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Cypher

Cypher XF

Cypher Arc, Version A

Cypher Arc, Version B

Cypher XF Cypher Arc, Version A Cypher Arc, Version B
Cypher XF Cypher Arc, Version A Cypher Arc, Version B

Overview


Cypher XF
(#1799)

Front Rear Top
Front Rear Top
 
Left Right Bottom
Left Right Bottom

Technical Details

I acquired my Cypher XF from Amazon/Outdoor Shopping in 2013.

The Cypher XF is a notched belay tube. It is forged from aluminum alloy and soft anodized. Mine is 55 mm. long, 44 mm. wide, 90 mm. high, and weighs 53 g. It has two slots with ribbed v-grooves and a plastic-covered cable keeper. The slots are 35 mm. long and 15 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 9 mm. below the ends of the slots.

One side is printed with a logo icon and "CYPHER."

Comments

The Cypher XF is one of the following essentially identical notched belay tubes:

Image Device Base
Brasovia Notched Brasovia Notched Flat
Climb Axe V-LOK Climb Axe V-LOK Recessed
Climb Tech Climb Tech Flat
Cypher XF Cypher XF Flat
Elliot Elliot Flat
Epic Peak Epic Peak Flat
Image Device Base
Fusion Neo-Sat Fusion Neo-Sat Flat
GeeLife Geelife Flat
Good Makings Notched Good Makings Notched Flat
Kong Chuy #940000 Kong Chuy #940000 Flat
GM Climbing GM Climbing Flat
Lixada Lixada Flat
Image Device Base
NAT NAT Flat
NTR NTR Flat
Stubai BC PRO Stubai BC PRO Flat
Triwonder Triwonder Flat
Tupa Tupa Flat
Yoke Yoke Flat

Each of these is 54±1 mm. long and 45±1 mm. wide, and has a weight in the 60±7 g. range. Their slots are all 35 mm. long and 16 mm. wide.

The shallow V-notches used in this design do not seem to be very effective at increasing the braking force. The notches do not have the narrow angle found on the Trango Jaws and its equivalents, so they do not create the same wedging action. Spreading the friction helps with heat dissipation, but like all belay tubes, these can get quite hot when used for rappelling.


Cypher Arc, Version A
(#2701)

Front Rear Top
Front Rear Top
 
Left Right Bottom
Left Right Bottom

Technical Details

I acquired this Cypher Arc from Outdoor Shopping LLC in 2017.

The Cypher Arc is a belay tube. It is forged from aluminum alloy and soft anodized. Mine is 53 mm. long, 46 mm. wide, 107 mm. high, and weighs 59 g. The slots are 33 mm. long and 15 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 17 mm. below the ends of the slots.

One side is printed with a logo icon and "CYPHER." The orher side is printed with a rigging illustration.

Comments

The Cypher Arc is one of the following closely-related belay tubes, all called "ATCs" after the original Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller:

Image Device Shell
Style
Keeper
Advanced Base Camp Advanced Rope Controller, Version A Advanced Base Camp
Advanced Rope Controller,
Version A
I 3.7 mm.
Advanced Base Camp Advanced Rope Controller, Version B Advanced Base Camp
Advanced Rope Controller,
Version B
I 4.7 mm.
Advanced Base Camp Advanced Rope Controller Rigid Advanced Base Camp
Advanced Rope Controller,
Rigid
III 4.7 mm.
AustriAlpin, Version A AustriAlpin, Version A I 3.7 mm.
AustriAlpin, Version B AustriAlpin, Version B III 3.7 mm.
Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version A Black Diamond Air
Traffic Controller,
Version A
I 3.7 mm.
Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version B Black Diamond
Air Traffic Controller,
Version B
I 3.1 mm.
Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version C Black Diamond
Air Traffic Controller,
Version C
IV 4.7 mm.
Image Device Shell
Style
Keeper
Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version D Black Diamond
Air Traffic Controller,
Version D
IV 4.7 mm.
Brasovia Wedgemount Brasovia Wedgemount II 4.0 mm.
Camp, Version B Camp, Version B II 4.0 mm.
Camp Shell, Version A Camp Shell, Version A I 3.7 mm.
Camp Shell, Version B Camp Shell, Version B II 3.7 mm.
Climb Axe Max-Air Climb X Max-Air II 4.0 mm.
Climbing Technology Double Climbing Technology Double III 3.7 mm.
Cypher Arc, Version A Cypher Arc, Version A I 3.7 mm.
Image Device Shell
Style
Keeper
Cypher Arc, Version B Cypher Arc, Version B III 5.2 mm.
Fusion Fusion I 3.7 mm.
Good Makings Good Makings II 4.0 mm.
GrandWall Wedgemount GrandWall Wedgemount II 4.0 mm.
Singing Rock Singing Rock I 3.7 mm.
Stubai Stubai, Version A I 3.7 mm.
Stubai BC Stubai BC III 3.7 mm.
Zero-G G-Spot Zero-G G-Spot I 3.7 mm.

