CanuckInUSA 0 #1 January 13, 2003 First off it's not the batteries. I checked that. But my ProTrack screwed up on me today at one of the worst possible times. I was on my 4th jump of the day head down when all of a sudden the earth is getting bigger and bigger. Well I didn't want to become a statistic (or have a Cypres fire), so I got on my belly and pulled at about 2200-2300 feet AGL. And now the ProTrack just won't turn on. I even went up for a 5th jump of the day, to see what would happen. But it's just plain dead. I guess I need to send the manufactor an email to see what I can do about it. But I'm not very happy that I will likely lose all of the logged jumps. Shit I've only had the thing since October and it's already dead? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveMonkey 0 #2 January 13, 2003 If it's screwed, L&B will give you a new one. They kick ass like that ____________________ Say no to subliminal messages Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 0 #3 January 13, 2003 I have heard more than once that L&B are good people. I am sure they will do whatever they can to make you happy. Sucks to hear about the logged jumps though. They might be able to get everything out of the "non-volitile"? memory for you if you send it back (not sure what you lose if you take the batteries out). I am thinking that they can even enter missing jump info into a Protrack IIRC. Yesterday I tried to fire up JumpTrack and it wouldn't respond. I rebooted and it started up fine. I though for a minute that I might have to re-install it and all the jump info I have in there would be lost so I know what your sayin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mad47 0 #4 January 13, 2003 I am not that experienced to give advices here but I have heard from many experienced people that it is a very bad idea to completely rely on pro-track. One good trick that I learned on this forum recently is to set pull altitude on your pro-track several hundred feet lower then planned (but now very low). This will let you know if you loose altitude awareness and “wait for beeper to go off”. I had to fight with this habit after I got my pro-track and still occasionally catch myself “waiting for beeper” and not looking at altimeter while tracking after break-off. I used to think that it is impossible to loose altitude awareness when you fly on belly with 7 other people before I have heard the story about Norvegian 4-way team … Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #5 January 13, 2003 QuoteFirst off it's not the batteries. I checked that. Do you know how "fresh" the batteries you replaced the originals with were? Did you wait the required time between removing the old ones and putting the new ones in? Did you make sure those silly little springs went back in exactly like they're supposed to? QuoteI was on my 4th jump of the day head down when all of a sudden the earth is getting bigger and bigger. Ummm.... "all of a sudden?" Were you wearing a visual alti? Were you watching the horizon? Or were you relying on an electronic device to tell you when it was time to worry about that big ball of rock headed at you? QuoteI guess I need to send the manufactor an email to see what I can do about it. L&B will 100% take care of you as far as fixing/replacing it if it's broken; send them an email today and I'd put money on getting a reply before Tuesday. QuoteBut I'm not very happy that I will likely lose all of the logged jumps. Shit I've only had the thing since October and it's already dead? I wouldn't trust my ProTrack to be the only record I have of my jumps; log books are cheap and not prone to battery/electronics failures. Shit happens; bummer that shit happened to yours but that's not an indication of poor quality on the part of the manufacturer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #6 January 13, 2003 My brother bought one and it lasted one jump. It's a good product but you got yerself a Lemon. Let us know how long it takes for the Replacement. FYI. I still use my original time out. It must have 2000 jumps on it. Tim PS... Ground rush gets your attention real fast doesn't it? ..Mad47 That's exactly what we were talking about earlierMy grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mad47 0 #7 January 13, 2003 ..Mad47 That's exactly what we were talking about earlier Yup. Thanks again for the advices! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lippy 918 #8 January 13, 2003 Quote Or were you relying on an electronic device to tell you when it was time to worry about that big ball of rock headed at you? No Lisa, it was the other way around...He was headed at the big ballI got nuthin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #9 January 13, 2003 This is a topical forum... Please keep the one liner type posts to Talkback. Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,027 #10 January 13, 2003 On a related topic, my ProTrak has gone through three sets of batteries in the last year (300 jumps). They came from 3 different sources, too. Does this seem in line wth other people's experience?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JJohnson 0 #11 January 13, 2003 Well at least you new it was time to do something...so you kept altitude awareness at a safe pull altitude. My Protrack has gone dead on me, but it was the batteries. It tends to go through them quick, unless I turn it off right after a day of jumping. JJJJ "Call me Darth Balls" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murrays 0 #12 January 13, 2003 Just out of curiousity, what was the temperature that you were jumping in? Is it possible the batteries were too cold to provide enough power? If you tested them after they warmed up, they may seem ok but not have the juice when you need it. As a Canuck you should know about batteries and cold weather ... unless you're originally from Lotusland.Last night it was -30 up in my part of the Great White North!! -- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #13 January 13, 2003 QuoteDoes this seem in line wth other people's experience? I got mine in January of 2000 and finally had to replace the batteries last October during JFTC - 260-ish jumps and two years, ten months later (it did sit in my gear bag for over a year while I was stuck on the ground though). We'll see how long the new set lasts. Mine is on economy mode and I usually turn it off manually when I'm done jumping for the day. I live at approximately the same msl altitude as the dz and there are no hills or mountains to climb/descend between home and the dz. Also, it never gets "really" cold here and I'm a cold wussy; I usually don't jump when the ground temp gets under about 60 degrees F. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #14 January 13, 2003 Thanks for some of the replies people. This was the 1st set of spare batteries which were included with the ProTrack when you buy the product (in otherwords the original batteries warned me last week that their time was up and I replaced them for the first time). And yes I did wait the 120 seconds and did make sure the springs didn't get lost. In fact I had three successful jumps with the new batteries today (in cooler weather than the conditions when the ProTrack failed). It really wasn't all that cold today in Colorado (50 degrees F on the ground and sunny skies). Oh, I do maintain a paper logbook, I just liked the ProTrack's logging capabilities. Now I find it funny that all of a sudden some people are saying that I lost all altitude awareness. Didn't you read the part of the post where I said I noticed the earth was getting bigger and I got on my belly and pulled? It's easy for a belly flier to think you can always read you wrist mount altimeter but try reading it when you're head down with your altimeter pointed towards the sky. What made me pull a little low was that the dude I was jumping with corked and I was maintaining visual references with him while watching the horizon and I didn't have any other jumpers with me to watch when they broke off. So if I had lost altitude awareness you'd be reading about a cypres fire or something worse and I'd really rather not getting into it any more than that. