Zlew

Chuck- The later models also had another smaller digit (half sized as I remember) next to the last (100s) digit. http://www.dropzone.com/gear/Detailed/281.html

You should be fine with the UPT bag. They probably know which size bag for a J4K, but you can also send them the measurements. My backup rig is a Jav with a UPT stowless bag, and it works like a charm. I'm really impressed with the UPT system and have had it in my last 3 rigs (Infinity/Jav/UPT). *edit- not sure size is the biggest they make.

They sent me a stock one with a V# stamped on it. The way the bags are built, and the way they are measured leave a little wiggle room. Many of the bags change by as little as half an inch. My infinity bag was more rounded than the Vector, and I"m sure that makes the size for size measurements a little fuzzy. I think that was the problem I had with my Javelin bag, it was measured with a measuring tape...and what they came back with was about 1 size too small. I figured letting them actually have the bag in their hands would let them most accurately pick the best bag. As I remember, they didn't suggest I send it in... I just did it :)

I had an Infinity Rig for a while, and as soon as I got it I took the bag off and shipped it to UPT with a note asking them to send me back a stowless. It worked perfectly. In my other rig (javelin), I had to send one bag back because the measure/guessing of sizes didn't work out ideally. It wasn't a huge deal, but if you have a little down time, I'd just ship them the bag. I love the UPT stowless bags. All of my rigs have them, and I really believe they significantly lower off heading and line twists on opening.

For me- Noise reduction When I leave my slider "up", reduces some rubbing on the brake lines/ slink area, and/or risers. When I bring my slider down, it seems faster/more simple to bring it down when it isn't trying to catch air. Also the risk of it trying to inflate if it comes un-stowed is lower. Habit and it is easy/fast to do. I'm sure people will also note that it reduces drag (and it does). As long as you can reach it quickly, it doesn't take much time or attention to collapse it. Many of us don't even look at it to pull the kill lines.

Some good examples here http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3894693;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread I'd agree with that, and add that being able to do that and do it as safely as possible. Even the 2-3 button action cameras can/do add complexity and require extra attention/distraction. I use a remote for mine, and I love it. It does take some of the guess work and need for other people out of the equation. My example from my last note was just a single instance of a way the small cameras can distract and take more time than you would think they should. Even if you know how to use your camera well on the ground, you might find it can not go as smoothly when you put them into a skydiving situation where you can't see it or have your hands on it. Also having the experience/maturity to know when you can give attention to "the shot" and when it needs to be elsewhere isn't something easy to train or practice, but caused many of the problems in the list of incidents in the link above. I would love to think that most people (esp. newer jumpers) spend as much time practicing all of the possible scenarios, issues, problems, with their action cameras as they do with their EPs. I don't think that is the case. The general idea with the license/jump number requirements and recommendations for camera is to help insure that people are proficient and comfortable enough with the other complexities in skydiving before adding in the additional distractions and risks associated with something seemingly as simple as a GoPro.

That is really part of the issue. Even if you do use the manual, using these cameras in the air is different and often there are snags/problems that come up. When it is mounted to your helmet, or on your head...sometimes what can be easy on the ground can be tricky in the air/aircraft. I've seen something similar to what was mentioned below (10K to 13K messing with it)happen just because someone accidentally pushed the mode button on their gopro, and when they did the "is it flashing" dance with their buddy...and it wasn't flashing... it took them a while to figure out it wasn't in the right mode, get the helmet off, fix the mode, get it running and get it back on. Easy on the ground, not so easy on jump run when it is on your head in a noisy airplane and you are relying on others who may or may not know how the gear works. It can be much more of a distraction than you would think a 1 or 2 button camera should be.

I have a 540 on the way. It may be a few weeks before I get it in the air, but I will report back. I'm very excited about the BOSS system...seems to be pretty awesome.

When I only run 1 camera, I use my left mount. I had a piss poor throw a few years ago and got slapped in the face by my pc. No snags....but it got my attention. Your current 17 camera tower of power may not follow shift to the left plan very easily :). You are much more brave than I am sir.

May not be the same reason as DSE had in mind, but it is further from your right/pull side. A little less likely to kiss your PC/Bridle if anything if you have PC hesitation or a bad throw.

