Kite tuning tips?

[Pablito(guest)]

I had to put a new sheet strap on my Powerlock bar recently, and ever since, I haven' t been able to get it tuned right for the kite (LF Spectrum 10M).

I have shortened the center lines as much as possible at the chicken loop, but the kite still oversheets when the bar is pulled all the way in. The center line pigtails on the kite only have one knot, but the rear lines have two, so I tried flying it today on the lower knot (longer rear lines). All this did was make the kite feel slow and made the back lines saggier than usual.

Any advice?

Paul

[Big Al]

My first question, is were you flying the kite in decent winds (not too light, not too gusty)? If so, some kites act funny and will oversheet with little bar input.

If the wind was good, it sounds like you might have made the back lines too long relative to the front lines. If the kite is unresponsive (with saggy back lines), your front lines are too short relative to your back lines. Try to make minor adjustments until you get it just right. Even an inch will make a big difference in how your kite flies.

If you feel like you cannot make anymore adjustments on your bar, then get new pigtails on your kite and make them longer or shorter as needed.

Good luck.

[sflinux]

Tie your lines to a post or tree equiped with a sling. Larkshead all your lines to a knot on the sling. When sheeted out and bar pulled all the way in, all lines should have equal tension (no slack or droop). Lengthen or shorten the appropriate lines to make them equal. I don't know your bar but sometimes this can be done by putting knots in your rear leader lines if they are too long. Or you can replace your rear leader lines with new spectra ones if they are too short. I find it easier to adjust the rear lines to match the front lines.
Adjusting the pigtails on your kite is another option, but you would have to do this for all the kites that you use for this bar, so for me is not the ideal option.
-bric

[Pablito(guest)]

Yes, this kite always has oversheeted when the bar is pulled all the way down quickly. However, now it's oversheeting from about mid-way down -- any time I lean back, it loses power.

What was confusing me is that the kite was both non-responsive AND was oversheeting when the bar was pulled in.

If the kite can go from front lines being too short (non-responsive) to front lines being too long (oversheeting) in a single full pull of the bar from top of chicken loop to bottom, does that mean the chicken loop is too long and needs to be shortened?

The front pigtail knots are very close to the kite (can't get any shorter, even with different pigtails). ON the ground (peg method) all the lines are equal lengths.

[sflinux]

Pablito,
Oversheeting means your rear lines are too short. There are two ways to make your rear lines longer: 1) sheet out with you sheeting system 2) hook into your chicken loop and push the bar away. If you did both of these then your rear lines are too short. You can test all of this on the ground by tying the lines to a post.
I can't comment on your kites unresponsiveness, depends on the wind. I doubt that your chicken loop is too long. I like a lot of chicken loop. People with short arms like short chicken loops. You can visualize what's happening when you tie your lines to a post. Play with your sheeting system, then play with your chicken loop. It will be obvious if something is out of tune.
Sounds like your kite was way out of tune when before it was oversheeted when the bar was pulled all the way down. The fact that it is oversheeted when you pull the bar mid way down shows improvement. With how it is tuned now, If you synched in on your sheeting system, when you pull on the bar all the way down, you should not lose power (be oversheeted). But I would tune your bar so all lines are of equal length when your sheeting system is fully extened and you are not hooked into the chicken loop and pull on the bar.
-bric