Do beacons usually come with harnesses?

[jaysonfreerider]

well im thinking i really need to buy one and i wasn't sure if they come with the harnesses or not?
and is there any that are easier to use then others?
thanks

jayson

 

[mad1818]

Every one I have ever boughten came with a harness. I reccommend the BCA Tracker DTS. Easiest one I have ever used. There are others that people like that I haven't tried. Pieps I think is another that people like.

 

[jaysonfreerider]

thanks abunch mad! yeah that BCA tracker is the one i have been looking at the most, looks pretty simple!
thanks again.
if anybody has any other beacons that are easy to use, let me know!
thanks

jayson

 

[Surly1]

BCA Tracker here. Super easy to use, one big red button. Also comes with a decent harness.

 

[JHG]

I don't think it gets any easier than a DTS tracker.

 

[m_beeson]

BCA comes with a nice harness. easy to use. I like the arrows and distance display. I also like the autorevert feature. When you turn it on hold down the yellow button until you hear the beep, Ar comes up on the display.

When in autorevert you can activate search mode, and after 5 minutes it will revert back to transmit mode. This way you are somewhat protected if you have a slide break loose while you are searching.

Be sure to compare prices with backcountry.com. good company to work with, good prices.

 

[jaysonfreerider]

all right! thanks guys for all the help!
yeah i was thinkin about ordering from backcountry, good store, ordered from them before!
thanks again!

jayson

 

[Wade]

Most beacons integrate the harness into the beacon. So, if you have the harness on, and the beacon around you waist, it's almost impossible to not have the beacon on, and transmitting. And, if you take it off, the beacon turns off, saves batteries. Some beacons, also go into search mode, when you pull it out to search for someone, by un-clipping one side of the beacon/harness.

 

[Ex-Member]

yep, they should come with one.

Another +1 for Tracker.

 

[MountainPowder]

Just received my Tracker DTS from SnoBigDeal on here (he is on eBay as well). Came with harness. He had the best deal I could find. $289 for beacon with free shovel or probe and free shipping, received it in 2 days. I picked up beacon, probe, and shovel.

 

[BigRed118]

5 minute autorevert? The S1 Ortovox is the easiest. Also you can set the "Autorevert" from 60,90, or 120 seconds. If I am buried, 2 minutes is too long let alone 5 minutes. If you think the BCA are easy to use, set one on the ground and point it straight up. Take your BCA and walk above it. Watch it freak out......The distance jumps all over. 2 antenae technology is old school. The Ortovox D3 and S1 have 3. BCA also needs to work on there distance. They say about 40 meters but independant tests show closer to 28. The D3 and S1 have a working distance of 65 meters. If I am the one buried, the faster you pick up my signal the better. Try this,set a BCA on the ground pointed at you and walk towards it until you pick up the signal. Mark that spot. Now do the same with the D3 or S1. It's amazing the difference. Finding the signal takes the most time in an avalanche situation. I know that alot of people have the BCA's on here, they are just older technology. They have not updated that beacon since it inception 11 years ago. BCA raised the bar, that is why digital beacons are so great now. But just like with any technology, if you stop progressing you will be passed up. That is what has happened.

 

[V-Man]

I've had a couple BCA's for 9 years, but this year they are no longer working reliably. Must be some corrosion from moisture internally. They don't always turn on and one of them keeps rebooting when in search mode. Anyway, they are easy to use but as mentioned earlier, the technology is getting a little long in the tooth. Supposedly they have a new 3 antennae model coming out this year so there may be some really good deals coming up on the current model.

Just playing around burying beacons in the yard, a complete idiot can find it in 2 1/2 minutes or less. With practice you get it under a minute easily. They are sooooo easy to use. Multiple burials gets tougher though; supposedly the new ones do much better.

I'm going to take a close look at the S1. I have not tried it personally, but in our avy class we saw it clearly had the longest range and looks very easy to use.