50# Shorties

[[email protected]]

I'm not the biggest fan of 50# line - ok so I downright don't like it, concerning Rev flying anyways. However, I have a 75 ft. 50# line set that is just sitting around, gathering dust, and I'm looking to re-purpose it. I have the Indoor Rev, the Zen, and a full suite of Bs, along with a small glider and a dualie trick kite.

What do you think would be the best way to divide up a 50# 75 ft. line set? Ex. make it into a 50 ft. and a 25 ft? A 40 ft. and a 35 ft? A 25 ft. a 30 ft. and a 20 ft??? Please chime in with the lengths you would make and why.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[Morrunya]

I'm not the biggest fan of 50# line - ok so I downright don't like it, concerning Rev flying anyways. However, I have a 75 ft. 50# line set that is just sitting around, gathering dust, and I'm looking to re-purpose it. I have the Indoor Rev, the Zen, and a full suite of Bs, along with a small glider and a dualie trick kite.

What do you think would be the best way to divide up a 50# 75 ft. line set? Ex. make it into a 50 ft. and a 25 ft? A 40 ft. and a 35 ft? A 25 ft. a 30 ft. and a 20 ft??? Please chime in with the lengths you would make and why.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Are you looking to fly indoors at all? If so, you may want to go with some real shorties like 10 or 12' as an option. Outdoors, my favorite short line set is 30'. Also, remember that some of that line will be consumed by tying new loops, so don't expect to have the length of your new line-sets to add up to 75'.

[portlandflyer]

I know that many don't use 50# for much, but I use my 50#x50' set a lot in the summer!! You can use the left over to make some indoor sets (nothing wrong with having some extra around)!! IMHO !

[goestoeleven]

Watty is right about the yield on reusing lines. I just cut up a couple 120 foot lines to yield a "40" foot set (yielding about 38.5 feet) and another "20" foot set (yielding about 18.5 feet) out of the two lines after equalizing the lines & sleeving. The other two 120s out of the quad set are now reused as a dual line set . . . for when I put my KP-10 auction purchase up into the air (if I can even remember how to fly dual line).

I've been going shorter lately - most of my flying has been on 75 foot lines, and now I'm going to be out on the "40s" and "20s." I really like how fast it is to set up & take down at shorter lengths . . . plus catch & throw are much easier with 20s than 75 or 120s

If you were going to go really short (as Watty suggests), maybe you could get 40+10+20 out of the 75 feet (losing five feet to small loops) or 40+12+16 or something like that with larger loops. That would give you a couple indoor options at the shorter end, and a light wind shortline set for the outdoors.

[[email protected]]

@ Watty - Yeah, I'll be looking to fly indoors pretty soon. Lol I was joking with SS about how different our climates are. While I'll be looking to head indoors for summer, to dodge the heat, in your part of the country summer is for being outdoors.

@ SS - I don't like the longer lengths of 50#, but thanks for the suggestion!! It would have worked perfectly - I need a 20 ft. set in my lineup maybe probably.

@ goestoeleven - I've been on the shorties for awhile now! This whole last week has been windy - finally got in some decent time on the 120's.

Thanks for the suggestions!!

Thanks for the reminder on yield after making the loops

[Scott_of_melnsct]

I would go 40 and 20 for outdoor, and whatever's left for indoor (maybe a 12' set when all is said and done). Personally, I like 90lb LPG for indoor because the weight helps the line fall away from potential tangles and snags, but since you already have it, you might as well use it.

[[email protected]]

I feel the same way S_o_m.

I prefer 90# line on my indoor as well, my dedicated indoor line set is 12 ft. 90#. Since I have the 50# laying around though.... I appreciate the suggestions!

[Hightray]

This is the perfect topic for me and I am glad that I found it on the site. I am in a slightly different situation. I have a 75', 85' and 100' line at my disposal. I wanted to make two sets of lines from one of these existing sets. I wanted to have two short sets so my son and I could fly together. I see talk about 40' lines, would I be correct in assuming this is the best all around length? We wanted to have lines short enough to fly in the backyard as of now, we need to go to a park, etc.

[portlandflyer]

Best all around length? Whatever you like!! Mine is 50', some like shorter yet! I'd think about splitting the 100' set into 2- 50' sets and see if you like that length first! Then if you do, try shorter! It's all open to experiment!

[rcom714]

1.5 on 75x50# ROCKS!!!!!

Floaty Floaty..............

Try it................

[Theresa]

I get requests for a LOT of LPG 90# x 50' Quad!!

[Theresa]

well...and LPG 90# x 30' Q too!

[kwmf]

I'm a 90# guy myself and my 30 and 50 foot sets get a LOT of use.

[Theresa]

I'm a 90# guy myself and my 30 and 50 foot sets get a LOT of use.

[Cath Shook]

For those of you who don't like the 50# lines, try the Skybond 50# - every flier who's ever tried it (for the East Coast wind lull) LOVES this line! And they didn't like much else.

Works great for indoor as well!

