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Loving the Rev 1.5SLE -- More?


Hightray

Question

I purchased a Rev 1.5SLE a little while back and been having an absolute blast with it. I came from 2 line kites and the Rev blows my mind! I lurked around these forums for a few weeks before I got it and now that I am a proud owner, I of course have active questions! I do not have a fellow kite pilot with me, I am enjoying this with my son who is as green as I am.

I have the full sail and I have found at times the wind is a bit potent on some days. What will happen is that some layer or the wind will grab the kite and it will shoot up and pull pretty hard. At times the sail material will "rattle" because of the wind. I have read there are various vented sails. Kind of overwhelming in terms of the variety for me. Sometimes the wind is too light and you know the problem there.

I have tried to find someone who sells just the sail with no luck so far. Or, would I be better served getting another kite? I figured I could just choose a sail based on the wind conditions and go with that.

My main questions are:

1) There appears to be a large variety of venting. What are the effects of this? Is there a good article I can read about this (if this topic is too cumbersome to reply about in a forum).

2) I figure I could change the sail as needed and use the frame between the two. Or, is there a different Rev that is better for higher/lower wind (cost vs. convenience)

3) Wind issues are usually 50% wind is light, 20% the wind is perfect, 30% the wind is too strong.

This is a pretty big investment so I would like to get the best bang for my buck. My wife, as generous as she is, is still shocked from my initial investment, but is like me -- wants to do it right rather than be wanting later and spending 2 times more down the road. kid_content.gif

Thank you all for your time.

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Hello Hightray, welcome to the Dark Side!

You can buy just the kite only at A Wind Of Change. When I say kite I mean one sail with one complete frame. You will need another frame to help cover your wind ranges anyways, so this would be the way to go, IMO.

The effects of venting are awesome. The vents let all that extra wind power pass through the sail instead of forcing it to sheet off the sail. This increases precision big time, and makes the vented Rev handle very smoothly! Hopefully someone will post some links to previous articles about venting.

There isn't a 1 Rev solution available..... To fly in the greatest range of conditions, you will need that second (and third, and fourth, and maybe fifth!!) Rev.

I would look into getting a full-vent model, based on what you have said. You can stay within the SLE family if you like, and that would be the most cost-effective way to handle it.

Hope this helps!!

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^^^^ What he said.

It is a big initial investment, but once you're set, you're set for a good long while. (you'll always find one more kite or accessory you want, but there's a difference between want and need)

A basic set up is:

2 kites. One standard sail, one full vent (don't look at the mid-vent, it's in the "want" category). Your next kite can be a B series or an SLE, both are the same size and take the same rods.

1 set of handles, 1 lineset, preferably laser pro gold. (80' is fine, 120' = "want")

3 sets of rods: 2 wrap or black race rods (almost equiv. in weight, black rr are better but also more $), 3 wraps, and 4 wraps.

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When your kite buzzes, it means that the wind is either too high for your kite, and it's time to switch to a vented, and/or you need longer top leaders. If your handles came with the SLE, they have only a couple of knots on the top leader lines, right? For starters, attach your top lines to the last knot, and your bottom lines to the knot closest to the handles. See if you have any decent string around to make temporary extensions for the top. Just make some loops and larkshead them on to what you've got. Add a few inches, or if you want to get fancier, add 6 inches and some knots. Longer leaders isn't just about stopping the buzz. It's about making your kite behave better, ie not so caffeinated.

When you order your next kite, ask them to put in some line suitable for making leaders. You'll need about 7 feet of it. I wrote up what I did with my leaders, if you like I can send it on to you.

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All great advice. Also note that a little bit of buzz when the kite is moving forward at full speed (like in a power dive) is perfectly normal (per JB) and not a cause for concern.

For the sake of completeness, another possible cause of excessive buzzing is loose bungies on the vertical end caps. This is VERY unlikely in a new kite, unless you have flown it in very high wind a LOT. The bungies do stretch out over time. A friend was flying an older Rev II at Ocean City this past weekend. When he went into a spin, a vertical rod fell out of the kite completely. A quick adjustment to the bungies had him back in the air in no time.

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Hello Hightray, welcome to the Dark Side!

You can buy just the kite only at A Wind Of Change. When I say kite I mean one sail with one complete frame. You will need another frame to help cover your wind ranges anyways, so this would be the way to go, IMO.

The effects of venting are awesome. The vents let all that extra wind power pass through the sail instead of forcing it to sheet off the sail. This increases precision big time, and makes the vented Rev handle very smoothly! Hopefully someone will post some links to previous articles about venting.

