LCD monitor / NVG Helmet Mount interface

Shown below, is a copy of an old-school, US Army issue, NVG Rhino mount, used for attaching an NVG (night vision goggles) system to a helmet.  I purchased this mount from one of several eBay Airsoft sellers in Asia for about thirty dollars including shipping.

Airsoft NVG Rhino Mount with "Ops-Core" style attachment shroud

Ops-Core style VAS Shroud (Airsoft)  $19.98 incl. S&H

This slot will allow the viewer to move laterally left/right if needed.

VELCRO LOOPED AT BOTTOM

Here is the setup attached to a FAST Base Jump helmet.

                                    

This one cost me $13.75 including shipping from seller - greatfoto, but there are multiple other sellers of this item on eBay.
Coming up next: Attaching GoPro with LCD Backpack to the Rhino Mount.
You can try multiple. alternate eBay searches for the same thing: NVG mount, PVS mount and Rhino mount.
The final element to the project, is an LCD viewfinder/shade hood which acts as a magnifier, as well as a shade hood for viewing the monitor in bright sunlight.  The eBay item was listed – “2.8X V3 magnifying lens LCD Viewfinder FOR Canon 600D/60D.”

These Airsoft devices are NOT designed to hold actual NVGs, which are both very heavy and very expensive, but these reproductions, are fairly solidly made out of metal parts and can easily and safely carry the minimal weight of my mini-monitor system.
The Airsoft Rhino Mount I bought included an aluminum VAS (Vision Augmentation) shroud which can be installed on a helmet if your helmet doesn’t come with an NVG attachment point already.  It comes with mounting hardware, and can be easily installed on some motorcycle and PPG helmets by simply drilling 3 holes.

VAS base shrouds are also available separately.  Apart from adding a kind of cool, technical look to a helmet, NVG base shrouds can also be set up to mount visors, flashlights, headlamps, and as this project shows, you can attach a monitor to frame your shots while in the air.

GoPro produces an NVG camera mount which is available for between 30 and 40 dollars, or you can make one yourself for around ten dollars using a NVG QD cover plate available from various Airsoft suppliers around the world.  See my post for a Do-it-Yourself NVG mount for a GoPro Camera.

My flight helmet is a non-ballistic, sport version of a military helmet made by Ops-Core, called a “FAST Base Jump Sport" helmet.  See my review of the Ops-Core helmet here.  It has an NVG mount integrated into the front of the shell, which can hold either a GoPro in an NVG Camera Mount or this project's monitor mount system.  Or actual night vision goggles, if you’re crazy enough to fly at night like this guy is doing.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71RCRguWJAU  (Youtube – "Paramotor flying with nightvision.3gp") All completely illegal, of course, probably pretty much everywhere, but pretty cool nonetheless.

Authentic Rhino mounts sell for upwards of a couple of hundred dollars brand new, but I have seen used mounts regularly sell on eBay for LESS than what I paid for my copy.  Trouble is, there are strict rules about the export of these items out of the USA, so unless you live in the US, you will probably have to be satisfied with the Airsoft version.  A real unit would be preferable in my opinion, however, if you happen to live in the US, and have the time to wait for a deal on eBay.  My copy is a little bit crooked, and the detachment button is a bit sticky. 

NVG Rhino mounts have a second part, called a J-Arm, that snaps into the front of the mount and holds the actual NVG monocular or binocular in place, but the J-Arm isn’t necessary to make this project, and good luck getting one of these parts if you live outside of the USA.  The Airsoft version of the J-arm is reputed to be junk.

Also, I don't think a J-arm will work for this project, as most people will probably want the monitor to be a few extra inches from their eyes in order to focus anyway, so the J-Arm isn’t actually needed.

Are we sitting comfortably?  Good, then lets begin.

You’ll need:
An NVG Rhino mount - or a copy, costing about $30.00 shipped.

An Equinox 2.5” monitor, (about $55 shipped via eBay) and appropriate connectors and cables.  You can also use the GoPro Backpack LCD monitor, and these aftermarket cables here: http://www.chargeconverter.com/store/sandisk?product_id=157 This cable is engineered to use the GoPro's HD backpack "bus" interface, and allow you to view the LCD Backpack separated from the camera, but the Equinox provides a larger view area, is only about half the price, and also features internal power.  The GoPro LCD back pack is a power pig, and will significantly cut into your GoPro battery power.