[[email protected]]

I have a 75', 85' and 100' line at my disposal. I wanted to make two sets of lines from one of these existing sets. I wanted to have two short sets so my son and I could fly together.

I would cut the 100' and the 75' set in half, yielding two 30'-ish and two 50'-ish sets. Share time on the 85' set until you can afford more line.

Tapatalk 2 ~ Android

[kwmf]

Works great for indoor as well!

For me personally I could feel the bungee effect of Skybond at 12' on the 100# lines indoors. It was less than LPG 50# line, but still enough to drive me crazy to the point that I didn't feel like the extra 1 or 2 wraps i got was enough of a gain and I went back to LPG 90# line for my indoors.

I prefer a rock solid wire like connection with my kites so personal mileage may vary. I've tried the stuff indoors and out but I just cant get past the bungee effect of the stuff. Its not a bad line, but given the choice I use LPG every time.

[portlandflyer]

My guess is that the bungee effect isn't as bad for the low wind back East and that's why they use it!! Probably shows up more in higher winds!! Just a guess!!

Indoor, I've used 90#x10' only in LPG!!

I do use 50# in very low winds!! Less weight to carry aloft and a good direct connection to the kite!! Only drawback is in group flying, it had a tendency to lock up easier in mixed line company!! But no problems when alone!!

[kwmf]

I don't like LPG 50# for the same bungee effect. I can fly it, but it just feels wrong to me.

Skybond i could feel it at just 12' flying indoors - but I do fly a harder, faster power/depower style

[portlandflyer]

I can see that!!! With my "floatier" style, it might work OK for me!! But since I started, it's been 90#LPG on my setup!!

[[email protected]]

When I fly on 50#, doesn't matter the brand, I can feel it bungee. The longer the line, the more the feeling. This feeling shines through when I have the sail real good and loaded and I go to quickly de-power it (give slack) - I swear I can feel the line "catch up" and I have to use a bigger action to get the same effect as I get on 90#. I have a much harder time pulling a decent axel on 50# line! I feel like I have to give it so much more slack than on the 90#, because of this bungee feeling...

Still, I feel its worth using on the shorter line lengths. I seen the videos, the ones with my favorite Rev pilots tearing it up on the 50# shorties.....

[makatakam]

It may not be the line, but rather the sail that makes an axel more difficult to execute. I find that a tighter sail makes axels much easier to pull off. I occasionally can pull off a triple if the wind conditions are good (light to medium) and the kite has an easier time of pulling the lighter line around. I prefer a tight sail and lighter frame until the wind tells me "get serious".

Side note to JB or anyone else who's interested. Have you ever tried choking off an axel half way through and trying a cascade as with a dualie? I once kind-of got one started accidentally, but haven't been able to duplicate what I did. Got one or two choked off and started in the other direction, then lost the rhythm.

[[email protected]]

I hear ya about having a nice, taught sail when pulling an Axel. However, In my case, I'm absolutely sure its due to the line. I should qualify that remark though; I have a harder time Axel-ing on longer (75' and up) 50# lines. The shorter the 50# gets, the less it matters to my flying style.

Ah, the Cascade! One of my favorite dualie tricks.

I've read mention of Watty being able to pull a few back-to-back half-Axels on the Rev, in a manner similar to the Cascade.....

[REVflyer]

Most rev tricks are easier when the kite is inverted, WAY EASIER upside down! When I choke off an axel halfway around it makes a fade(?),... the sail is over the top of the bridle and the leading edge is facing me whilst totally flat. You can't leave it here very long unless you are backing up your feet, as the kite is actually gliding towards you after gravity kicks in.

I only use 90# line unless it's dead calm outside and we want to play with long lengths anyhow. 50# catches on every stump of weed or grass hunks and tangles too easily when a big pile of slack is about your feet (3D flying)

[makatakam]

Most rev tricks are easier when the kite is inverted, WAY EASIER upside down! When I choke off an axel halfway around it makes a fade(?),... the sail is over the top of the bridle and the leading edge is facing me whilst totally flat. You can't leave it here very long unless you are backing up your feet, as the kite is actually gliding towards you after gravity kicks in.

I only use 90# line unless it's dead calm outside and we want to play with long lengths anyhow. 50# catches on every stump of weed or grass hunks and tangles too easily when a big pile of slack is about your feet (3D flying)

So are you starting the axel with the kite gliding away from you? I haven't done that yet, or even thought about it that way (oh boy, new goodie!), I've been starting mine with the kite facing either left or right, and now I'm absolutely going to have to try it with the kite gliding toward me (not sure I can back-pedal that fast, but what the hey, I'll give it a go!).

Are you doing the axels with the sticks or without? I pull the sticks out on occasion, but haven't tried an axel with the sticks yet. I'm thinking that between the sticks and the tension lines it would add a lot of air resistence (friction) and make axels more difficult.

I hear you about the 50# slack getting tangled around feet, weeds, etc., (binderdundat), but like anything else, if you do it long enough, you learn to compensate, to an extent, for the problems it presents, and I firmly believe that in the long run it improves ones "expertise"/guru-ness.