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"The Diamond Shaft"


beach

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Being that I've had to be home these days I've had the time to experiment with some very new high modules raw carbon fiber......ani_idea.gif As most of you may know the "Race Rod" program was born the very same way and the new "Diamond Shaft" is going to be a home run for flying in low bumpy wind.....ani_yahoo.gif These new shafts are weighing in at less than 10 grams a stick, they are very strong, and the reflex, which is the rebound time is almost twice as fast as standard "Race Rods" .........ani_yahoo.gif I got a winner here for sure folks, the bad part is this material is way expensive like well over $100.00 a pound so I only bought enough for a limited run of about 20 sets or so for now, we don't have a lot of them right now so for sure its a limited run.... ani_wallbash.gif

So everyone knows from the start these are going to be expensive at $150.00 a set but they are in my opinion well worth the money, I mean imagine a rod that is lighter than your beloved "Race Rods", which is stiffer than you old "Race Rods"and then just snaps back when your do those quick formation turns, hell ya is all I can say.......ani_yahoo.gif So folks here they are the new "Diamond Shaft" and the next step in Revolution flying....... Benani_victory.gifani_victory.gifani_victory.gif

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Just flew Race Rods for the first time tonight. Every time I fly is first time for something as I am quite the newbie. Used to be it was a stretch to spend over $100 for a kite, now I'm eager to spend that and more for the newest rods. It's that addiction thing isn't it? Keep up the R & D. It's all good.

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What is the overall strength of these rods? How do they compare in strength to the Race Rods / 2 wrap rods, etc... Are they lighter than the 2 wraps? Also, if they break, will there be replacement rods available seeing as these are a limited run.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just had to add this cause when you see this kind of stuff all the hard work pays off, thanks Doug...... Benani_yahoo.gifani_yahoo.gifani_yahoo.gif

Hi Cath, Elliot, and Ben,


Played with my 75% mesh with Ben's new diamond rods yesterday in 2-5 mph breeze. The wind was mostly 2-2.5 per the meter but sometimes died completely, sometimes gusted to 5. Wind was off a the small Lake Crabtree near RDU airport so was fairly smooth once I was above 15 ft high.

Could easily launch the kite with 2 mph breeze at 5 ft. 75 ft/90# lines. Was a lot of fun. The mesh kite with those rods was just amazing! I still have a smile on my face.

The diamond rods are amazing. Not much flex like the race rods. More like regular 3-wrap rods. And my set weighs 51g vs. 75 for the race rods. The kite is 155g so its 206g total instead of 230 with race rods. That 25 g difference seems to make it easier to both launch and float in the light winds. For me, at least it was easy to fly in my normal style only with a few mph less wind.

I have no idea what the wind range is on the diamond rods although I will probably find out soon.

Also played with the rods in my all white 1.5 (weighs 125 g) for a total weight of 176 g. It was a piece of cake in those winds. I'm sure you could fly it indoors.

So these rods open up, at least for me, a whole new wind window. I was the only one flying, of course, because there was obviously not enough wind for kite flying!

Perhaps next would be one of the printed sails as they could be even lighter?

Perhaps it's time to pull the SLE's from my 6-sail stack and replace them all with something much lighter. My chief complaint with my stack is that it really needs 8 mph ground wind to launch and then by the time it gets up, it's too much wind. So replacing the SLEs with something lighter is my next experiment. Should allow me to launch in much lower winds. Perhaps diamond rods in the back 3 sails, depending on their strength.

So keep having fun,

And Ben, I'm probably game for more of the rods....

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  • 1 month later...

I just had to add this cause when you see this kind of stuff all the hard work pays off, thanks Doug...... Ben

Hi Cath, Elliot, and Ben,

Played with my 75% mesh with Ben's new diamond rods yesterday in 2-5 mph breeze. The wind was mostly 2-2.5 per the meter but sometimes died completely, sometimes gusted to 5. Wind was off a the small Lake Crabtree near RDU airport so was fairly smooth once I was above 15 ft high.

Interesting to know about using the rods in the 75% mesh. I'm hoping for light wind on Blackheath at the weekend so that I can give them a go. <grins>

Felix

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Interesting to know about using the rods in the 75% mesh. I'm hoping for light wind on Blackheath at the weekend so that I can give them a go. <grins>

Felix

Lets compare notes Felix....I'll be flying the same set up! :)

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Lets compare notes Felix....I'll be flying the same set up! smile.png

I have the rods but not the 75% mesh! I was thinking trying them in the full vented <grins>

The forecast still looks promising, 2-4 mph Sunday morning.

