Last year at the Chili Fun Fly there were a lot of cold hands. Tony looks like he is

concentrating on his plane, but he is really thinking "Man, my hands are cold!"

 But what are you supposed to do? Those Transmitter mitts are either

really expensive, or out of stock.

I found that a Child size 6 vest from the Salvation Army ($2.53 on sale) looked a

lot like a transmitter vest:

See:

Gather your tools: Some familiar, some not

Measure your transmitter at least 3 times, so your sure it's right

Make yourself some project specific plans

Cut out the patterns

And one last check to be sure everything is going to fit

Tape the pattern onto the vest and start cutting. Careful - this is where you

can ruin your whole investment

There's more to these vests than you think.

You have to cut away the extra fiber fill, then miter the corners.

Fold the inner liner over the fiber fill

And sew it down. (inner liner only, not through the front)

Careful using these unfamiliar tools.

Now the inside is done.

Turn it over, and cut some plastic sheet much bigger than what you think - about 2"

in each direction bigger.

Slip the plastic in between the front and back layers, and tape it in place,

front and back

This time, sew from the front, through all the layers

Take the tape off. Pin the neck shut and sew from the zipper out in both directions

Do the same with the bottom. The zipper is still operable to get the transmitter in and

out, and the antennae goes through the bottom where you didn't sew at the zipper.

Quickly check that the transmitter fits:

Make one more check in the shop before you head out

Then go field test it. My photographer bride wouldn't follow. She said she needed a

"camera vest". I told her the Salvation Army sells them for $2.53.

 The transmitter vest worked great. I was able to launch the wing, and get my hand inside

before the wing buried itself in the snow.