New Look at the ART Positioner VS. Other Options.

I have been using using a distel hitch on my climb line lately, and I now think that if I had it to do over again, I would get a length of 8mm BeeLine and a Petzl Fixe pulley instead of the ART Positioner for my lanyard adjuster. The Positioner is a great tool, but it is more suited to the working arborist using it hooked into the side Ds. I have had several moments when something could have hit the release lever on the positioner: a webbing sling was looped over it once that could have pulled it and dropped me a foot or two, I released it once when reaching over my rope and my arm pressed it down, and when using multiple tie ins with ropes and lanyards and webbing loop confusion around, it can be released by any of this. This causes me to be super hyper-vigilant when I am using it to hang on.

Plus, it's super touchy when your full weight is on it. I'd even go as far as to say you have to take at least some weight off of it in order to start a descent. (granted it's made for an adjustable flipline, not a climbing system.) Rip Tompkins pointed out and demonstrated that the Grillon (same as Gri-Gri only needs tools to remove from the line?) is a much smother operating lanyard adjuster when under tension.

Finally, when footlocking the tail, the Positioner refuses to grip when there is tension on the line below. I have to pull up on the device, or rapidly release my footlock and jolt to a stop.

All this can be fixed by going with a properly sized up eye-to-eye tail, and a little pulley. Plus, Even with a custom sized hand spliced eye-to-eye from Sherrill the price would be in the neighborhood of $60 instead of $147.

Carl

Culinarytracker wrote:
The Positioner is a great tool, but it is more suited to the working arborist using it hooked into the side Ds.

Well, I don't know. I remember being surprised when you bought it but I thought you probably had tried one before spending the $$$. Seems strange if it won't grip a taut rope(?) Does this mean that when you pull on it to tighten it you can then let the rope slip out and loosen it? What does it look like on the inside? Complicated?

My lanyard adjuster works soooo well! The ISC swivel captive eye biner is the ultimate choice but I set up a similar lanyard using steel locking rope snaps.

The cord that I use is New England Tech cord tied with triple wraps. But, your favorite hitch cord would work too.

the picture...

Nice, I'm digging that setup Tom. The snaps have gotten so light compared to what they used to be that I've considered a similar setup. I gotta ask though what's the sewn eye piece on the biner? do you have a DEDA version?

The sewn eye is the terminal end of the lanyard. You can see part of the barrel knot that is tied as a stopper to keep the end of the lanyard from slipping through the distel. I pulled out about four inches of core, cut it off, then milked it back inside the sheath. Then I hot cut the end of the sheath to seal it shut. After that I just tacked the core into an eye so that I can clip it to the biner.

A DEDA would be just as easy to configure.

The ISC swivel eye biner is a dream! With the swivel the hitch is fair to the load 100% of the time. It's hard to imagine a nicer setup that combines ease of use, simplicity and low cost.

What's the cordage on your distel? 6mm, 5mm? Is it load rated, or is it equivalent to the 5500# because of the (basic) basket configuration?

I'm making out my Father's day wish list!

New England Tech Cord

I think it's 5mm

I know that it's 5k# breaking strength.

You must use triple wrap configurations in the scaffold hitch to prevent loosening.

Tech Cord has a springiness to it so that it grabs then releases like your grip on a line. Other cords have a softer hand so they don't 'spring' open to let the hitch slide.

The core does not melt so you should finish it the same way that I did the static line for the lanyard. Cut and seal the sheath for tidy ends.

Oh...I thought the lanyard line was the tech cord. I've never seen that before, I've gotta check it out. I could've use it today too. I was working in a sweetgum climbing on my DEDA lanyard, not having the ability to one hand adjust was a major problem.