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Line, Winders & Accessories

Dan Leigh, 54 Osborne Road, Pontypool, Gwent, Wales, UK NP4 6LX

 

· Current lead time for a custom kite is approximately two weeks, depending on what it is
· LIMIT: Three kites per order

Kevin Flynn photoThe kite is an experimental scaled-up Wildcard >


Spools, Line, Swivels, Clips & Hardware Catalog
click on links for pictures

Strong Plastic Kite Spools
UK delivery for spools: £1.90 inc VAT
8 inch/20cm
Kite Spools
£4.00
(£3.40 w/o VAT)
Hoop SpoolCapacity: about 1,000 feet of 88lb line
Comfortable to hold
Ideal for travelling light
(Click here for warning)
BRAIDED DACRON* POLYESTER LINE
*Dacron is the trade name for this synthetic fiber in the United States, and the name is commonly recognized in other countries as well. It's also known as Terylene in Britain and most of the British Commonwealth. In France it's Tergal; in Japan Tetoron; in Russia Lavsan.
Guidelines: 50-55lb for Little Bears & Whirlwinds in light winds, 55-88lb for Clippers in light winds and Whirlwinds & Wildcards in light-to-medium winds, 143lb for Wildcards in breezier weather, and anything up to 200lb (or even more) for Troopers
Ockert (Germany) 55lb test (25daN) 88lb test (40daN) 143lb test (65daN)
500m (1,642ft)
5 connected 100m spools
boxed
£31.75 (£27.02 w/o VAT) £35.00 (£29.79 w/o VAT) £37.25 (£31.70 w/o VAT)
UK Delivery £2.85 per 500m
1st Class Packet
£3.15 per 500m
1st Class Packet
£3.50 per 500m
1st Class Packet
Price for 500m including UK delivery and VAT £34.60 £38.15 £40.75
Ockert "Climax Black" lines (black flecks on white) are durable, strong for their thickness, soft to the touch, and knot beautifully
300m (984ft) special order from manufacturer - 88lb and 143lb in stock
300m on single spools (55lb not available) Ockert Dacron Black 88lb
£22.50 (£19.15 w/o VAT)
Ockert Dacron Black 143lb
£24.00 (£20.43 w/o VAT)
UK Delivery   £2.25 per 300m
1st Class Packet
£2.85 per 300m
1st Class Packet
On flying lines: use good quality, locking snap swivels that can't be pulled open (remember Murphy's Law) and use only the strongest knots
HARDWARE: click on links for details
UK delivery for small items: 0.45p
Snap Swivels
Crane Interlock
Snap Swivels
Medium: 38p each (32p w/o VAT) Large: 54p each (46p w/o VAT)
Cabela's Premium Coastlock
Ball Bearing Snap Swivels
£3.98 each (£3.39 w/o VAT) Stainless steel 175lb-test swivels for 120lb+ line
Ready-made Lure Line Release Linkages for Falconry: click on links for details
UK delivery: 0.90p
Running Snap-Aways
Braided wire linkages for clipping lure lines on, either right at the kite or onto a Line Hanger further down the line
Online Snap-Away Kit
Repositionable
A Running Snap-Away linkage with Line Hanger
and mini carabiner
£11.00 (£9.36 w/o VAT)
Kite Snap-Away Kit
Attaches to kite's towing ring
Line Hanger not included £9.00 (£7.66 without VAT)
supplied with mini carabiner
Extra Online Snap-Away Linkages 2 versions £6.00 (£5.11 without VAT)
for the linkage only
or
£10.00 (£8.51 w/o VAT)
for the linkage with mini carabiner
Extra Line Hangers · light weight wire
· won't damage kite line
· won't slip - shouldn't fall off
· easy to attach anywhere along line
· two types - one with O-ring, one with clip
£1.45 (£1.23 without VAT) with ring for
older Snap-Aways with adjustable clips
or
£4.00 (£3.40 without VAT) with clip for
all Snap-Aways with O-rings
Note: click here for Line Releases on the web
Spare Clips and Rings
Adjustable Ring Clip - fits 13mm clear plastic O-rings
· for falconry
£2.80 each (£2.38 without VAT)
snapgate Mini Carabiner
imported (used by falconers since 1996)
£4.85 each (£4.13 without VAT)
Cabela's premium quality stainless steel coastlock Ball Bearing Snap Swivel
black
£3.98 each (£3.39 without VAT)
Why these?
ultralight wiregate Micro Carabiner
not recommended for attaching lure lines to kite lines
£1.50 each (£1.28 without VAT)
large Carabiner Clip
3.2 inch long (8cm) alloy carabiner-style clip - good for walking line down
£1.40 each (£1.19 without VAT)
13mm clear plastic "O" Rings
· choice of thin (2.0mm) or thick (2.4mm) rings
· to fit Adjustable Ring Clips
5p each (£0.04 without VAT)
10 for 40p (£0.34 without VAT)
3/4" OD alloy O-ring (13.5mm ID) 10p each (9p without VAT)
1" OD alloy O-ring (18.0mm ID) 14p each (12p without VAT)

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Flying lines


Choose the right line for the the kite!

