Since there are a bunch of new owners receiving their units these days, I thought it would be helpful to start a thread where we could post our simple and/or stupid questions, and share tips and tricks without creating a new thread for every topic.
This is my first paramotor, so I definitely will have a lot of questions going forward. Here’s my first one:
Do people normally disassemble the hoop every time they pack up for the day? Maybe it depends on how much storage space you have available? My garage isn’t that big, so it’d be pretty challenging for me to store it assembled. Does it get easier to assemble/disassemble the hoop and spars? My connection points were pretty tight and it took some elbow grease to get them all to go together. Aside from accidentally bending or breaking something, is there any disadvantage to disassembling it every time? Do the connectors degrade or get too loose over time?
Most of the locals here keep the machines gas or electric assembled but pilots living in small quarters it may not be an option.
The hoop and spars will loosen a bit over time if you assemble/disassemble the machine each time. Get a 3lbs rubber mallet and gently tap the hoop connections from the frame side while pushing the hoop section in with your other hand.
I use a rack on the car. Quick and easy. 20 seconds on…20 seconds off. If the weather turns bad, I can always take it apart and put it in the car. Bill
Thanks for starting this thread grigsby. I too am a first time paramotorist, so I will be on this thread alot.
I like the idea of an external deck on my car, though I may not be able to easily fit one on my all-electric Hyundai Kona. It’s definitely a compact and I’m not sure if I can equip it with a receiver, which would be my first choice. I also like the prospect of being able to use the height of the deck as an assist to more easily get into the harness. I suppose this would only work out if I can drive right up to the takeoff location.
Hi. Will someone share the dimensions of a fully assembled SP140? It doesn’t have to be exact. I’d like to see if it will fit in my vehicular unit with the seats folded down. Thanks
The diameter of the hoop is 60 inches. Without the hoop, the frame is about 36 inches tall, 16 inches wide, and roughly 28 inches deep (from the tip of the swingarms mostly extended to the motor hub).
I did my shakedown cruise this morning. I didn’t launch because my morning window of opportunity closed, but it was a good trial run to make sure I had everything sorted.
The field I want to fly from is inaccessible by car, so it requires about a 15-minute walk pulling my cart full of gear. I brought a tall pole and windsock, assembled the cage when I got there, and got as far as connecting the wing and kiting for a bit. Everything went well.
Unfortunately, I’d left my house later than planned, and by the time I got myself all sorted out and comfortable, it was about 11:00am. The winds had picked up and the sun was strong. I was pretty sure things were going to be thermic and rough up in the air, so I opted to stay on the ground.
Tomorrow morning looks like it has potential, too. I just need to get my ass out of bed a little earlier.
I know what it’s for – I’m a paraglider pilot, so I’ve definitely used it and know when it’s useful for paragliding. But I haven’t figured out when it would be useful for PPG?
Do any of you use your speedbar? For what? Or should I just leave it off?
Is everyone’s lower battery cover flush, mine has two spacers in the middle screws and has a rather large gap. I would be surprised if this is normal, and in all of the photos I’ve seen it seems like they are flush.
Are the spacers gold? It’s likely the set screws were not glued down into the hole so the screws could pull the lid down flush. Mine had the same issue along with other damage to my battery upon delivery.