Each of these is 54±3 mm. long, 46±1 mm. wide, and weighs 59±9 g. Their slots are all 32±1 mm. long and 14±1 mm. wide. They all have plastic-covered cable keepers.

The Black Diamond ATC was the first of these to appear, by many years. The basic design evolved and similar devices appeared from others.

The ATC is a lightweight, popular belaying device among climbers. Rigging is simple: insert a bight of rope and clip it with a suitably anchored carabiner, making sure that the rope is not running over the keeper. Two-rope rigging is similar. On thinner ropes, adding another carabiner helps.

My biggest complaint is that none of these give me enough friction when rappelling with a heavy load on fast 9 mm. rope. I also prefer more friction while belaying, unless my partner is particularly lightweight. For these reasons, I prefer using a Trango Jaws or one of its equivalents.

Any of these will overheat badly on long rappels. Overheating is not an issue when belaying, but can be a concern when lowering someone more than a short distance.

There are four different shell styles in use::

  1. There is a small shelf at each end of the shell with a hole passing through it. The keeper cable has a crimp at the ends, which are visible from the top of the device.
  2. There is a small shelf at each end of the shell with a blind hole in the bottom. The keeper cable enters the holes, and is staked in place. The stake dimples are visible at the ends of the device.
  3. There is a bulge at each end of the shell with a blind hole in the bottom. The keeper cable enters the holes, and is staked in place. The stake dimples are visible at the ends of the device.
  4. Like style III, but the shell has a shallow valley above the bulge.

The differences between the styles are cosmetic rather than functional.

None of the keepers-to-shell are strong enough to support body weight, so don't be stupid enough to rely on a keeper to protect you.

There are also several different diameter keeper cables used on these. Cable keepers are a compromise between a cord that stows easily but tends to get tangled in use, and a rigid rod that stands up to the rope running over it (by accident, of course). I prefer a stiff keeper, but any of these are stiff enough to be used without significant problems.

This Cypher Arc has thicker walls than some of its competitors, so it should last longer before wearing out.

The wire keeper is stifff enough to help avoid being destroyed by the climbing rope. It is longer than necessary, but who really cares?


Cypher Arc, Version B
(#2760)

Front Rear Top
Front Rear Top
 
Left Right Bottom
Left Right Bottom

Technical Details

I acquired this Cypher Arc from Moosejaw in 2019.

This version is also a belay tube that is forged from aluminum alloy and soft anodized. Mine is 57 mm. long, 47 mm. wide, 78 mm. high, and weighs 66 g. The slots are 31 mm. long and 15 mm. wide. The top of the Omega oval carabiner that I use for comparing belay tubes sits 14 mm. below the ends of the slots. The keeper is a stiff stic-covered cable.

One side is printed with a logo icon, "CYPHER," and "Made in Italy." The orher side is printed with a rigging illustration and "0116.".

