Appendix
Expansion vs Operation Range
The majority of cam manufacturers will show consumers the expansion range of a cam. This however does not translate the the functional range. On the outer ends of the expansion range you risk either welding the cam or leaving it tipped-out; which is prone to walking, a lower friction coefficient, and failure in special cases. Therefore I show the operation range by default, which removes a percentage from the min and max range. Per manufacturers, the percentage reduction for each type of gear is as follows:
| Pro | Min Range Reduction (%) | Max Range Reduction (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Ball Nut | 25% | 25% |
| Big Bro | 10% | None |
| Cam / Friend | 10% | 25% |
| Tricam | 10% | 25% |
Click on the legend item 'Operation (mm)' to switch between operation and expansion.
Hexes and Nuts
Passive protection is measured from the widest point, take this into account when comparing to active protection. Also remember some nuts taper more than others, which may can more or less suitable depending on the rock type. Nuts are made up of two possible positions (P1, P2), while hexes have three (P1, P1.5, P2).
Strength
Passive protection: the strength rating will be the number on the far right side (see the 12kn for DMM Offset 7). If P1 and P2 have different strength ratings, it will be specified (see BD Stopper 7: 10kn in P1 but it drops to 6kn on P2).
Active gear will use a slash rating to denote if the active rating differs from the passive rating: [active kn]/[passive kn] (see DMM Dragon 00: 10kn active and 9kn passive). If the cam will fail in a passive position, an X will be used (see the black Totem). If the active and passive ratings are the same, it'll be a single value (BD C4 .3).
