If you need to attach a camera to your kite or balloon line, you can use commercially available line clips, or you can just use a carabiner. Carabiners are easier to find and they don't weaken the strength of the line. Simply wrap the line a few times around one side of the carabiner and as long as the line is under tension, the carabiner doesn't move.
I've used this method successfully for a while on my lifting parafoil that flies at a fairly low angle, and recently we found it to be very successful for attaching a camera to a delta kite as well, which flies at a very steep angle (almost directly over head).
I may have originally seen this idea at http://www.gombergkites.com/line.html#car or possibly another site.
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You can also use the much smaller carabiners often used for deep sea fishing. Remember, they only need to carry the weight of your camera (~300 grammes?)
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Thanks Michele, based on your suggestion, I switched to very small carabiners sold for keychains back in April. they work great-- I've had the same experience-- no line slipping even when my delta is straight over head.
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Oh good! Yeah, it's not cheaper than the KAP Clips, but the carabiners are just easier to find.
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do you think it'd hold enough tension on a balloon flight? Has anyone tried this?
Very cool, i've been hearing about line clipping techniques for a while but haven't taken an opportunity to test them... i'm still tying butterfly knots. But i'll give it a try this week.
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I don't know if it will hold tension on a balloon-- I've been using it on kites. my next balloon flight I'm going to add a loop of line by tying a it on with a prusik knot
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just to report back -- i started using this and have never looked back! Wonderfully minimal! Reduces my attach-to-line time to a couple seconds, and saves my line from lots of wear! Thanks!!!
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