LASERS

Sometimes the button can get long pressed in your bag. The 2022-2023 model has been changed. the modes make it much less likely to accidentally re-calibrate this way, but it can still happen.

If the battery is low, the range will be reduced. If you are having a hard time getting long measurements, try replacing the battery.

Don’t drop it off the cliff, and don’t drop your phone off the cliff, and be careful. Scrambling on cliff edges to check this stuff out is dangerous.

Secondly, the information itself can be dangerous if you allow it to lead you to make riskier decisions based on the feeling of “knowing more”. Conditions always have a big effect on your start profile, and just because the laser says it goes, doesn’t mean it goes in today’s conditions. Be safe!

The BASEline 5.5 android app can be installed on your android phone. BASEline is a web based flight computer for looking at GPS and laser rangefinder data. There is some great documentation explaining the coordinate system, and how the app works with your phone here:

https://baseline.ws/help/app#profiles

If you don’t have an Android phone you can still enter the laser measurements on BASEline manually:

The laser always sends a Bluetooth signal when it is on, the app connects automatically. Measurements are recorded automatically but can also be entered/erased/edited manually.

When Measuring wingsuit jumps to share with others, and for comparison, a good way is to measure along the least committing flyable path. To put it another way: measure along the path with the maximum flyable clearance over terrain even if the path you plan to fly is more committing. You can save this for easy comparison with other jumps. Make lots of measurements on the wall if it is positive, and in the first 100 horizontal meters. Shoot the landing, I have gotten measurements out to over 3000 meters with mine. Name and save your profiles.

There are many sources of error when using a handheld laser and measuring distances over 2000 meters, expect less accuracy for extremely long measurements.

It is also nice to add a saved gps tracks of your jumps to help guess how high you will be over a feature, or how soon you can go right over the ridge etc. The profiles generated when doing this can be messy, but they make sense in real time.

Know how to read your profiles! I would consider the profile pictured here much too short and technical, especially considering the exit altitude MSL. Just because one of your gps tracks looks like it would go doesn’t mean that you will make it. There is no substitute for experience.

Measuring from the bottom is a great way to get a profile, and usually requires less hiking. It only really works when you are in line with the push direction, and measure in a straight line up to the exit. It is easiest if someone is standing on exit and you shoot them, you can get a great profile this way.

The app is great for capturing measurements made in the dark, the laser works great in the dark, but the screen is not backlit so measurements are hard to read. The app provides a great interface.

All of this stuff can be done with the laser, a pencil, and some graph paper. It can take hours to check out a new location. BASEline just makes it way faster, so you can do it in a couple seconds while standing on exit. The app is in development. So let us know if it isn't working right.

Thanks for joining us on this project, see you out there.

Hartman & the SQRL Team