skyblu3

Ok, I have completed all the work and I have attached some pics. I would appreciate your input. You have all been really helpful so far. I have learnt a lot doing this and I recommend others to try and assemble their own stuff. With regards the pictures: The 1st pic shows my knot, the factory brake set mark below the knot and the excess line that was left over. The 2nd pic is a close up of the 1st pic. The 3rd pic shows the assembled toggle and the excess line finger trapped back up the brake line. I did not tack the fingertrap as I may still need to do some adjustments. Remember I finger trapped after tying the knot. So this should knot affect brake line length, am I right? The 4th pic is more or less the same as the 3rd. I appreciate your comments and your help.

PDF definetely have the best system and it's been around since the mid 90's, I don't know how nobody has copied it.

all this messing about got me thinking. What if I fingertrapped the excess line after I make the knot and start a couple inces below the knot and then tie a second knot to hold the fingertrap in place. It would solve the issues of line shrinkage, etc.. and that way I can have my toggles installed exactly on the factory brake setting mark.

It's a little more complicated than I thought. My lines are spectra and yes I have a factory mark on the brake line. The manual shows that I should have the mark just outside the knot. I don't understand why I would need to move the mark (or make a new mark) because I am going to fingertrap the excess line. I can fingertrap the line into itself about 1 inch above the mark to form a loop. Then I can tie the knot below the loop and still have the mark just outside the knot. I can't see how this method will change the positioning of where the mark will be.

Ok, just to simplify things as I am not a rigger but I feel I have quite a good understanding of gear. So you are saying I should finger trap the line from the brake setting mark and use the loop of the finger trap as the loop to pass the toggle through and then tie it off with a knot. So in essence it is sort of like making a closing loop for the main container (which I can do) but at the end of the brake line instead.

Thanks everyone for your help. I got it done, my knot tying was wrong. With all the help from you guys that posted I managed to do it textbook. The only thing now is that I'm left with 12 inches of excess line. It's seems like a lot to leave trailing behind my toggles. Having excess line doesn't really bother me as I've never had it fingertrapped on any of my canopies but I have never had this much. Do you think I can cut off about 7 inches and leave 5 inches excess. If I have to adjust my brake line I am most probably going to have to shorten it I assume. The way I see it is that I dont need more than 5 inches excess. What do you guys think??

somebody once told me.......I dont know if this is true......that if you get the larger type batteries, the big round one, and break it in half inside you will find 2 batteries suitable for your dytter. Whether you want to try it out is up to you. It may just have been a stupid joke.

It's good that PD didn't put a loop in the line for you and bar tack it... that would have limited you to 1 toggle setting. This way you get to find the correct setting for you. Overhand knot works great if you tie it correctly, but from your description of slippage I think you may be using only 1 end of the line for the knot, and tieing it around the other end (wrong). You should be holding the 2 ends of the line together like this: ======= then tie an overhand knot using both at the same time so that it ends up looking something like this: ===\\=== See the images at the very bottom left corner of page 10 in this PDF: http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/MAIN.PDF After the overhand knot's been tied correctly the loop will remain the same size... it won't cinch down tight and it won't get bigger if you pull on it. Parachutist......Thanks for you reply. I have looked at the manual dozens of times but I find that diagram difficult to understand. I think what you said solves my problem. I will have to experiment tonght when I get home. I was tying the knot by making the loop with my thumb and index finger and then tying the end of the line around at the bottom of the loop. I will try with the way you said. Thanks again. If it works I'll post some pics.

Yeah i did search the forum before posting but there is no real answer to my question. Some people say use a bowline knot others speak against it. The manual says tie an overhand knot, I'd rather stick to the manual. Gary73 with regards your comment...sure I'll have a rigger check it but I want to learn to do it myself. Besides if I show up at the DZ and the rigger tells me that everything is installed correclty then I dont need to waste time on the ground with gear issues. I don't live near a dropzone so when i do finally get out to one I wanna jump!

