Edelrid Mega Jul

Has anyone used the mega jul with a really skinny single rope? In particular the sterling nano ix (9.0mm)?

Have used it with 9.1 mil ropes...works fine.

Update: Have used Mega Jul religiously for six months now after being thoroughly skeptical. Still am alive, as are my partners whom I have caught falling with it. Have not used an ATC since buying Mega Jul and seldom have used my GriGri since.

I've done a ton of top roping with the Mega jul. I really like it but I have had it catch and lock up when on lead belay and I was trying to pay out rope quickly. I'm goin to try and work through that problem. Maybe a little technique is required.

Drew Thayer's review of the Mega Jul:

The Climbing Zine - Mega Jul Review by Drew Thayer

djh860 wrote:I've done a ton of top roping with the Mega jul. I really like it but I have had it catch and lock up when on lead belay and I was trying to pay out rope quickly. I'm goin to try and work through that problem. Maybe a little technique is required.

This happened a few times with me initially. A combination of having the right biner, and always keep pressure out on the thumb loop fixed it. My thumb never comes out of the thumb loop, I don't pay out slack like an ATC with it, just keep the thumb resting in the loop and pull.

Been using one for a while, on a big sport climbing kick and it's been fantastic. My only gripe is that the biner I use tends to rotate to the narrow end sometimes and it doesn't brake as good. Ordered an Edelrid with the wire loop to take care of it.

Ropes from 9.2 to 10.5 have been fine, albeit the fatter gym ropes obviously show more resistance to feeding than a 9.2.

One thing I've found rapping with it, (I turn it around with the wire loop outside of the biner) is that if you put the end with the narrow tabs at the bottom, it'll twist the hell out of the rope.

I haven't tried it in auto lock mode but once and didn't have good results, need to work on it some more.

Guide mode works pretty well, fat ropes or two higher 9mm ropes are a pain but that's almost any guide device.

kai.... All four you had broke ??? Why the hell are you still using these things that's the sketchiest thing I've ever heard . Dude if I have a piece of any type of climbing gear malfunction screw that going in the trash ! Never again. Four?? That's just insanity . Nuts dude.

Ray, OP, said "The Megal Jul does not seem to conduct heat."
That's the only thing I thought I'd comment on. I've been using the Mega Jul for about 6 months now and it is great!
But a warning on the device getting SUPER HOT. If you are sport or top roping, lowering someone from a climb higher than 15/20 feet. That device is going to get pretty darn hot. Maybe it is because I tilt the device like a lever instead of pulling up and out on the thumb loop (which I found to be less smooth than simply tilting the device toward me.) When lowering this way I have to wear a glove on my left (non brake) hand. My left hand comes into contact with the stainless steel of the device, and the devices frame being so skinny - that metal heats up pretty easily.
I also have a question for anyone experienced in multi pitch climbing with the Mega Jul. I've tested it a few times just rigging it up at home. When I'm pulling in slack for a second climber (using a single 9.5mm) it is pretty difficult to pull rope through. IDK if this is just always the case when belaying a second? I've heard the ATC Guide is actually worse and the Mammut Smart is the only device that you can pull rope through more easily. If anyone has any pointers I'd be glad to hear them. I'm pretty much having to use two hands to pull down on the rope otherwise my shoulders get blasted.

I had occasion to rap with the Mega Jul a few times last week, on a less-than-ideal-for-the-purpose 10.1mm rope.

In locking mode, paired with an Edelrid Strike biner, I couldn't actually get it to unlock. With a DMM Rhino, it works reasonably well, as long as you have a small biner to put in the center hole and use as a lever. With a BD Rocklock it was better still. I think the Strike and other biners with a square-ish profile lock too well for use with fat ropes.

In non-locking mode it's quite nice, giving lower friction than even the toothless side of a DMM Pivot.

In either case it gets seriously hot, and chews up the finish on the biner you use it with. If I had a skinnier rope I'd be inclined to use it all the time but given the rope I've got now I'll stick with the Pivot or Reverso.

Matt Nicassio wrote:Ray, OP, said "The Megal Jul does not seem to conduct heat." That's the only thing I thought I'd comment on. I've been using the Mega Jul for about 6 months now and it is great! But a warning on the device getting SUPER HOT. If you are sport or top roping, lowering someone from a climb higher than 15/20 feet. That device is going to get pretty darn hot. Maybe it is because I tilt the device like a lever instead of pulling up and out on the thumb loop (which I found to be less smooth than simply tilting the device toward me.) When lowering this way I have to wear a glove on my left (non brake) hand. My left hand comes into contact with the stainless steel of the device, and the devices frame being so skinny - that metal heats up pretty easily.

My Mega Jul has been retired from use for a year and a half. I did several overhanging full rope length raps when I was using the device. SS is less conductive than aluminum so the device heats up slower and retains heat longer. The rope contact surfaces localize heat more than aluminum. Short raps or lowering from belays should not heat the device up as quickly compared to aluminum. However, once the device is up to temperature expect it to stay hot longer.

Ray Pinpillage wrote: My Mega Jul has been retired from use ...expect it to stay hot longer.

Are these ideas connected?

Jeremy in Inyokern wrote: Are these ideas connected?

No, I never found the Mega Jul to get objectionably hot, even during long overhanging raps. I think the Mammut Alpine Smart handles better overall and the MegaJul plastic thumb support pulled away from the device body making it even harder to unlock. In situations where weight is a concern I'd rather just use a Reverso 4 or ATC guide, which I have both of.

