Soul 9m PMA Adjustment

[mashimisha]

In the last two days (18 knots steady), I tried two configurations:

Configuration A
MIXER: A=0, B=0, C=0, Z=0
PMA Bottom skin: 0-0-1-1-1-1-0-0

Configuration B
MIXER: A=0, B= -0.5, C= -1.0, Z=0
PMA Top skin: 1-1-0-0-0-0-1-1

RESULTS
Configuration A resulted in a very fast moving kite with limited stability and very little grunt/ lift/ hangtime. This might be good for hydrofoil, as it likes to move rapidly to the front of the wind window.

Configuration B resulted in a slightly slow moving kite with amazing stability and astonishing lift / hangtime. This worked beautifully for boosting and carving turns running downwind on a directional board.

Tomorrow, I will experiment further by extending configuration B, as follows:
MIXER: A=0, B= -1.0, C= -2.0, Z=0
PMA Top skin: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

I might also try the following:
MIXER: A=0, B= -1.0, C= -2.0, Z=0
PMA Top skin: 1-1-1-2-2-1-1-1

Will post the results

[keegster17]

Mashimisha, thanks for posting. Just to help out and confirm things, I always find this confusing, you mention top skin and bottom skin. Can we confirm top skin is the kite in the air and the sky is looking down on the "top skin" and bottom skin would be the one the ground is looking up to. I like to confirm this.

and also below the top skin, I assume is from right to left of the kite, so two outside PMA's on both sides where changed only, correct? I am very interested in tuning this kite.

"PMA Top skin: 1-1-0-0-0-0-1-1"

[mashimisha]

Top skin refers to the skin facing the sky, while the kite is flying.
Bottom skin refers to the skin with the line attachments.

Yes, 1-1-0-0-0-0-1-1 means that I adjusted only the PMAs on the tips, and only by one knot.

The wind here has dropped a little, so I will probably be out on my Soul 12m today.
I will continue with the tuning experiments and let you know what I learn.

[mashimisha]

Final Update:

After several adjustment/test sessions, I ended up increasing the mixer adjustment slightly and messing only the PMAs at the tips.
Adjusting multiple top-skin PMAs just slowed down the kite and did not provide any noticeable benefit in relatively light wind. I have to assume that the situation would be much the same when the wind picks up.
I have no way to verify this, but it appears to me that it was the mixer adjustment that made the biggest contribution to performance, with the top-skin PMA adjustment adding a bit of stability to the tips.
I will get the chance to test this in much stronger wind tomorrow.

Final Configuration
MIXER: A=0, B= -1.0, C= -2.0, Z=0
PMA Top skin: 1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1

[nothing2seehere]

I assume that the PMAs start off fully out( without tension) then and that its not possible to move a knot out to release tension?

Logically it seems like this should be the case as you can effectively release the tension on the bottom surface by increasing the tension on the top surface.

[Janus]

Did you actually do B+1 and C+2? or did you mean (and do) B-1, C-2?

[merl]

Did you actually do B+1 and C+2? or did you mean (and do) B-1, C-2?

Was thinking the same thing. (+ here usually means longer, - means shorter)

[nothing2seehere]

^^ Good point. I read it in terms of the adjustment on the mixer. E.g. B is +1 compared to A and C is +2 compared to A.

[mashimisha]

Did you actually do B+1 and C+2? or did you mean (and do) B-1, C-2?

Was thinking the same thing. (+ here usually means longer, - means shorter)

Sorry sorry sorry. I was trying to be so careful about the numbers. I SHORTENED the B and C lines.

I adjusted the four lines (A, B, C, and Z) to make them all the same length and then simply shortened C (e.g., -1 cm), which also shortened B by half as much.
I did not try extending B or C.

I will go back and edit the previous posts. Thanks for pointing this out.

My friend made a video of me bringing the kite down close to the water. Adjusting only the last PMA by only 1 knot was sufficient to make the wingtips flare out noticeably.
I am staying on Bulabog Beach in Boracay. As I write this, my windows are shaking from the gusts on the beach. Windy says 26 knots. I will test this configuration (and my nerves) as soon as the tide comes in enough to ride.

[mashimisha]

One Final Note:

Today, we had some real wind - gusting to 25 kts.
I am not the bravest of kite surfers, but I have boosted my 9m Soul in 25 kt. wind, and soared above the palm trees.

With the above configuration, the kite was so f#*cking strong that I was afraid to do anything. Someone in a previous post mentioned that if you overdid it, you could lose the 'magic'.
I did not enjoy the kite like that. In fact, it scared me.
I landed the kite, returned it to its factory configuration and went out again. MUCH better.
Maybe it is just because I am used to it, or maybe it really did lose its magic balance of power and agility.

You will have to be the judge.