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I acquired this Sky Genie from Peter La Plante in 2003.
The central portion of the Sky Genie is a forged aluminum shank with a rope guide and attachment hole at each end. The central shaft is 19 mm. in diameter and 96 mm. long.There is one 11 mm. rope groove at the top and two (spaced 180° apart) at the bottom of the shaft. The lower eye is a 19 mm. circular opening with an 11 mm. wide notch extending the total height to 33.5 mm. This is the tie-in point. There is a 19 mm. wide, 24 mm. high eye at the top that must never be used as a clip-in point. Near the top is a knurled knob set on a 4.5 mm. Allen-head cap screw fits a notch in the cover to lock the cover in place. A spring-loaded button near the bottom fits a hole in the cover, also helping to hold it in place.
The cover is made from 1.5 mm. sheet aluminum rolled into a near-cylinder, with a 13 mm. gap for inserting the rope. The internal diameter of the cover is 43.5 mm. There are two dimples at the top and bottom that align with the rope notches in the shank (one dimple at the top is superfluous) to help keep the cover from wearing the rope.
The top eye area has "SKY GENIE" in raised letters on one side and "PAT 3250515 COSTA MESA CA." in raised letters on the other side.
This is a smaller version of the Sky Genie. There are no marks on it to indicate a model designation. I do not know the function of the notch in the lower eye, or why there is a radius surface for the rope to leave & reenter the cover at this point.
The small sky genie functions just like the Model D, although the printed directions for the number of turns are different. The cover gives the following recommendations:for the number of wraps:
| Slow Descent | 4 turns for 150-200 lbs (70-90 kg) | Add 1 turn for each additional 50 lbs (23 kg) |
| Medium Descent | 3 turns for 150-200 lbs (70-90 kg) | Add 1 turn for each additional 50 lbs (23 kg) |
Personally, I think this is closer to reality than the instructions on the Model D, but you should follow the manufacturer's instructions in both cases.
The
Sky Genie is NOT reversible. If used upside down, the cover
may come off, leaving the rope free to uncoil.
[ Top | Small | Model D | Return to Vertical Spools ]
I acquired this Sky Genie from John E. Weinel, Inc. in 1989.
The central portion of the Sky Genie is a forged aluminum shank with a rope guide and attachment hole at each end. The central shaft is 20 mm. in diameter and 113 mm. long.There are two 15.5 mm rope grooves (spaced 180° apart) each at the top and bottom of the shaft. There is a 19 mm. wide, 25 mm. high eye at each end. The lower eye is used to clip in, while the top must never be used for this purpose. Two notches at the top aid in tying off. Near the top is a knurled knob set on a 4.5 mm. Allen-head cap screw fits a notch in the cover to lock the cover in place. A spring-loaded button near the bottom fits a hole in the cover, also helping to hold it in place.
The cover is made from 2.1 mm. sheet aluminum rolled into a near-cylinder, with a 14.3 mm. gap for inserting the rope. The internal diameter of the cover is 52 mm. There are two dimples at the bottom that align with the lower rope notches in the shank to help keep the cover from wearing the rope.
The top eye area has "SKY GENIE MOD D T2&3" in raised letters on one side, "DESCENT CONTROL INC" in raised letters on the other side, and "3" and "8" stamped in the end. The bottom eye area has "PAT 3250515" and "CAL NO 03020" in raised letters on one side and "COSTA MESA CA." in raised letters on the other.
The Sky Genie has been around a long time, and I suspect it inspired similar devices such as the Miller Descent Device and the Frost Rope-rider II.
The
Sky Genie is NOT reversible. If used upside down, the cover
may come off, leaving the rope free to uncoil.
The rope is rigged by removing the cover, wrapping the rope around the helical groove the proper number of times, and then running it out the longitudinal groove. The cover is then replaced. Instructions are clearly printed on the device, and give the following recommendations for the number of wraps:
| Slow Descent | 5 turns for 150-200 lbs (70-90 kg) | Add 1 turn for each additional 50 lbs (23 kg) |
| Medium Descent | 4 turns for 150-200 lbs (70-90 kg) | Add 1 turn for each additional 50 lbs (23 kg) |
Personally, I prefer fewer wraps, but you should follow the manufacturer's instructions. Like all vertical spools, I find that this one causes me to spin as I descend.
There are two rumors about the Sky Genie that I am a bit hesitant to relate, but there is something important to learn here even if the lore is myth (and a friend of mine who sells equipment as a competitor to Sky Genie assures me that these are myths). The first is that there have been numerous lawsuits due to accidents caused by this device. Considering how common it is, I can almost believe that. The second is that the company never lost because in every case, the user failed to follow the directions clearly printed on the device. The lesson is clear: no matter what the device, learn to use it properly.
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©2007, Gary D. Storrick