Do you adjust knots on top or brake line?

[JeffD]

I've started making my top pigtail with only one knot and using the brake line knoted for adjustment.

Seems cleaner and with less knots there's less to hang up on.

Also stays consistant for adjustments.

Not sure I ever want lines even. Thought it was better for low wind but following forum advice tried more brake and like it

in even lowest winds.

If this works out I guess I can shorten brake lines a couple of knots worth. Less stuff to flail around.

So how do you adjust? See any flaw with just break to adjust?

Sorry if already polled but haven't seen it

This is my first poll attempt hope I got it right.

[[email protected]]

I use the top knots to adjust my setup.

I find that if I want to make an adjustment after my initial setup, I can land my Rev, and grasp a top leader and top line with one hand to make it go slack so that I can use my other hand to slightly undo my lark's head knot and slide the line up or down a knot on the leaders. I couldn't do this if I was adjusting with the bottom leaders, as the handle would flop over and wind up inverted once I grasped the leader and line.

Once I have my adjustment point, I "tuck" in the end of the leader:

Not sure if it prevents snags or anything but its somewhat neat and tidy

[monkey]

I can chime in. I -only- (well, 95%) of the time move the top knots, and I typically start at far forward and come back a knot or two at the most. I find if I'm back 3 knots, I likely need a lighter kite. My leaders are the "original" length from the first handles we got with the iQuad team set (as are the handles themselves, with their cute little initial dice ) and the top leader is 8 inches from the buckle to the end. All my handles are now tied identically, and if you compare them with the stock B series handles, they are about an inch or so longer. I'd check, but, I recently changed'em all.

The snag free handles drive me nuts unless I have the rubber on the top and my FAVORITEST set of handles are my carbon wrapped set Ben got me eons ago.

[makatakam]

I use the top knots to adjust my setup.

I find that if I want to make an adjustment after my initial setup, I can land my Rev, and grasp a top leader and top line with one hand to make it go slack so that I can use my other hand to slightly undo my lark's head knot and slide the line up or down a knot on the leaders. I couldn't do this if I was adjusting with the bottom leaders, as the handle would flop over and wind up inverted once I grasped the leader and line.

Once I have my adjustment point, I "tuck" in the end of the leader:

Not sure if it prevents snags or anything but its somewhat neat and tidy

I did this for while also, but once I found I was on the same knot repeatedly, I simply cut off the excess. No more need to tuck! I have two pairs of handles with equal lengths on top and bottom and lots of knots (ooh, that rhymes) for strange home-mades and bridles that aren't quite right yet. This gives me about 12" differential between top and bottom, and whatever strange thing I'm attempting to fly usually can be accommodated.

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the tip

I like to have an extra couple of knots passed what I use up top for one reason - I'm a stickler for rotating my lines. Every couple of weeks I rotate them top to bottom, and when I do so, I need 1-2 extra knots on the top leaders to overcome the stretch I've pulled into the lines that used to be on top.

If I trimmed the extra knots away passed my normal setting (in the pic, the knot that is colored black), I would have deal with using less brake than I like after I rotate my lines, even if only for awhile.

[makatakam]

Thanks for the tip

I like to have an extra couple of knots passed what I use up top for one reason - I'm a stickler for rotating my lines. Every couple of weeks I rotate them top to bottom, and when I do so, I need 1-2 extra knots on the top leaders to overcome the stretch I've pulled into the lines that used to be on top.

If I trimmed the extra knots away passed my normal setting (in the pic, the knot that is colored black), I would have deal with using less brake than I like after I rotate my lines, even if only for awhile.

That's why I have 2 or 3 knots on the bottom. When I rotate my lines, I attach the brake to the knot closest to the handle, then let it out as the uppers stretch.

[Jonesey]

I have 3 sets of no snag handles (1 USA and 2 UK versions) so have each one setup on a line set (incl 15" handles on light lines) so have done away with bottom leaders altogether .. bottom lines straight on to handle and have 3 knots in my top leaders .... call me lazy but I never swap lines anymore and don't have any issues (helps that I can't fly for shit I guess!)

[makatakam]

(helps that I can't fly for shit I guess!)

Me too!!!

[[email protected]]

That's why I have 2 or 3 knots on the bottom. When I rotate my lines, I attach the brake to the knot closest to the handle, then let it out as the uppers stretch.

I have 3 sets of no snag handles (1 USA and 2 UK versions) so have each one setup on a line set (incl 15" handles on light lines) so have done away with bottom leaders altogether ..

When I made my no snags, I cut off all the excess bottom leader after 1 knot. I see what you're doing now makatakam! It doesn't even occur to me to make adjustments at the bottom leaders anymore, only because I don't have that option

I like to keep it simple and make all my adjustments on the top leaders, but I think its cool that there is always more than one way to "skin a cat" with the Rev!

[KiteLife]

I'm still using roughly 9" top leaders with 3/4" adjustments...

On the bottom, I have 3" pigtails with 1/2" knots for adjusting line equalization (L-R difference) on the bottom lines.

With enough sets of lines, various kites (bridle variances), etc, I really like being able to adjust small imbalances on the fly when I switch.

[makatakam]

I'm still using roughly 9" top leaders with 3/4" adjustments...

On the bottom, I have 3" pigtails with 1/2" knots for adjusting line equalization (L-R difference) on the bottom lines.

With enough sets of lines, various kites (bridle variances), etc, I really like being able to adjust small imbalances on the fly when I switch.

I've adjusting line imbalances by tying a knot in the sleeving. If it stretches again I tie another knot, and the knots are a semi-permanent indicator of the adjustment. The third time I'll untie everything and look for the cause of the imbalance. Spectra is pretty slippery stuff, and if you fly strong winds a lot, it may be slowing creeping through the sleeving, even with multiple knots. I find that I have less problems with imbalance (except stretching) in the line sets from which I've removed the sleeving. I use small blk, wht, red & grn beads (a little bigger than a pinhead), two at each end, to indicate which line is go/stop/left/right. Green is go, red is stop, black is left, white is right. So, as an example, my upper left line has one green bead and one black bead at each end. Lately, though, I've been getting lazy and only use two colors to differentiate only between upper and lower.

[MercFlyer]

My top leaders are a 12" with 1/2" knots and my bottoms are 4' with 1/2 "spacing also, I usually have my bottoms on the last knot out and the tops move back and forth from 9 or 10 inches to the very end depending on how I feel. Sometimes for fun in high wind I put the bottoms back as far as I can with the tops all the way out. I finally put my lines on the stake and equalized them and the top lines are about 3" longer than the bottoms.

[johnnmitchell]

My handles date from 1993(maybe the first with pigtails).

Both top and bottom leaders are 5.5 inches long and have four knots spaced about an inch apart.

I adjust both top and bottom leaders depending on which REV I fly and how I want to fly.

[Reef Runner]

I'm a top pigtail adjuster.............only got two knots on the bottom, and don't use the outer. Works for me

[beach]

I have long leaders both top and bottom and do use them both and it does drive

JB and the team crazy but thats just me.....Ben

[johnnmitchell]

I have long leaders both top and bottom and do use them both and it does drive

JB and the team crazy but thats just me.....Ben

Yep, I do the same and see no good reason to change.

[portlandflyer]

Well I changed a bit! Still use the factory bottoms, but put in 1 extra knot 1/2 way! Use longer top leaders that have 9 knots, but the inside knot is the same as the factory setting, then every inch!! Use mostly the last 2-3 knots from the end, if I need more probably need a different kite!!