Felix

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I have the rods but not the 75% mesh! I was thinking trying them in the full vented <grins>

The forecast still looks promising, 2-4 mph Sunday morning.

Felix

It was 2-6 mph Sunday and we tried the rods in the iQuad pre-B 1.5 training sails, the pink ones as it was 'Run for Life' on Blackheath.

Apart from feeling absurdly light these rods performed really well. We were not attempting to test to destruction. <grins>

Top of the window floating on rising air was just great. Slack line control was fine and the glide away 'downwind' seemed like it would go on forever. I'm looking forward to trying them with my normal Pro sails and in zero wind conditions.

We were on our normal 120ft lines.

Felix

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They are very light but I really like them on short lines and LOW winds...... Bencat_lol.gifcat_lol.gifcat_lol.gif

Hey Ben,

My comment 'absurdly light' was in no way negative. These are amazing spars. I have always enjoyed light wind flying 'floating on the thermals' so these sticks take it to a new level! Long lines are needed to 'see the spiral'. <grins>

Felix

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Got to teat Watty's and I found they start to distort a bit in the 1.5 over 4 mph, but these rods are SWEET for light wind and oh, SO, so light... TK and I can't wait to get some for ourselves. smile.png

I was not testing 'to destruction' but the rods seemed to snap back OK with 6mph 'gusts' without control issues.

Given how thin the walls are I was taking it carefully. Stop snaps and 'throws' were working just fine. Assessing 'stress' down the lines is quite difficult. Once a spar is broken that is the end of it. I have not broken one for many years now apart from the one I broke at Weymouth last year by dropping a bag 'heavily'.

Felix

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Got to teat Watty's and I found they start to distort a bit in the 1.5 over 4 mph, but these rods are SWEET for light wind and oh, SO, so light... TK and I can't wait to get some for ourselves. smile.png

Total wind range where I feel these rods will shine is from about 1 to 4 mph with no more than 6 mph, plus I think alot has to do with the fliers style......cat_shocked.gif Also remember it's like any other tool which means to me that I have many

different tools in my tool box but this one just does the job the best......ani_yahoo.gif For me I'm not trying to reinvent the

wheel just give in some more tread to help me out of the mud...... All in all I still believe these rods respond very

well and are very tough given there size and weight, all I can really say is give them a try and see if they fit your

style of flying....... Bengathering.gifcat_wub.gifani_giveup.gif

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I have flown and crashed my Zen in double digits winds with these new diamond tubes on asphalt, they are pretty darn tough. I've let it go from overhead on 120's and it almost goes out of sight with the field recovery glide's length. I flew this Sunday at the washington monument, until at least noon this was the perfect set-up for my local conditions. The slightest action on the kite generates lift, instantly powers up with a flick of the wrist or a step backwards.

I practiced for awhile on a perpendicular sidewalk, walking the kite.... like indoors, but on 50# Skybond 120s. The kite is so light weight compared to it's size, spectators are dumb-struck upon handling it personally. The diamond sticks were a great addition, certainly worthy of becoming a mainstay on the Rev menu for available products.

I have too many kites to replace all the frames, but if I were brand new at this, I'd only own invest in two frames. The new Diamond and the old faithful Rich Race Rods (the green ones). All my kites would have both of these tubes available. Simply a fantastic product, thanks Rev and Ben for pushing the envelope. Now, if they were the price of blemished SS p-90s, HA!

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Two sets reached Holland. I gave it a try yesterday in wind less than 7 mph. Used a full sail, one piece kite with no bungees in the vertical upper endcaps. The shafts did a very good job. As stated before they are quiet stiff and snappy. Weight is to compare with a sky shark p90. But with another type of flex in it, I should say quicker. The low weight in combination with the stronger flex is a very usefull addition to the shafts product range. People in low wind areas will be happy with this new product.

But this is talk "I feel, my impression,..." I know it is possible to measure shafts, like what they do in archery. Would it be a suggestion to make a table of the available shafts and their "technical" abilities? Flying style and personal preferences is ofcourse a different topic.

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