I have a Prism Stylus P4, which has the capability of converting from a 2-line to a 4 line. So I did.

I replaced the straps with OZONE handles and kite killers, and added 150# Spectra lines for the brakes.

The lead lines are 100' 300# Spectra lines. I've been flying the kite for about 2 months, so I don't think the lines have stretched that much.

I went to launch and the brake lines immediately pulled the kite into a spin. After untangling and adjusting the lines, it seems the lead lines are about 4' longer than the brakes.

Is it normal that lines the both are supposed to be 100' could be so mismatched?

Also, now that I have things adjusted, it seems the brakes are a little too long. How much difference should there be between lead lines and brake lines?

It's probably stretch. The lines stretch more than you would think. The brakes should be a little loose, but not so loose that you can't stall the kite and reverse launch the kite.

The lines should be the same length, any intended difference would be accounted for in the bridal lines. 4 ft of stretch would seem a bit excessive; if it's really stretch you should be able to stretch out the other lines to match. I can't give a number on the length difference between the lines; depends on the kite, wind, and flyer. As Maven said, the breake lines should be a little slack while flying but you should be able to apply brakes and have the kite reverse w/o turning too much into a flaining beast. When you look at the kite in the sky it shouldn't look like the training edge, where the breaks attach to, is being pulled in any way. By pulling on the brake lines you should be able to visually see when the brakes kick in.

I had probably a foot of stretch on one of the lines that came with my Prism Nexus.

So much for pre-stretched lines.... unless the job was sub-contracted to some really anemic church mice.

4 ft of stretch seems ludicrous.

ATB,
Sam

Did you use the lines that came with the kite for your power lines?
I broke the 200# lines that came with my P-3 and then broke the 300# replacement lines , and the 400# replacements worked till I had to shorten up one side by 14". I would replace the line set on the kite to something of better quality, and something that is a 4 line matched set.
Just my 2 cents.

Quote:

Originally posted by arkay When you look at the kite in the sky it shouldn't look like the training edge, where the breaks attach to, is being pulled in any way. By pulling on the brake lines you should be able to visually see when the brakes kick in.

unless , you are flying a PLReactorII, properly tuned it has a slight crease just above the trailing edge. see pic.

I have never had spectra lines stretch that much. They are supposed to be prestretched but they do still grow. I would contact spectra and ask them about it. Like I said I've always had good luck with the company.

Did you buy a premade quad lineset?

or...

Did you buy bulk spectra and tie them yourself? Did you buy one set of dual 300#s lines and one set of dual 150# lines and combine them to make a quad set? Are both the brake and power lines made by the same company?

If you answered "yes" to the first question ignore the rest but if you combined lines from two different companies or tied your own or bought cheap quality line then 4 feet of stretch could be possible. I would stretch the brakes and see if you can match them. If not, undo the sleeving on the powers, slide them up 4 feet to equalize to the brakes and then retie and cut the bitter end off but only do that after pre-stretching the brakes and leave enough bitter end (say 12") to allow you to lengthen the power lines to account for brake line stretch).

The most stretch I've ever had on quality spectra or premade sets was six inches and I got that both on Laser Pro Spectra which I bought in bulk and tied and a pair of flexi extreme lines. On the LP set I chalked that up to poor prestretching on my part. On the flexi set I never compared the lengths when the kite and lines arrived but after flying the powers seemed to stretech but the brake and power lines were quickly equalized when I flipped them and flew (brakes to powers and vice versa) allowing the brakes to stretch out back to their intended length. In this case, I don't think it was so much a matter of stretch but almost more like a case of shrinkage in between the time the lines were made and ultimately flown or better prestretching of the power set.

Just for the record...spectra does not stretch.

Spectra line however is braided. The actual braiding process is highly guarded and very secretive as that is what gives spectra kite line it's superior flying quality. What you will have in spectra line is called "creep". This is when the braid of the line actually locks and tightens up against itself - allowing the line to "creep" out and become longer. The actual spectra fibers do not stretch at all and will break instead of stretching.

The braid makes all the difference in the world!!! A high quality braid such as Laser Pro or Shanti will have appx. 2% to 4% creep factor meaning that on 100' of line, they will "creep" or stretch as it is normally called up to 4" when brand new but once the braid in the line has been locked together there will be no creep. It is normal for a brand new spectra lineset to gain about 4 or even 6 inches when brand new if it is not pre-stretched before tying. Once the lineset has had a good solid stretch on it to lock in the braid then it shouldn't have any more creep at all and should be good for the life of the set.

Dyneema line is similar to Spectra line but the actual fibers used in Dyneema are a different diameter and could have dozens of different types of braiding on them. Normally a high quality Dyneema lineset will have appx. 6% to 10% of creep and about 2% of stretch. Still, Dyneema line should only have about 8" to 10" MAX of overall creep.

Now, there are some companies that produce a very low quality spectra line or even produce a "Spectra Blend" line. This line is not 100% spectra or Dyneema but is a combination of some spectra fibers and some other line such as nylon or even polyester. These lines could have a ton of stretch and creep in them and are not recommended - especially for power kites.

Back to the original question:

You need to check your lines when ordering. When you purchase a 100' lineset, many shops will send a 30 meter lineset instead. Even the factory could have included a 30 meter lineset and called it a 100' lineset. If you try to match up two different 100' linesets from two different suppliers you will probably get a huge difference between the two. A 30 meter lineset is only 98.4' which is two feet shorter than 100' but it is still usually referred to as a 100' set.

The only way to get a matched set is to either purchase one that is pre-made as a matched set or you will have to match the two sets together when you get them on the flying field.

Hope this information helps.....it is worth every penny you paid for it.