andrewstewart

Does anyone know which canopy manufacturers market and sell their sport products or dedicated products to the military? (and which dont). What do people feel about giving money to companies who are involved with that type of market? Just wondering. - A

Actually a 7 cell will have a "better" flare than a 9 cell.

Why would you buy a PC-120 when you could get a PC-105 for less? I'm not saying that for arguments sake... I'd like someone to explain what functionality makes the 120 attractive. Thanks in advance, - Andrew

I would suggest going with the pc105 (the pc103 does not have DV in, very usefull for copying footage from other DV cameras). The only downside (so far) I have found with the PC103 / PC105 is that Sony has changed the socket for the analogue video/audio out. Only makes a difference if you are downloading as normally there is the 'old' style headphone jack already connected to the mixer. Not really a problem, you just have to remember to have your new style cable handy. James So the PC105 definately has firewire in and out?

I would suggest going with the pc105 (the pc103 does not have DV in, very usefull for copying footage from other DV cameras). The only downside (so far) I have found with the PC103 / PC105 is that Sony has changed the socket for the analogue video/audio out. Only makes a difference if you are downloading as normally there is the 'old' style headphone jack already connected to the mixer. Not really a problem, you just have to remember to have your new style cable handy. James Is it possible to turn off the 'steady shot' feature on the PC105 ?

Does anyone have any recommendations for which Sony camcorder I should buy, given the following: My preference is for Sony camcorders since I used to jump a PC9 (which I believe is a UK/Europe-only model), and I'd like a 'handheld' shape rather than the elongated shape since I'm going to use a side mount rather than a top mount. It has to be NTSC, MiniDV format and support Firewire (called 'iLink' on some Sonys I believe). I'm not too interested in extra functionality like Bluetooth and so on. Does anyone have any recommendations for or against any particular model? The Sony website lists the PC-105 and the PC-120... anyone have any thoughts on those? Many thanks in advance, - Andrew

If you like christian allegories, sure go buy it . :-|

Thanks.

Hi, Has anyone been on the BR trip to Norway and would like to share their experiences? PM is cool if you don't want to reply to this post. Thanks in advance, - Andrew

I did Wyatt Drewes canopy course; highly recommended. I believe he's on "icaruspilot@hotmail.com". - Andrew

Yeah, like that gives away a site... "some rocks in Norway"... mmmm! Specific! ;-\

That is true, but people like myself who had met Rob several times and respected him would like, I think, to know - at least to some extent - why he took his own life. If there can be as little conjecture as possible then of course that would be best.

Does anyone have any experiences they can share regarding getting life insurance that includes coverage for skydiving? I've talked to a few life insurance companies but none of them cover skydiving (if I died in a car accident on the way to the DZ that would be covered but not if I died while jumping). Any advice or experiences here would be most useful. Thanks in advance, - Andrew

Hrm, I would have liked to have been told that because my first two openings on my Cobalt f*****d me up (no, it wasn't the crossports). - Andrew

That's funny. I know who you're talking about (we're talking Californa here, right?). A bunch of us from the DZ were doing water training in a pool at someones house and he was there. The water in the pool was cold, but not too bad. I was swimming around in the water and when I swam past him I heard him say that the water was the coldest he'd ever experienced since his "special forces training" or something like that. He was shivvering and complaining in a way that I suspect that someone who had been in the special forces wouldn't... :-)

Hrm. So when you say something offensive it's "humor" but for everyone else it's an "attack". I see. And the "V" hand symbol when the nails are pointing away from the 'recipient' is actually the peace symbol, which was my intention.

We're not lying to you.

Oh yeah? So is that why you told me I had holes in my head for not knowing what a crossport is? That sure felt like a 'personal attack' to me...

You've got to be joking. You've just read this entire thread and that's what you come up with?

Incredible isn't it? I would have never picked wreck dot over this forum, but now I would seriously reconsider.