Choosing line

The line is an integral part of the kite+line system.

Line is chosen on the basis of both the size of the kite and the wind it flies in. You need light line for small kites and heavier line for big ones, and for any given size you need light line for light wind and heavy line for strong wind.

Rough guide to choosing flying lines:
For light wind, use a breaking strain (in pounds) of 2 to 3.5 times the square footage of the kite (rounded to the nearest square foot).
5 or 6 times the wing area is "normal," while for stronger winds use 8 times or more.

At the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens most flyers used 80lb line regardless - in case a kite got stuck in a tree! Lighter lines would inevitably break with the tugging, whereas with 80lb they'd get the kite back (not necessarily unscathed!).

Typical flying line: braided DACRON. It has low stretch (~4% max) which gives good responsiveness. It's reasonably priced, though price varies with quality. It's made for fishing and therefore readily available. Go for uncoated line, or a non-sticky coating. Waxed line can stick to itself on reels, requiring you to pull the line off by hand in light breezes.

The cheapest lines are twisted nylon and monofilament nylon. I still use some old twisted nylon on one reel. Although initially it's a little too stretchy, it's durable and really good for tying knots. Monofilament, also commonly used for angling, is relatively inexpensive, and because it's so smooth gives good flying angles. However tempting, it should be avoided for serious kite flying. While safe to use when brand new, it can part suddenly without warning after it's been used a few times. All it takes is one little innocuous kink to weaken it at a point, creating a stress concentration. You probably won't notice anything until it's too late.

Top of the food chain are the so-called "high tech" lines. These are aramid and coramid fiber lines with sensational strength for their thickness. They go by a variety of trade names. A line that looks like dental floss can have a breaking strain of nearly 200 pounds. Low weight and minimal drag mean high flights and stupendous flying angles, and with almost zero stretch kites flown on them are super-responsive. They do not come cheap, and there are a couple of other downsides to them in addition to cost.

One is that they can be downright dangerous, especially on big kites that pull hard. Think cheese cutter. They have been known to lop the top off the metal frame of a baby's pram. They've sliced through gloves, skin and tendons. And they cut through themselves wherever there's pressure, i.e. at all knots. These lines must be threaded through sleeves of braid wherever knotted, which means field repairs require not only advance planning but also a significant time slot. Some flyers feel the gain in performance is worth the effort. In light winds these lines are peerless, and in strong winds their drag is minimal, so kites can climb to much steeper angles than they could with ordinary line. 1,000 feet of 80lb twisted nylon has about 4 square feet of surface area and significant weight. The equivalent high tech line is much thinner and lighter, and can virtually double the performance of a kite in any wind, but heavier ones with a higher breaking strain than necessary are usually chosen for the extra margin of safety.

An assortment of lines is essential for flying in a wide range of winds.

The force the wind exerts varies with the square of the wind speed. With light line you'll get the steepest flying angle and the best possible performance in light winds and thermals, while heavier lines give more steadiness and stability in breezier conditions.

For example, consider line 1/16th of an inch in diameter. 1,000 feet adds up to over 5 square feet of surface area, which equals a fair bit of drag in addition to its shear weight. Modern, super-thin, high-tech aramid or coramid line makes a very significant difference in light winds. The reverse is true for strong winds. Extra-heavy line helps to counter-balance the pull, and the line's inertia and drag help keep everything steady, leaving the kite more manageable.

So, having a selection of lines is most useful, but if you have only one reel, the trick is to have kites for different winds that all require the particular line you've got. In practice, especially if all one's kites are within a particular size range, 2 or 3 lines cover most situations.

Care of line

Watch when winding line onto reels - make sure it goes on evenly and flat; nurture the habit of winding with a side-to-side action so you don't have to watch it constantly. The objective is to avoid a buildup of coils of line at the reel sides, which can roll off under tension. The line can then pull underneath and get severely stuck in what we call a "bird's nest."