I think the MegaJul concept has a lot of potential but the finished product needs more work.

Matt Nicassio wrote:I've tested it a few times just rigging it up at home. When I'm pulling in slack for a second climber (using a single 9.5mm) it is pretty difficult to pull rope through. IDK if this is just always the case when belaying a second? I've heard the ATC Guide is actually worse and the Mammut Smart is the only device that you can pull rope through more easily. If anyone has any pointers I'd be glad to hear them. I'm pretty much having to use two hands to pull down on the rope otherwise my shoulders get blasted.

I found a bit of drag through the mega jul with a round stock biner with mid size ropes. I'm not a fan of it for belaying a second in auto-block mode personally. I've been using the jul for lead belays and a gigi or atc guide for the follower.

My non scientific test on ease of pulling ropes in auto-block from easy to hard:
gigi. smart alpine. atc guide. reverso 4. mega jul.

Nick Drake wrote: I found a bit of drag through the mega jul with a round stock biner with mid size ropes. I'm not a fan of it for belaying a second in auto-block mode personally. I've been using the jul for lead belays and a gigi or atc guide for the follower. My non scientific test on ease of pulling ropes in auto-block from easy to hard: gigi. smart alpine. atc guide. reverso 4. mega jul.

I've got no problem belaying a second. Not sure why there would be, the biner doesn't ride in the groove, just sits against the device. They're all difficult if you don't position yourself correctly in relation to the device

Love the mega jul for top rope belay

Sam Stephens wrote: I've got no problem belaying a second. Not sure why there would be, the biner doesn't ride in the groove, just sits against the device. They're all difficult if you don't position yourself correctly in relation to the device

I said that there is more resistance pulling the rope in auto-block than other devices, that's not a "problem", just a characteristic. There is drag of the rope on the walls of the slot in a device. Try different devices with the same biner from the same stance some time, I was surprised how much difference I noticed between them.

Nick Drake wrote: I said that there is more resistance pulling the rope in auto-block than other devices, that's not a "problem", just a characteristic. There is drag of the rope on the walls of the slot in a device. Try different devices with the same biner from the same stance some time, I was surprised how much difference I noticed between them.

I measured the force in kg to pull a single strand of rope through feeding with the other hand as normal for some of the commoner devices used for belaying a second off the anchor;-
(N.A means the device is not rated for this rope diameter so not tested).

ATC Guide Reverso³ DMM Pivot MegaJul Alpine UP HMS GriGri SmartAlpine
Fat 10mm 7,9 8,8 6,9 10,6 12,2 0,6 0,8 N.A
10mm rope 1,9 2,9 2,6 2,5 3,8 0,5 0,6 N.A
9mm rope 1,7 2.0 1,5 2.0 2,2 0,5 N.A 0,7
7.8mm rope Not measured, easy to pull through all the devices. ca.0,5kg force.

(Mountain Projects server thinks it knows how to format better than me so it´s a not as clear as it could be.)

I think it would be helpful to state which size Alpine Smart you tested. The Alpine Smart is capable of top belaying, just not the size and rope combination you listed.

Jim Titt wrote: I measured the force in kg to pull a single strand of rope through feeding with the other hand as normal for some of the commoner devices used for belaying a second off the anchor;- (N.A means the device is not rated for this rope diameter so not tested). (Mountain Projects server thinks it knows how to format better than me so it´s a not as clear as it could be.)

A more readable version (with good ol' 'murcan decimal points instead of those effete Euro commas):

Device Feeding Resistance in kg (J. Titt)

The Reverso in Jim's tests is the Reverso 3. The Smart Alpine comes in two sizes; the size tested by Jim is obviously the one marked 7.5--9.5 mm (red and silver). There is also a size marked 8.9--10.5mm (red and black) that isn't in Jim's tests. Props to Mammut for realizing what virtually no other manufacturer has admitted: one size fits all doesn't.

Ray Pinpillage wrote:I think it would be helpful to state which size Alpine Smart you tested. The Alpine Smart is capable of top belaying, just not the size and rope combination you listed.

Well yes, I know it was remiss of me not to give all the details of everything I did including the ambient air temperature, the braid construction of the rope, the time of day, the conjunction of Venus to Mars and whether the moon was in cusp or not. BUT as Richard has pointed out "the size tested by Jim is obviously the one marked 7.5--9.5 mm (red and silver)."
The ATC XP is an indifferent slate colour. I shall try to do better next time:-)

As the Metric system is originally French anyone who uses the decimal point instead of a comma for subdivisions of unit is either a)an English-speaking peasant or b)Communist. No doubt when Mr Trump is elected things will be rationalised.
Merry Xmas!

Jim Titt wrote: I measured the force in kg to pull a single strand of rope through feeding with the other hand as normal for some of the commoner devices used for belaying a second off the anchor;- (N.A means the device is not rated for this rope diameter so not tested). ATC Guide Reverso³ DMM Pivot MegaJul Alpine UP HMS GriGri SmartAlpine Fat 10mm 7,9 8,8 6,9 10,6 12,2 0,6 0,8 N.A 10mm rope 1,9 2,9 2,6 2,5 3,8 0,5 0,6 N.A 9mm rope 1,7 2.0 1,5 2.0 2,2 0,5 N.A 0,7 7.8mm rope Not measured, easy to pull through all the devices. ca.0,5kg force. (Mountain Projects server thinks it knows how to format better than me so it´s a not as clear as it could be.)

Thanks as usual for the information - I always find value in these kinds of posts. A question if I may - any significant differences using a Reverso 4?