There isn't a 1 Rev solution available..... To fly in the greatest range of conditions, you will need that second (and third, and fourth, and maybe fifth!!) Rev.

I would look into getting a full-vent model, based on what you have said. You can stay within the SLE family if you like, and that would be the most cost-effective way to handle it.

Hope this helps!!

With venting, will this increase my wind requirements? Is this where I would apply different rods?

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^^^^ What he said.

It is a big initial investment, but once you're set, you're set for a good long while. (you'll always find one more kite or accessory you want, but there's a difference between want and need)

A basic set up is:

2 kites. One standard sail, one full vent (don't look at the mid-vent, it's in the "want" category). Your next kite can be a B series or an SLE, both are the same size and take the same rods.

1 set of handles, 1 lineset, preferably laser pro gold. (80' is fine, 120' = "want")

3 sets of rods: 2 wrap or black race rods (almost equiv. in weight, black rr are better but also more $), 3 wraps, and 4 wraps.

Thanks for your reply.

In regards to the B series vs. SLE I have been trying to note the differences. As you mention they are the same size and take the same rods, is it mainly styling of the sail at that point?

So with mid/full venting, I am guessing that full has more of the sail vented? Thus I would have different wind requirements. Full said for light wind, vented for higher?

It seems like you would eventually get a set of rods that run the spectrum of what is available. (What I am gathering at this point) More wraps = more strength? Less for less wind requirements?

Thank you again.

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Great advice from SkyPuppet!! Kite only package is much cheaper than the whole RTF thing!! A full vent added to your full sail will give you enough versatility to handle most wind conditions!! Make sure not to get a duplicate of any frame you already have, you want different frames in different situations!! If I remember correctly your full sail came with an extra 3 wrap LE! Get a 2 wrap or race to lighten up things for lighter winds!! Then you can add a 4 wrap for those really windy days, but it's not needed right now!!

PS: if you're using the SLE, use it til you get over the unintentional crashing phase, then switch to the 1/4" LE rod!! Major improvement in feel and precision!!

Welcome!!!

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Oooh, right on, good points Khal!

With venting, will this increase my wind requirements? Is this where I would apply different rods?

Yes, when the wind is too much for 3 wraps in a standard sail, you switch to a vented kite. vented kites are probably most often flown with 3 wraps. But if the wind is too much for that set up, that's when you put in 4s. And you can fly 2s or race rods in a vented kite too. This is for when the wind is in that midvent range, a little high for a standard, a little low for the vented. They fly beautifully with 2 wraps or black race rods in! 4s don't usually go in a standard, unless you don't have a vented kite to change to.

2 wraps or black rr are used in the standard sail when the wind is light. The different rods don't look much different from each other, but more wraps means more strength and weight.

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When your kite buzzes, it means that the wind is either too high for your kite, and it's time to switch to a vented, and/or you need longer top leaders. If your handles came with the SLE, they have only a couple of knots on the top leader lines, right? For starters, attach your top lines to the last knot, and your bottom lines to the knot closest to the handles. See if you have any decent string around to make temporary extensions for the top. Just make some loops and larkshead them on to what you've got. Add a few inches, or if you want to get fancier, add 6 inches and some knots. Longer leaders isn't just about stopping the buzz. It's about making your kite behave better, ie not so caffeinated.

When you order your next kite, ask them to put in some line suitable for making leaders. You'll need about 7 feet of it. I wrote up what I did with my leaders, if you like I can send it on to you.

I do believe the wind was too strong. It pulled an impressive amount and shot up in the sky taking me by surprise. I would love to read your write-up on leaders. The handles that I got with the kite just have one knot on each line.

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The B series is a better sail. Just a little different layout. But it's also more $. I'd say if you can find either one of them used, grab it! New, you have to decide if you want to spend the extra $. I doubt you'll be disappointed with another SLE. Some people don't notice much difference.

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And if you put 4s in your full sail, you risk major stretching of the sail!! Rods would be stronger than the sail could handle and possibly blow out!! That's another reason for all the vented models offered!! More wind - more vents - less pull!!

Saw on your previous post that you only had one knot!! Great for getting the kite airborne, but not so good for control!! Make some new ones from the info Katrina sends or off old threads on the forum, you will be much happier with how the kite behaves!!

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I just found the multiquote feature here so I will not be bombarding with so many posts!

Hello Hightray & :sign_welcome:

Michael

Thanks!

