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pumping up kites w/ air tanks

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sailrtnow
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pumping up kites w/ air tanks

Postby sailrtnow » Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:31 pm

Does any body have any info on what parts are needed to use scuba tanks to pump up kites; or any other methods short of using an air compressor?

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Kite Scarecrow
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Re: pumping up kites w/ air tanks

Postby Kite Scarecrow » Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:50 pm

sailrtnow wrote:Does any body have any info on what parts are needed to use scuba tanks to pump up kites; or any other methods short of using an air compressor?
Elliot Leboe had a write-up on it last year in one of the kite mags. You might try to track down his email address and email him. Google his name and you will have tons of hits for a start.


iAN

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4T
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Postby 4T » Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:21 pm

i counted the pumping strokes to fill the leading edge on the xbow 12m and it takes just over 100full strokes to inflate the LE. the pump is rated at 2Litres per stroke. so it's about 200L of air going into it.
how many litres of air would you get out of a dive bottle? especially towards the end with a necessary pressure of 7psi to fill the kite LE?

one of my crazy ideas to fill a kite incorporates a hose from the exhaust of a car straight onto the LE... :o
there is a bag like car jack available that works that way.
would the fumes damage the bladder?

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Postby Baboon » Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:34 pm

Piece o cake. I `ve done this.
first guestimate volume required for bladder and struts . I came to 297 litres for a RRD type z 13.

Find out what your filling supply is rated to. Ie some dive shops only fill to just over 200Bar...some 300. Private folk can get upto 400(but tank is probably flammable gas tank) I would not recomend.

choose your tank .Aluminium is lighter and often to 220 bar unless going for O2 tanks. Steel heavier but can do 310bar sometimes more.

For tanks there are only 2 main manufacturers worldwide...Luxfer and Faber.

Choose your tank valve(pillar) ...A clamp or DIN(A clamp not usually rated fro more than 220 bar)

I used a cut off charge whip straight from an A clamp block with no reducers for simplicity and the only control being the pillar valve.

But from there onwards you can have inflation valves off reducers(1st stages) etc. and whatever you require will be on the market. DIN fittings are a bit more limited in fittings and costly.

I keep it simple and lightweight as possible

Works fine but a bit of a gimmick if your back is OK

dont leave your bottles in the heat/sun

Lastly...if you get your bottle/ filling pressure just right allowing for spillage and have around 30 litres left in the tank and your mates are buzzing around well impressed. Tell them they can have a shot after you if they put it away for you:D :D
Last edited by Baboon on Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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jatkinson
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Postby jatkinson » Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:44 pm

You should get around 2200L out of a standard scuba tank.

I think that you can probably fill 7 kites from that. This is a guess, somebody else can do the physics.

You would need a cheap scuba regulator (find a used one that is cheap but working, no need for anything good as it is not lifesupport), and a nozzle (these usually have a spring button that you push to allow air flow).

It will be easy to overinflate, so be careful

JJ

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scuba tank to inflate

Postby Kite Brazil » Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:35 am

Contact AJ from The Kite House Bahamas - thekitehousebahamas@gmail.com and ask him, as it's the only thing he uses!!

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Postby 4T » Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:07 am

jatkinson wrote:You should get around 2200L out of a standard scuba tank.

I think that you can probably fill 7 kites from that. This is a guess, somebody else can do the physics.

You would need a cheap scuba regulator (find a used one that is cheap but working, no need for anything good as it is not lifesupport), and a nozzle (these usually have a spring button that you push to allow air flow).

It will be easy to overinflate, so be careful

JJ
how much does a refill of a dive bottle cost?

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Postby kcsurf » Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:36 am

has some one tride helium
like for light days and big kits

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KiteKarl
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Postby KiteKarl » Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:45 am

kcsurf wrote:has some one tride helium
like for light days and big kits
Do a search for helium. The topic has been covered on this forum ad nauseum.

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Postby kcsurf » Tue Jan 31, 2006 4:07 am

thanks kite karl
I shuld of looked it up


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