You’ll also need:

-A strip of aluminum, steel, or steel scrap, about 3” long, and between 1 3/8” and 1 1/2" wide. 

-Some zip ties, and,

-a drill, and maybe a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel.  And a small Torx screwdriver.

The object is to create a new J-arm for the mount that will be a little further forward than the one designed for actual night vision devices.  It will also be flat, perpendicular to the horizon, unlike an NVG arm which is curved downward.
 

You'll need a piece of aluminum scrap about  1.5" X 3" and at least 1/16" thick.  Cut a basic J shap, and drill four holes for the zip ties.  You will also need to make a slot for the 1/4" tripod screw so you can attach the shade hood.  I drilled two holes and Dremeled out the space between them, so I can later adjust the mount when worn on a helmet.  The completed mount can now slide a little left to right as needed.

Drill a hole (2-holes actually) for the 1/4 inch tripod screw you will be attaching.  Dremel the holes to make a slot, so you can ultimately get some sideways adjustment for your viewer.

Using a small Torx screwdriver, remove the plastic block behind the J-Arm receiver on the mount.

Zip tie the monitor to the J-arm receiver.  I spray painted mine with black laquer paint firs

The J-Arm receiver will slide forward and backwards and lock into eight different positions.  When not being used, the monitor can be slid into the rearmost position, and then slid forward when you’re in the air, and want to frame up your shots.  (The arm is currently in its forward-most position in the pictures above.)

Attaching the monitor itself to the Viewfinder, shade hood was a challenge, and here is my solution.  

You'll need two very small zip ties, (100mm) attach two holes drilled at the corners of the strap attachments on the monitor, and two corresponding holes in the metal of the attachment frame.

It wont work so well on the thinner bottom edge, and you need that edge clean and flat so the magnets on the shade hood will keep the hood solidly attached.  So I sewed a strip of 3" X 1 1/4" nylon fabric to the bottom, and two strips of hook and loop Velcro.  

A little epoxy cement under the fabric keeps it from moving after it is sewn on. This thin fabric that loops over the bottom section of the mount, in the picture below, does not interfere with attaching the magnetic shade hood.  

And the Velcro allows the monitor can be opened up from the back for battery change-out, if you are using the spare batteries that are cheaply available.  However, you can charge the monitor battery without opening the thing up if you prefer, so this last sewing stage can be a glue job instead of hand sewing, or machine sewing the strap and Velcro.

Here it is with the monitor flipped up and out of the way.

And finally, shown utilizing the magnetic shade hood.  Apart from making a superb sun hood, allowing the screen to be seen in the brightest glare conditions, the 2.8 power magnification eyepiece makes it ideal for people who need reading glasses to see stuff.

You don't need to use the magnifying shade hood, but I like to, and not just because the magnifier helps me see fine detail.

A word on the eyepiece:  The magnets may want to pull away from their plastic slots on the hood.  So I used a drop of epoxy under each of the four magnets to keep them from ever coming out and getting lost.  But once you get them permanently glued, the shade hood clips on pretty snugly, with corner protrusions that center the device, and it sort of "clicks" into place.

When flying, I keep the hood on a lanyard around my neck so I don't lose it.  I wouldn't rely on the magnets alone to keep it attached, as the magnetic attachment alone would never survive the knocks of a typical flight. For the most part, the LCD viewer is visible in daylight conditions, and the hood need only be swung up and clipped on occasionally.

Tripod Quick-Release Plate and GoPro Interface

GoPro makes a tripod mount that utilizes a standard ¼ - 20 receiver bolt which will thread into most tripod screws.

GOPRO TRIPOD ADAPTER  - $9.99

They're inexpensive, and just the thing if you want to hook up to a mini-tripod like a Gorillapod.

