Rant & Rave Blog

Reviews, News & Expert Advice

  1. Skydiving Gear Buying Tips

    (Published in Skydiving Magazine and Australian Skydiver Magazine)

    I spend as much time talking to new skydivers about how and where to buy gear as I do actually rigging, instructing and skydiving. There is a good amount of basic gear information that applies to all new skydivers. If the new skydiver had this basic knowledge first, it would make finding the right gear easier, faster and a safer transaction for all parties involved.

    So what does the new skydiver looking for gear need to know?

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  2. Used Gear Inspections/Escrow

    (Published in Skydiving Magazine) If the used skydiving gear you are buying isn't local or hasn't been serviced by your local rigger recently, a "pre-buy" inspection should be a condition of the final sale. Having an established rigger, rigging loft or drop zone owner act as the middle-man in all used gear purchases not only protects the buyer, but also the seller. As the potential buyer, you want to know the used container, canopy or automatic opener is as advertised and is airworthy. You also want to make sure the container actually fits you. Continue reading
  3. Vigil PSB 01-2015 Affects 1900+ Units

    Advanced Aerospace Designs, manufacturer of the Vigil AAD, sent out a new Product Service Bulletin today that affects more than 1900 Vigil AAD units with cutters manufactured this year.

    The PSB is a mandatory cutter inspection requiring each cutter to be sent back to Vigil America or AAD. The inspection is due to a severed closing loop due to rough edges inside a Vigil cutter. The manufacturer will be inspecting each of these cutters for sharp or rough edges for repair or replacement, and then return to each skydiver.

    To see if your cutter is affected, see the SN's on the full PSB here:  Vigil PSB 01-2015.

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  4. Turned On GoPro Whiskey Review

    Check out the Hypoxic Turned On GoPro Indicator Light System review by Zach Lewis...along with his favorite drink! ChutingStar Video Continue reading
  5. Turned On GoPro Unit Does All That & More

    I have owned the Hypoxic Turned On status indicator for about 3 weeks and I have used it on nearly every skydive I have made since then, and I must say, the device does exactly what it is supposed to do, and it does it extremely well.

    Installation:

    Installation of the device was fairly straight-forward. Your camera must be upgraded to the most recent GoPro firmware at this link. Once your camera has the latest official firmware, you go to the Turned On website at this link and download a small patch file for the GoPro (currently, the Hero 3, 3+ and 4 are supported). You then copy that file to your SD card, stick the SD card back in the camera and turn the power on. The GoPro applies the patch and just like that, you're ready to install the Turned On hardware.

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  6. Turned On Meets, Exceeds GoPro Indicator Need

    Hypoxic sees a need and meets it...actually exceeds it. I would pay the $100 just to be able to stop asking people "am I on?" For anyone doing more than the casual weekend jumps, status indicators for cameras are priceless. The cost of missing an event you are paid to record is higher than the cost of the jump. When Trunk first introduced the Hypeye, immediately one was on each camera on my head. Yes, two cameras. In R&D I am not taking any chances of missing a shot. Knowing for certain cameras were rolling, it became possible to play with different shots from the same helmet. With the overwhelming use of GoPros, the security of knowing the camera was rolling has been sorely missed, until now. Continue reading
  7. UPT Main Mini-Risers Review

    UPT Main Mini-Risers Review UPT Main Mini-Risers Review
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  8. ChutingStar Buys Used Gear!

    ChutingStar buys high-quality used gear! We don’t buy everything, but we do buy items that our customers are looking for and/or that we know we can find a customer for in the near future. Most likely, you will get more money for your used gear selling it independently. However, if you are looking to earn quick cash, this is the right service for you. These steps below must be followed before sending your used gear to ChutingStar. Continue reading
  9. CYPRES2: Altitude Offset

    The unit can be set with an altitude offset for a jumper taking off from an elevation that is different from where he will be landing his parachute. Press the button to start the LED flashes. Press the button at each LED flash, but on the third LED flash, press and hold through the entire countdown. Continue reading
  10. CYPRES: Cutter Replacement

    The cutter on a CYPRES2 can be replaced by your local rigger. The cutter should be replaced if damaged and/or if it is fired.

    To replace the cutter, turn off the CYPRES2 unit. Unplug the cutter. Plug in the new cutter.

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