Kong Indy	Kong Indy EVO NFPA	Kong Indy Evo Plus

Overview

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Kong Indy
(#903, 2436)

Front View	Rear View	Side View

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

Technical Details

I acquired this descender from Inner Mountain Outfitters in 2001. I acquired another in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.

My Kong Indy is 230 mm. tall, 64 mm. wide, 31 mm. thick, and weighs 476 g.

The upper bollard is riveted through its center to the fixed side plate, with two roll pins provided to prevent rotation. The upper bollard is 45 mm. in diameter and 13.6 mm. thick, with a 10 mm. wide, rounded V-shaped groove turned to give an inner diameter of 35 mm. The lower bollard is 50 mm. in diameter, with a shallow U-shaped groove giving a 45 mm. inner diameter. Two cuts reduce the lower bollard to a wedge shape. The upper cut is 28 mm. long, the lower 34 mm., and the angle between the cuts is about 30 degrees. A roll pin through the bollard and fixed plate prevents bollard rotation.

The lower bollard rotates on a custom axle bolt riveted to the fixed side plate. A handle assembly mounted on the outside of the fixed side plate rotates on the shoulder nut attached to this bolt. The handle grip is molded black plastic. A second bolt passes through the handle, a connecting arm, a shim, and into a threaded steel insert in the lower bollard. The other end of the connecting arm is riveted to the autostop cam. Friction from the passage of the main rope causes the lower bollard to rotate, rotating the handle and pulling the connecting rod down. This pulls the autostop cam against the rope above the upper bollard, thus ideally arresting the descent. The handle is used to keep the cam disengaged during normal descent. Squeezing the handle too far causes a second cam to press against the rope. Ideally, this will stop the descent if the user decides to panic.

The attachment point is a. vertical oval hole near the bottom of the two side plates. The hole on the pivoting side plate is cut away to form a hook, and a spring-loaded stamped gate is fixed to the side plate.

The pivoting side plate is marked with the Kong logo, "Italy," "INDY double brake," the serial number "01004452," a rigging diagram with an arrow that points down, the Reading-Is-Dangerous icon, a rope icon followed by "max 100 mt.," "max 1,5 kN," "CE0426," "EN341 class A," a rope icon followed by "ø 10-11 mm.," "prEN12841 type C, and another rope icon followed by "ø 10-13 mm."

Comments

The Kong Indy is one of the following group of similar double-stop bobbins:

Image Device Upper Bollard Lower Bollard Connecting Link Safety Lever Hand Grip Hook Safety Certification Allowed Rope Size Weight Limit(s) Max Drop Kong Indy Aluminum Aluminum Flat Bar Aluminum Extrusion Ribbed Plastic Stamped Stainless Steel EN341/A, prEN12841/C 10-11 mm. (EN341/A) 10-13 mm. (EN12841/C) Max. 1.5 kN. 100 m. Camnal Down Aluminum Aluminum Flat Bar Aluminum Extrusion Ribbed Plastic Stamped Stainless Steel EN341 10-12 mm. Max. 150 kg. 100 m. SOB Aluminum Aluminum Flat Bar Aluminum Extrusion Ribbed Plastic Stamped Stainless Steel EN341 10-12 mm. Max. 150 kg. 100 m. Chinese Aluminum Aluminum Flat Bar Aluminum Extrusion Ribbed Plastic Stamped Stainless Steel EN341 10-13 mm. Max. 150 kg. 100 m. Vento Aluminum Aluminum Round Bar Aluminum Extrusion Plastic /w Finger Grooves Stamped Stainless Steel EAC 10-13 mm. Max. 150 kg. 100 m. S.E.Peak SE-218 Aluminum Forged Aluminum Flat Bar Forged Aluminum Smooth Stamped Stainless Steel EN341/A EN12841/C 10-13 mm. 30-150 kg 200 m. SUT Aluminum Steel Flat Bar Aluminum Extrusion Ribbed Plastic Stamped Stainless Steel EN341 9-12 mm. 30-150 kg 100 m. Ito-Rocky Aluminum Forged Steel Flat Bar Aluminum Extrusion Ribbed Plastic Plastic EN341 9-12 mm. 30-150 kg 100 m. NewDoar Aluminum Forged Steel Flat Bar Aluminum Extrusion Ribbed Plastic Plastic EN341 9-12 mm. 30-150 kg 100 m. Asol Aluminum Forged Steel Flat Bar Aluminum Extrusion Ribbed Plastic Plastic EN341 10-13 mm. Max. 150 kg. 100 m. Z&W Aluminum Forged Steel Flat Bar Aluminum Extrusion Ribbed Plastic Plastic EN341 10-13 mm. Max. 150 kg. 100 m.

