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EXP or B Series


darinf

Question

I know everyone will say spend the extra money on a B series.

But the EXP is half the price.

Being my first Rev, will I really notice the difference? If not, how long before I end up wishing I had a B series?

I REALLY don't want to spend $360 on a kite especially if I can get a Rev for half that much.

So I guess my point is will I be disappointed if I get the EXP? I was thinking maybe down the road I could get a vented B to go with the EXP.

Will someone please tell me it's OK to get an EXP :confused!: ?

On the other hand, will I end up buying a B series anyway so I am actually SAVING money by buying a B series first and skipping the EXP.

Any guidance would be helpful.

-Darin

BTW, I finally flew a rev today for the first time and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I had no idea I was smiling that much until the guy I borrowed it from said, "Look at that smile on your face. You're hooked!"

I need a Rev!

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Will someone please tell me it's OK to get an EXP :confused!: ?

Yes it’s okay to buy an exp, honest. :kid_smartass:

The exp is a fine kite for the occasional hour or two on a Sunday afternoon but if you want to take it seriously you’ll soon outgrow an EXP. In the same way a golfer carries a selection if clubs to cope with a variety of shots, a serious Rev flyer will want to have a selection of kites to cover different conditions.

The thing to remember with Rev’s is, if you have two kites, you don’t have two kites, you actually have two sails and two frames. Unlike a duel-line kite you can change a Rev frame in the field in minutes and end up with a totally different kite. It is very much a case of mix and match provided you stay within the same size, (and if we’re talking exp or B Series we’re talking 1.5). I don’t expect you to get your head around it now, but a very popular configuration is a vented sail (high wind) with light weight (low wind) spars. Sounds daft I know but trust me in the right conditions it’s sweet.

It is okay to swap frames between any of the 1.5’s, so you could, if you wanted, buy an exp now then at a later date follow it up with a vented B and later a 1.5sul and that would pretty much cover all the 1.5 bases but it would be a bit of a hotchpotch. Many people like to collect a matched set, my avatar currently shows my sul but I also have the std & vented to match. When I was choosing my first Rev the B series was not available and I had to buy three kites to cover all the bases and to be honest, if I lost the lot tomorrow and was putting in an insurance claim I would be looking to replace them like for like. However if I was having to start out from scratch again and it was my money I was spending I would go out and buy a matched pair of B’s - Job Done.

Another thing to consider is, the exp is an entry level kite the B series was originally aimed at the serious flier (though it is now very popular with newbies).

There is an old adage about dressing for work that might be appropriate here, “don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want”, if you can afford the B go for it and if you are worried about justifying the cost, look at it this way, two B’b are way cheaper than a set of top end golf clubs and the wind is a lot cheaper than green fees.

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Well, considering you had a grin from ear to ear while flying someone else's kite, you are going to enjoy flying what ever Rev you get. What kite was the one you flew today? How difficult was it for YOU to fly? If you are able to afford the B series without any financial qualms, go for it. If not, the EXP will give hours of enjoyment, and a B series or a 1.5 can still be in the future, or even a speed series kite if you are more adventurous. It is often said here that you can't own just one Rev, I have yet to need to buy two....... :kid_devlish:

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What kite was the one you flew today? How difficult was it for YOU to fly?

I am not sure exactly which one it was although I am pretty sure it was an EXP. I also briefly flew another person's B series, but could not tell the difference.

There was not much wind, enough to get the Rev's off the ground and fly a little, but not constant enough for me to keep them in the air. Of course the other guys made it look so easy to keep the rev's in the air, maybe it was just tough for me on my first time.

After a few tries, I was able to get the Rev to lauch straight up and land again. I was able to take a few turns, but not on purpose! I probably tried for about 15 or 20 minutes total before I had to go.

I think I will go with the EXP since I don't really have the extra money to be spending on kites...

Thanks for the feedback,

-Darin

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Hi Darin Fong,

If the budget and your 1st time, there is nothing wrong buying an EXP, by all mean, get it, fly it and enjoy it, you will have many many hours flying it. Most of us started with an EXP, it fly the same but precsion will not be the same, Just Do It !!

