Anthron DSD 30+25

John_KAYS · Sep 19, 2016

Has anyone ever used this device? A friend just gave this to me, and I have never seen one before. I was thinking it might work as a lower-able base anchor for SRT...like the petzl rig. I haven't found too much about this descender and was just wondering what you all think??? I really haven't even played around with this yet so I don't know its full capabilities. Thanks for any thoughts.

John_KAYS · Sep 20, 2016

!Increasing exposure!
:laola:

I will just bump this every once and again to see if can't find someone who knows something about this....

Brocky · Sep 20, 2016

Hi John, Gary Storrick's website gives a good description of it and a warning that it might not grab if it doesn't have enough rope weight under it. To check further information see storrick.cnc.net. Sorry I ain't got none no brains enough to provide a link.

Edit: go to descenders and than false bobbins.

John_KAYS · Sep 20, 2016

Wow thanks, I'll take a look!

John_KAYS · Sep 20, 2016

Now that I am back at my computer I think I found what you were directing me to. http://www.storrick.cnc.net/VerticalDevicesPage/RappelDevices.shtml

Very interesting. Thanks. That is way more information than I have found on this device. I will have to play around with it to see if I can use it safely in some useful way. Like I said before, it might work as a lowerable base anchor, but I am having trouble thinking of another use for it in production climbing. I wonder if it would do well as an element of a z rig or something similar for pulling trees over. Like in the video I posted above at about 2:05.

Brocky · Sep 21, 2016

It looks like both of your ideas would work good with this device. It must be heavy duty if can be used for rescues.

I found the video very interesting in the way the guy was rigged for descending. He must not trust the automatic backups, as he had a Shunt he had to manually release to descend. All his knots were figure 8s on a bight, no ability to tighten them leading to possibly side loading the carabiners, which were screw gates. The Shunt was tied to the front of his harness instead of being dorsal and he used a long solid rope, not shock absorbing with a lot of slack. Perhaps they don't have the same rules as here.

John_KAYS · Sep 21, 2016

Brocky said:
It looks like both of your ideas would work good with this device. It must be heavy duty if can be used for rescues.

I found the video very interesting in the way the guy was rigged for descending. He must not trust the automatic backups, as he had a Shunt he had to manually release to descend. All his knots were figure 8s on a bight, no ability to tighten them leading to possibly side loading the carabiners, which were screw gates. The Shunt was tied to the front of his harness instead of being dorsal and he used a long solid rope, not shock absorbing with a lot of slack. Perhaps they don't have the same rules as here.

I know, right?

It is weird looking into the climbing techniques of other industries. Seems like nobody is as comfortable on rope as us arborists. Maybe it is just that we have so many other things to be concerned with!

But exactly what you said, it is interesting how he has his knots, carabiners and his system configured.

SomethingWitty · Sep 22, 2016

John_KAYS said:
I know, right?

It is weird looking into the climbing techniques of other industries. Seems like nobody is as comfortable on rope as us arborists. Maybe it is just that we have so many other things to be concerned with!

But exactly what you said, it is interesting how he has his knots, carabiners and his system configured.

We're the only ones that use ropes for work positioning day in and day out.

flyingsquirrel25 · Sep 22, 2016

Brocky said:
It looks like both of your ideas would work good with this device. It must be heavy duty if can be used for rescues.

I found the video very interesting in the way the guy was rigged for descending. He must not trust the automatic backups, as he had a Shunt he had to manually release to descend. All his knots were figure 8s on a bight, no ability to tighten them leading to possibly side loading the carabiners, which were screw gates. The Shunt was tied to the front of his harness instead of being dorsal and he used a long solid rope, not shock absorbing with a lot of slack. Perhaps they don't have the same rules as here.

The industrial rope access and rescue world are much different then we do everyday. And many of the guys that do it are far more abrasive than any arborist I have ever met. I believe, as John said, it's because many are not super comfortable with rope because of the infrequency of its use.
This was our teams exciting Monday morning and it showed how little guys train on the rope and how uncomfortable everyone was with it.
John that is a very interesting device I would be very interested in what you come up with.

ARLO · Oct 1, 2016

I have an old Anthron DSD25, which is a virtual carbon copy of the DSD30-25 that you have (see pic). It was purchased many years ago for doing SRT rappels out of bald eagle nest trees. I have only used it a few times, but it works fine and seems safe to me without any additional back-up. Since the invention of the new hybrid devices like the Hitch Hiker, Rope Runner, and Bull Dog Bone, I suspect that most arborists would find little use for rappel devices like the Anthron, unless they are doing very long rappels in very large trees such as redwoods or eucalypts.

John_KAYS · Oct 2, 2016

ARLO said:
I have an old Anthron DSD25, which is a virtual carbon copy of the DSD30-25 that you have (see pic). It was purchased many years ago for doing SRT rappels out of bald eagle nest trees. I have only used it a few times, but it works fine and seems safe to me without any additional back-up. Since the invention of the new hybrid devices like the Hitch Hiker, Rope Runner, and Bull Dog Bone, I suspect that most arborists would find little use for rappel devices like the Anthron, unless they are doing very long rappels in very large trees such as redwoods or eucalypts.

View attachment 40083

Yeah, I agree. As I have a Rope Runner and a Bull Dog Bone I can't say I thought twice about this taking their place...but I do have it in my bag of gear now so why not use it for something, right? I definitely rely on the the MULTI of the other devices and can't say I would like to be stuck on a rope with this. It is a cool device though.