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

Overview

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Cypher XF
(#1799)

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

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Cypher Arc, Version A
(#2701)

Front	Rear	Top
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 I 3.8 mm. Advanced Base Camp Advanced Rope Controller, Version B I 4.7 mm. Advanced Base Camp Advanced Rope Controller, Rigid III 4.7 mm. AustriAlpin, Version A I 3.8 mm. AustriAlpin, Version B III 3.8 mm. Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version B I 3.0 mm. Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version B I 3.3 mm. Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version C I 3.8 mm. Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version D I 3.8 mm.	Image Device Shell Style Keeper Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version E IV 4.7 mm. Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version F IV 4.7 mm. Brasovia Wedgemount II 4.0 mm. Camp, Version B II 4.0 mm. Camp Shell, Version A I 3.8 mm. Camp Shell, Version B II 3.8 mm. Climb X Max-Air II 4.0 mm. Climbing Technology Double III 3.8 mm. Cypher Arc, Version A II 4.0 mm.	Image Device Shell Style Keeper Cypher Arc, Version B III 5.2 mm. Fusion I 3.8 mm. Good Makings II 4.0 mm. GrandWall Wedgemount II 4.0 mm. Singing Rock I 3.8 mm. Stubai, Version A I 3.8 mm. Stubai BC III 3.8 mm. Zero-G G-Spot I 3.8 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?

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Cypher Arc, Version B
(#2760)

Front	Rear	Top
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 I 3.8 mm. Advanced Base Camp Advanced Rope Controller, Version B I 4.7 mm. Advanced Base Camp Advanced Rope Controller, Rigid III 4.7 mm. AustriAlpin, Version A I 3.8 mm. AustriAlpin, Version B III 3.8 mm. Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version B I 3.0 mm. Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version B I 3.3 mm. Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version C I 3.8 mm. Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version D I 3.8 mm.	Image Device Shell Style Keeper Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version E IV 4.7 mm. Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller, Version F IV 4.7 mm. Brasovia Wedgemount II 4.0 mm. Camp, Version B II 4.0 mm. Camp Shell, Version A I 3.8 mm. Camp Shell, Version B II 3.8 mm. Climb X Max-Air II 4.0 mm. Climbing Technology Double III 3.8 mm. Cypher Arc, Version A II 4.0 mm.	Image Device Shell Style Keeper Cypher Arc, Version B III 5.2 mm. Fusion I 3.8 mm. Good Makings II 4.0 mm. GrandWall Wedgemount II 4.0 mm. Singing Rock I 3.8 mm. Stubai, Version A I 3.8 mm. Stubai BC III 3.8 mm. Zero-G G-Spot I 3.8 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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