But any tripod worthy of the name has a quick-release plate that clips into the tripod head by a quick-release lever, and it is a time-consuming pain-in-the-butt, to attach your GoPro to these mounts.  First, you must screw the thing on and off, which takes time, and since your camera is probably attached to one of the GoPro’s other mounts, you have to unscrew the thumb-turn and switch the camera over to the tripod connector as well.  Furthermore, your tripod plate is probably attached to a different, larger camera to start with, so in all probability there was an additional unscrewing step involved as well. 

Instead of all this, why not integrate your tripod's ingenious quick-release concept, with GoPro's unique quick-release format, into one handy DIY project?  It's an easy one.  You can watch a video demo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzK9-Hyo338

Somewhere in the house you probably have an old VHS tape container, even if you don’t have an actual player anymore.

This VHS plastic cuts easily with a razor knife, and a ruler.  Cut some strips to match the footprint of your tripod’s quick release plate.  Unfortunately, all these plates are different and aren’t interchangeable.  I made two, one for my Sony branded travel tripod, and another for my Rokinon/Fidelity monopod.

You want to make a little step pyramid of plastic squares.  Cement them together with strong contact cement.  I like BARGE general-purpose cement, which is popular with shoemakers.

Build your little pile just a little bit larger than the plate that you are duplicating, and then use sandpaper, a grinder or a file to smooth the sides, while you test fit it intto your specific tripod.

Now, cement a standard GoPro flat mount to your plate, and add a countersunk screw for added solidity and security.The picture above, has an early version with Velcro sewn to a plastic square base.  This would be useful for someone who has a variety of Velcro based camera platforms.  I drilled through the top of the mount right out the bottom and counter-sunk a screw to hold it securely together.  Then I trimmed off the excess from the bottom and applied the 3M Velcro.

Because I use my monopod a lot in the air, I made a plate specifically for it, so I can quickly switch between the GoPro and my Vixia.

If you want, drill out a hole into the bottom, large enough to fit a 1/4" - 20 steel nut, and fill in the gaps with J-B Weld, or 60-minute epoxy. Now your mount can adapt to a mini-tripod as well.

But better yet, just build a simplified, dedicated mount, specifically for your Gorillapod or mini-tripod, skipping the angles, maybe just a simple square, or an oval, and using yet another flat mount that can actually incorporate GoPro's quick-release capability.

Put the "Quick" back into quick-release.  GoPro has made a very clever, quick-release format, and the easier it is to snap over from one mounting platform to another, the more likely you will be to actually USE them all.       

Adding Music Speakers to NAC headphones.

Like a lot of other PPG pilots, I fly with NAC intercom/communication speakers on my helmet for in air comms with ground partners, or other pilots.  I've come up with a simple modification to allow me to listen to tunes while flying, without compromising my comms ability.

Many pilots just shove a pair of  noise-cancelling earbuds into their heads before donning these ear-muff style headsets and swear that not only is the sound excellent, but that the additional noise dampening effect of the earbuds is a value added bonus.   I did try the buds, but just didn't find them comfortable with my helmet as I could feel pressure on the earbuds from the headset pressing against them.  And it means extra, loose wires to contend with, that have to go under the earmuff pads, which is less than ideal.

Also, while the earbuds worked okay most of the time, once in a while, one or both buds would shift slightly in my ears, or even fall out, which was getting a little annoying, and not much to do about it once I was off the ground.

My NAC headphones are designated Peltor H520P3 but this mod will probably work on any Peltor headset including simple noise-attenuation, or "ear-defender" style earmuffs.  This modification is very simple, and only requires a drill or a Dremel tool to accomplish.  Or even a small file, since you are only working with plastic.  When completed, the wiring is neat and squared away, and only requires 'on and off' for your music system to work.

You’ll need a set of helmet speakers of the type used for speaker-ing the inside of motorcycle and ski helmets. I picked up this set of knockoffs from an eBay seller "exrell" in China, for $4.39 including shipping. The listing was for "Motorbike Motorcycle Helmet Stereo Speakers Volume Control for MP3/4 Radio iPod."

Or try something like these IMC HS-200's which are sold in bike stores and online for 40 bucks.  

                                            

If you use the inexpensive eBay guys, start by tossing the foam covers, and their Velcro backing.  You won’t need them. Or the included 3.5mm male to female extension cable either in all likelihood.

