different beacons work together?

All beacons work on the same frequency. As for which one to purchase---there are lots of opinions. Go to http://beaconreviews.com/transceivers/ to help make up your mind. Seems like a great site to look over.
Knowing how to use the beacon is equally important. Take an avalanche awareness course and learn to avoid avalanche terrain. Need to have shovel and probe with you as well.

BigT

All beacons made after the mid 90's are on the same frequency (457khz). I would suggest a digital beacon as opposed to an analog beacon, since they are much easier to use and faster. I would not purchase a single antenna beacon. The blue Ortovox you're referring to is the F1. It's analog and there are much better and easier beacons to use.
I would suggest taking an avalanche course. I'll be teaching a class in Devils Lake on November 30 and Fargo on December 1st. Cost is only $45 and you'll get a discount on avalanche gear for taking the class. Go to www.avalanche1.com fand check the schedule page for sign up information. I will post the Devils Lake information tonight. Please email me if you have any questions. Mike Duffy

I will dis-agree with what was said above. The F1 is an analog beacon and still one of the most widely used beacon worldwide. The analog beacon works on real time and not a "processed" signal like a digital beacon. It also has a longer range. That being said, they take more time, effort, and practice to become proficient at using it. The digital beacons are easier to use with less practice. The type of beacon that you get is based on how much time and effort you want to put into knowing how to use it.

I agree with BigRed118. A beacon is only useful IF you know how to use it and are proficient at using it. ANY beacon that you get is only as good as the person using it. There is no substitute to PRACTICE.
I have an older SOS analog beacon and also two digital Trackers. My son has consistantly found barried beacons (while practicing) faster than most all others using both analog and digital beacons. The key to him locating the beacons faster than most is that he practices.

BigT

You guys are right. It's the practice that makes the difference. That being said, the average person only practices with their beacon one hour a year.
I would want the person looking for me to be very well trained, practiced, and using a digital beacon. Studies have proved that digital beacons are faster and increase the survival rate. Analog beacons take quite a bit more practice (to train the ear). There's a reason why very few analog beacons are sold. I have retired all my F1's. Stopped using them 10 years ago, except for using them for the "buried beacon" in classes.
Give someone who owns an F1 (who has done average practice with it) a new digital beacon and they will switch to the new beacon right away. I see it all the time in classes. They get frustrated with the analog beacon and the people with the digital beacons are much faster. I'm not saying that if you practice a lot, you can't be as fast as a digital in some cases, but it sounds like you guys practice much more than the average person. I haven't seen an analog beacon win a beacon competition in quite a few years.
Mike Duffy

Well I will jump in on this. I have to agree with Mike. I have seen to many people with analog and even 2 anntenna beacons struggle to find one, throw in a second especially if they are close together they can't find any.

A couple of things about the Pieps, first it has what it calls a smart transmitter. It monitor other signals and adjusts it transmissions when other beacons aren't sending. This not only make it easier to find in a multiple burial but also the other victims no matter which one they are using. The Pieps has a very long range, it does this by scanning a portion of the transmission band at a time. The narrower the band the more sensitive is the antenna, analog beacons can't do this. With Pieps as soon as you pick up a signal you can run as fast as you can to the victim, no turning downing the volume and doing a grid or other method. You still need to do a fine grid with the Pieps and when you do it if say the smallest distance is 1.2M (and it pretty accurate) that is how deep the victim beacon is buried. If it say 3M and you got a 2.8 M probe then then you know it is unlikely you will probe the victim. With my tour operation I can give my clients (who have never seen a beacon before) a 5 min demo on the Pieps and they can do multiples in less than 3 minutes. A lot of guys a ride with couldn't do that with what they own.

Unless you still use windows 3.1 and watch TV on a 12" B/W then I would suggest getting a three antenna beacon

I have both an SOS analog and a Tracker digital beacon for my wife or son, I carry the SOS because it has a much better range for finding a signal. The 3 antenna pieps RGM describes sounds like the ultimate, but when the guys I ride with practice, I always find the signal first with my old SOS. Once the signal is found their digital beacons are way faster, but they wander around trying to get a signal and I'm already on it. Just my experience, but it's good to have both.

Practice is definitely the key! As already stated, all beacons since the late 90's work on the same frequency to transmit and receive. That being said (and not trying to add confusion), the Mammut Pulse has a special motion sensor feature which senses the "pulse" or motion of a buried victim. This feature will only work with other Pulse beacons, but the rest of the beacon will work with all other beacons.