Vortex Road Map
We are rather obsessed with ever-evolving the Vortex SmartWinch. The product is already amazing and full of features and are ready for sale and usage but there are some features we are working on for future features.
Don't be afraid to purchase now as all these features will be able to be implemented on a Vortex purchased now. Upgrades won't be free but will be reasonable for Vortex owners.
Payout Mode (fall 2025)
In our opinion, using an electric winch for payout towing is a very expensive option as mechanical payout winches are rather easy to make and considerably less expensive. The electric motors we use support payout towing and the lure of using an electric winch for payout is it is computer-controlled tension. This will give you the SMOOOOTHEST tow imaginable (pay-in or payout). The other issue is the power you generate from payout towing needs to be managed and can fill up your battery in no time.
We have our existing wired analog controller wired for it. We just don't do any payout towing as you don't get as high as with stationary towing as payout towing eats up your tow road awful fast and we don't have endless tow-roads where we are.
So we will test it. The value we see in it is what we call hybrid-towing - where you can launch the pilot from paying out with only 100m/300' or so of rope. This reduces your footprint on your tow road. When your vehicle gets to the end of the tow road, you will be able to (in the future), switch your Vortex to pay-IN mode and get your pilot even higher than with paying-out-only.
Guillotine / Line Cutter (Spring 2025)
We realize this is a key safety feature and are working on it rather frantically. In Europe, it is a requirement for most countries to have their winches equipped with an auto-line-cutter. We should have it going by summer 2025. For now, we winch-operate with a hook knife in hand or Velcro'd to the hand held controller for quick access.
Automating Controls (2026 to be realistic)
Currently (fall 2024), our handheld controller is an analog controller. It requires the winch-operator to be very aware of their actions to perform their operations to the pilot's request. We have plans and schematics to make a "digital controller" that will allow most of the tow functions to be done automatically, either at timed intervals or probably at a simple button press from the winch operator.
This takes a lot of technical work as we refuse to use any sort of Android app to manage these mission-critical functions. We believe in true engineered solutions with embedded systems. This will likely be required to be implemented prior to the commercial release of self-towing controls for hang gliders as it is a much more complicated process and the pilot's abilities to manage a controller is much more difficult than a paraglider's. Especially when foot-launching a hang glider.
Self Towing (2025 & 2026)
We know we are a little behind the times for paragliding self-towing with our Vortex. We have similar controls to the paragliding electric winches on the market in the works and will likely be making them available by summer 2025...the guillotine and payout mode are scheduled before this. We are hang glider pilots at the core (but also PG) so that is our focus right now.
Self-towing hang gliders is VERY complex. It is the holy grail for hang glider purchases but in our opinion, not many pilots will have the skills, towing experience, and desire to end up self-towing. For that reason HG buyers should at least for now, purchase a vx11 or vx15 now and get the required experience needed with a winch-operator and then work up to self-towing.
Tandem operators with landing gear, will have an easier time self-towing since you aren't moving your hands around from downtubes to basetube as when foot-launching. Especially since we are also tandem pilots, this feature will likely come first as just imagine being able to schedule tandems with not requiring any other crew (or tug pilot) to get you in the air...
Mechanical Level Wind for vx4 (late 2025)
Our tests with our 4' ladder level-wind on the vx4 have made a mechanical level-wind for the vx4 a low priority. We should be easily be able to retool and make one so it may happen soon but IMHO, it isn't needed. It would be nice to make it more portable....so we will see...