As a first purchase, I probably go for the assortment pack of Heat Shrink as it costs roughly the same as at most two different metres of bulk heat shrink, and add a little glue inside it. (It does not come up under a Maplin search for "heat-shrink" as the metre lengths do.) But that is a detail.
We'll see if there is any business that I can send your way rather than the long wait for post from Seattle. If needed I can send you the dimensions for most current Prism kite spars and the location of their fittings.
For the DIY challenged kite enthusiast, the cost of buying a dremel drill and cutting wheel for cutting the spars, perhaps some glue, some heat shrink, and a heat shrink gun, and then learning a succession of new skills, is quite an outlay for a "simple" repair.
Its good to know that we have a commercial supplier in the UK who will do the hard work.
- For myself, I used to use heat shrink at work, but still don't know where I would get an economical heat gun that runs between 70 and 120 C from. (Looking around the home: the hair dryer is hopefully too cool, and the paint stripping gun is too hot.)
Thanks for your support anOldMan. No, I never expect to win an argument with Craig.
But it is strange/curious that we have a hobby, where not only do people learn how to trick kites, but also have quite extensive skills on how to maintain them. (Not just fit a new spar, make up a new spar from a rod, parts and materials.) Perhaps it is a hangover from a past where almost everyone made their own kites. - It would be quite something if every one who drove a car could do their own servicing, or if most tailors could dismantle and service their sewing machines. etc....
Zippy8 wrote:damp_weather wrote:Returning to Prism - What could they do to ensure a better quality product?
As far as I'm concerned they could make the world's finest entry- and mid-level kites, built to impeccable standards with a faultless backup system for when things go wrong, and I still wouldn't be interested. Those aren't my kind of kites. Prism have all but abandoned the upper end market niche, in which they were once pacesetters, and settled for more mass market fare. I didn't. I'm sure we'll hear soon enough just how super-ginchy the E3 is but.... meh
I wonder if a good approach might be buying in a contemporary high-end design, Prismifying it and actually using that as a halo product in a way they so obviously didn't with the QPro.
Prism were once genuinely the benchmark for build quality and service. Other people had to respond to their lead or look bad. Do they want that position back or are they happy with their new clientèle's more... restricted... expectations ?
Mike.
I think that Mark Reed is accepting of their present position.
For myself, I am still learning, and puzzled by what the flying differences may be between a mid-level and high-end design. Some months ago you did a survey on opinions about the manufactured quality of various kite makers' work. The results looked about right. But regarding why forum members like to fly particular kites, that is still a mystery. The E2 was the main featured kite in Prism's "Freestyle Pilot" DVD, and it looked pretty impressive there. It is likely that the E3 will have a similar feel to the frame, (perhaps a subtle bit less rigid as the leading edges won't be pre-stressed into curves). But essentially it is likely it will be able to do all the tricks that the E2 can do, and because of its high aspect ratio and weight, be a bit more pitchy and so better for wrapped up moves.
So, besides cost, what is the real difference between that and a high-end kite? - The high end kite may better made, it may have a more rigid frame - and so be easier to throw around the sky....???? At what point in the progression of learning every more difficult tricks do they become easier to learn on a high end kite??