Jump to content

insignia tape on the NYM


mbro

Recommended Posts

So just got the NYM and wanted to get some insignia tape on the back where the verticals go, I'm just concerned where it runs through the venting. I'm inland so usually fly on grass BUT, if I get to the coast won't the side against the venting be sticky and pick up sand. Any thoughts on this or suggestions, I know I could cut it into sections and leave the venting bare but will the rods wear on the venting? I would prefer one piece like my other kites. let me know what you all think!

Michael g.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

um.... I have a question.. What is the tape for? sorry, new guy with an NYM on the way!

Some flyers put a strip of material, or tedlar tape, about 1/2" to 5/8" wide on the back of the sail to keep the sail from wearing out as quickly. It protects the sail itself, the venting mesh and the leading edge dacron where the frame rubs against them when the kite is flown. I normally don't bother; I don't like to add weight to my kites. It's only grams, but it all counts. It's kind of like adding custom parts to car; before you know it you've added a hundred pounds. I sometimes modify my kites by removing things I feel aren't necessary to reduce the weight.

Your mileage WILL vary. If you take reasonable care of your kite and don't fly 24/7, 8hours per day, you will get many years of use from it. Also, as you gain experience, having only one kite will change to two, then three..............each intended for specific wind conditions or just for the heckuvit. Unless you turn pro, you will never wear them out. Ask JB how long it takes him to wear out a kite. Even his go-to kite will probably last for two years, and most of us do not fly anywhere near as much as he.

Check the "Modifications" topic, there's tons of info there about things you can do with to your kite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still think it's not necessary for the average flyer. For the amount of time spent on the lines and in conditions representative of the proper sail, it's more of a personal preference. No problem with those who want to do it, but I don't think it's necessary unless the condition of your equipment dictates it. I bought a used Rev with the tape on it and it's fine, but it's black and hides the tape anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best method I have found of making your kites last for endless years is to leave them in the package in which they arrived, or in the sleeve in whatever condition you got them in and never take them out to fly. Of course, that's only practical if you're a collector. If you're going to make an omelet, you have to crack some eggs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

One option I have been thinking about for awhile is to just coat the verticals, making them smoother.

I reado of someone in Europe ( I think) that sells a sleeve that does it.

I was thinking more of shrink tubing ( Fry's and other electronic supply stores has it in long lengths)

The Green sticks have a coating on them already.

Anybody using green sticks alot to be able to tell if they are not causing the wear spots?

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The LHSK guys sell the sleeves for verts. You could just spray some lacquer over the rods and make them smooth. Shrink wrap seems a bit on the heavy side and might be excessive.

The wear comes from the constant load/unload cycles, flying the kite creates. The "wear strips" serve 2 functions - 1. they do take a lot of the abuse from rods on sail. 2. They keep the sail from stretching out as easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anything you add to the kite also adds weight. Pretty soon you'll be trying to get a brick airborne. The Revs I have been flying for the last 5 years don't even have mesh tears yet, and I fly often.

If you absolutely have to do something, try very thin transparent packing tape. That should keep the weight you're adding under 5 grams, and is an easily reversible process.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The coating you are referring to is nothing more then the resin impregnated in the actual carbon fiber. The ridges in this coating is caused by a cellophane tape that is wrapped around the rod before it goes into the oven to be baked. The cellophane is removed after the rod has come out of the oven and cooled. These ridges can be sanded off without effecting the rods strength.

This also applies to the green rod.

An alternative is that Los Hermanos Show kites has also made sleeves to go over rods. You could contact them directly for this.

Shrink tube could also be used however the extra weight might bother you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

My Rev clone (As a n00b I bought cheaper) actually has Mylar sewn all the way down on the vented version. Easy to see on anonymized profile picture where is crosses the vents. Not such thing on my full sail. So maybe it is for protecting the venting net rather than the sail ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The vented material seems to be a bit better at resisting wear, so I'm not sure why the Mylar strips are over it. Unless theirs is of a questionable quality?

As for the question of added weight - I put insignia tape strips on both my Zen (hard flown) and a brand new SUL. In testing, neither showed ill effects in winds pretty unsettled and inland.

I personally disagree that light wind kites need to be as near weightless as possible. The Zen is a veritable anchor in weight, but because of the sail design, is a great light wind alternative. Design can overcome apparent "flaws"! I have however switched the LE to one less flexible, but lighter. IMHO the stiffer LE lets the sail work by keeping its shape, not flexing so much as to distort the wing. Keeps light winds in the sail and not dumped out the TE.

YMMV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is a framegrab of the tape on my clone kite. It is sewn all the way , so I guess this is why it is across the vents.

Not sure if this was considered when designing the size of the vents, or if it is not important. But especially for the vented model, I do not see much reason why it needs to be there. If the Icarex gets a little more porous, what difference does it make ? And I can always add kite repair tape when it gets too bad. It is not like we try to get every milligram of weight out of the vented.

In some ways it would make more sense on the full sail, which I use in lighter wind, as small holes here would make the kite let a little bit of air out, but that is probably ignorable any way.

When I was skydiving, high performance parachutes were all ZP (Zero Porosity). So when packing up, you could only get the air out where it was sewn. This was to keep the air inside. I have yet to see this in kites. Even my powerkites packs much easier than my slippery ZP parachutes ever did.

17189471228_d82fb93b34_o_d.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks to be for convenience of manufacturing, since the mesh area is pretty small. Easier to just make one piece of tape and not have to stop sewing! No need to align the small piece either. Sewing tape over that small vent at the top, makes it pretty useless, IMHO!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's what I don't like about "imitation" kites. The form of the kite is not designed around its function. They are designed to LOOK good, without too much concern for the way they will fly. Just looking at that kite, I am willing to bet that it weighs more than 9 ounces (260 grams roughly). If I owned that kite I could trim about 3 ounces of weight from it. I'm also willing to bet that it flies "heavy", like having a truck at the end of your lines. I'm not talking about wind pressure, just overall feel of the kite and the amount of input necessary to make it move where you want it to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is supposedly one of the better imitations, and it is made using ChIcarex PC31, (Or whatever we should call the chinese wannabe material, it is certainly thinner and ligther than the material of my other kites). Manufacturer lists 195 grams for all models (full sail, semi-vent, and full vent). The old and cheaper pre-2014 model was plain PC40, and listed around 260 grams. But I have not had in on the scale yet.

But this kite is not cheap, and I would have bought original for many reasons if I could redo it. And I think the Polos are nicer, but did not stumble over them until later.

As I have said elsewhere, adding taxes and custom fees, and extra frame, there is minimal savings over a Rev B-series. Only reason to get this is for the looks, and the distributed vent layout (with every single panel having the same frame width, around a vent). Polo also seems to be designed around a different distributed vent layout as well.

Been talking to Baressi on kitelife, and he prefers the larger sail areas instead of distributed vents, as it allows him to pump the kite. For me, handling gusts is important - and I tell myself the distributed vents are better for that. Which is why I believe the alternative would a Polo, or maybe a shook in a few years.

I see that in Germany the Basic / Basicarex are two local models (custom chinese manufactured) starting to become popular. But still boring colors.

For now, as a beginner I am happy, and will probably wear out what I have, and replace with Polos (unless Rev gets nicer colors).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...