ARc adjustments

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Iain_B
Iain_B
QLD
37 posts
QLD, 37 posts
28 May 2006 1:25pm
Just come back from Cabarita where I spent the day flying my new ARC 630 on the beach, sanding the skin off my feet.

The kite is brand new, never been flown before and as per the instructionon the video, I tied a know in the four white attachement points, about 1" down, and attached the lines to them. The bar and lines I have are set up for the Venom 16. I think I need to make a few adjustments. When I pull the bar, there is less power, and until I moved the rear lines to the longest position on the attachment line to the bar, it would not even fly with the bar pulled in slightly. Pulling the bar all the way in the kite would flare out and stall, letting go of the bar gave it much more power, and holding it about 1/3 down from the ball was as far as I could get some power out of it.

What adjustments must I make, and how does the centre strap work, it was out as far as it goes, it is a different arrangment from OEM, using a cleat and a pulley as opposed to the OEM PL strap.

Despite all that, I had great fun, sliding down a 50m section of the beach.

tobes
tobes
NSW
1000 posts
NSW, 1000 posts
28 May 2006 2:40pm
Sounds like you're having fun Iain! You were on the right track lengthening the rear lines, you might need to lengthen the "pigtail" at the kite so you can use the same bar on both kites. You should find all the information you need here
www.kite-fantastic.co.uk/articles/mx5alan/peter-lynn-arc-setup-faq.html
If you can't make sense of that then feel free to ask again, better safe than sorry!
Iain_B
Iain_B
QLD
37 posts
QLD, 37 posts
28 May 2006 4:22pm
Tobes, thanks for the link, great info there but what is a pigtail?
schmik
schmik
NSW
235 posts
NSW, 235 posts
28 May 2006 4:46pm
The pigtail is the leader line attached to the kite.

schmik
tobes
tobes
NSW
1000 posts
NSW, 1000 posts
28 May 2006 4:51pm
Ok, the way I understand it like this
On your venom, the wingtips are angled.
On the S-ARCs the wingtips are square.
You will need to lengthen the rear lines when using the S-ARC to compensate.
Pigtails are what you describe as "white attachement points"
I think the chart at the top of that page describes how much longer the rear pigtail should be. In the case of the 630, and a bar for the venom which I presume is the "03" bar, looks like the rear attachment points should be 530mm longer than the fronts. Use some quality leader line from a kiteshop or chandler.
Perhaps your instructor should show you how your depower strap setup works, if you found one who would teach you with your own ARC...
Happy tinkering
Iain_B
Iain_B
QLD
37 posts
QLD, 37 posts
28 May 2006 5:43pm
Despite the problem with the lines, the ARC630 is a fast kite, much faster than the 11m LEI I used at kite school. Not sure what the wind speed was - but doing figure 8's would see me ploughing deep divots 50m down the beach in a few seconds, in the soft sand I way able to cut nice big arcs left and right and the occasional jump which my kids recon was at least my height and at least 15m long. Next time I'll wear shoes, I just about sanded all the skin off my feet.
waveslave
waveslave
WA
4263 posts
WA, 4263 posts
28 May 2006 3:52pm
Dear Iain,
Excuse me for asking but have you had lessons from the kite gurus,
or a mate who's fully experienced with kitesurfing.
Your question "What is a pigtail"? makes me think that you know very little about the sport.

A 16m kite is not exactly a toy kite so be careful when you go sliding around Cabarita beach.
Actually, greenhorn newbies flying kites on beaches is uncool if the general public are around.
Find some shallow water (knee-deep) and fly the kite away from sand and people.
Have fun in the water.
poor relative
poor relative
WA
9106 posts
WA, 9106 posts
28 May 2006 4:02pm
quote:
and the occasional jump which my kids recon was at least my height and at least 15m long.

Try getting more height, and less length on your land jumps. You will definatly break a bone or even better paralyse yourself.
Good Luck
Oh and make sure there are lots of people around that you can plow into
Iain_B
Iain_B
QLD
37 posts
QLD, 37 posts
28 May 2006 6:14pm
Waveslave - thanks for the concerns, but you need to read the whole post, some of my previous one and know the area to get the whole story

Cabarita beach is about 3km long, and apart from my family about 100m from me, almost no one else was there. Twice when a walker came up the beach, I parked the kite over head until they were safely behind me.

I've had two, two hour lessons at the local kite school before even buying a kite, got up to the body dragging part on a LEI, so I know the basics. My instructor was French speaking, and she called them "the front and rear attachement points", not pigtails and she set the kite up in regard the centre strap.

The Arc 630 is a 6.3m ARC kite I bought as a trainer kite, if I sat down I could hold the kite right through the power without moving today. I used to fly quad line power kites on the beach back in South Africa 10 years ago but that's with handles not a bar, hence the trainer kite set-up. My instructor recommended that I get used to flying with a bar, as the habits I had from flying handles don't work when flying on a bar.

I'm booked in with a school - as soon as there is enough wind for a lesson.
eightfootplus
eightfootplus
NSW
298 posts
NSW, 298 posts
28 May 2006 6:22pm
A 630 is only 6m sq .

