I have read quite a few reviews regarding the Ace, and how it wants to drop out of the sky and luff whenever it can.
I spent the other afternoon in steady 10 mph + winds shortening and lengthening lines, experimenting as you do. I had read about the power rings on this forum, and thought I would give them a bash, quickly knocking a pair up from some old nylon crab fishing line, and the rings from my car keys.
What a difference. It realy increases the lift available it quickens the turns, and reduces the luffing, and when it did fall from the sky, the rings seamed to hold the lines and so it never tangled , and I was able to re-inflate and fly it back up every time before it hit the deck. Happy days.
Mongo

Mongo, mind posting a picture of your creation?

Will do, as soon as I get hold of a digital camera.

Doh! Waiting on pictures just kills me. My ACE8.0 luffs after jumps if I'm not carefull. It's really an ART Flying an ACE and keeping her inflated at all times.

I've got a few pictures... hope they help... the Power rings are self explanitory hope the pic helps...

http://www.geocities.com/nebula_43/Kites/powering.jpg

Thanks! That makes sense now. Try and get some one to take a picture in flight too. I imagine such a ring mod would C-Shape your kite helping it turn sharper. I would be concerned if the ring snagged on a bottom knot though. Such a snag might pull your powerline in when your intent was the breakline.

The ACE is a notorious tip folder. I don't see how bringing the tips in would help but keep us up to speed!

The only thing the Power Rings do is bring the Power & Brake lines Parrallel to each other & the ring wont snag on a knot as long as the brake leader lines are long enough & all the knots are taken out of the brake lines prior to running the brake lines through the rings...

Power ring--ronstan pulley type!

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u154/sctridude/IMAG0001-2...

Quote:

Originally posted by SoMoney Thanks! That makes sense now. Try and get some one to take a picture in flight too. I imagine such a ring mod would C-Shape your kite helping it turn sharper. I would be concerned if the ring snagged on a bottom knot though. Such a snag might pull your powerline in when your intent was the breakline. The ACE is a notorious tip folder. I don't see how bringing the tips in would help but keep us up to speed!

On the Bego for example the mod and correct brake line length creates a small crease in the trailing edge of the kite. This is the desired look on the Begos. I dont remember the kite taking on an arch characteristic. Regardless, power rings should increase you turn speed.

I've tried various power ring setups on the ACE's just for kicks. After countless configurations the only thing that was gained was the knowledge that the rings don't help.

Even when you get it to a point where it excels in some characteristic (ie., Lift, Pull, Low wind) you'll find that the resulting insatiability becomes very crippling to the overall performance.

I find the best way to get the most out of your ACE is to take the time to set up line lengths right, I often find it can come within a inch sometimes that makes all the difference. This has been the case for the two 5m and one 6m I've had.

To avoid tip-curl i believe your really going to have to adjust the wash-in via the bridals.

Keeping break and power lines side-by-side with that ring mod might reducee tip roll in over the power lines (hapened to me in low wind with gusts).

adjust wash-in? is that the tip bridal length extenssion tweek I've seen arround? Where are you guys getting your line to do actual bridle length mods anyway?

They worked great on my little Newtech 72" "Riptide" quad-line kite... It loves power rings, now that its been broke(bedded) in about an hour in 15+mph winds as a 2 line then put the quads back on with power-rings, it does all its supposed to do now for a little kite & buzz's around like its on speed in anything over 10mph or so... Not bad for a LESS than 1.0m² kite...

I think if you put 6 ace's next to each other each one would behave slightly different to the others. I have found that to get optimum performance in different wind conditions, the position of the power rings needs adjusting as does the length. The last time I flew the p-ring was around 18" long, and 12" down the flying line.
Still trying to get hold of digi camera
mongo