Then pop off the cushioned rubber earpieces on your Peltor headset.  They are designed to open up for battery changes, and they just snap in and out.  However, you may find a sharp tool may help them come off if you’re having any difficulty.  

Then drop in the flat mini-speakers.  Notice that the hard while plastic ovals on the back of the earpieces, have a tiny hole cut drilled in them in the lower-half where the internal NAC speakers sit to let the sound out. 

I used a Dremel with a burr attachment to cut another hole over the new speaker for the same purpose.  The large, sloppy looking hole on the top right is mine, to mate up with the new drop-in speaker beside it.  A drill would have made a cleaner job, but you can't see it when assembled so I took minimal care.  The gray, acoustically permeable material that is glued to the edges of the other side of the white ovals will peel back with relative ease.  You can see the backside of this material through the drill holes.

Then I cut a notch into the plastic cups. I chose the top/rear of the headphones, so the speaker wire will be close to the wires for the comms.  Then I just snapped the headphones back in place.

The hole I drilled below, is actually quite a bit larger than it needs to be, as the speaker wire is pretty thin.  A simple slit cut with a hacksaw blade would probably have sufficed.

These little eBay speakers do have a left and right.  So before you install, plug them into your computer monitor speaker output, and play this youtube test program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ODm-F9-IM

That's it.  The sound from the el cheapo eBay speakers is okay, but not super loud.  About as loud as the earphones that Apple gives you with a new iPod.  You may wish to amp these up to overcome motor noise. 

I ordered a self-powered, mini-amplifier, the FIIO E6 for $23.00 (incl shipping) from Amazon to punch up the volume.  It's super-small, about the size of a book of matches, and although I lack instruments to definitively measure, I'd say that the volume in my speakers is almost doubled.  So much so, that at max volume the headset is uncomfortably loud, and I have to dial it down even when the motor is on.
A nice review here: http://anythingbutipod.com/2011/10/fiio-e6-portable-headphone-amp-review/
                                       
An earlier generation of FIIO's amplifiers, the E3 is simpler, and less expensive.  It's a little bigger, because it's powered by a single AAA battery instead of a lithium battery/USB interface, and this might better suit some people.  It only costs ten bucks on eBay with shipping included.

The main difference between the E6 and the E5 is the fact that the E6 is made of plastic and is consequently 15gr lighter than the aluminum E5 at 30gr.

I used Barge all purpose contact cement to attach some hook Velcro to both my IPod Nano and the Fiio amp to the to mate with the Velcro on my FAST helmet.

All I have to do now, is to turn on the iPod, and I'm good to go.

One other thing.  My NAC phones are hardwired to a Garmin radio 2.5 mini-plug.  Another bonus of having a second set of speakers with a connected 3.5 mini-plug, is I that can sometimes opt to fly without music, but rather choose to  monitor the air band of my local airport with my Yaesu 120 scanner instead.  While the private airport I sometimes I fly out of is unmonitored, incoming aircraft give a heads-up that they are on approach about 5 miles out from the runway they're coming in on.

The Yaesu also has a 3.5 mini-plug out connection, like that of my iPod system, so I can fly with a scanner instead of the iPod any time I want, while still having pilot to pilot comms at the same time.

UPDATE: My E6 just fell apart on me.  I had it Velcroed to my helmet, and while peeling it off one day the whole thing split along the seam and a few tiny parts got lost.  E6 owners should watch this, especially if they add Velcro.  The plastic E6 is much lighter construction than the all-aluminum E5 that I bought to replace it, so this petty calamity gave me a chance to compare it to the E5. Unfortunately, the E3 and the E5’s are getting harder to find, and have both gone up in price, (the E3 doubling from $10 with free shipping up to $20) but each variant has some advantages.

Fiio E3

E3 PROs - Inexpensive. You have the convenience of AAA batteries in the field, which is why I bought it to use as a spare, in case I found myself out in the field with a dead amp and no time/facilities to recharge. Still quite small, about the size of a 9v battery - a bit thinner, but slightly longer.

No Brainer operation.  It’s either working or it’s off.

