Rant & Rave Blog

Is your GoPro HERO2, HERO3 or HERO3+ giving you fits at times? We've found that the majority of units work excellent right out of the box, but for some there are a few updates that are needed and/or a glitch that needs to be worked through. The good news is that once that's sorted out, we hear nothing but raves about the GoPro cameras (and we use them ourselves too)! And if you need any GoPro accessories or more GoPro cameras, ChutingStar has a large stock of all things GoPro. See our GoPro Camera section at this link, including the new GoPro HERO7 series cameras if you're ready to upgrade here.  So here are a few random issues below along with fixes to get your GoPro camera working at it's best capacity. Continue reading →

If you are having some issues with your new GoPro HERO3, the following steps below will have you back up and filming shortly! We have run into some of these issues and after extensive time on the phone with GoPro, have learned a few things that we would like to share before you jump to returning the camera. Even if you have done this before please try it again: First off what kind of memory card do you have? We have found the most reliable to be a SanDisk Class 10 30mb/s 200x. Continue reading →

HypEye D Pro Review Video for ChutingStar. Continue reading →

(Originally published by GoPro Nov. 4, 2014) It's important to use one of the recommended SD cards in your camera, or you may experience freeze-up or video corruption issues. We recommend only purchasing name brand SD cards through reputable resellers. There are both counterfeit and underperforming SD cards out in the marketplace, which can prevent proper functioning of your HD HERO camera's features. See the Memory Cards available from ChutingStar at this link. Continue reading →

This Cazer pilot chute came with two metal links. We prefer to substitute those two metal links with a PD Reserve Slink and a PD Main Slink. The reserve soft link is used to attach the bridle to the inside of the main D-bag. The main soft link is used to attach the end of the bridle to the top of the canopy. Continue reading →

(Published in Blue Skies Magazine)

Hidden behind flaps, under grommets and inside your container are tiny pieces of metal that can end your Sky God status in a hurry. In an ideal world, all the metal in skydiving is polished, shiny and smooth as silk. But manufacturing issues, abnormal wear and just plain sharp edges can lead to frayed and broken loops in your main and reserve container. The inspection is easy; a little bit of time and some basic knowledge on what to look for will go a long way in keeping your container closed when you need it to be. You can also save yourself from having to constantly replace your loops.

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Washing your harness/container every few years can keep your investment looking brand new. You'll be surprised how clean and bright a used container can get with a thorough washing. Below are tips and a step-by-step "how to" guide for washing your harness/container. These tips have been taken from several manufacturers, riggers and my own experience of washing a few hundred rigs over the past 10 years. Continue reading →

The Tonfly Cutaway System install with materials needed, photos, instructions and video.

The install can be done at ChutingStar if you don't have all the tools. Or if you do have all the tooling, just follow these instructions, photos and video.

Items needed to install Tonfly Cutaway System:

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At the 2007 PIA Symposium in Reno, I gave a seminar on packing/closing tips for the Mirage reserve container. It had been two years since the last seminar I gave on the subject and updated some of my tips and techniques. I've added a link at the end of this summary of the presentation so the entire text and photo presentation of the seminar can be downloaded for reference. Keep in mind these tips and techniques are only meant to supplement the Mirage owner's manual. I have found these techniques to lead to a cleaner, consistently better-looking Mirage reserve container. Continue reading →

Jumpshack's Racer container elicits many comments from riggers due to how different it is from most other rigs on the market. At the very least, a Racer container takes a little more thought and preparation; and that is where a new DVD packing manual released by Jump Shack steps in to save the day.

I highly recommend every rigger who plans on packing even one more Racer in their lifetime purchase the Racer DVD packing manual. The packing updates, tips and techniques straight from the manufacturer are well worth the money ($15 plus shipping).

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