We've been over this. Of course it makes you a very bad and very unsafe skydiver. I'll bet you can't even fall stable or land on your feet. Sheesh kid, come back when you've learned everything there is to know about everything and then we'll talk. - Jim "come back when you've learned everything there is to know about everything and then we'll talk" Dude, that's now my sig ;-)

Yes, the same thought crossed my mind. When you get the Cobalt, and on their website, there is a warning to make sure you read the info page on their "two-stage openings." Within that page, there is several mentions of the cross ports. Does this imply that you didn't do the research on their website or even read the material that came with your canopy? If you read that material and understand the differences between the cobalt and other canopies out there, that is great. If you didn't then you are just asking for trouble. What would you have done if you jumped the cobalt without knowing anything about it? Would you have chopped it when it didnt look right after opening? That is just one issue. Also, are you saying that in the 400+ jumps that you claim you have (by your claim that you have atleast as many jumps as Aggie), you NEVER inspected your canopy? You never laid it out and looked it over? You never watched your rigger inspect your gear either? I just find it very difficult to believe someone with that many jumps and therefore atleast several years in the sport, wouldn't know what a good canopy looked like. If you don't know what good gear looks like, how will you be able to tell when you have gear that needs to be fixed or replaced? No, you dont NEED to know what cross ports are to survive and have fun. But I think lacking a basic understanding of the construction and design of your gear indicates a far larger problem. I am not trying to throw the blame to you, andrewstewart, but I think we need to address this problem on a larger scale. Sure, we have a larger epidemic in the sport, as the FAA would call it, controlled flight into terrain. But I think we could sure decrease the amount of cutaways and injuries if people had a solid understanding of the gear that saves their life. edit- fixed typos I already have several jumps on a Cobalt, and before I jumped it I talked to one of their sponsored jumpers. All of the previous canopies I've jumped have been colored. The Cobalt I've just bought is White, and that's when I noticed the "holes" which of course I now know are crossports. Am I remiss for not looking down into a cell before and seeing them? Perhaps, but I've looked over my canopy before looking for damage etc, just not looked down into a cell. (This is where someone replies and tells me I'm horrifically negligent in my approach to the sport for not doing so). I believe I have a fair understanding of all other aspects of how a canopy is put together, or at least as much as your average joe. It just so happens I didn't know about crossports so I posted trying to find out, and now I get this. In this case, ignorance might have been bliss.

want to buy a car of me? just dont ask why it has a spear weel in the trunk,i cant tell you.. Sorry i couldnt resist...Just cant imagine that you have just bougth a canopi you dont know S### about... I dont know Cobalt(havent dealed whith them),but i guees thay have a web,and there migth followed instructions on how to maintain this canopi..think its stands there. You said you have demoed one before buying it..think you should ask them if they knew there were "holes"in it..(they actualy use it in their way to sell it..) I guess i sound like an a## to you rigth now,and i agree i havnt been nice but as Aggi said,we are the once that has to read about it,if somthing should happen. I will not ague whith you if you should flie it or not,you and your dealr should be the once that should deside such,so im sure you can handel it the rigth way.. Lesson:know what your dealing whith before you get dirty hands.. well ill stop my rambeling here so you can get out in the blue were we all belong I think it's a leap to say that if you don't know what crossports are you don't know "shit" about a canopy. As Hook has pointed out - he knows several very experienced very talented skydivers who have absolutely no clue what a cross port is. For the record, I am well within the manufacturers wing loading and experience limits for the canopy (even Atairs, which tend to be on the aggressive side). I just find it sad that I can have had so much vehemence directed at me for simply posting a question. If someone does or does not know what a cross port is, does that automatically make them a bad and unsafe skydiver? Is it an utter impossibility that I can be a safe skydiver without knowing what a crossport is? I've never had an injury and have plenty of people who are happy to jump with me because if anything, I always err on the SIDE of caution. Do I wish that I hadn't posted the question and saved myself the ridicule? Of course I do. I wish I had never posted on this forum, asking what I thought was an innocent question and hoping to receive an honest reply. - Andrew

I could care less about his info., it's his attitude that sucks. Sparky Why does my attitude "suck" exactly? Because I wouldn't say how many jumps I have? You are the one who seems to be antagonist here...

Thanks man, this is great stuff.