These each have a lever at the top that provides both a release-stop and a panic-stop feature. Unlike the Petzl Stop design, the stop design developed by Kong-Bonaiti and copied on these ascenders has never worked well for me. It simply does not provide enough stopping force to hold me in position, let alone arrest a rapid descent. I've been able to complete rappels on these bobbins without touching the handle, a situation that should not allow me to move.

As for the panic stop feature, squeezing the handle hard enough will slow the descent. Depending on the rope in use, this may occur whn one is tring to hold the handle in the middle position for a normal descent. I've never fully understood why people promote panicing as desirable behavior, and I find double-acting levers designed to address this questionable behavior maddening. You may like them, but if this is because you like to panic, I suggest you fullly dispense with that behaviour first and then move on to single-acting devices.

This autostop design adds unnecessary length and width to the descender. It is too complicated for my taste, with too many pivoting joints that may fail. I cannot recommend this type of stop (let alone double-stop) feature over the Petzl Stop design.

The Indy is similar to the Kong Version B stop bobbin, with the following main differences:

1. The autostop cam is changed so that it works in both directions, to stop if the rappeller lets go or squeezes the handle too tightly.
2. The bollards are riveted rather than bolted in place.
3. There is only one roll pin to prevent the upper bollard from rotating.
4. The handle assembly is loosely riveted to the lower bollard rather than bolted.
5. The lower bollard does not have a second hole to allow reversing it.
6. The markings are printed rather than stamped, and different.

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Kong Indy EVO NFPA
(#1395)

Front View	Rear View	Side View

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

Technical Details

I acquired my Kong Indy EVO NFPA from On Rope 1 in 2013.

My Kong India EVO NFPA is 216 mm. tall, 62 mm. wide, 33 mm. thick, and weighs 455 g.

The Indy EVO NFPA is similar to the Indy, with the following main differences:

1. The bollards are skeletonized stainless steel castings with internal reinforcing ribs.
2. The upper surface of the lower bollard has three small grooves giving two rounded teeth.
3. The fixed plate has a different shape. It is wider at the top, and has a stamped recess to provide clearance for the autostop cam.
4. The autostop cam has a different shape that allows using it as a third bollard.
5. The markings are different.
6. There is no gate.

The pivoting side plate is marked with the Kong logo, "Italy," "Patented," a rigging diagram, "CE426," a book-with-an-"i" icon, "126285 12 0037," "EN341/2A : 11," "•Ø11mm - MAX 100m," "30÷150 kg - MIN -30 °C," "EN12841/C : 06," "¢/•Ø10÷12 mm 100kg," "¢/•Ø11÷12 mm 200kg," "MEETS NFPA 1983 (2012 ED)," "T¢/•Ø10÷13 mm MBS 14 kN," and "G¢/•Ø13 mm MBS 22 kN." The connecting arm is printed with "INDY EVO" and "MADE IN ITALY." There is another rigging diagram printed on the inside of the fixed plate.

Comments

The lack of a gate makes it difficult to pass rebelays and perform other maneuvers with the EVO NFPA, so I cannot recommend it for caving applications. This design might help prevent the specific blunder that killed a friend of mine, but there are other options. Since I don't run into burning buildings to jump out the windows, I cannot comment on why this is good or bad in that application.

As with the other descenders on this page that use a linkage to a brake lever, I find that the stop feature does not provide a secure stop; however, it will slow the descent.

