Akimbo Rope Runner Pro Free-fall ....

F

fakerubberduck

Location
Florida
I have tested the Akimbo
On the following ropes
Yale blue moon 11.7mm ,
Samson Bigfoot Arbormaster 12mm
Samson Vortex Hot 12.7 mm

I was able to fine tune Akimbo where
ascends and descends are very smooth
but one issue remains on all three ropes
tested. The akimbo slides down the rope
free-falls The moment you untethered
from tending .


Is anyone having this same
Issue with the Akimbo and
Is there any known solution
Or suggestion to correct this
Issue .

Also anyone who may own
The Rope runner pro can you
Report if RRP also has free-fall
Surfs down the rope after untethering ?
 
fakerubberduck said:
I have tested the Akimbo
On the following ropes
Yale blue moon 11.7mm ,
Samson Bigfoot Arbormaster 12mm
Samson Vortex Hot 12.7 mm

I was able to fine tune Akimbo where
ascends and descends are very smooth
but one issue remains on all three ropes
tested. The akimbo slides down the rope
free-falls The moment you untethered
from tending .


Is anyone having this same
Issue with the Akimbo and
Is there any known solution
Or suggestion to correct this
Issue .

Also anyone who may own
The Rope runner pro can you
Report if RRP also has free-fall
Surfs down the rope after untethering ?
Click to expand...
The Akimbo does this and is the reason I stopped using it.
Real sketchy on limb walks.
The RRPro uses a spring to keep the upper bollard engaged so it doesn't free fall as easily as the Akimbo does.
The Akimbo will just collapse when not under tension.

The RRs all have one simple adjustment that works with a range of diameter ropes.
The Akimbo has fixed settings to work with a particular type and diameter rope.
As the rope's dimeter decreases under heavy use (from being weighted repeatedly during in a climb) the Akimbo's fixed adjustments tend to go out of whack.

The Akimbo is a great tool for a fast climb and decent.
To me, it doesn't play well when working a canopy.
 
dsptech said:
... stopped using it.
Real sketchy on limb walks... To me, it doesn't play well when working a canopy.
Click to expand...

I guess I'm going to have to disagree with that. While the Akimbo can require hand setting when using foot and knee ascenders, clipped into a chest harness on a rope walk, it is not the only tool to do this. It is very hard for any device to gain purchase on a cable hard rope, even the RRP.

However, on limb walks or working the canopy in general, I have never felt there was anything other than total reliability.

As suggested, check that the upper cam is functioning properly and also check that your settings did not leave the upper cam too loose and not able to grab.
 
DSMc said:
I guess I'm going to have to disagree with that. While the Akimbo can require hand setting when using foot and knee ascenders, clipped into a chest harness on a rope walk, it is not the only tool to do this. It is very hard for any device to gain purchase on a cable hard rope, even the RRP.

However, on limb walks or working the canopy in general, I have never felt there was anything other than total reliability.

As suggested, check that the upper cam is functioning properly and also check that your settings did not leave the upper cam too loose and not able to grab.
Click to expand...
I found when limb walking if any slack was introduced into the line the Akimbo would collapse and slide down.
I don't have this issue with the OG RR or Pro.
If the Akimbo had a spring on the upper jaw it might help prevent that from happening.
 
CutHighnLetFly said:
My problem was when you release the device to descend, in an effort to make a smooth long descent on a swing or to just a lower point in the tree the device goes, very quickly, from quick descent to almost freefall like fast drop. (@JMerritt I saw an Akimbo prototype my buddy has with a new attachment point that looks like it resolves this issue. Thing was really cool)
The bone can't really ever go into free drop mode. All this leads to the Akimbo being smoother going up, but I don't like the trade.
Click to expand...
JMerritt said:
which one was this? if its jerky on descent try tightening up the bottom setting. i am working on a different spring placement. it seems that is one of the major reasons the akimbo sucks at sap so much.
Click to expand...
Walking horizontally 5-10' out on a limb to a stop.
If slack is introduced into the line at this point the Akimbo will drop if untensioned.
If you were to fall off the limb in this condition you would free fall and that is an undeniable fact.
You would have to have the presence of mind to grab and pull up on the upper jaw to stop your decent.

