I need to get a beacon. What type should I get, and are they all compatible with other beacons?
Avy Beacon
- Thread starter Borninsnow
- Start date
I've got a couple of older Arvas, one croaked this year so I'm buying a new beacon also. Here is what I've learned--
Most people have nothing but good to say about the BCA Tracker, the price is right and it is pretty easy to use. The Mammut Pulse is also a good choice, it seems to be a little more complex, so plan on spending a little more time practicing with it. Pieps and Ortovox are also inthe game, but seem to have been surpassed by the other 2.
These all operate on the same frequency. Whatever you get, practice with it until you are confident, keeping in mind that in a real burial, you are going to add depth to the equation since you will be digging down.
Try doing a search on the old site as well, this is a popular topic.
Most people have nothing but good to say about the BCA Tracker, the price is right and it is pretty easy to use. The Mammut Pulse is also a good choice, it seems to be a little more complex, so plan on spending a little more time practicing with it. Pieps and Ortovox are also inthe game, but seem to have been surpassed by the other 2.
These all operate on the same frequency. Whatever you get, practice with it until you are confident, keeping in mind that in a real burial, you are going to add depth to the equation since you will be digging down.
Try doing a search on the old site as well, this is a popular topic.
You definitely want a digital beacon and not an analog beacon. The analogs work, but they take a lot more practice. All beacons (since about 1996) are compatible with each other.
The Tracker DTS has two antennae and is very easy to use. Once in a while, because it only has two antennae, you will come across a "spike/dead" reading that occurs when you move between flux lines, this can sometimes be a little confusing unless you know to just move right through the "spike/dead" reading. This being said, it is still very easy to use and the most popular beacon out there.
The Pieps has three antennae and therefore the spikes are eliminated and it also (IMO) makes multiple burials easier. But multiple burials don't happen near as often as single burials, and if people would only have one person on the slope at a time (and out of the runout zone), you wouldn't need multiple burial features. The pieps is an excellent beacon, but it has a tiny bit slower processor than the tracker, so it may take a split longer to process the signals coming in.
The Mammut Pulse is a SWEET beacon. It has three antennae and also has analog capability to give it some additional range. It doesn't have the spike readings like the tracker, it is easy on multiple burials, and it also has a feature that will transmit if you still have "a pulse" to other pulse beacons. However, the Pulse has a menu on it and you could even put the menu into chinese if you wanted, so it is a little more complex than the other beacons and will take a little more practice.
Hope all this helps. Everything being said, there is no substitue for practice. If you practice enough and know every feature of your beacon, I don't really think it matters in the end which beacon you have. Everything you need will be on top of your shoulders.
The Tracker DTS has two antennae and is very easy to use. Once in a while, because it only has two antennae, you will come across a "spike/dead" reading that occurs when you move between flux lines, this can sometimes be a little confusing unless you know to just move right through the "spike/dead" reading. This being said, it is still very easy to use and the most popular beacon out there.
The Pieps has three antennae and therefore the spikes are eliminated and it also (IMO) makes multiple burials easier. But multiple burials don't happen near as often as single burials, and if people would only have one person on the slope at a time (and out of the runout zone), you wouldn't need multiple burial features. The pieps is an excellent beacon, but it has a tiny bit slower processor than the tracker, so it may take a split longer to process the signals coming in.
The Mammut Pulse is a SWEET beacon. It has three antennae and also has analog capability to give it some additional range. It doesn't have the spike readings like the tracker, it is easy on multiple burials, and it also has a feature that will transmit if you still have "a pulse" to other pulse beacons. However, the Pulse has a menu on it and you could even put the menu into chinese if you wanted, so it is a little more complex than the other beacons and will take a little more practice.
Hope all this helps. Everything being said, there is no substitue for practice. If you practice enough and know every feature of your beacon, I don't really think it matters in the end which beacon you have. Everything you need will be on top of your shoulders.
This is an absolutely incredible beacon!
While it may be a bit more complex on the onset with setting it up, once you learn it, it's very user friendly. I'm a manual reader, and the hubby isn't (most guys don't read instructions). I set him up with hiding one beacon in our the yard. Did that a couple of times, then I threw a wrench in it, and hid 3 beacons and sent him out. He didn't know at the time how many were out there. I was very impressed with how fast he found all and was back inside. After that, we switched off hiding for each other. I just can't say enough good about this thing!!Another bonus to it, is it's size. It's not as bulky as the Tracker is, so it's very comfortable to wear.
Check out the new Ortovox S1. It is finally here and wow, what a beacon. It is more money but the rest just became obsolete. It also has a function that allows you to check your buddies and make sure that there beacons are on. Temperature, slope angle, and others. It has raised the bar in the beacon industry for sure.
E
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I thought that the S1 had been out for a while...
Looks cool, but i'm a big fan of devices doing one thing and doing it very well... and not so much of one device doing everything, but not doing anything well (eg., new cellphones). More features = more electrical load = less battery life.
Does look like a slick device though. Is there an antenna in both halves? Having two antennas 90° from each other could be a huge bonus to both range and accuracy.
Looks cool, but i'm a big fan of devices doing one thing and doing it very well... and not so much of one device doing everything, but not doing anything well (eg., new cellphones). More features = more electrical load = less battery life.
Does look like a slick device though. Is there an antenna in both halves? Having two antennas 90° from each other could be a huge bonus to both range and accuracy.
I own a bca tracker and a pipes dsp. The piepes is easier to use! Not that the bca is hard to use it is pretty simple. But when i go riding with someone that is not experenced with beacons or avalanche equipment, I give them the pieps to use and I wear the bca. If I had to do it all again I would spend the extra 50 to get teh peips over the bca.
Just my .02
Just my .02
Another vote for the Mammut Pulse.
Regardless of what you choose however, learn the functions and practice until they are second nature. As important as owning a beacon and supporting tools, sign up for a level one avalanche class (if you haven't been through one already), it will provide you with the rest of the skills necessary to mitigate personal risk as well as skills for performing a quick search in the event of a burial.
Regardless of what you choose however, learn the functions and practice until they are second nature. As important as owning a beacon and supporting tools, sign up for a level one avalanche class (if you haven't been through one already), it will provide you with the rest of the skills necessary to mitigate personal risk as well as skills for performing a quick search in the event of a burial.
If you need to ask if they are all compatible then the first thing you should be doing is signing up for an avy course. Then go out and buy a Pieps DSP.
I have a buddy that is having his second kid next week and is getting out of sledding and is selling his SOS analog beacon. It was only used one season. If interested, let me know and I will get a price from him. Selling his probe and all his gear as well.
I bought the Pieps DSP this year. I had an analog Ortavox F1. The Pieps is awesome! It's extremely user friendly. It can scan the area and tell you how many people are buried within 5 meters, then 10 meters, then 20 meters. Awesome beacon, worth every penny.