There is a good sticky (i think it's still there...) in the photo/video forum that has a list of small format incidents/issues. Many of them are people fucking themselves up or putting themselves at risk due to being distracted by the camera, and not paying attention to what they needed to be paying attention to. edit to add the link=- http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3894693;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

I'd agree. This weekend I ended up spending one full day doing mostly back to backs from 13.5.... and while in some ways it was awesome, it was also far from ideal. I thought we were going to do some 10.5 passes, but it didn't work out that way. Even under a sub 100 canopy, I was not able to land quickly often due to traffic. Several times I landed when the plane was within 1 min from touch down. If it wasn't for my awesome packer who took care of many of the steps I am usually responsible for, I wouldn't have been able to make the plane, or at least would have made them wait several mins. Most of the time I was grabbing my second rig as the plane was coming to a stop to pick up the next load. Lots of running. No time for any sort of dirt dive or de-brief. Just go...go...go. Every other load with a good packer allowing you to get 10-12 jumps a day would be a better way to go IMO.

Team jumper here, and during training season we do back to backs on a regular basis. Man, I thought this was going to be a easy post, but the more I think about it...there is quite a bit to it. If you are set up to do back to backs, it is a lot of fun and a way to crank out a lot of jumps in a short amount of time, but there are risks...and also you need to have several things in place to be able to do it. We typically get out on a low pass (10.5). This really helps several things. It gives us an extra 3-5 mins to land, dump gear, check new gear, gear up and make it to the plane without slowing down the operation or pissing off the pilots. It also gives us clean air to quickly get to the ground without 20+ other canopies in the sky. We all jump moderately to highly loaded wings, and are skilled enough to land close by safely and consistently. Keep your packers in mind. Doing back to backs puts a significant extra load on them and makes their timing of other customers more tricky. Tip them well...they will be busting ass for you. To do it- DZ permission- You can't slow down their operation, and you can't be an undue risk to yourself or others. You need to be able to safely get down with enough time to get in, and swap gear. If you get out last and have big gear...are you going to be able to land quickly without putting others at risk by spiraling down or cutting people off? Are you disciplined enough not to hammer yourself into the ground trying to make the next load because you told manifest you could? One of the big risks I see, even with the teams is the gearing up part. I see people running to the plane with leg straps and chest straps undone too often. Trying to gear up next to the plane etc. IMO, it's a really bad idea to do it that way. Have you thought about joining a team? The way many of us do it is pretty well established, and I think would be safer than trying to do back to backs going all the way to full altitude with a full load of canopy traffic to deal with. We normally have a dozen or so jumps done no later than 2PM in the summer (back to back loads, then a 20 min call).

http://www.gethypoxic.com/reviews-tests-hacks/camera-hacks-and-mods.html?start=5

I think it is important to distinguish the 2 (RSL/MARD) For the vast majority of jumpers, I think a MARD and or RSL is the way to go. Statistically it is pretty well established that having one is better than not having one... After doing lots of research and video review, I choose to fly camera WITH a skyhook on my rig that is capable of having it....and WITHOUT an RSL on my rig that is not MARD compatible. To the snag argument- the way things deploy in spinning malfunctions can be very very different between an RSL (which many times fires the PC/bag/lines etc. close enough to contact the jumper as low as under the arm, and/or around the helmet area), and a MARD which tends to keep everything pretty well clear of your body on breakaway. Jumping camera, and high performance canopies...that's important to me. Also, flying outside video gives me some other considerations (like higher pull altitude) to factor into the that decision making process for me. That is the decision I've made, and it isn't for everyone. I hope to replace my Non-RSL rig in the next year, and the replacement will have a Skyhook.

It's not about Mona Lisa, lawyers, snatching prizes or being "that good". If you don't feel like submitting something that was created by someone else to a as your own is wrong, I don't think there is anything I can say on here to sway you. If you really feel like what Lazlo said made him a "douche" or somehow damaged the sport, i guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

For what it's worth, you seem to be overly bent out of shape on this one. The comment wasn't overly rude...and the guy is presenting someone's work as his, in a place that may use the photos on their site and in their magazine and pay him for it. From the site- " Give Your Photos Exposure Selected photographs will appear on our website and in our magazines!" and "Get Published See winning Your Shot photos in National Geographic each month." " If we select Your Content for use in an NG Product that is that is not in the context of, in direct promotion of, or otherwise strongly identified with (beyond mere attribution), the special section or community of the Service to which it was submitted, we will pay you at our established rates..." And their TOS says the content has to be your own- "Represent that you are the owner of Your Content, or are making your submission with express consent of the owner, that you have obtained all third party releases and permissions necessary for National Geographic’s use, in accordance with the license you grant in paragraph 5 of Intellectual Property Issues above, of any Your Content that you post, and nothing you post will infringe on the rights of others" He is acting like he took it, taking the praise for the photo. It isn't about him using it on facebook without permission, it is about him presenting someone's work as his own. I dont think he did any damage to the reputation of skydivers, and I don't think the guy acting like the picture was his deserves any high level of privacy or politeness in getting called out on what he is doing. This guy is fucking up in 10 different ways...I think him getting called out on it is appropriate.

