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MSA Safety, Version A
(#3650)

Front View: Closed	Rear View: Closed
Front View: Open for Rigging	Rear View: Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired this ascender from eBay seller justkillingtime53 in 2024.

This ascender is 203 mm. tall, 92 mm. wide, 32 mm. thick, and weighs 214 g.

The shell is a tall irregular shaped stamping made from 4.0 mm. aluminum alloy sheet metal. The stamping has one reinforcing rib behind the cam, but none along the sides of the hand opening. A 15 mm. wide rope channel is formed in the upper portion of one side and a smaller cam channel lies opposite the first. A hole drilled through both sides of the cam channel accepts a 5 mm. roll rivet. The cam and cam spring are mounted on this rivet. The handle below the cam has a soft plastic hand grip molded into place. The hand grip has four shallow finger grooves. A 16 mm. sling attachment hole is punched below the handle opening, and an 11 mm. hole is punched below and outside this one. A 13.8 by 19.7 mm. oval hole through both sides of the rope channel provides an attachment point just above the cam, and a 15.6 mm. hole is punched through the rear of the shell beside it. There is no cam stop.

The cam is a plated skeletonized steel casting. The cam axle is centered 49 mm. from the inside of the rope channel. The cam radius, measured from the axle axis, increases from 38 to 52 mm. over an angle of 39°, giving a 24° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (3.2)^2(1.2)^2(B). The cam has number of small conical teeth, all of which have their axes approximately in line with the corresponding radius from the cam pivot. The tooth pattern is The tooth pattern is (3.2)^2(1.2)^2(B). Unlike some other ascenders, the inner cam face radius appears to be constant. A spring-loaded manual safety bar is mounted on the bottom of the cam with a small semi-tubular rivet. The normal action of the spring holds the safety against the cam. When the cam is opened, the shell interferes with the safety bar, thus preventing opening the cam. If the safety bar is moved away from the cam (opposing the spring), it will clear the shell and the cam will open. At full open the safety can be released and the spring will hold the safety against the back of the shell. This provides a means of locking the cam open. A pin on the safety assists in operating the safety mechanism.

The front of the ascender has "AD-10," the Anthron triangle and double arrow logo, "ROPES," "ø8 - 13mm," and "3505-O" printed on the rope channel. The rear is printed with "CE0123," the MSA logo, and a "(FP) logo.

Comments

This is a well-made ascenders and perform much like the Petzl Ascension. All sharp edges have been removed. The attachment points are simply holes in the shell, and although well-rounded, I consider their small radius too sharp for directly attaching sling ropes. They are probably acceptably rounded for webbing (or could be made so), but considering the proximity of the attachment points to the main rope, I would recommend using a small maillon for most attachments in order to reduce the risk of sling abrasion. The lower attachment hole could theoretically have the same safety problems as the one on Clog Version A. The upper rope attachment hole is located very close to the main rope. A carabiner through the upper attachment hole will probably drag on the main line. Note that such a carabiner will prevent putting the ascender on or off rope, so one’s climbing system must be designed accordingly.

The safety is reasonably easy to use with one hand. The ribbed handle is not comfortable for me because the ribs are spaced poorly for my hand. The cam is very well made.

This ascender has the same pit lip disadvantage as the Clog and other stamped frame ascenders. The shell is thicker that the one on the Camp Pilot, Kong-Bonaiti, and Petzl Ascension but it isn't reinforced as it is on those.

[ Top | Version A | Version C ]

MSA Safety, Version B
(#3651)

Front View: Closed	Rear View: Closed
Front View: Open for Rigging	Rear View: Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired this ascender from eBay seller justkillingtime53 in 2024.

This ascender is 203 mm. tall, 92 mm. wide, 32 mm. thick, and weighs 215 g. The rope channel is 15 mm. wide. The cam axle is centered 47 mm. from the inside of the rope channel. The cam radius, measured from the axle axis, increases from 38 to 52 mm. over an angle of 39°, giving a 24° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (3.2)^2(1.2)^2(B).

There are two differences between this ascender and Version A. First, this ascender has a cam stop. Second, the second carabiner hole at the top has been reduced to a 6.3 mm. hole.

The front of the ascender has "AD-10," "UP," the Anthron triangle and double arrow logo, "ROPES," "ø8 - 13mm," the Reading-Is-Dangerous icon, and "3412-098" printed on the rope channel. The rear is printed with "EN 567," "CE0123," the MSA logo, and an "(FP) logo.

Comments

This ascender came with a 12 mm. tether.

[ Top | Version A | Version B ]

MSA Safety, Version C
(#3652)

Front View: Closed	Rear View: Closed
Front View: Open for Rigging	Rear View: Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired this ascender from Zion Castor in 2024.

This ascender is 203 mm. tall, 92 mm. wide, 32 mm. thick, and weighs 215 g. The rope channel is 15 mm. wide. The cam axle is centered 47 mm. from the inside of the rope channel. The cam radius, measured from the axle axis, increases from 38 to 52 mm. over an angle of 39°, giving a 24° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (3.2)^2(1.2)^2(B).

This version has a cork handle instead of the soft "rubbery" plastic handle found on the previous versions.

The front of the ascender has "AL-15," "UP," the Anthron triangle and double arrow logo, and a book-with-an-"i" logo. The rear is printed with "CE0123," "ø9 - 13mm," "EN 567-2013," "•EN-12841:2006B," the UIAA logo and "UIAA," the MSA logo, an "(FP) logo, a factory icon, "09/2022," and "3722–008."

Comments

The cork handle feels good, but I wonder about its durability.

This ascender came with a 12 mm. tether. It is too long for my needs, but I'm only 1.93 m. tall.

For Europeans who need to pay attention to such things, this version was certified to a narrower range of rope diameters than the previous versions.