Snap Shackle or QR spreader bar

[Dwight]

On 2002-09-06 18:09, surfsteve wrote:
<p>Is this the snap shackle you guys are using?  Has anyone ever had this
type not release?  Wow these things aren't cheap... this is the cheapest
one I could find!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/commer ... t=">source
URL</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/commer ... let=">More
shackles</a> from <a href="http://www.westmarine.com/">http://www. ... ne.com/</a>
</p>
<p><img src="http://www.westmarine.com/images/full/24527_F.JPG" width="250" height="250"></p>



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: surfsteve on 2002-09-06 18:15 ]</font>

I tried it and took it back. Save your money. You have to build a trigger for it. You can't stick your finger in that hole during an emergency. I built a trigger, but it still didn't release good once flying the kite. It only worked good in my garage.

[capedolphins]

There seems to be so many shackle options but from what I've been reading here none are perfect. This topic deserves more attention and research dollars from the kite makers.

We all want to rip out there and live to talk about it.

[Dwight]

On 2002-09-06 22:10, capedolphins wrote:
There seems to be so many shackle options but from what I've been reading here none are perfect. This topic deserves more attention and research dollars from the kite makers.

We all want to rip out there and live to talk about it.

Yep, that's why Bruno L. has said no shackle is good enough for kiting. He tried them all, long before we did.

[Ray-au]

Well Bruno only says this because he wants to sell his own stuff, the wichard realy works but its differant to the pix above , you cant realy trust any kite brand on the safety issue. If they cant manufacture it out of a piece of rope and a bit of wire for$1,50 they are not going to do it. Its a fact

[Guest]

On 2002-09-07 08:26, Ray-au wrote:
Well Bruno only says this because he wants to sell his own stuff, the wichard realy works but its differant to the pix above , you cant realy trust any kite brand on the safety issue. If they cant manufacture it out of a piece of rope and a bit of wire for$1,50 they are not going to do it. Its a fact

I dont agree with that. Is no matter what it's made of. They want it simple and functional. Bruno is right. Personally, I use no snap shackles of any kind. I prefer the takoon/wipika bar setup style, with the extra tubing on chicken loop to prevent accidental unhooking and the simple yet functional quick releases they employ on both the chicken loop and the main loop. It's simple, effective, inexpensive, made from string and wire, and best of all it WORKS all the time. and it does so without all that hardware and unnesecary hardware on the bar or spreader. Persoanlly, I wouldn't want my bar or spreader bar looking like the bottom shelf of a hardware store.

To IKR. You have a great setup now. I wouldn't bother with all the metal hardware that may work, may not work, works sometimes, fails sometimes.....FUN FUN. The snap shackle rig basically works the same as yours does stock.

[surfsteve]

<p>OK so let me go back to the very first message and the link <a href="http://www.pro-limit.nl/2002/displayite ... _id=235</a>
</p>
<p>Here is the picture of the recommended bar</p>
<p><img align="top" alt="QR Safety Release spreader" border="0" src="http://www.pro-limit.nl/2002/itemimages/235" width="400" height="266"></p>
<p>Will somebody tell me how this thing works?  On the right hand side it
looks like I see a buckle held by a rubber band or something?  Is this
correct?  Does this release the whole spreader bar or what?  And
what's all that stuff on the hook?  What does it do?  Does it release
the hook or does it do something else?  <b>It's very hard to figure out how
this thing works just by the picture! </b>  Why aren't there any videos on
how this thing works?  So is this the spreader bar most of you recommend?
And will putting an extra piece of plastic around the chicken loop make make it
fatter and easier to stay in yet still easily unhook?</p>
<p> </p>

[Mr Jo Macdonald]

Forget the stuff on the right hand side. The hook releases when you pull or push the lever on the side of the hook towards the bar (and you obviously) and this releases the round section of the spreader hook, that spins up and releases the loop, rearming is easy. I am not impressed easily but this works. Oh, before you run out and git yoself one, Dwight mentioned that some are a bit stiff, never had any probs with mine but try a few.
Imo they're a hell of a lot safer than a shackle.

[Dwight]

On 2002-09-09 22:13, surfsteve wrote:
Will somebody tell me how this thing works? 

http://www.angelfire.com/nc/capefearwin ... ing20.html

Look here

[Den]

Ditto on the Pro Limit quick release spreader bar. I think it works great but imagine the sinking feeling when, after a couple of sessions, I could not release it unless I hit the leaver with a hammer!! There was a bur on the post that was hanging up the lever. I simply filed that down and it works great now.

[surfsteve]

Thanks for that link to the pictures a couple of messages above

That nifty green ball on the end looks like it would help release as well. Where do I find those? I suppose when it releases it doesn't dump upside down like in the picture but it's gotta be a hell of a lot easier than getting out of it without releasing it.

OK... I'm sold... I know what I want and I'll try to get to town and look at them and make sure they work.

I don't trust those snap shackles to release fast enough in an emergency! They weren't designed to be that quick and everyone I talked to said they either had trouble or have never had to use them (yet) in an emergency. I'm under the impression that I'd do just about as well to release the belt on my harness and let the kite pull off the whole spreader bar as I would counting on a snap shackle to release (which wouldn't be dependable either).

Maybe the purpose of those snap shackles are so that the paramedics can release the kite from your body in order to fit you in the ambulance?


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: surfsteve on 2002-09-10 20:11 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: surfsteve on 2002-09-10 20:13 ]</font>