E3 CONs - No on/off switch with the E3.  When connected to a device, a light comes on but unplugging is more hassle than pushing a button. It comes with a very long connection line compared to the other Fiios  This unit distorts more than the E5 and E6 at highest volume.

Fiio E5

E5 PROs - Simple operation. On/Off, Bass Boost On/Off, and a volume control. Same 20 hour power life on a USB charge The aluminum E5 is arguably better looking than the plastic E5 with its shiny plastic fingerprint-attracting surface.

E5 CONs -  Only one level of Bass Boost instead of three on the E6. However, the E6 had a fiddly interface between levels with an On/off that is integrated into level change, so it is easy to accidentally switch levels.  Also the level indicator lights were VERY hard to see in bright sunlight.  The E5 less so.

How to Drill a hole in your GoPro

If you like, you can just buy some of the special bits that are available for drilling acrylic.  They have sharper, more like pencil-like points than the points on the high-speed steel bits we are all used to seeing.  Normal twist drills may chip and crack acrylic because of their tendency to lift and twist the material rather than scraping it like as a drill bit which is designed for acrylic will do. However, a normal twist drill bit can be easily modified for use on acrylic with a bench grinder, or a Dremel tool with a cutoff blade.  Simply dull the sharp leading edge on both sides.

A slower speed is recommended for acrylic.   Especially at the start and at the end of the process.
 
If you have a belt sander, you can also taper can also be modified from the original flat, 120 degree, to a sharper 60-90 degree point. This sharp angle allows the bit to easily enter and exit acrylic sheet without chipping.  Meh.  I didn't have easy access to a belt sander, and didn't bother, but still had no problem with my drilling.

I started by drilling a 1/8" pilot hole, and moved up to a final 5/16".   This particular size of hole will allow the 2.5mm mini-plug shown below, to enter with jsut a bit of snugging up. The fit seems probable to be even a bit waterproof.  Water resistant at least.  I ordered this patch cable from eBay, the shortest, lightest, 4-pin mini-plug to RCA cable I could find, listed as: "2.5mm TRS plug to RCA female adaptor" (sic)  $2.88 from from eBay seller flyjoy2009.

Finally, once you've drilled your hole(s), use a counter sink to relieve the sharp 90° corner on the outside edge.  (I just used a large high-speed steel bit, and twirled it with my fingers in the hole a few times to lightly counter sink the surface, where stress cracks might occur.

Lastly, since I fly with an external monitor only on occasion, but fly along a lakefront on a semi-regular basis, this is how I can add some nominal waterproofing my no-longer water proof camera housing on those days when I'm not cabling my camera, but flying over water and might need it to protect the camera in the event of a water crash.


I picked up a 3/16"" rubber washer at HomeDepot for a few cents, and a 1/8" Chicago Screw from a leather supply wholesaler.  

CHICAGO SCREW

A Chicago screw, (also known as a sex bolt, or  barrel nut) is a post-shaped nut that is internally threaded, and comes witth an accompanying machine screw. The post section has a very low-profile, flat base, which will just barely fit inside the housing with the GoPro enclosed.  You'll still have room for the anti-Fog inserts, or a couple of strips of "Sham-Wow" style cloth, a home-brew substitute, condensation inhibitor. The base of the post will be either a solid, or open back.


You might beg one of these little gizmos from a local shoe repair person, or pick up a dozen 1/8"pairs from Tandy, or off the internet for a few bucks. 

I bought a package of ten (pairs/sets) of "SCREW POST - 1/8" nickle OPEN-BACK" Chicago screws from Tandy Leather for $3.99.  Tandy has brick and mortar stores all over North America, and also sell on-line.

When installed, the camera just barely fits inside the housing.  It pushes the camera slightly off center, however, and the on/off button won't work properly.  So what you need to do is clamp the base in a pair of Vice-Grips, and file the curve off the bottom of the post base, further flattening it, as shown below. 

You might get the same effect rubbing the bottom of the post section against some Emery paper, but filing is fast - and only takes a minute or two - just enough to reduce the thickness of the base by about that of a piece of paper or two, so that the camera goes in and out without rubbing, and all the buttons work. 


I gave it an overnight bucket test, and the rubber washer will keep the casing both reasonably waterproof, and air-tight enough to keep the humidity out too.