I may have mis-read your first post. You have 300 jumps total, not 300 jumps on a Stiletto...is that correct? In that case, please disregard my recommendation to try a Katana. I know they used to recommend ~500 jumps before jumping a Stiletto-like fully elliptical wing. Elliptical are usually very sensitive to body position on opening. You might also check the line trim. As noted before, when they are out of trim openings can get "sporty". With my old Stiletto with vectran lines, 90% of my openings were on heading. Once in a while the occasional quick 90 or so degree turn as the slider came down.

+1 I started using vectran as soon as they allowed it on mine. It didn't change the openings...but it kept them as good as they were with a brand new lineset 5-600 jumps in. When they get out of trim, they open erratically ...vectran fixes that.

I'd definitely take Ian's advice over mine on this one, but my experience with the turns on the KA/Stiletto was different. It may have been due to the wing loading, as I went from a Stieltto to a KA of the same size at ~1.8:1, but for turns they felt almost the same to me. I read the PD manuals, and was ready for the "slightly slower" KA turn rate, but there wasn't a difference I could notice. I don't have any time on a Pulse at that wing loading. That may be why it felt like a significant step down in performance compared to the Stiletto to me. The recommended max is 1.5:1 for that wing, but if the OP is inside that range, I think Ian is correct, and he may really like that wing for the great openings, flat glide an crisp turns. Also... the KA is steeper, and I know people talk about how fast it comes out of the sky, but I felt like that was a bit exaggerated when I first flew the wing. I went from the "flat" Stiletto to the "lead sled" Katana, and the difference wasn't nearly as pronounced as the hype lead me to believe it would be. Yes it is steeper... but it really didn't seem like that big of a deal.

It depends specifically what part of the Stiletto flight you want to keep. If it is just the flat glide angle/recovery...then there are lots of options (Safire/Pulse come to mind). If what you like about the stiletto are the highly elliptical flight characteristics (fast turn response, fast rotation on turns, really rolling/diving into turns), I think you will be unhappy with something like a pulse or safire. If those are the characteristics you like, the Katana might be worth looking into. The toggle and general (non swoop) flight is very similar to the stiletto, and the openings are more consistent. It is a big step up though concerning the steeper glide and much longer recovery compared to the Stiletto. *spent years on Stilettos and transitioned to katana/Velo

My first DZ had "gold wing exemption". In theory in meant no beer after 1000 jumps... in practice it was made up by the experienced jumpers so they could get away with doing stupid shit.

The automation DSE talks about is nice, and I'm sure there are lots of hardware/software suggestions out there. Things that might influence what you end up with- What type of output are you looking for (DVD/CDR/thumb drive, youtube)? SD or HD output? How many are you looking at doing per day? How quickly do you want to get the product to the customer? How important is the output being similar/consistent across video guys? Video guys doing their own editing? Budget? The workflow piece can be as important as the hardware/software. Many places have a specific series (and number) of clips they shoot for a given video, and that then becomes step one for the editing automation. You could do something really simple in basic editing software by add a title of some sort...music over the freefall and a few basic transitions. To getting powerful software and hardware combos to give a polished product with quick turn arounds.

Very nice! I may look at picking one up at the end of this year when prices drop. 11fps is awesome! I am actually thinking of turning the burst rate down on the 3N. On the highest setting it seems like it is about 7fps...but taking a single picture is almost impossible even with you hand. Double taps are about the best I can do.

Got my first weekend of jumping on a similar setup this weekend. Nex 3N with the 20mm pancake lens, Exit Equipment switch/plug. Still early, but so far it looks like it is a significant improvement over the EPM1 that I was shooting last year. I got a steal on the lens on ebay, and found the camera on Amazon for ~300. What has impressed me so far- great image quality, very fast auto focus and burst shooting rate, excellent low light results. I'm sure the a6000 will be even better.