Date:	Fri, 9 Jul 1993 11:51:37 -1000
From:	jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka)
Message-Id: <21kp99$443@umd5.umd.edu>
Organization: University of Maryland at College Park
Subject: Re: Bridle material

In article <1993Jul8.183331.754@das.harvard.edu> sasaki@netop3.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) writes:

>Let me second Bert's recommendation. I've had problems with Spectra
>slipping, especially while using loop system.

For what it's worth, I've got a Tracer with a 300# SpiderLine bridle.  I
never noticed any slippage, and the line was heavy enough to make
adjustments possible (though admittedly not the easiest thing).  I did,
however, have problems with a bit of fraying of the main bridle line
around the clip, so I borrowed yet another of Dean's ideas and glued
a piece of sleeving in the center of the line.  This doesn't slip and
makes adjustment quite easy.

My LiteFlite S has a bridle of 200# (main) and 150# (outhaul) spectra.
The instructions suggest that after you find a good setting, put a drop of
super glue on it.  They say that a bit of flexing will crack off the glue
making it re-tunable.  I never got around to trying the superglue trick,
but then I never had the bridle slip.

>For the Katana, which is
>a smallish kite (it's wingspan is 224 cm), I use 220 lb Dacron. It is
>much larger than necessary, but makes adjustments easier

My other full-size tracer has a an 80# dacron bridle.  It's been flown
in pretty high winds (ODSKC '93) with no signs of fraying anywhere.  My
only mistake was that I didn't think to prestretch it, and after its
first real high wind jaunt, the bridle lines were all about an inch longer.

>(ever try adjusting a bridle in -5 degrees C?).

Well, no, but I've untangled a (badly plaited) set of Rev lines at about
-3c.  Does that count?  ;-)

(we won't discuss whether I came particularly close to frostbite or not.
suffice to say that I knew that if I didn't finish untangling them, they'd
probably get worse the point of needing to be replaced...)

Jeff
-- 
|Jeffrey C. Burka     | "When I look in the mirror, I see a little clearer/ |
|SAFH Lite [tm]       |  I am what I am and you are you too./  Do you like  |
|jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu |  what you see?  Do you like yourself?"  --N. Cherry |