All great advice. Also note that a little bit of buzz when the kite is moving forward at full speed (like in a power dive) is perfectly normal (per JB) and not a cause for concern.

For the sake of completeness, another possible cause of excessive buzzing is loose bungies on the vertical end caps. This is VERY unlikely in a new kite, unless you have flown it in very high wind a LOT. The bungies do stretch out over time. A friend was flying an older Rev II at Ocean City this past weekend. When he went into a spin, a vertical rod fell out of the kite completely. A quick adjustment to the bungies had him back in the air in no time.

I have flown about 6 times and every time I am out I am spending a couple hours playing around. Things seem secure. I am pretty confident it was too much wind as I felt uncomfortable at times with the pull and brought the kite down.

Great advice from SkyPuppet!! Kite only package is much cheaper than the whole RTF thing!! A full vent added to your full sail will give you enough versatility to handle most wind conditions!! Make sure not to get a duplicate of any frame you already have, you want different frames in different situations!! If I remember correctly your full sail came with an extra 3 wrap LE! Get a 2 wrap or race to lighten up things for lighter winds!! Then you can add a 4 wrap for those really windy days, but it's not needed right now!!

PS: if you're using the SLE, use it til you get over the unintentional crashing phase, then switch to the 1/4" LE rod!! Major improvement in feel and precision!!

Welcome!!!

That is good to know, thank you! I do want to hit all the points for variety. I read so much talk about 2,3,4 wrap, race rods, B Kites, etc. Even when lurking around I did not grasp it deeply. I would like to take advantage of the lighter days as there seems to be more of them.

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Welcome to the forum! Everyone has given excellent advice so far and it looks like you are doing great.

We do offer a kite only option with the Rev's and we can frame your kite in whatever frame you want. So if you are looking for a Vented, we can frame it in 2,3,4 wraps or Race Rods. Just let us know what frame you want and we can do that for you.

Also, right now we are offering a special deal on all B-Series kites, you can get Race Rods as one of your frames for $1.00. Normally this is a $30.00 add.

Just let us know what you want and we can put it together for you. :)

The Vented kites are so sweet to fly! They do require stronger winds than the standard sail but flying in 15 mph with a vented kite is awesome.

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Welcome to the forum! Everyone has given excellent advice so far and it looks like you are doing great.

We do offer a kite only option with the Rev's and we can frame your kite in whatever frame you want. So if you are looking for a Vented, we can frame it in 2,3,4 wraps or Race Rods. Just let us know what frame you want and we can do that for you.

Also, right now we are offering a special deal on all B-Series kites, you can get Race Rods as one of your frames for $1.00. Normally this is a $30.00 add.

Just let us know what you want and we can put it together for you. :)

The Vented kites are so sweet to fly! They do require stronger winds than the standard sail but flying in 15 mph with a vented kite is awesome.

With all of this information, I have formed this thought. Please adjust me smile.gif if needed.

In talking with my wife -- who has a much better grasp of past weather conditions ( I often think I could fit an item that needs 2 square feet of space into a box that is 1.75 square feet) -- we find that a large part of the wind, especially in the summer, is on the lighter side. So we agreed that we could fit one more purchase in the budget. So I was thinking.... (uh oh)

Purchase a vented B and with the extra frame get a set that would make my full sail more adapted for light winds. This way I would have the vented B appropriately framed for stronger winds, the SLE standard setup for medium and then when using the light wind frame on the full sail I could dip into the light breeze days.

Recap:

1.5SLE (no vent) - Use standard frame that came with it for winds I have been experiencing so far.

1.5SLE (no vent) - with frame 'X' (from the B) to fly in light winds/breezes

B Series (vented) - with a 'standard' frame for the winds that are too high for the full sail. (Which I have experienced 2 times so far)

Now, as you can imagine, I am trying to figure out what frames to get with the B purchase to achieve this. Or.... am I thinking wrong? Plus I have no concept of the wind ranges I am looking at with these configurations. And lastly, mid or full vent when creating this package.

Thank you all! Talking about frames and I get kind of lost. What would be the roadmap to follow? (Hopefully I am thinking somewhat properly. Then I could work with 'awindofchange' on a order! Thankfully I have all of you here for your opinions to help me through the myriad of options.

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Yeah, you've got it figured out.

You already have a 3 wrap frame, a whole frame, right? ie there are 5 pieces and they will have 3 feathers on them most likely, or say ultra light.

Okay, so next you get a vented (full vent not midvent) B, ordered as "kite only." This will still include a set of rods, your choice. Yes, go with lighter rods. You will definitely want black race rods instead of the 2 wraps. Black race rods weigh a hair more than 2s, and they are better. (there are other race rods, but they are heavier. you need the light ones for your light wind purposes.)