I wouldn't want to risk scuba diving with this system at any depth, but it will hopefully keep the camera dry in the event I ever have to put my motor down in Lake Ontario, or Lake Simcoe, in which case I'll probably have more to worry about than my camera, anyway. 

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This system of Chicago screws and rubber washers also makes for a workable solution for attaching homemade MOLLE straps to the back of a GoPro, which you can see in my nest post on attaching MOLLE straps to a GoPro.

POST SCRIPT:  My local Home Depot sells 1/4" Chicago screws in packs of 4 pairs, for $2.99.  They are aluminum, open backed, with threads all the way to the bottom of the base posts.  These will work, if you carefully cut them down to 1/8".  I tried cutting some closed-base posts, and they didn't work.  Turns out, the threads did not go all the way down, and at the 1/8" point, they were just smooth cylinders. 

 

reserve parachutes for PPG

NB.  This is a Work in Progress:  I'm still waiting for some dealers/mfgrs to get back to me with weights/prices on PPG containers and bridles.

Researching reserves, I learned two things that came as a surprise:

Firstly, that it is vitally important to know your actual all-up weight to measured against the reserve’s rating, in order to get a safe descent rate and to minimize injuries on landing.

A recent study from the DHV (The German federation for Hanggliding and Paragliding) found that injuries significantly increase as you start to get near a decent rate of 6.8m/s.  This is the minimal standard for reserves in Germany, but they themselves now recommend that if your chute is rated for 6.8 m/s that you stay 25% under the placarded weight so that you slow down a bit further.

(*The link below is not working and the original article has not been updated, but a summary follows below:)

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CE0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhpa.co.uk%2Fpdf%2Fsafety_advisory%2Fsa008.231205.pdf&ei=4OHNT5TWN4uI8QSg66mcCw&usg=AFQjCNFZOHECmXuSCfL8u_epk2s8mVw3sg&sig2=xTUh7pcFavsiSvUUgxUK0Q

The DHV examined all the reported incidents where emergency parachutes had been used by DHV pilots in 2003, and discovered a clear trend: in eleven incidents, (those in which the pilot's fall had not been arrested by trees) serious pilot injury occurred in all events where the load was close to the reserve's certified maximum payload.  Not exceeding the max - just simply close to, but within the max - within 78% in fact.

It seems clear that 6.8m/s descent rate is too fast, but while the DHV have no plans to change their current certification minimum, they are unofficially recommending that pilots use slower or larger chutes.  The German 6.8m/s descent rate is fast; considerably in excess of the BHPA 5.5m/s recommendation, which follows the CEN (European Committee for Standardization) rating for reserves that most North American pilots are familiar with.  But this lower rate of descent is dependent on staying within placarded weight.  It is therefore, extremely important to pay attention to your actual take-off weight to ensure your decent rate isn't too fast. 

The second surprising revelation was finding out that my all-up weight was more than I initially believed.  By a lot.  And that is probably true for most of us.  I was hoping I might be able to get away with a Medium size in some of the lightweight chutes I was looking at, but I was only dreaming. And while I'm a Medium in most things, even the size Large in many of the options was going to be too small for my all up weight.

Someone like myself, with a stable, soaking-wet, morning weight on the bathroom scales of 175 pounds (80 kg); such a person may find that their base weight can fluctuate by another five-pounds, up or down, over the course of the day, but generally with a higher reading later in the day.  

Then our hypothetical pilot must need to weigh him/herself again wearing clothes.  My pants, T-shirt and running shoes, add about four pounds, and I can factor in another pound when I include my 4.8 ounce iPhone, and my wallet, watch and key chain. 

My coldweather flying weight is a full 10-lbs above my summertime weight with the addition of boots, and extra clothing in the form of microfiber under-layers, a fleece sweater, balaclava, heated gloves and  a flight suit.

Gasoline weighs about 6 lbs 4.8 oz per gallon, (6.3 lbs) or 750gr per liter.

Add 2.3oz of weight for 2.5 fluid ounces of 2-stroke oil for a 50-1 mix per US gallon. (Or 17gr for 20mL to do one liter.)  Seriously, all the sundry miscellany you loft adds up, and weighs more than you probably think.

