Hey, it's my first post here as I'm just getting into the sport.

I am having major problems trying to launch a Ozone 2m trainer (Inflatable, single strut) with a Cabrinha Quicklink IDS 2012 bar and lines.

I have completed the tuning method on the cabrinha website where you ensure all 4 lines are the same length by tying them off to a carabiner at a fixed point. I did notice that the front centre lines were short and had to extend them by adjusting the knot located after the centreline adjustment strap. Seems fixed.

The launch problem occurs when I tease the steering line to pull the kite up and the launcher lets go, the trainer starts cartwheeling/spiralling down the power window and inevitably comes to an ungraceful finish.

I have had 3 lessons so I know how to launch a kite by placing it 90-100 deg to the wind direction and teasing until it starts to rise into the 12 o' clock position. This thing behaves nothing like the ozone that I did my lessons on.

I get the feeling that the lines are not exerting equal pressure on the kite and so it just goes into a tailspin straight away.

The bar and lines were purchased second hand along with a 2012 Crossbow (13m), which I haven't tried to fly yet considering the problems I'm getting with the trainer.

Is it pilot error, should this setup work fine, or is the Cabrinha bar setup not compatible with the Ozone Uno 2m?

Any advice appreciated :)

KPSS Used said..
Hi Praxis,

Remember that the Cabrinha Bar has a spring and bungee on the front lines and for this reason sometimes the Cabrinha bar doesn't work so well with the Uno. The bungees effectively tighten your front lines giving the Uno max trim even when you don't want it. Can you get your hands on a bar that doesn't have a spring or bungee?

Uh? The spring and bungy are part of the trim system and have no effect on the lines, except what any and all other trim systems do.

To the OP - your bar is trimmed, good work. Now you have to figure out what sort of trim your Uno likes...

You can either mess around with longer pigtails with an assortment of knots in the steering lines, or just give up on the trainer and use your Crossbow in lighter winds. If you're careful, have good clear space (especially downwind), and take it easy, you'll learn just as much.

sounds like the kite is too far forward into the wind window when launching. ( This can happen to me on the beach if you get launched by someone in a bit of a rush.)
The kite needs to be "full of wind" before your assistant releases it and you try to raise it. Is your assistant trained in kite surfing??

It's a similar condition to having overly long back (steering) lines or launching in a "wind shadow". ( is your kite in an area of potential turbulence, like behind a small dune? )

essentially it's all the same thing,! ! !
- you've not got your kite powered enough by wind, so it drops away looking for more. By the time it finds it, it has dropped sideways a little and tends to start rolling along. This can lead to a "hot launch" where your kite is now too far down wind and is super dangerous! ( Deadly - no exaggeration! Learn where your release is when you move to full size kite. Some guys launch with one hand on high side of bar and other hand on safety release ).

Your kite launching friend needs to walk to a point where the kite is full of wind and sits comfortably on the beach with no requirement to hold it at all!
This is the perfect launch point. The kite will just sit on the sand and wait for you to direct it slowly upwards.
If you can't find this point then you have overly long rear lines which can be shortened maybe 75mm at a time ie. change knot settings ( you can obviously alternatively lengthen the front lines with small extensions to achieve the same effect )

Really it's all the same reason for a kite to roll, but with many different causes. Work out what's wrong and fix it. You wont need a different bar, you may just have to tune that one. The shop guys should be able to sort this through with you.

Another reason is wind that is too light.
As you can realize, that's the same problem again! Not enough wind in your canopy!!

Don't give up, you'll get it!

Praxis

Another thing that can occur with small kites is if you pull the bar down when you launch the kite can fly backwards down wind spinning bouncing across the ground.
The amount of depower on a 2m kite is a lot less than a 13m.

Come into the Shop, we'll have a look at it in the park and possibly test fly too if there is wind. There is no reason it shouldn't work with a cab bar, we'll work it out :)

KPSS Used said..
Hi Praxis,

Remember that the Cabrinha Bar has a spring and bungee on the front lines and for this reason sometimes the Cabrinha bar doesn't work so well with the Uno. The bungees effectively tighten your front lines giving the Uno max trim even when you don't want it. Can you get your hands on a bar that doesn't have a spring or bungee?

if this is the problem, then put a zip-tie at the top of the spring. short-term solution "only"

Sigh...

"The Uno ... using the same bar system as on the larger Ozone water kites."
ozonekites.com/products/water-kites/uno

Throw should be comparable, within a few centimeters, and if the Cab bar has Recoil (the spring) then you'll only get more by actively pushing the bar above where Recoil stops it.