Version A
(#1025)

Front View	Rear View

Left Side View	Right Side View	Bottom View

Technical Details

I acquired this Sterling PDQ from Bluefish in 2024.

My Sterling PDQ is 124 mm. tall, 77 mm. wide, 38 mm. thick, and weighs 212 g.

The Sterling PDQ consists of a pivoting, lever-actuated, oval spool fitted between two side plates. The side plates are 3 mm. anodized aluminum. The side plates are shaped much like inverted rescue pulley side plates, including a 24 mm. high, 16 mm. wide oval hole at the bottom of each for rigging, and two bends each to bring the plates together at the rigging hole. The plates are rigidly connected by two 9.4 mm. riveted bars, one at each side. The spool and lever are mounted on a steel shaft that penetrates the rear plate

The spool is an irregular aluminum block. The front end of the spool is 33 mm. high by 27 mm. wide and the rear is 29 mm high by 24 mm. wide. They are separated by a 3 mm. fin. The lower portion of the fin has a ledge that passes under the rope on the front side. The block is free to rotate on the shaft to about 60° to one side of center.

The release lever is made from 12 mm. anodized aluminum. A steel piece connects it to the top of the spool.

The front plate is printed with "pdq," "HWPDQ2 Descent Device," a rigging illustration, "Use only 6mm Approved Rope," "MUST GRIP ROPE," "18229," and "16334004." The rear is printed with the Sterling logo, STERLING®," "≤310lbs," "≤120m," a book-with-an-"i" icon, "Follow Instructions," the Underwriters Laboratories logo, "PAT.6,378,650," and "ANSI Z359.4."

Comments

The Sterling PDQ is closely related to the CMC Rescue Escape Artist. As I noted on the latter's page, the Rescue Escape Artist was clearly motivated by the Traverse Rescue 540° Rescue Belay, U.S. Patent #6,378,650 listed on the rear of the Sterling PDQ clearly illustrates the Traverse Rescue 540° Rescue Belay, supporting the relationships.

The Sterling PDQ does not open for rigging, so the user must have access to a free end of the rope. This means that the device should be pre-rigged if one intends to have it available in emergency situations. Rigging consists of putting two wraps around the spool, starting at the rear and working forward. The device is not symmetrical so the rigging must follow the illustration on the front of the device.

The lever is too sensitive for my taste, especially on smaller ropes. The Rescue Escape Artist will provide an autostop feature if one lets go. I don't like this on any device, for a variety of reasons. Squeezing the lever fully decreases friction dramatically - there is no "panic safety" feature. I view this as a positive; others take the opposite view.

The fin on the PDQ spool replaces the pins on the CMC Rescue Escape Artists in my collection. This eliminates the "pin jabbing the rope" problem that William Voorhies experienced and discussed on my CMC Rescue Escape Artist page.