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #15 January 13, 2003 Quote So if I had lost altitude awareness you'd be reading about a cypres fire or something worse and I'd really rather not getting into it any more than that. No need to get all defensive. If I didn't give a shit about your long term survival, I wouldn't have commented on it. Losing altitude awareness is easy to do in any body position and doesn't always end with a Cypres fire, a low pull or something worse - I've done it, I think it probably happens to everyone at least once. The words "all of a sudden" are what made me ask - that and the fact that you titled the thread "my pro-track failed me", not "my pro-track failed." Quote It's easy for a belly flier to think you can always read you wrist mount altimeter but try reading it when you're head down with your altimeter pointed towards the sky. I may be primarily a belly flier, but I have been seen on flying my head before (right phree? ). I'd like to get one of those harness mounts for my alti for the very reason you mentioned. Until I get one and get way more comfortable with the visuals in a head down (i.e. have done at least a hundred jumps or so head down) I go to a head up body position for at least the last half of the freefall so I can reference the horizon in an attitude I'm familiar with. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #16 January 13, 2003 I know you mean well and I didn't mean to single you out as just a belly flier. If I was more experienced with my head down flying then I'm sure I would have noticed the problem sooner. But as I said, I was also a little pro-occupied with the fellow I was jumping with who corked and was above me. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #17 January 13, 2003 Quote If I was more experienced with my head down flying then I'm sure I would have noticed the problem sooner. But as I said, I was also a little pro-occupied with the follow I was jumping with who corked and was above me. Considering that you were preoccupied with the person above you, I'm totally impressed that you noticed the ground when you did. You can insert several go low stories here for the very same reason. Including a few of my own. If you are interested I'll PM you later with a few Freefly drills. After a while you'll be able to read that wrist or hand mount any time you feel like. Keep in mind I have perhaps a few more freefly dives than average so It will still take time. PM me if your interested TimMy grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lippy 918 #18 January 13, 2003 As it's kind of the topic on this thread, I'm wondering how many people jump with audibles...And of those, how many rely on them? I swore I'd never jump one, b/c I didn't want to become dependant on one. Then I won a pro-dytter, so I may as well use it (if I ever get to jump again). But I'm just wondering how many people would be comfortable jumping with nothing but their pro-dytter/track as their only means of alti awareness?I got nuthin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #19 January 13, 2003 Well, my primary means of altitude awareness is my eyes and my internal clock. 9 times out of 10 on jumps, I start to get the feeling its time to go a couple seconds before my pro-track tells me its true, more then a few times I've left a dive a few seconds early due to my internal warning. On a couple occasions, before I had my pro-track, we had a couple weekday pickup dives where all I had was my rig and goggles. No alti, but even then I wasn't worried about pulling on time, since my eyes are my primary means of telling altitude. This is, however, by no means perfect, that's why I have my trusty Alti-III and my Pro-track and make it a point to have them with me, even if I find myself forgetting to look at my wrist mount and leaving a few seconds early, before my audible goes off. --"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 5 #20 January 13, 2003 I have a Pro-Track in one ear and a Pro-Dytter in the other, for just this reason (plus an altimeter on my hand). I'm on my third set of batteries in about 200 jumps, and I do use economy mode. I have a friend here whose Pro-track recently quit working within a few weeks of being new. I don't recall the resolution, but I have only heard good stories about the manufacturer. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BadDog 0 #21 January 13, 2003 My experience has been that the batteries that come with a ProTrack do not last all that long (some only 30 days or so), but that "new" batteries seem to last forever (at least a year, usually longer depending on use and settings). I don't know why that is, but that's been my experience with several of them. And their customer service is second to none. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skygod7777 0 #22 January 13, 2003 QuoteAs it's kind of the topic on this thread, I'm wondering how many people jump with audibles...And of those, how many rely on them? I swore I'd never jump one, b/c I didn't want to become dependant on one. Then I won a pro-dytter, so I may as well use it (if I ever get to jump again). But I'm just wondering how many people would be comfortable jumping with nothing but their pro-dytter/track as their only means of alti awareness? i jump a pro track, and a wrist mount, but i do not rely on either one. i look down, see the ground. they are mechanical, and anything that can fail, will (at least that is what i tell myself). now, i'm not saying that i don't use them. but they are there as a back up i guess, for me at least. so in answer to your question, yes i feel more than comfortable jumping with just a protrack, or just a wrist mount, or none. later Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
homer 0 #23 January 13, 2003 I have a question for you all. I have a Pro-Track as well and last week when I went to change the batteries I noticed that the back cover as well as the battery cover have cracked. I jump with a Z1 and after every jump I put the Pro-Track back into its box. I haven't dropped it at all so that couldn't have caused it to start cracking. I have had it about a year and only logged just over 80 jumps on it. Would L&B replace it or do you all think I would have to pay for the repairs or a new one? CSA #699 Muff #3804 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveMonkey 0 #24 January 13, 2003 They'll prolly ask you send it in, but I'll put money on the repair being free of charge____________________ Say no to subliminal messages Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #25 January 13, 2003 L&B will make it right... I'm yet to hear of them not doing what ever it takes to make it right... email them and describe the problem.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