Then yes you are set for low wind: standard SLE with race rods. Race rods are light weight.

Medium wind: SLE with 3 wraps OR full vent B with race rods.

High wind: full vent B with 3 wraps.

You will want a set of 4 wraps at some point to put into the vented for really high wind. Sounds like that's not your problem right now, so no reason to rush things.

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Hello Hightray, correct me if I missed this but what frame have you got with the SLE? Does it have the large 7/16" leading edge and 3-wrap verticals? If so, you might do well to get a complete 3-wrap leading edge, then with the B get a 2-wrap for light days that you can change to either kite, and a 4-wrap when the wind picks up. You will still have the SLE frame for when it really blows. Alot of poeple don't care much for the SLE Leading edge, I love mine on my SLE when the wind is 25-30, the pull is awesome. just my 2 cent! :)

Michael

Edit: Katrinas got it right, if you've already got a complete 3-wrap. What she said ;)

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First check the extra LE that came with the SLE! It should be silver label and 3 feathers!! If so, go for the 4 wrap (4 feathers) with your vented and get the race upgrade for a buck!! Race frames have a "flame" on their labels!! That should give you a good selection of frames to work with!

Whether to get a f/v or mid is really up to you!! Eventually you're probably gonna own all of the "B" series, so go with what fits your wind conditions best! I'd think a f/v would be best, it gives you the most wind range coverage, but if that only happens a few times a year,.....? Just don't be tempted to put too strong a frame in a light wind kite, you risk stretching or blowing out the sail!!

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Wayne, my dear friend, I think we really need to recommend fv over mid. There are already too many choices, let's make things easier on the guy. Because we know that a standard and a vented for starters is ALMOST always the best way to go. Race rods in the vented brings it into midvent territory. And then he's got so much more range! I recently flew my mid with 3s back to back with a vented B with 2 wraps in. The vented felt every bit as good as the mid.

Hightray: Being able to choose from an assortment of rods is what gives so much flexibility in wind range for each kite. Mids are traditionally added last, because they overlap the upper range of the standard and the lower range of the vented.

0000000000000 _______________mid

standard______________ _________________vented

Only reason to get a mid is if a person is just about never ever going to encounter real wind. If that's the case in colorado springs, I'll stand corrected.

(edited to add: "But that's just my $.08!" I don't stop at .02, you know.) :P

Edited by katrina
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Okay, so next you get a vented (full vent not midvent) B, ordered as "sail only." This will still include a set of rods, your choice. Yes, go with lighter rods. You will definitely want black race rods instead of the 2 wraps. Black race rods weigh a hair more than 2s, and they are better. (there are other race rods, but they are heavier. you need the light ones for your light wind purposes.)

Katrina and Wayne have it sorted out, but just to avoid any possible confusion, I think what you want to ask for is "kite only". This will include a sail and a frame. It is distinguished from "ready to fly" which generally includes handles, lines, etc. that you already have. Very rarely you will see something for sale as "sail only". This generally will not include a frame, and might not even have a bridle.

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I checked the kite I have to make sure.

The 1.5SLE came with the larger leading edge -- that was already in the kite when delivered. The vertical bars are marked Ultra Light with three feathers on them. I then have another bag of three rods that are marked Ultra Light with three feathers.

Taking everything into consideration...

Currently I have a 3 wrap frame. And that thicker leading edge.

Going with the B model, it appears that comes with two complete frames. (Correct me if I am wrong)

So I would get a B with Race Rod upgrade. And the other frame that comes with it is already a Ultra Light 2 wrap frame. (I am reading this from awindofchange.com)

So I would have -- with my existing kite -- a 3 wrap, 2 wrap, and Race Frame (all complete frames) along with the thicker LE I got with the SLE. And then of course a Full Vent, and solid sail.

Does this sound proper? I believe I understand this and am just about ready to pull the trigger.

Thank you guys so much!

As for getting another RTF, I probably would wait on that. My son enjoys flying but I don't think he is as into it as I am. On other occasions when I have gone out to fly (With my 2 liners and with the Rev) he has passed on the invitation a couple times to do something else or was not in the mood. Me on the other hand.... I look for excuses to go out and fly any time possible!

Edit: revisiting that statement. Looks like I would need to go full package as it mentions kite only is 1 frame. It won't hurt to have two kites ready to fly if needed in order to get the setup I need without having to pay more later

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