Hai out there,
I got a lot of mail from people that told me they did not understand how the PBS-System and the depower system on the SPIDER-Competition works. So I will give a detailed describtion here :
On the NEW SPIDER COMPETITION you have the Depower System (DPS) and the Progressive Brake System (PBS). Both systems work together. The frontlines run through the bar over closed and waterproved stainless steel ball bearings. They get in at the bar tips and leave the bar in the middle in direction of the pilot. With a knot they form a small loop outside the bar. On this loop you connect your quick release and fix it on your harness. You need the knot, not to let the forces running from right to left side. If you push away the bar after you are connected, the lenghts of the frontlines that show in direction of the kite is shortened and the lenghts of the lines near to the pilot is increased. This is half of the depower system (still not working without the PBS). You can understand how the forceless depower works. The bar is held by the forces on the frontlines as long as there are forces on both sides, the pilot side and the kite side. No matter how strong the forces on the kite are, there are always the same forces on the other side and there is a balance.
On the BPS the breaklines are connected to the frontlines over a moveable knot. The left brake on the right front line and the right on the left front line. From this knot the break line runs across to a pulley on the other side and from there in the direction of the kite. Thats why the lines form a cross in the middle.
If you now move the bar parallel to the kite the brakes are activated or deactivated depending on the direction and now your DPS works. Because the knots on the frontlines that hold the break lines are moving while braking and the breaksytem itself is fixed, there is a changing in angle on the X formed by the two break lines in the middle. If you push away the bar very far, the lines will become parallel. If you now steer the kite, there is no influence of the break lines, you got a 2-liner kite. If you take the bar closer to you the break lines begin to run through the pulley when you steer. If you steer right, the breaklines on the right are pulled by the left front line that now runs in direction of the kite and you have a turning support by the right brake. The more you tear the bar to you, the stronger the influence of the break gets. If you tear the bar as much as you already run in power mode ( both brakes activated while crusing along) and then steer in one direction, the break on this direction is activated even more while the other side is deactivated at the same time. So the kite will brake on one side and accelerate on the other side. This leads to fabulous turn times and a very direct handling.
Because of Mr Sinus and Mr Cosinus the influence of the brakes can be tuned by the position of the knot on the front line-part of the PBS. The bigger kite you use the more you have to position the knot away from the bar. To stay in the same steering position as before, you have to change the knot on the break line, where your flight line is connected, too. So you can use the bar for all of your kites and kite sizes. If you tried to fly a stuntkite with the tuning for a 10.0 Softkite you may not even think on steering and the kite will begin to fly loops and if you use the stuntkite tuning for a 10.0 softkite it will move more than lazy.
I hope I could answer all questions concerning the NEW SPIDER COMPETITION bar.
If not, go on asking me or wait until it comes to the shops to test it.
You can buy the bar in prototype state now.
I am working on a serial version that will be a little cheaper but it will take some more time.
Anyway the SPIDER-COMPETITION bar is the cheapest on the market because you can use one bar for all of your kites.
Kindly regards
Manfred