windstruck Posted August 17, 2015 Report Share Posted August 17, 2015 One of the fun and useful things many of us do is create useful modifications to otherwise stock kiting equipment, whether they be control bars, buggy parts, etc. I greatly enjoy reading about these on kite forums (this one and PKF) and have taken a lot of inspiration from other's designs as I attempt to create modifications to my own equipment. I thought I'd start a thread to provide a showcase for people's ingenuity that hopefully we can all benefit from and enjoy! I know that my mods will pale to some of the really wonderful innovative work that has been done out there. With a heap-full amount of humility I submit my first, a nifty little bar upgrade for my quiver of Born-Kite NASA Star 3 kites (2.5, 3.2, 4.0, 8.5, 10.0, and 12.5m). Yes there is a big gap in the middle; it is being filled with 5.0 and 7.0m LongStars! I'm a buggy pilot and I wanted one single bar for my entire NS3 quiver. Problem was I felt that the smallest kites turned too crazily for my liking off the standard bar that Steffen supplies, while the bigger kites turned too sluggishly. I searched around a bit and found a wonderful bar that allows for quick movement of the pigtails creating four widths on a single bar: 45, 50, 55, and 60 cm. The standard bar is just under 50 cm and is a one-size-fits-all. Here is how I break it down for the NS3: 45 cm: 2.5 and 3.2m 50 cm: 4.0 and 5.5m 55 cm: 7.0m 60 cm: 8.5, 10.0, and 12.5m True to form, my 2.5 and 3.2m Stars are "detuned" slightly when flown off what is effectively a narrower bar than stock and my 8.5m has more spunk flown at the wider position. It just takes seconds to move the pigtails to the desired hole position. Here is a link to the bar: http://www.kiteattitude.com/english/control_bar_features.htm Chook, jhn.holgate and ssayre 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssayre Posted August 17, 2015 Report Share Posted August 17, 2015 Steve, I really like that bar. How do you change positions? might be a dumb question but I couldn't tell. Also, I didn't see a kite only option on the link. Did you buy yours there or somewhere else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2015 Sean - You move from hole to hole simply by untying the pigtail knot, pulling the line out and putting it the new hole and retying the knot. Easy peasy. I bought my bar on eBay from a guy in England. I just checked and that item wasn't still available. Not quite sure what advice to give you but maybe some searching around will yield something. The quality of the bar is top notch if you can find one. I know it comes in one smaller size too, I think 40 - 55cm or maybe 35-45cm. I would go for the same size as I got. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssayre Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 (edited) @windstruck, it just occurred to me that your bar was designed for depower and there is much less demand on the steering lines with a traditional depower kite. It will be interesting to see if the plastic holds out under high tension. I might be wrong but it looks like the knot rests directly under each hole which would put the full force on the plastic piece on the bar. In other words, it doesn't run through a second hole right? I don't think any kite bars are commercially made for the nasa stars including the one that born sells with it. I have bent my street kite bar and figure it's only a matter of time before I bend or break my 3 line bar. It took a huge amount of force to bend my street kite bar but it happens. @IMK has broken one of the bars with his 2.5 meter nasa star I've heard. That pretty much makes him one of the coolest nasa star users even if he did break his bar. I'm almost a little discouraged I haven't broken one yet. Edited August 18, 2015 by ssayre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaysmith Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 it just occurred to me that your bar was designed for depower and there is much less demand on the steering lines with a traditional depower kite. It will be interesting to see if the plastic holds out under high tension. I've worried about this myself as I created my own crossover bar for my Buster 3.3 out of an old slingshot bar I had lying around, one day I think one of the ends will let go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 I think there is always the possibility of the bar breaking. It is quite heavy which likely equates to good strength. The plastic ends are pretty sturdy but the chance nonetheless exists for breakage. Time will tell. I've had some pretty considerable force on the bar (enough to yank me sideways in my buggy) and so far so good. Gending the bar with 2.5m in the air! Man, it had to be blowing. 3shot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMK Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Yeah, I broke the bar when buggying with the 2.5m. A nasty gust came though and before I knew it my bar was broken and the kite was gently floating down. I didn't even get pulled out of the buggy. Steffen replaced my bar with a different model from HQ which I understand is much stronger. I believe the centre section around the hole is thicker. I think this might be the standard bar that you guys are using. I'm impressed that @ssayre has bent the upgraded bar! windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3shot Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Original Gansta longbar mod for the Nasa Stars . It is a great improvement. IMHO. The center of the PL bar is much thicker than the stock NASA bar. @IMK, this is the bar that came with my Stars immediately before the release of the NS3. Sean, is this the same HQ bar you bent? I can't remember. windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssayre Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 @IMK, it was actually the streetkite bar that I bent and it's not thicker in the middle like the standard bar. I was using it unhooked in the buggy on 5m lines with the 2.5 meter on a gravel parking lot. Very windy and if data for the day is correct I had some 45 mph gusts with base wind in the high 20's low 30's I was holding it with one hand and got it too far behind on a turn when a gust hit. I'm not sure how I held on, but I did and this was the result. The really surprising thing is I thought once bent, like all tubular metal, it would fold in half easily the next hard gust, but it hasn't. I finished the day with it that day and have used it several times since without it getting worse. I haven't had a gust as hard as that one but I've put plenty of power on it since with no change. It seems to be just as strong as it was before the bend but I find that hard to believe. I actually really like the bend in it for short line one handed control on buggy or longboard windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMK Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 You did well to hold onto it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Jason - that is one sweet bar and was the one I was originally searching for (in vain) when I came across the Universal bar. You remain the original "gangsta" in my book. Sean - seeing that bent bar and hearing how you were holding it in the middle with one hand at the time truly puts you in world-class Popeye forearm category. Are you missing your calling not going for it on American Ninja Warrior? Forearm and grip strength seems to be prized in that competition like no other. Actually, the visual I had in my mind was from those Worlds Strongest Man contests they still show on ESPN. The specific move is a guy standing between two pillars holding onto handles chained to two pillars falling away from him like Sampson! What can we say, you're a STUD. 3shot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssayre Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 thanks Steve, but I'm not extraordinary. I was just determined not to lose my kite to a tree as I was in a narrow spot and I didn't have a leash tethering me to the kite. There was a building 50 yards upwind that created a wind shadow so when I got to the ends of the building the wind came with fury. Expecting that, I believe I actually had both hands near the center of bar when the gust hit and then just one hand when it went behind me so no super human strength. And I would be the fattest ninja the world has ever seen. windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 Hey guys! I was hoping folks would post other cool after-market mods they had created. I posted my simple little bar mod as a prime-the-pump post. I'd love to get inspired by other much cooler projects! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soliver Posted August 20, 2015 Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 And good thing it didn't pull your shoulder out of socket Sean!!! I didn't realize that was the scenario when the bar bent, but it sounds like you were in good hands to come away unscathed from that! I know, I know... I'm particularly safety minded after my injury, but DANG! windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windstruck Posted August 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 Nothing shameful about a little caution; I'm still healing from my latest accident.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3shot Posted August 20, 2015 Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 Last accident Steve? What happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaysmith Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 Hey guys! I was hoping folks would post other cool after-market mods they had created. I posted my simple little bar mod as a prime-the-pump post. I'd love to get inspired by other much cooler projects! I haven't got any photos yet but I'm currently working on converting my Pansh Adam 4.5 to depower which involves making 12 new bridal lines and associated depower pulley system. I may get some time to take some photos this weekend to show what I have done so far. windstruck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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