I'm flying a S1120 ( Tobes the chicken loop line snapped yesterday and I had another swim in, the sharks in Botany bay must be well fed) and however on the 1120 the rear lines are basically slack when the bar is out, the kite would probably fly without any rears (but you wouldnt be able to turn). My rear lines actually bow in the wind when the bar is out, they are not tight like an LEI. If the rears are too short then when you pull the bar in the rear act like breaks and then kite will fly backwards or downwards, You can try to use the depower to tweek this if your having issues on the day, this would make the fly lines shorter and hence act to lenghten the rears.

So with the S1120 my setup is such that with the bar in the kite still flyies forward but only just. That is pretty much full power no speed, when the bar is out, the rears are comparitively slack and the kite flyes fast.

Cleat and pully setup works fine, just watch that when you have the line pulled in at the cleat, that the tail doesnt wrap itself around the leash line, if it does your quick release is cactus, I use a clip to stop it twisting around the leash and chickloop rope.

Also check the lengths of all your lines, they might not be equal. From memory the 630 needs about 230mm of slack in the rear lines, you make this with extra rope at the bar attachment or the kite, its easier at the bar IMO. Check the web site that tobes recommended.

make sure the QR works.

A.
tobes
tobes
NSW
1000 posts
NSW, 1000 posts
28 May 2006 6:25pm
quote:
Originally posted by poor relative Try getting more height, and less length on your land jumps. You will definatly break a bone or even better paralyse yourself.


You mean like this?
http://kiteworks.co.nz/Targets/vid%20views/perrin%20jump7.htm

Yeah, beach jumping is a no no.
As you found out a 6m ARC is a powerful thing.
You definitely need to know how strong the wind is, check the BOM, only fly in the lower end of the kites windrange until your abilities improve.
I love beach jumping with small power kites, but not hooked in to a harness.
While we're giving you a lecture, you should join AKSA so you are insured if you "plough into lots of people".
jan
jan
WA
1119 posts
jan jan
WA, 1119 posts
28 May 2006 4:37pm
To answer the original question, the rear lines are far too short. You need to lengthen them somehow. The easy way, and to keep the same bar, is to lengthen the rear pigtails (the strings between kite and bar/lines).

I've had two setup's for my old 630. One was a bar just for the 630, very long rear lines and short pigtail attachments. It was setup with a very long chicken loop and a very long adjustment strap. You can launch the 630 directly down wind, but make sure you know what you are doing, it CAN bite you.

The second setup was a "standard" type bar setup with a much shorter chicken loop and much shorter adjuster strap. I had to put very long pigtails on the kite so that the rear lines were long enough and I had it very well tuned to the SHORT range of sheeting adjustment I think the 630 has.

I would suggest the latter setup (less likely someone else will attach a standard bar to the kite and have absolutely no control of the kite). You want about 10cm chicken loop travel, "normal" length adjuster travel and an extra 50cm+ in pigtail length. If you know the kite you will know when the length is good. Don't go TOO long, you lose all steering, this is BAD. Test this in like 5 knots. You should always side launch.

This kite is great fun in 25+ knots. For me 30+ on a number of occasions and very comfortably. If you keep jumping on the beach you are going to hurt yourself or, worse, someone else.
poor relative
poor relative
WA
9106 posts
WA, 9106 posts
28 May 2006 5:01pm
Sorry for my sarky reply Ian....thought you were another troll.
Good luck with it all
windpig
windpig
QLD
113 posts
QLD, 113 posts
28 May 2006 7:06pm
Iain-b
the front lines on the s arcs : 630 shuld be 200mm longer than the
rear lines , with the power strap/pulley fully sheeted in.
venoms and g arcs run on lines at equal length.
try lengthening front pigtails 200mm on your 630.
this should allow you to fully power and depower with your power strap/
pulley to suit conditions.sheeting in on bar is still needed to turn
kite quickly,then back off to allow kite to accelerate in new direction.
if kite stalls/stops or start going backwards power strap or bar sheeted
in to much. tip:to get kite moving if stalled , grab and pull front lines. good luck
tobes
tobes
NSW
1000 posts
NSW, 1000 posts
28 May 2006 7:12pm
Think you've got that upside down windpig..
the rears are too short.
windpig
windpig
QLD
113 posts
QLD, 113 posts
28 May 2006 7:25pm
I stand corrected,tobes is right . lengthen rear pigtails.
5 year of flying p/L kites can do that to you.
Rhys McClintock
Rhys McClintock
NSW
995 posts
NSW, 995 posts
28 May 2006 8:54pm
is it just me... or do those guys on that powerkite site WANT TO DIE... have a look at some of the other videos... those buggy crashes are INSANE
Iain_B
Iain_B
QLD
37 posts
QLD, 37 posts
29 May 2006 7:28am
The buggy guys are totally nuts, I've seen them doing about 70kph in 40-50knt winds on Muissenberg beach. I've even seen them racing each other around markers on the beach.



NeilT
NeilT
WA
139 posts
WA, 139 posts
31 May 2006 5:14pm
The power in an Arc comes partly from the size of the kite and partly (mostly) from the speed of the kite through the air. If your back lines are too tight then the kite will move slower through the sky and develop less power. If you are in a light wind then this is quite obvious as the kite sits far too low in the sky when downwind of you. By shortening the front lines on the clamcleat/adjuster strap (or lengthening back lines somehow)you will make the kite move much faster.

Like wise, if you jibe, turn the kite and then feel it about to yank you really hard then just pull the bar back which will slow its forward movement through the sky quite suddenly and you can ride it out. Pulling on the bar quickly acts as a brake. This is handy if things go wrong at launch!

cheers
NeilT

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