Also, what some pilots don't realize, is that they must include the wing in the overall weight, as the deployed reserve will now be carrying the additional weight of your collapsed glider.  This might add another ten to fifteen pounds.  It may be reduced a bit by its own drag and loft, but it's still adding some poundage to your all up weight. 

Now add in the motor weight.  The actual motor weight.  Because it's important to bear in mind that there is a lot of obfuscation and exaggeration going on in regards to advertised paramoter stats.  Some sellers quote the motor only without harness and/or prop, and some of them outright lie.  So your motor may in fact weigh more than you have been led to believe.  I suggest taking the bathroom scale out to the field with you the next time you suit up, and actually check the numbers when you're all gassed up and ready to go, and then again, while holding the bunched up wing in your arms if you don't know the wing weight already.  

So an "average" 80kg person like myself could be well into the 130kg (287 lb) range when I add everything up, especially once I include in a helmet, googles, gloves, camera, mirror, radio gear, altimeter, vario, and all the various and sundry other crap we love to drag up with us.

With this in mind, if someone is very close, or even a little bit over, a particular reserve's maximum weight, they might want to consider the next size up, or a different model.  Otherwise, you won't be coming in at the hoped for 5.5m/s, but some unknown amount faster, maybe approaching the 6.8m/s figure and almost certainly in for some degree of injury.

I made notes on a few popular reserves, and to get the lightest reserve I could find that would still do the job, and not be onerously heavy.  Some manufacturers tell you the all-up weight of the system up front, (reserve, outer-container, and bridle) and some don't.  Other brands appear less competitive when you notice that the advertised price is for the smallest size only and completely unsuited for PPG.  So hopefully this list I compiled will help make your decision easier.

LIGHTWEIGHT RESERVES

Gin Yeti Light (#40)
Weight: 1.75kg + 140gr + 40gr
Descent Rate: 5.13m/s
Weight Range: Up to 120 kg 
Price:  $850 (Bozeman) $800 Fly-Above-All http://www.flyaboveall.com/reserves.htm
Container: $70 (140gr)
Bridle: $75 (40gr)
Total: $945 Total actual weight: 1.93kg

Beamer 2 Steerable Reserve (Standard size) 
Light – Fast opening, super slow decent, and steerable.
http://www.bozemanparagliding.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=193
Weight: 1.9kg + (Front container from High Adventure) 239gr  (Integrated split risers with attached brakes.)
Descent Rate: 3.8m/s
Weight Range: Up to 130 kg 
Price: $995 (Bozeman) $162
Total: $1,157 Total actual weight: 2.169kg (with container)

If this chute has any downside, it might be in finding an experienced Rogallo style repacker. But the manufacturer says it isn't difficult, and more reserve techs are coming on line.  One pilot suggested that a steerable reserve is probably unnecessary, because as upon deployment, you will probably be too busy pulling your wing in and holding it, so that you will not be able to do much steering anyway.  But if you have air to spare, or an immediate need to turn, you can steer this baby, and come in soft.  There are videos where you can watch pilots actually walking out their landings.  This reserve is amazingly light, with a truly remarkable descent rate, and is very high load carrying.  And did I mention very fast opening? Twice as fast as some canopy style reserves.
High Adventure says they are working on a new Beamer, dedicated for PPG with a larger surface area (160Kg load), and slightly different risers.  No ETA, but many of us can work with the Beamer 2 at 130Kg.

Sup'Air Xtralite (Large)

The large is rated for only 115 K which puts it in the lighter carrying range for PPG. 
Made from super-light Porcher Skytex 27 material.

Weight: 1.35kg +100gr (Includes bridle)
Descent Rate: Less than 5.5m/s
Weight Range: Up to 115 kg 
Price:  $964 (USwingnuts) http://www.uswingnuts.com/store/store.php/products/supair-xtralight-reserve

Small is $809 plus $155 markup for Large = Total $964
Container: $87 (100gr)
Bridle:(NA - Included)
Total: $1,051 Total actual weight: 1.45kg 

Miniplane Snip L (also called Way Richly) (30m Large)
Fast opening time of 4 seconds/

The L has a max weight of 130.  System weight of 1850 Gr and a bag weight of 290 gr
Two containers are available, the top mount (below) and a squarish "cross country" version with internal storage.

