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HOW TO: Checking the tune on your control bar.

 
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Nak

Since 19 May 2005
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PostWed Sep 17, 08 2:49 pm    HOW TO: Checking the tune on your control bar. Reply with quote

There has been a few questions from newbs lately on tuning your bar. That's good, 'cause it's important. Here's a brief primer:

On most bars, all four lines should be equal length, including leader lines and depower straps. The flying lines themselves might be different because of leader setup. Take your bar and remove the pigtails from the kite end of the lines. Hook them to something solid a foot or three off the ground. Fully power the bar, like shown in Picture 1. EDITED TO ADD: If your control bar has a bungee attached to one of your flying lines, like on a SS REV, dis-connect the bungee at the chickenloop and let it hang free so it will not to skew the tune check. The Bar in Pic 1 is incorrect as this has not been done. END EDIT. Pull on each line, one at a time as hard as you can to tighten the weave of the lines. WARNING: [If you've made your own lines by tying knots to make the end loops, you might break the line. This includes Q-line. Spliced 500# line should hold at least 400# tension. Next, pull as hard as you can evenly on the bar. Now pull just enough to take most of the sag. All four lines should sag evenly as in the second and third picture. In my opinion, it's OK to have a little more sag in the front (Center) lines. This is a little over-sheeted, and can be corrected by pulling in a bit on the depower line. EDITED TO CORRECT: The front lines are going to stretch a bit more over time, so this situation might get worse. (I wouldn't accept more than an half an inch though.) If you have a line sagging more than the others, pull enough of that line in to even the sag out. However much line you pulled in is how much longer that line is over the others.

Now it's time to correct your lines. Some bars are set up with knots to make this easier, some are not. If yours isn't you have a couple of options, depending on how the bar is out of tune. The easiest situation is if the difference is symmetrical. In other words, both front lines are the same length and both back lines are the same length, but the front and rear lines differ. If your bar is like the one shown in picture one, install a new depower rope and adjust the length to bring the bar back in tune. You can also throw an extra set of pigtails on the shorter lines to even the set out.

If your imbalance is not symmetrical, you may have to make a new set of pigtails that even out the length of the lines. (Shorter lines get longer pigtails.) If the line is 800# spectra, you can tie knots in the line near the KITE end, close to the loop. That will shorten that line.

If your lines are spliced, and showing a pattern of one line getting out of tune, mark the loop of that line to make sure the loop isn't pulling out the splice. Use a permanent marker to color the line where it enters the inside of the line.

Even 800# spectra is going to stretch a lot if it hasn't been pre-stretched. Several feet in fact. If you got a set where one or more of the lines wasn't pre-stretched, the lines will go out of tune quickly and often. The only remedy is to stretch the lines to 50% - 70% of their rated strength and then tune the lines again. I'll cover that in a different thread in the next month or two.

Nak


   Setup (Large).jpg 
   Line View (Large).jpg 
   Line Sag (Large).jpg 

Last edited by Nak on Fri Aug 14, 09 6:06 pm; edited 4 times in total

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GorgeKite.com

Since 17 Mar 2008
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PostWed Sep 17, 08 5:42 pm    gay bars Reply with quote

Nak you rule. Were do I get some of that Amsteel Blue in the photo?

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Nak

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PostWed Sep 17, 08 6:03 pm     Reply with quote

Thanks!

3/16 Amsteel:

West Marine here in town, $1.68 per foot.

Or Redden Marine in Seattle, $0.51 per foot:

http://www.reddenmarine.com/site/new-detail.cfm?id=AMRAMSTLBLU316

Buy 6 - 7 feet to make one depower rope. Very Happy

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FlyDunes

Since 09 Oct 2007
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PostWed Sep 17, 08 8:08 pm     Reply with quote

Nak wrote:
Thanks!

3/16 Amsteel



Did you have any fit issues when you switched from 1/4" to 3/16" amsteel blue?

I was thinking about going down to 3/16" too because it seems like thinner rope wouldn't be as prone to be "sticky" sometimes at the eyelet where it goes through the bar, and it also seems like the cleat might work better with 3/16".

Back in this thread: http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-10333.html&highlight=amsteel
Stringy said he doubled up the diameter of his rope in some areas. That seems like that would take a lot of effort (and learning how to "fid"). It would be good to know if that's required or optional step.

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Nak

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PostWed Sep 17, 08 10:24 pm     Reply with quote

I really prefer the 3/16" over the 1/4" amsteel. It's easy enough to switch back if you don't like it.

Doubling the rope is just splicing in an eye and pulling the eye in completely. It's really pretty easy once you see it done. I know it seems difficult if you haven't done it before, but it's not. I'll do another thread later with pics showing how to do it. It takes less than 5 minutes to make a new rope with the doubled sections.

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GorgeKite.com

Since 17 Mar 2008
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PostThu Sep 18, 08 7:45 am    gay bars Reply with quote

Steve I need to get some of that blue stuff. Are you getting some? One of us should get a pile of the good blue stuff. Call me if you are headin to West Marine, I will do the same.

Thanks Nak!

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Nak

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PostThu Sep 18, 08 8:10 am     Reply with quote

funktron wrote:
Call me if you are headin to West Marine, I will do the same.


West Marine here in town, $1.68 per foot.

Or Redden Marine in Seattle, $0.51 per foot:


http://www.reddenmarine.com/site/new-detail.cfm?id=AMRAMSTLBLU316

funktron wrote:
Thanks Nak!


No worries!

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FlyDunes

Since 09 Oct 2007
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PostThu Sep 18, 08 11:44 am    Re: gay bars Reply with quote

funktron wrote:
Steve I need to get some of that blue stuff. Are you getting some? One of us should get a pile of the good blue stuff. Call me if you are headin to West Marine, I will do the same.

Thanks Nak!



I'd already ordered some blue line on-line a while back. I just haven't got around to using it yet. There wasn't a qty discount or minimum order that I remember so you should be good.

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homerun

Since 12 Jul 2008
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PostSat Sep 20, 08 12:23 pm     Reply with quote

Assuming the lines are symetrically unballanced, and the center lines have stretched longer, is it feasable to connect just the two steering/back lines to the trailer hitch and then pull hard on the bar to try to stretch the back lines to nearly equal the length of the center lines? This has worked for me, but I do not kite enough to determine if this would ultimately be detrimental to the tuning. Also, if the lines are unsymetrically unballanced, would stretching the single shorter line provide similar results?

I actually asked this question previously, but no one indicated wether or not it was a good idea.

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