Comments

The Cypher Arc is one of the following closely-related belay tubes, all called "ATCs" after the original Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller:

Image Device Shell
Style
Keeper
Advanced Base Camp Advanced Rope Controller, Version A Advanced Base Camp
Advanced Rope Controller,
Version A
I 3.7 mm.
Advanced Base Camp Advanced Rope Controller, Version B Advanced Base Camp
Advanced Rope Controller,
Version B
I 4.7 mm.
Advanced Base Camp Advanced Rope Controller Rigid Advanced Base Camp
Advanced Rope Controller,
Rigid
III 4.7 mm.
AustriAlpin, Version A AustriAlpin, Version A I 3.7 mm.
AustriAlpin, Version B AustriAlpin, Version B III 3.7 mm.
Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version A Black Diamond Air
Traffic Controller,
Version A
I 3.7 mm.
Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version B Black Diamond
Air Traffic Controller,
Version B
I 3.1 mm.
Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version C Black Diamond
Air Traffic Controller,
Version C
IV 4.7 mm.
Image Device Shell
Style
Keeper
Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version D Black Diamond
Air Traffic Controller,
Version D
IV 4.7 mm.
Brasovia Wedgemount Brasovia Wedgemount II 4.0 mm.
Camp, Version B Camp, Version B II 4.0 mm.
Camp Shell, Version A Camp Shell, Version A I 3.7 mm.
Camp Shell, Version B Camp Shell, Version B II 3.7 mm.
Climb Axe Max-Air Climb X Max-Air II 4.0 mm.
Climbing Technology Double Climbing Technology Double III 3.7 mm.
Cypher Arc, Version A Cypher Arc, Version A I 3.7 mm.
Image Device Shell
Style
Keeper
Cypher Arc, Version B Cypher Arc, Version B III 5.2 mm.
Fusion Fusion I 3.7 mm.
Good Makings Good Makings II 4.0 mm.
GrandWall Wedgemount GrandWall Wedgemount II 4.0 mm.
Singing Rock Singing Rock I 3.7 mm.
Stubai Stubai, Version A I 3.7 mm.
Stubai BC Stubai BC III 3.7 mm.
Zero-G G-Spot Zero-G G-Spot I 3.7 mm.

Each of these is 54±3 mm. long, 46±1 mm. wide, and weighs 59±9 g. Their slots are all 32±1 mm. long and 14±1 mm. wide. They all have plastic-covered cable keepers.

The Black Diamond ATC was the first of these to appear, by many years. The basic design evolved and similar devices appeared from others.

The ATC is a lightweight, popular belaying device among climbers. Rigging is simple: insert a bight of rope and clip it with a suitably anchored carabiner, making sure that the rope is not running over the keeper. Two-rope rigging is similar. On thinner ropes, adding another carabiner helps.

My biggest complaint is that none of these give me enough friction when rappelling with a heavy load on fast 9 mm. rope. I also prefer more friction while belaying, unless my partner is particularly lightweight. For these reasons, I prefer using a Trango Jaws or one of its equivalents.

Any of these will overheat badly on long rappels. Overheating is not an issue when belaying, but can be a concern when lowering someone more than a short distance.

There are four different shell styles in use::

  1. There is a small shelf at each end of the shell with a hole passing through it. The keeper cable has a crimp at the ends, which are visible from the top of the device.
  2. There is a small shelf at each end of the shell with a blind hole in the bottom. The keeper cable enters the holes, and is staked in place. The stake dimples are visible at the ends of the device.
  3. There is a bulge at each end of the shell with a blind hole in the bottom. The keeper cable enters the holes, and is staked in place. The stake dimples are visible at the ends of the device.
  4. Like style III, but the shell has a shallow valley above the bulge.

The differences between the styles are cosmetic rather than functional.

None of the keepers-to-shell are strong enough to support body weight, so don't be stupid enough to rely on a keeper to protect you.

There are also several different diameter keeper cables used on these. Cable keepers are a compromise between a cord that stows easily but tends to get tangled in use, and a rigid rod that stands up to the rope running over it (by accident, of course). I prefer a stiff keeper, but any of these are stiff enough to be used without significant problems.


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