:baaa:Just my opinion.
 
dsptech said:
... If you were to fall off the limb in this condition you would free fall and that is an undeniable fact...
Click to expand...

I will repeat, your Akimbo is not set properly if that is happening to you. I have used the Akimbo in all sorts of off angled and slack lined positions on both my main line and on a lanyard and never had it not grab instantly when needed.
 
Good for you and your personal experience with the Akimbo, glad it's working out for you. (y)

I posted to confirm @fakerubberduck experience was also experienced by myself and feel it's a safety concern.
I spent enough time with fine tuning the adjustments and could not adjust it to keep that from happening.
It would always grab when weighted on ascent and would descend without issue.
If not clipped into the tending point and only connected to my bridge on a limb walk the Akimbo's upper jaw had a tendency to drop when hanging on the rope without being weighted.
I felt I had to constantly keep an eye on it and lift the upper jaw when this would happen which happened way too much and became a distraction while working that I did not feel comfortable continuing it's use.

I am not the only person to experience this and I don't see how you could possibly adjust your settings to prevent this.
You seem to have managed somehow but for someone new to the device there is a real possibility that this could happen to them and cause injury if not aware.

That is the point of my post.
 
I had issues at first. The upper spring loaded cam sticks from the factory. The tolerance is too tight. All it takes is some light oil and flipping it back and forth a bit. It wears in, and only had to do this once. Since then it’s been golden.
 
evo said:
I had issues at first. The upper spring loaded cam sticks from the factory. The tolerance is too tight. All it takes is some light oil and flipping it back and forth a bit. It wears in, and only had to do this once. Since then it’s been golden.
Click to expand...

RRP or Akimbo?

I had the same issue once my Akimbo was worn in. Releases perfectly but there is a lot of floating around when slack is introduced. Still trying to find the right settings to prevent this.
 
evo said:
I had issues at first. The upper spring loaded cam sticks from the factory. The tolerance is too tight. All it takes is some light oil and flipping it back and forth a bit. It wears in, and only had to do this once. Since then it’s been golden.
Click to expand...
Mine was fine and I used some high end sewing machine oil on it even though it didn't seem to need it.
 
Mine slides down when unweighted. Not a big deal when I'm climbing with just one, but when I traverse with a second akimbo on my captain hook it gets busy. I went back to a rw on the captain and put dos on my lanyard. I feel like a free fall would be unlikely and it would catch, but I'd like to be right about that - anyone done a test free fall with an akimbo?
 
I've tried every setting combination under the sun three different ropes in different diameters it grabs fine as long as there is tension but it goes for a downward ride the second tension is released. I constantly have to manually pull on it to make upper jaw byte down on rope . I done some more research and it seems others are experiencing similar issue. This can be a real hazard if your not constantly vigilant ....
 
Today I was climbing a stone dead Scotch Pine while tied into an adjacent western red cedar. I was climbing on X-static and using the Akimbo. I adjusted it before going up since the rope I had previously used it on needed a lot more tension. I thought I had it dialed in but also had the issue of the device sliding down the rope as soon as slack was introduced. This was rather disconcerting because the tree I was climbing on was incredibly sketchy. I love mechanicals and really don’t like using hitches but in this case a reliable hitch that would fight me to give slack would have been preferable. This is my big issue with the Akimbo is that it just takes more dialing in than I am wanting to deal with.
 
I find all these reports of the Akimbo sliding on a slack line really odd. The very first thing I do when putting the Akimbo on a rope is to set the top cam adjuster tight enough that it will grab every time on a slack rope or otherwise That is a mandatory base setting for safe use and the top arm should not be adjusted below that setting.

If you do that, how are you then getting it to slide when you are using it in the tree?
 
DSMc said:
I find all these reports of the Akimbo sliding on a slack line really odd. The very first thing I do when putting the Akimbo on a rope is to set the top cam adjuster tight enough that it will grab every time on a slack rope or otherwise That is a mandatory base setting for safe use and the top arm should not be adjusted below that setting.

If you do that, how are you then getting it to slide when you are using it in the tree?
Click to expand...

I saw you say "if" there... ;)
 
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