Dialing in the uni

[southsoundtree]

What is your hybrid experience?

I an still climbing on my original HH, with minor wear. My daily driver.

Tail weight doesn't matter... no bend of the rope.

 

[evo]

Wrench, hitch hiker, akimbo, (f-8) and a little time on the bone

 

[evo]

Basically in wrap mode srt, it starts creeping and I have to feed rope or have a ‘brake’ hand above the uni to push myself into a rappel

I can try to push and feed the tail around the wrap but it’s a fine line before I let too much slack into the wrap and the upper arm reengages

 

[evo]

Should have a hank of kernmaster all poly delivered tomorrow so will see if the thinner line helps

 

[oceans]

Now I’m thinking about what @DSMc said about a brake hand, and I e said it before in some other thread. But mostly I’m thinking about my ART Positioner 2. A good number of folks level it for being too binary…stop or free fall. It took me some time to make it second nature, but all I seem to have to do to get good one handed control in most scenarios is guide the rope over the control lever with one finger. The more you bend the rope, the more you can feather your movement.

So, all that said, that’s mostly while working on a vertical spar or making short movements for positioning. But there has to be something there…more than just the right rope. At one point I think someone was running some kind of wrench thingy above the Uni, and there may have been a prototype that had it incorporated into the top link.

This thread is just like I stated, I really want that thing to be the answer, and it’s sooooo close! Come on Morgan, use your brilliance!

 

[evo]

Now I’m thinking about what @DSMc said about a brake hand, and I e said it before in some other thread. But mostly I’m thinking about my ART Positioner 2. A good number of folks level it for being too binary…stop or free fall. It took me some time to make it second nature, but all I seem to have to do to get good one handed control in most scenarios is guide the rope over the control lever with one finger. The more you bend the rope, the more you can feather your movement.

So, all that said, that’s mostly while working on a vertical spar or making short movements for positioning. But there has to be something there…more than just the right rope. At one point I think someone was running some kind of wrench thingy above the Uni, and there may have been a prototype that had it incorporated into the top link.

This thread is just like I stated, I really want that thing to be the answer, and it’s sooooo close! Come on Morgan, use your brilliance!

I’m not sure if this was your suggestion or not. I think I will take the wrap, with a slack tail (just tail weight) and then pinch the arms together. Maybe just the tail friction will help smooth things out

 

[oceans]

I’m not sure if this was your suggestion or not. I think I will take the wrap, with a slack tail (just tail weight) and then pinch the arms together. Maybe just the tail friction will help smooth things out

That idea wasn’t my intention, but I’m happy you’ve had another thought to try out. It sounds like it could work. If this goes long enough and resolves issues for enough people, @Tom Dunlap will have to rename the thread ‘rise of the Uni’ or something.

I’m going to have to poke through YouTube for a minute because years ago there was a vid of a guy, John O or something, and he was working through a big Planetree on a Uni. Seemed fairly fluid…

 

[oceans]

Yep…one of Bristow’s old videos.

 

[oceans]

He definitely runs his descents in control mode, and seems to be using both hands, one as a brake on the fall and one above the Uni as well…

 

[ATH]

....

This thread is just like I stated, I really want that thing to be the answer, and it’s sooooo close! Come on Morgan, use your brilliance!

scope out the RE booth at TCIA and let us know if the V 2.0 prototype is there - it was in Pittsburgh in 2019...

 

[Brocky]

The bottom part of the Sticht Hitch can be used on most friction hitch for SRT, even worked on the Hipster.

 

[OasisTree]

I have worn out several unicenders , and that is all I use. The rope I am currently using is blue moon, but I have used imori as well, and velocity hot.
I had custom tethers made for my arm length, and use it like a Blake's hitch, only SRS. So my unicender is above me most of the time, unless I clip it in close when I am tied in to a spar.
I also climb only SRS unless doing crane work. I have had no issue with feathering the feed, it sounds to me like you need to do a few fast descents to break it in..

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I've climbed on the Uni since the day that Morgan debuted it. For years I've heard how climbers aren't able to descend smoothly. This has always puzzled me and I've spent a lot of time wondering why I don't have any problem.

After following this thread and doing some more thinking I might have found out a possible detail.

When I started climbing on the Uni I worked with Rich Hattier to design an adjustable tether. We came up with one that used a Loopie splice for adjustment. I could adjust it down tight for ascent, with a neck tether it became the chest ascender in a system. Then, when I was working the tree I could slide it out.

Then I came up with an adjustable bridge for my harness which eliminated the tether. This was a MUCH better solution that allowed perfect positioning of the Uni.

This may be the/a key for having the Uni working smooth. Now I can have it right where my arm and hand can put the perfect amount of squeeze.

Most of the time I put the rope in the @Richard Mumford-yoyoman Climbing Innovations Drum too for work positioning. For anything that might look like a descent I ALWAYS use the Drum

If I were to liken the descent speed/smoothness I can get it would be like a speedometer. What I read is that at the start climbers can set the descent in whole numbers but only get it to work in the odd number speeds. It would look like 1.x then 3.x. With a dialed in system I can feather the descent at 0.0x rates

 

[DSMc]

... I have had no issue with feathering the feed, it sounds to me like you need to do a few fast descents to break it in..

I was just starting to make a comment on this when I read the above post.

Everything that I have used, no matter what, needed being 'run-in' before its true personality and abilities showed through.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

the ugliest modification since (moldy) sliced bread !

What do you envision as a more attractive solution?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

the ugliest modification since (moldy) sliced bread !

What do you envision as a more attractive solution?

 

[evo]

I have an adjustable bridge set up, and the new hank of kernmaster poly came in. I'd love to try it out tomorrow, but doing a white pine removal and dont want to subject the new rope to that kind of abuse.
@OasisTree Curious on your weight? I'm about 150-155 attractive and 6' tall.. I did actually have it behave when using a bigger saw, so I'm guesing it's a weight/break in/rope size thing..

 

[OasisTree]

I have an adjustable bridge set up, and the new hank of kernmaster poly came in. I'd love to try it out tomorrow, but doing a white pine removal and dont want to subject the new rope to that kind of abuse.
@OasisTree Curious on your weight? I'm about 150-155 attractive and 6' tall.. I did actually have it behave when using a bigger saw, so I'm guesing it's a weight/break in/rope size thing..

Attractive? I guess I dont measure up. Im only 145-150 and 5'9". Using a Petzl Sequoia saddle, but that dont make much diff.

 

[Timberdonkey_059]

I have an adjustable bridge set up, and the new hank of kernmaster poly came in. I'd love to try it out tomorrow, but doing a white pine removal and dont want to subject the new rope to that kind of abuse.
@OasisTree Curious on your weight? I'm about 150-155 attractive and 6' tall.. I did actually have it behave when using a bigger saw, so I'm guesing it's a weight/break in/rope size thing..

Damn and I thought I was the ONLY attractive climber in the game....

 

[SoftBankHawks]

What do you envision as a more attractive solution?

joshin' Tom, I think it is an attractive add-on. Looks very well done, if that's the kind of thing that one needs. I'd like to try it but I also have no problem going au natural. I run two Uni's these days. Half the loading, less wear, lighter feeling on descent etc.