Just got my canopy back from PD after a reline and I am having trouble assembling my toggles. For some reason I assumed that PD would put the loop in the control line to pass the toggle through. PD recommends (both via email and per their manual) to make a loop and tie an overhand knot in the line. I have tried this but I have a few questions. Is the knot supposed to cinch up and be really tight? That's what I assume but this does not seem to happen. If I pull on the loop after tieing the knot I can make the loop bigger and bigger? Is this because I have tied the wrong kind of knot? An overhand knot is pretty simple so I am not sure that's a factor. Or is it because the lines are new and slick? What if I doubled the knot? When the line is pulled through the toggle it's much more secure but it still doesn't sit well with me. I know the best thing would be to get a rigger to fingertrap a loop but I don't have access to riggers where I live. I will get it done sometime but for now I would like to start jumping as is so I really want to figure this out.

Here's mine

Can you expand a little on the ''improperly treated rings''. What was this about?? How long ago?

That is sickening. Besides how can you not notice that it's in there when you are s-folding the canopy.

When you investigated the first container that was picked up from Moab, was the main in the container when you pulled it and packed it 20 times??

Imagine the idiot with the bolt cutters.....He cuts the pin and the pilot chute fires out probably smacking him in the face. That would scare the shit out of him.

Actually, maybe i was jumping the gun a little. I just now finished assembling my main canopy and packed it into the container. With the container all packed up it seems to be a lot more comfortable. I'll get some pics up after the weekend.

how are people stowing the excess chest strap on narrow chest straps these days?? Could this be an issue. Can we see some pics of stowing methods.

Hey, thanks for the offer. It's not really an issue that's bothering me. I was just after opinions from other Icon jumpers. I understand that it's not custom built for me and these issues are always gonna crop up. It was my choice to buy used gear so I guess I can accept what I get? Thanks all the same.

Hey, I just bought a used Icon, pic attached. It's an I-4 manufactured in 2005. It's got all the extras including cut-in laterals. I don't know why Aerodyne has cut-in laterals standard on new containers, I am not convinced that they are more comfy. If I tighten the leg straps tight I feel the lateral webbing pressing against my hips. The previous owner was a little smaller than me but not much, not that much smaller where harness size should be an issue. The harness fits fairly well. With my old rig (an older Infinity) I used to tighten the legstraps as much as I could, granted the harness was a little big for me. With this one should I just make them tight but not over do it in order to avoid the cut-in laterals from digging into my sides. I'll get some more pics up once I get the time to install my main canopy into the container.

ops i forgot about that. As far as i am aware it is only the united stated that has that rule. NMost countries wrap the luggage up in cling film to prevent drug smugglers etc. I haven't traveled to the states yet so didn't take that into consideration. Since the "9/11" attacks, they don't inspect it to prevent drug smuggling; they inspect it to prevent bombs from being in checked-in luggage. And the US is not the only country that does this. They inspect it by putting it through scanning machines. In Europe it is common to find small busineses at the airport that offer to shrink wrap your suitcase (sort of like wrapping a pallet). The suitcase can still be machine scanned. It also protects your suitcase, protects the stuff inside from accidentally getting wet, and holds everything together incase your zips burst open when the baggage handlers chuck them around.

you can be a USPA member and do all your jumping in Spain or elsewhere. You need BPA membership if you want to jump in the UK.

I just bought a used Cypres from the U.S. and had it posted to me in Malta. Even though it's E.U. origin, manufactured in Germany, I got nailed 128.00EUR on VAT and Duty. Besides that it spent a week in customs as they were so confused as to what it was. I had to provide all kinds of paperwork, etc..

I have a number of jumps on a raider 220, this was in my student days. They performed just like you would expect a student canopy to perform.

loop length was fine. Do you know what these pins look like? They are not the standard straight pin that's on most containers. Anyway this happened a few years ago. The jumpers in question later had the rsl's removed and converted to standard 1 pin systems.

Thanks for the info. I know of a school which is still using these containers. They have a whole batch of them. I was surprised when I saw them and I did not even recognize this container. Did not mean to bash the Lor II but I have seen a couple of older atoms with them and I did not like them because the pins moved around too much. This caused my friends reserve to open just after exit. I know another guy whose reserve opened in the aircraft. He was jumping the same rig. The concept of the LOR II is a good one but it has its drawbacks.