Distal/VT

[Dan Flinn]

I was going to post this under the "split tails" thread, but decided I'd better start a new one.

I have the pics of the distal and have tied it a few times. My question is this, what size rope do I use for the distal hitch? Is ist the same size as my climbing line or smaller?

Does anyone have a picture of the VT?

Thanks for everyone's help,
Dan

 

[TREETX]

For my distal, I am using smaller line. 74 inches of 8mm. 48" for the hitch with 26 for the double fishermans knots. I have found 9mm to be optimal.

Try this for the VT. http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=50180

May want to look at these. http://community-2.webtv.net/acutabovetree/RopesSplicingKnots/

the Howard hitch and the XT hurt my face if I look at them too long.

At times, I think of the KISS theory.

 

[treeclimber165]

I've been using the Distal for a couple months now and really like it. At first, I thought I needed a longer tres cord. But several here told me that it should be as short as possible.
I'm running a 4/1 Distal using 8mm T-900 (better than Ultra Tech and cheaper). It is 40" long untied, 22" eye-to-eye tied with double fisherman's knots. I'd make it shorter, but I wouldn't be able to tie it unless it was spliced at the end. I need clearance for the double fisherman's knots. Having it shorter gives me more predictable behavior (it grabs the same way every time) and makes slack tending easier.

The length of your tres cord will vary depending on what type and size you use. JPS told me his was 18" or 19" eye-to-eye, but I don't know how he manages to tie his friction hitch unless he is using a 3/1 Distal or something.

 

[Dan Flinn]

Thanks so much for the help! I'm headed to the local outdoor shop (Diamond Brand) for the 8mm T-900.

Dan

 

[treeclimber165]

Daniel turned me on to an online source, SailNet. It's $1.26 per foot, I bought 30' and got it in 3 days. Comparing it side-by-side with Ultra Tech, it has a tighter weave and seems to last longer.

http://www.sailnet.com/store/departments.cfm?id=856

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I get 5/16 stable braid from https://ssl2.adhost.com/seamar/merchant.cfm?pid=52323&step=4 for .28 per foot +shipping. with shipping a 20ft hank was under $13 or .65/foot.

These hi-tech fibers are great, but not realy needed for this application. 10k# is great, but on an I&I cord that is 20K#, I'll stick with 4k cheap stuff, the sheath is all the same and will burn out just as fast, which is the biggest reason on would get rid of a tress cord.

I'm buying it in bulk which reduces the total cost even more, and I can sell a little to friends, like drugs, it supports my habbit. I got a spool of Tenex a while ago, list was .30/ft. After shipping it was around .35, so that makes on cord using 2.5 feet less then a buck.

I also donate to the local tech coledge Arborist program.

 

[Kevin]

I found a bunch of tenex at TCI and bought enough to last a while.
I`m now awaiting splicing instructions on the eye to eye.
Samson had a demo at TCI which was good to see but difficult to remember.

 

[treeclimber165]

Kevin- Splicing Tenex

Kevin,
Tenex is by far the easiest rope to splice. I spliced some using the directions on a New England web page (lost the bookmark when my other computer died, I'm sure someone can post it- JPS?). I've never spliced before, and spliced the Tenex in about 20 minutes without any special tools. My third try was just over 5 minutes.

I was very disappointed in the spliced Tenex prusik I bought from Sherrill for a tres cord. It wore out in 4 days and I didn't care for how soft it was. I think the T-900 holds the shape of the hitch better.

 

[Kevin]

I have instructions for the brumel but I`m not certain if it`s one and the same.

<blink>Breaking News</blink>

I found it ...

http://www.neropes.com/splice/default.htm

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

What they show is the mobius brummel, what you need to splice T-900 or UT.

Yuo can skip a few steps in that list and do a good locking brummel. 4-9 i think.

 

[Kevin]

Samson has an eye splice for their tech 12...

http://www.samsonrope.com/home/recmarine/splicing/index.cfm

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

And you can get on their splicing instruction email list!