ART BlackBird for "MRT and SRT"

[Crimsonking]

I just always think of sitback like a guitar string, where you can only approach your target from the one direction. With strings, that direction is moving up, tightening - if you tighten up too much then you have to go back down and approach it again on the way up. With ropes, that direction is down, descending, so with climbing and sitback, I always go just a little bit higher than I need to, then sit into the system, then lower just a bit into the best position. With this idea in mind, sitback doesn't bother me at all, generally

You put my habit into words perfectly.

 

[Bart_]

With RW/hitch sitback the issue was not binding the hitch. Another general issue is single increments like doing Tom Jones What's new Pussycat air humping and whether you have to hero hold your progress with one hand while you increment your hitch with the other, or got advanced and jigged in a tending pulley. We've gone tending pulley/chesties so standardly it's hard to fathom the old ways. Rope walking with auto tending! Spoiled! It's when your system has to support you in between increments that sitback rears its head.

 

[ghostice]

Another look at the ART Blackbird popped up. Interesting it seems to have to be "right side up" or have some sidedness to it, with some rope weight in the tail, to "auto-tend" coming back on a limb walk. I like the looks of this thing more and more.

 

[SoftBankHawks]

Climbed with the Blackbird, cool looking and unique design. It's basically a Positioner with transformer like rope wrench. The upper cam flips over to give higher or lower friction. Two lower cams to choose from depending on rope thickness. Rope installation is a little fiddly. Smooth slack tending and easy and intuitive to use release lever for descent. Upper cam hates pine sap, so much so that I'd say it's irresponsible to use in 'sticky' trees, descent almost impossible. I have a short video but it won't upload....

 

[Bart_]

I like how the RW sheepishly emerges from the top during SRT descent. Kevin's a proud papa again. This one works like a traditional hitch/RW where you break/modulate the hitch/lower/rope pinch section rather than modulate the RW/bird like a roperunner. Looks like it works well.

 

[oceans]

Omg I want that. I love how you pull from the middle of the device to descend, so much closer to you. This climber reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite…

Very slick looking device.
$620 msrp

Where are you gonna swing to today, Napoleon?

Wherever I feel like. GOSH!

This video really harkens to the other “jackery” vids. Really cool. The device definitely look interesting!

 

[SoftBankHawks]

Where are you gonna swing to today, Napoleon?

Wherever I feel like. GOSH!

This video really harkens to the other “jackery” vids. Really cool. The device definitely look interesting!

lovely climbing and nice to see a new face in their marketing videos. Joe H's videos are hard to beat though...

I may or may not have been helping out a company as they may or may not be developing a device. although there may be no truth to the statement of its existence I may (or may not) advise y'all to wait a little as this potentially non-existent device could (or could not) knock the socks off'a the Blackbird.

Just sayin' .

 

[RyanCafferky]

I may or may not know what you are talking about and I may or may not be intrigued. But not intrigued enough to wait…

 

[Steve Connally]

I can say with the utmost confidence I don't know and am curious.

 

[Bart_]

I am curious about if there's any consensus list of desired attributes for mechanical devices. Through the years there have been many anecdotal individual statements. Anyone gather them up and tabulate them? Wonder if some attributes are tradeoffs tuned to personal preference. It would seem that way to me.

I see designs dancing toward industrial units like the ID etc. Way back I was told no self respecting tree worker would use something like the ID. At the time I really didn't understand why.

 

[SoftBankHawks]

I am curious about if there's any consensus list of desired attributes for mechanical devices. Through the years there have been many anecdotal individual statements. Anyone gather them up and tabulate them? Wonder if some attributes are tradeoffs tuned to personal preference. It would seem that way to me.

I see designs dancing toward industrial units like the ID etc. Way back I was told no self respecting tree worker would use something like the ID. At the time I really didn't understand why.

its all horses for courses, mate. what ever style you have, type of work you do etc. I love the Uni, I use it with a tether attached, it's like a mechanical Blakes hitch. APEX Wrench too, with a hitch climber and a hitch minder, just love it so much. Thinner ropes in tall trees are great, TAZ LOV3 is awesome. This non-existent one too, it crosses many stylistic borders, has some charisma too.

 

[SoftBankHawks]

I may or may not know what you are talking about and I may or may not be intrigued. But not intrigued enough to wait…

so, you are intrigued a little bit.

