Basejumper.com - archive

Its still some snow over here, so while we wait for the season to start we have been jumping some local low objects.

The thing is that only one of us has a break cord, and he is not always with us, so the first person that jumps has to come back up to PCA the last one off.

I was wondering if BASE 689 has done many jumps on his sl set-up? and if you would like to share some of your experience with this device with us.

I could have done this as PMs, but i figured that others could be interested as well...

I found the thread from a while ago, but i am curious about the test results (if you have any), and if you have any technical data for us (ie. what kind of knots, what kind of cord do you find the best, and so on)

Thanks for any helpful replies on this subject..

> I was wondering if BASE 689 has done many jumps on his sl set-up?
Not many (4 or 5 jumps so far), but nothing wrong with its mechanism (also according to my mates watching the setup at work and on deployment).

> and if you would like to share some of your experience with this device with us.
Just let me dig out the photos I took (at home) of my setup and I will post them here.

> if you have any technical data for us (ie. what kind of knots, what kind of cord do you find the best, and so on)
Standard "surgeon knot" for the (main) loop of break cord. "main loop" of break cord is the loop that is going to break, "secondary loop" of break cord is the break cord loop that connects the "carry-with-you" SL to (special) bridle, it is NOT goint to break if everything goes smooth (if any part of the system gets entangled with fixed structure, it is supposed to release, breaking itself). Anyway, photos will be quite self-explanatory.
Another post with photos will follow soon.

Here are few photos I took at home of my "carry-with-you" SL and of my special bridle for everybody to take a look.
If you have any question, I will try to answer them.

how long is it? and how long are the 2 arms?

What are the advantages of using the rope bridle? It looks like your PC is extended beyond the SL attachment point - is there a reason for this?

> how long is it? and how long are the 2 arms?
Gotta have to take few measurements and I will post them

> What are the advantages of using the rope bridle?
Instead of what the advantages of rope bridle are, I tell you what the disadvantages (according to me, obviously ) of standard bridle are. I have the fear that using a standard bridle, the continuous usage in SL jumps could create too much wear and tear on seams/stitchings on standard bridle, the abrupt and violent (even if at 80 lb - 36 kg) load applied onto bridle and its stichings could cause in the long term the seams/stitchings to fail, or to weaken them. That on a single parachute system could lead to rapidly deteriorate your day of jumping.
It gives me more peace of mind to use for SL jumps a dedicated special (rope) bridle, whose seams/stitchings are well oversized/overdimensioned, eliminating any possible worry about bridle (seams/stitchings) weakening, leading to failure in the long term. My special bridle, being a rope, has non need of being thin/lightweight/whatever, because I am NOT going to handheld it, instead it (rope bridle) is going to "sit" there collected in "figure 8" loops (kept together by a very thin elastic band), so its bulk does not affect at all deployment.

> It looks like your PC is extended beyond the SL attachment point - is there a reason for this?
Not exactly. The length between pin (closing the rig) and attachment of PC still is the canonic and standard 9' - 2.74 m (you know, in case of anticipated break cord failure, I still have my 48" ZP PC as back up that pulls the pin/extracts the parachute, PC located to a distance from pin that is a standard/known/consolidated "distance").
It is the attachment of break cord that is done on a loop (created via a knot on special bridle) located about 1' - 30 cm below PC attachment. This way, PC is out of way from where break cord is going to break, lessening the possibility of PC entanglement (with structure/with whatever else).

> how long is it? and how long are the 2 arms?
Each of the 3 loops is 2.5 cm long.
Measured from tip of loop to tip of loop, the main branch is 44 cm long.
The secondary branch (responsible for carrying with you the whole SL) is 25 cm long and is inserted/sewn 5 cm below/before the beginning of one loop of the main branch.
The above measurements are obviously NEITHER perfect NOR mandatory, they come simply from few good and sound reasonements about the average size/diameter of fixed part of structures to which we bind to, thought to be nicely working in 95% of situations.
In those cases (the remaining 5%) in which the above length (of main branch) is NOT enough to "surround" the part we want to attach to, probably it should NOT be the case to use the "carry-with-you SL" but rather to SL using the "standard" method (=pieces/wraps of fixed rope (to be left there) around handrail and break cord loop to be tied encomprising the above fixed rope and bridle loop).
Just my 0.02€

I now got my own CarryonSL device Cheers BASE 689(think i perhaps mess up your # sometimes? if so im sorry).
I tested my device from 175ft at 3 times and 150ft 2 times,i never had an issue,i however have got made a couple in warry length so i simply can use the one that is perfect to the object im going to jump(ie a rail on a S is wider than a rail on an A),that way i dont need to worry much if the device should grab anything.Ive made the device in 600lbs Dacron line,i figured that if that breaks then the canopy probaly already has got dammege,in that case its FUBAR anyway

I were wondering which way your securing yours? imean if the line has to go over or under the rail as the breakcord breaks.. i guess this is only an issue were theres a posibility that the line can grab anything...

I LOVE THAT SETUP,Cheers mate