Through normal use, kite lines eventually develop weak spots. Always keep an eye on your flying line as it goes out or comes in. Be on the lookout for frayed spots, cuts, pronounced kinks, surface abrasion - any damage that could weaken the line. Cut these out then-and-there and use a Blood Knot (or Double Grinner) to join the line. A small, sharp pocket knife (or scissors) comes in handy in the field, as does a cheap lighter for melting the raw ends of knots after trimming - in a pinch it could all be done with just a lighter. Replace worn out line before it breaks!

The last few yards of line at the swivel end is most likely to show signs of wear, and can be chopped off periodically, re-tying the swivel; this job is best done at home.

Never leave discarded sections of old flying line in the field.

A word about knots

Regardless of what reels or winders you use, or what kind of line, bear in mind they won't be any stronger than the weakest links - the knots. It pays to do some digging to find and learn a few good, handy knots. Fishermen have an arsenal of favorite knots, but for the rest of us a good little knot book is a most useful reference. Be sure to use one that indicates the relative strengths of the various knots, and look for knots between 90 or 95 and 100% efficiency. Many common knots actually weaken the line, reducing the breaking strain by as much as 50% or more.

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Some UK kiting suppliers:

1)

EMKAY
Unit 13C, 97A East Road, Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 7EH
UK
Tel:08451 30116101529 41570007090 88990007960 056678
E-mail: more@kites4U.co.uk
On-line shop: Kites and More (also called Kites4U)

Ockert Climax Black, Dyneema, aramid and coramid polymer lines

Be sure to ask for a "sleeving kit" with aramid or coramid lines!

2)
Kites Up
The Chapel, Farleigh Road, Cliddesden, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG25 2JL
UK
Tel: 01256 812487
Mobile: 07778 352825
Fax: 01256 812487
Website:Kites Up
e-mail: roy@kitesup.co.uk

Flying line and kitemaking materials

3)

The Highwaymen
2 New Buildings, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 1HW
UK
Tel: 01455 230736
Website: The Highwaymen

Line, spools, materials, and Cox reels

4)

Veal's Mail Order
On-line shop: www.veals.co.uk
Tel: 01275 892000 | 0845 644 1993 (local rate)

Veal's Mail Order offers a good selection of fishing lines of interest to kiteflyers, including:
Mason Dacron "Offshore" - 100yd connected spools: 50, & 80 lb
Dynon 3000 - high-tech line in 540yd (500m) bulk spools: up to 100 lb
Berkley "Iron Silk" - super-polymer line with molecular reinforcing network. Super tough, abrasion-resistant and smooth (it says here); 275 yards of 50lb per spool.


Follow this >link for a knotted-strength comparison of several 20lb braided lines

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Weather instruments

For a wide range of pocket wind meters (at reasonable prices) and other weather instruments visit: Skyview Systems
Look for "Handheld Instruments"

Skyview Systems
Skyview Centre, 9 Churchfield Road, Chilton Industrial Estate, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2YA
UK

E-mail: skyview@rmplc.co.uk
Tel: 01787 883138

Also supplied: lightning detectors that can detect lightning up to 40 miles away and warn of approaching electrical storms

 

Trick of the Eye Kites in Guernsey stock two relatively inexpensive electronic wind meters including the Skywatch Fun

Tel: 01781 100079

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Spools & Winders


Hoop SpoolHoop Spools
8in/20cm diameter x 1½in/4cm wide

These plastic kite spools are the next best thing to proper deep-sky reels (see below). They're light, easy to carry and inexpensive. They hold plenty of line, and wind in a lot per turn. Letting line out with drag is easy, and the grip is comfortable for any length of time.


"Yo-yo" Spools (if you can find them) are similar to Hoop Spools, but asymmetrical: one of the side flanges is slanted outward so the line can literally fly off, if they're just turned sideways or left lying on the ground. They're especially good for letting line out fast.


Mick Beasley Handle ConversionsMick Beasley conversion

Mick makes this handle conversion for the ubiquitous spoked plastic spools available in the UK, rendering these otherwise uncomfortable spools usable.

Mick Beasley, Unicraft Design, 41 Welbeck Avenue, Hinckley LE10 2JH
UK
 
Tel: 01455 635376
Specify left or right handed!

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Deep sky reels, line, spools and swivels

In the US - but ship world-wide:


Deep Sky Reel from Into the Wind
Into the Wind
1408 Pearl Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302
USA
Tel: +1 (303) 449 5356
E-mail: kites@intothewind.com

Stockist of line, swivels, tubing, spools, winders and the only Deep Sky Reel I know of available anywhere

Home | Contents | Catalogs | Falconers section | Reels and spools | Knots | Delivery and payment

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©1998-2008 Dan Leigh, 54 Osborne Road, Pontypool, Gwent, Wales, UK NP4 6LX

URL: http://www.deltakites.com