns are there, other than making sure the release cables are still sufficently seated before repacking it?

[frost 1]

I do 4-way video, freefly and everything else with RDS slider (no D-bag though). I think pretty much everyone i know that has RDS does the same.

I had the same concerns as you but after 20-30 jumps they became a non-issue.

I also keep the rubber band (on the yoke) for the reasons you mentioned - in case I need to make quicker turn arounds or just dont feel like taking it off and stowing it :)

good luck

SoFPiDaRF - School of Fast Progress in Downsizing and Radical Flying. Because nobody knows your skills better than you.

[crazydiver 0]

Quote

Yup, only planning on putting it on one rig and doing quite a few hop n pops before putting it on both.

I'm also thinking about just putting a stow on my reserve flap (again) just in case I'm backing up loads or something else is going on that won't give me enough time to deal with disconnecting and stowing the slider.

Do you guys leave your RDS on your "work" rigs when you aren't out just to swoop? Obviously I don't plan on hooking up my d-bag and all of that stuff, I'm not that serious about it, but is it practical to just leave an RDS slider on at all times? What safety concerns are there, other than making sure the release cables are still sufficently seated before repacking it?

Back to backs are definetly a good reason to keep the reserve flap stow on there. I didn't do a lot of video last year and then ended up starting to do a lot one weekend and didn't even get a chance in the evening to swap the sliders out so I did about 10 back to backs in a row each day with the removeable slider and I had to remove it and reassemble it each time because I had been using the RDS on fun jumps all summer and never needed the reserve flap stow and had lost it along the way somewhere.

Long story short, It was doable, but VERY unsafe and very unpractical on back to backs. It only takes a little time to put on, but if you screw up you have yourself one HARD opening, luckily that never happened.

I use the RDS on fun jumps frequently when I have it on, but for the most part, I use a regular slider now, and that is after putting a few hundred jumps in a row on the RDS last season.

Cheers,
Travis