For aa newbie, you will not tell the difference between and EXP & B other than the price, lol.

Anyway, welcome to the world of Rev, you are definetely hooked, grinning from ear to ear is the symptom.

Cheers,

chris

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When i got my first Rev there was no B series. I got an EXP and was thrilled beyond my wildest imagination. Next season I went and got a 1.5 SLE and again was thrilled beyond my wildest imagination and had the added bonus of teach my son to use the now idle EXP Kept those 2 REvs for a bunch of years and then all of a sudden last month bought a B series with a vented B hot on it's tails (sic).

The point is, if money is an object, stay within what you can comfortably afford and grab an EXP or 1.5

You will not be unhappy.

What you'll need to do right after that is start saving immediately for a B as it won't be long before you're ready to go long!!!!!!

It's addictive to say the least!

:sign_kitelife::sign_kitelife::sign_kitelife:

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If you do go with the EXP, I heartily recommend you search/read some of the postings here on the forum regarding tuning and adjustment knots on the handles...

Really makes a world of difference in the flight characteristics. ;)

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Thanks again for all the input from everyone.

Just an update, I was still having a hard time deciding. So I went on a kite store website and just put a Rev B series and a line set into the cart to see how much it would cost. The total came to $327. So I reluctantly go to the checkout to pay with my credit card and see PayPal as a payment option. I thought to myself, "I haven't used PayPal in a long time, I wonder if I have any money in my account." (In my photography business I used to use PayPal to sell prints, so evey once in a while I get orders through my old shopping cart system.)

So I quickly check PayPal and lo and behold I have exactly $327 in my PayPal account! Must be fate. With a sign from the kite gods like that, I decided I was meant to have a B series. (Feels like it does when you find an extra $20 bill in your pocket, only a lot better.)

The best part is now I don't have to explain to my wife why there is a $327 charge on our card. :kid_devlish:

So barring any problems, my purple Rev 1.5 B series should be here in a few days. :clap2:

-Darin

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You'll love your new baby when it arrives! For what it's worth I think you made the right decision.

Isn't this serendipity thing weird. Like you say, it was meant to be. But your mentioning finding money in your pocket reminded me. I had to wear a suit for a function last night. I only wear suits on very rare occasions, and during the function (a little boring I am afraid - lots of politicians making speeches) I decided to root through my pockets. Left hand jacket pocket - £20. Right hand jacket pocket - 8 Marlborough Light. Right hand trouser pocket - a stick of gum (discarded) and a sticker with Elvis Presley written on it (Where did THAT come from, and why did I have it???)

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So barring any problems, my purple Rev 1.5 B series should be here in a few days. :clap2:

I tell ya these babes are getting too darn popular :lol:

It's my fav. rev my Purkle Bee (vented) ;)

Enjoy.. to the point of falling in love :blush:

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I tell ya these babes are getting too darn popular :lol:

It's my fav. rev my Purkle Bee (vented) ;)

Enjoy.. to the point of falling in love :blush:

Hi Choccy,

Same here with me, enjoyed my B red so much, I hanged it just under the staircase so that I can admired it day in day out if not flying. Its one of the best Rev in my collection.

My next target will either be a Rev 1 or Indoor Rev. I like the Super Sonic but I hate the colours, too much black unlike the Shockwave, colours more evenly.

Cheers

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The panel layout between the two is quite different, as is the depth of the "vee" and the angles between the outer and trailing edges and I believe (but not 100% sure) the distance of the upright spars from the tips. All of these changes affect the overall flight characteristics of each one.

The panel layout is the major difference among all three, so you would pretty much be rebuilding the entire kite to turn one into any other. Not worth the amount of effort necessary compared to what you would gain.

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Get the wife exactly the same kite you have, possibly in a different color so that it be "hers". With the same model you can fly together, if they are adjusted the same way.

When I was married and fishing with my wife she and I had exactly the same equipment, so neither of us could complain that the other caught more because of better equipment. This transfers over to kiting, and keeps the marriage on an even keel.

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