I prefer the bolted bollards on the earlier models, since the rivets on the EVO NFPA make it difficult for the user to replace a worn bollard.

There is a lot of information printed on the front to keep you intellectually engaged. Although holding a Ph. D. in linguistics and having the ability to read hieroglyphs in thirty ancient languages may certainly help, it is possible to decode what all the codes mean without first obtaining these credentials. A secret decoder ring may help.

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Kong Indy Evo Plus
(#3069)

Front View	Rear View	Left Side View	Right Side View

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

Technical Details

I acquired my Kong Indy Evo Plus from TradeInn through Amazon.com in 2021.

My Kong Indy Evo Plus is 201 mm. tall, 57 mm. wide, 44 mm. thick, and weighs 491 g.

This descender consists of a fixed plate in the rear and a pivoting plate in the front with two bollards and an over-travel stop assembly consisting of a cam, folding handle, and connecting arm. The plates are each 3.4 mm. thick.

Starting at the top of the fixed plate, the over-travel stop cam is mounted on a shoulder rivet near the top. The head and shoulder of this rivet fit into a notch in the pivoting plate.

The upper bollard sits 40 mm. lower, where it is riveted through its center. This bollard is made from aluminum alloy. It is 41 mm. in diameter and 14 mm. thick. A projection in the bollard fits into a hole in the fixed plate to prevent rotation. The rope groove is U-shaped, 10 mm. wide, and 3 mm. deep. The pivoting plate has a second notch that engages a shoulder area on the mounting rivet. The notches provide support to keep the pivoting side plate from bending open during descent.

The lower bollard is truncated pear-shaped with a 40 mm. diameter pruning surface, 14 mm. thick, and made from aluminum alloy. Its form is that of a circle truncated by two chords. The lower bollard rotates on a shoulder rivet attached to to the fixed side plate about 48 mm. below the upper bollard. This bollard has a 2 mm. deep, 9 mm wide V-shaped groove on its circular peripheral arcs.

A handle assembly mounted on the outside of the fixed side plate rotates on the same rivet as the lower bollard. The friction from the passage of the main rope causes the lower bollard to rotate, rotating the handle and pulling the connecting rod down. The handle is used to keep the cam disengaged during normal descent, but pulling the handle too far brings the end of the autostop cam against the rope, slowing the descent.

The attachment point is a 15 by 27 mm. oval hole near the bottom of the fixed plate. The hole is oriented vertically. The pivoting plate has a hook with a spring-loaded stamped stainless steel safety.

The pivoting side plate is marked with "Patented," the Kong logo, "Italy," "FREE ROPE," "CE0068," a book-with-an-"i" icon, "EN12841/C : 06," "100 kg," a rope icon, "•Ø10÷12 mm," "200 kg," a rope icon, "•Ø10÷12 mm," "EN341/2A : 11," "MIN -4 °C," 30 ÷ 100 kg," "H MAX 100 m," "KONGLINE Ø 10.5/11 mm,", "read manufacturer info!", "LOADED ROPE," "Made in Italy," "214030 0076," a factory icon, and "06/2021." The connecting arm is printed with the Kong logo, "INDY EVO PLUS" and "801 040." The inside of the fixed plate is printed with "made by KONG S.p.A.," "Via XXV Aprile, 4-23804", "Monte Marenso (LC) ITALY," and a rigging illustration.

Comments

The Indy Evo Plus is somewhat of a crossbreed hermaphrodite, similar to the Indy EVO NFPA but with the folding handle of the Pirata. Kong also included a gated opening on the pivoting side plate, unlike the EVO NFPA which omitted this important feature.

As with the other descenders on this page that use a linkage to a brake lever, I find that the stop feature does not provide a secure stop; however, it will slow the descent.

The folding autostop handle is differs markedly from its predecessors, and anyone making the transition would be wise to spend time to develop new "muscle memory" before using the new version in the field. I discuss the folding handle - which I do not like - in more detail in the Pirata comments below.

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