Weight: 1.850kg + 290gr container + (Bridle is  included)
Descent Rate: 5.5m/s
Weight Range: Up to 130 kg 
Price:  $825 (Trikebuggy) All-up package on ebay for $825 http://www.miniplane-usa.com/pages/accessories.htm

Container: $75 (290gr)
Bridle: (NA - Included)
Total: $825 Total actual weight:  2.30kg

APCO Mayday 18 Flat Packed for PPG 

Tried and tested design.  The 18 will suit up to 120kg. For heavier weighted pilots the Mayday 20 might be the way to go, with a carrying capacity of a whopping 160kg and a weight of chute only 2.69kg

Weight: 2.20kg +?gr + ?gr
Descent Rate: 5.4m/s
Weight Range: Up to 120kg 
Price:  $663 (Litetouch Films)http://www.litetouchfilms.com/accessories_reserves.htm
$773 for the Mayday 20
Container: $85 (?gr)  LTF

Bridle: $40 (?gr) LT
Total: $785 Total actual weight:  2.20 +? +?

 

APCO MAYDAY 20 SUPERLIGHT
Weight: 2.080kg +?gr + ?gr
Descent Rate: 4.48m/s (excellent)
Price: $1,150  http://www.utahparagliding.com/gear.php?catid=6&pid=47
Weight Range: Up to 130kg
Container:  $46 (?gr)
Bridle: $30 (?gr) Apco suggests using your own bridle suitable for your PPG
Total:  Total Price: $1,226  Total actual weight:2.08 +? +?

KARPOFLY RS 130 (Nirvana)
Weight: 1.75kg  +?gr + ?gr
Descent Rate: 5.5m/s
Price: $500 http://paradrenalin.com/nirvana-reserve-parachutes.html
Weight Range: Up to 130kg
Container:  $54 (?gr)  (Has a loop velcro top for instrument attachment.)
Bridle: $30 (?gr) 
Total Price: $584 Total actual weight: 2.32kg (including Nirvana case and split bridle) 
This one isn't getting much attention, but it is looking good on paper.  it is EN 12491 certified, made of Porcher 9081, area of 33 meters, 16 panels, with a 2.5 second opening time,   
This Czech parachute seems to be a new item in Paradrenalin's inventory, and may not featured on the website, but is stocked and available now on request.

Lots of more detailed info on reserves here:

http://shop.flybubble.co.uk/reserve-parachutes/paramotor-reserves

And here, from Crosscountry Magazine, including some European models not commonly seen in the USA. http://www.xcmag.com/tag/reserve/

And this 2013, Biglist post from Dave at BlueSkyPPG in California is interesting:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppgbiglist/message/100298
He believes that due to differences in design, PPG reserves, (unlike military parachute reserves), do not do well after a deployment.  He says, "Anyone who has done a repack on a thrown (PPG) reserve can tell you it never repacks right. Each gore is slightly stretched and different than the one next to it, the lines are no longer equal lengths, plus the bridle usually has a nylon sheath hiding any possible damage to the tubular nylon core. A 1" nylon bridle single nylon bridle is more than capable of holding your weight for a single deployment. but multiple deployments are asking for trouble. That's why skydiving risers are 2" nylon rated around 6,000 pounds and there are four risers going to the reserve not one like on ours."

This is provocative stuff, but he also makes the point that most PPG pilots, "Think nothing of spending 8K for equipment, $3K on a new paraglider every 3 or 4 years but not $600 on a reserve parachute that will not only save their LIFE but also will last 25 years with regular inspections. Better to have a reserve and not need it than need it and not have it."

High Adventure, maker of the Beamer 2 has the following to say, however, in their FAQs:

Q - Can I use the Beamer 2 in a SIV training over water?

A - Yes. We deliberately abandoned ultra light, cheap material. Fabric and lines are high quality, durable and well-proven in parachute sports.

A direct question whether the Beamer can be repacked and redeployed was not answered, but from the above FAQ, it appears so.