 

[evo]

I am curious about if there's any consensus list of desired attributes for mechanical devices. Through the years there have been many anecdotal individual statements. Anyone gather them up and tabulate them? Wonder if some attributes are tradeoffs tuned to personal preference. It would seem that way to me.

I see designs dancing toward industrial units like the ID etc. Way back I was told no self respecting tree worker would use something like the ID. At the time I really didn't understand why.

I haven’t seen a formal spreadsheet or anything like that.
For me:
Midline attachable with gloves on
Functional equally in 3d (limb walks with weight on rope)
Tunable to rope diameter/wear/climbers weight (personally I don’t switch ropes frequently so adjustments can be swapping parts)
Rebuildable replacement wear parts

 

[Bart_]

Perhaps I can add:
Some tolerance for pine pitch as possible.
Doesn't endanger your dental work/face during use (early zk1 size comment).
Falling stick can't actuate release/descent (Reg vid).
Not jerky descent stop. Or twitchy release. Smooth.
Doesn't creep.
Self tailing, or not (?) was mixed opinion early days.
Can be used 3:1 rads.
SRT and DRT either no change or minimal fuss.
No droppable parts at height (akimbo feature).
Corrosion resistance.
Dirt dust chips don't eff it up.
Long wearing bollard surfaces.

 

[evo]

Self tailing on ascent but when advancing it allows you to pay out rope so you can toss it without fear if it all zipping through the device

 

[ghostice]

I'd like CE Cert markings - also indicates mfgr is capable of recall and will keep Lester the Safety Inspector happy . . .

 

[SoftBankHawks]

Midline attachable with gloves on CHECK


Functional equally in 3d (limb walks with weight on rope) CHECK


Tunable to rope diameter/wear/climbers weight (personally I don’t switch ropes frequently so adjustments can be swapping parts) CHECK


Rebuildable replacement wear parts X


Some tolerance for pine pitch as possible CHECK


Doesn't endanger your dental work/face during use (early zk1 size comment) strange request…CHECK


Falling stick can't actuate release/descent (Reg vid) offering several configurations, CHECK


Not jerky descent stop. Or twitchy release. Smooth. CHECK


Doesn't creep. CHECK


Self tailing, or not (?) was mixed opinion early days. CHECK


Can be used 3:1 rads. CHECK


SRT and DRT either no change or minimal fuss. CHECK


No droppable parts at height (akimbo feature). CHECK


Corrosion resistance. CHECK


Dirt dust chips don't eff it up. I'll add some grammar to your sentence; 'dirt, dust and fried potatoes don’t fuck it up' CHECK


Long wearing bollard surfaces. CHECK


Self tailing on ascent but when advancing it allows you to pay out rope so you can toss it without fear if it all zipping through the device CHECK

 

[surveyor]

 

[RyanCafferky]

Midline attachable with gloves on CHECK


Functional equally in 3d (limb walks with weight on rope) CHECK


Tunable to rope diameter/wear/climbers weight (personally I don’t switch ropes frequently so adjustments can be swapping parts) CHECK


Rebuildable replacement wear parts X


Some tolerance for pine pitch as possible CHECK


Doesn't endanger your dental work/face during use (early zk1 size comment) strange request…CHECK


Falling stick can't actuate release/descent (Reg vid) offering several configurations, CHECK


Not jerky descent stop. Or twitchy release. Smooth. CHECK


Doesn't creep. CHECK


Self tailing, or not (?) was mixed opinion early days. CHECK


Can be used 3:1 rads. CHECK


SRT and DRT either no change or minimal fuss. CHECK


No droppable parts at height (akimbo feature). CHECK


Corrosion resistance. CHECK


Dirt dust chips don't eff it up. I'll add some grammar to your sentence; 'dirt, dust and fried potatoes don’t fuck it up' CHECK


Long wearing bollard surfaces. CHECK


Self tailing on ascent but when advancing it allows you to pay out rope so you can toss it without fear if it all zipping through the device CHECK

Is this your review of the might be imaginary device that you may have been testing? Or is this your review of the Blackbird?

 

[SoftBankHawks]

Is this your review of the might be imaginary device that you may have been testing? Or is this your review of the Blackbird?

The former.