It is fairly easy to make these in a short time. You can start with the braided spectra cord that is used for chicken loops (I have forgotten the trade name for this stuff, anyone?) or you can use something around 1/8 inch or slightly larger braided nylon cord.

Take the two pigtails (front and rear) off your kite to help you with line dimensions and knot placement. The kook proof connectors will replace your pigtails. The following photos are of some spare kook proof connectors prepared for Best kites. Dimensions and number of knots will vary with other kites. It is good to color code all the connectors for the left and right hand sides of the kite respectively.


These dimensions apply to the 2004 Yarga and Nemesis but may vary with other kites.


You will tie several of these overhand knots.


Resulting in two of each type of connector. You will need TWO sets of the four connectors shown (one set for the kite and the other for the flight lines). NOTE: the knots should appear at the SAME distances on your homemade Kook Proof connectors as on your factory pigtails.


MAKE SURE you use one type for the front or leading edge pigtails and the other type for the trailing edge. Run your lines out, separate them and connect the appropriate kook proof connector.

For the kites that I have owned, it is best to put the connectors with knots at the trailing edge. This allows you to trim the kite power for actual wind conditions. The looped connectors are attached to the leading edge.



It isn't that hard to do. PLAN to change the connectors every few months, particularly if they are made of the weaker nylon line. Remember hearing about guys who have three to four lines detach at one time before? Weak pigtails are often the cause.

What other approaches do people use out there?


FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi

if you have a SLE kite where the front lines attach to pulleys and you kite in the salt and the sand....

it is nice to rinse out the pulleys with fresh water and check them when you're rinsing your gear. but you don't need to rinse the kite. so -- leave the pulleys on the bar and you can check/rinse them easily at home.

as a bonus - with the pulleys always on the bar it is kook-proofed.

(attaching the pulleys to a face down kite is not hard there is a connection point near the wingtip)

How do you attach the pigtail to the wingtip on the right?

it seems to me like it wouldn't work.... please enlighten me.

B.

You just larkshead the loop through the nylon strap to which the pigtail was larksheaded to originally. Play with it, it will make sense.


NOTE: ALL (I HOPE), newer kites should have kook proof connectors as standard equipment. The above approach is for older kites only that may not have them or for folks that need to make replacements. Buying factory made kook proof connectors would be better of course.

IF ANYONE is aware of new kites that are being sold without kook proof connectors please let me know here or via PM to ricki or email to flkitesurfer@hotmail.com.

It seems that folks are in a mood for some equipment standards. I think we should try to develop and deliver some to the industry.

FKA, Inc.

transcribed by:
Rick Iossi

Why don't we just color code the female and male ends....ie Right control line Red, Right Power Green, Left power Yellow, Left control Black. Connect to the adjacent pigtail on the kite. Unless i'm missing something?

Hi ricki
it looks and sounds like Cabrinha has had the same idea as you just proposed:

one major reason to do this is not only kook proofing. it is probably because already after a few flying sessions with a Cab bow kite the sleeved ends of the flying lines start to show some signs of wear at the kite attachment.....
greetings from Switzerland
andreas

Hello Andreas,

Thanks for uploading this image. Note how the kook proof connectors are connected to the flight lines. That is by sliding them through for the full length of the flight lines. This is the way they should be attached. This approach makes accidental or easy detachment and inadvertent switching or confusion of the kook proof connectors hard to do.

Isn't this another point of failure, and more things for the line to catch on?

If your point is to use line coloration in lieu of kook proof or polar connectors, that has been done by some manufacturers for some years. People sometimes just don't pay attention or are distracted and hook up mismatched colored lines. Kook proof connectors should remove the ability to accidentally attach the lines incorrectly.



This article was put up in response to a request. It is intended to be considered by people with older kites without kook proof connectors standard on most new kites. These connectors are nothing more than a specialized type of pigtail and have been in use for at least two years. Worn pigtails and kook proof connectors will fail, that is why they need to be periodically replaced.