What beacon to buy??

JSun · Nov 29, 2009

I am looking at buying new beacons for my dad and I for Christmas. What is the best one out there right now? I guess by best I mean what is the easiest to use and most comfortable to wear. I apologize if this is a redundant thread.

Thanks

Joe

sledtahoe · Nov 29, 2009

orthvox

I purchased a d3 they are new tecnology for a good price 319.00, 5 year warrenty.

KSH · Nov 29, 2009

I have a Pulse and like it. Ridin buds have the Pieps and they like them.

Buy digital with multiple antennas.

KSH

mad1818 · Nov 29, 2009

Can't go wrong with the BCA Tracker either. Very easy to use and on sale through today for $229 at snowbigdeal.com My riding buddy and I just ordered a couple yesterday.

skibreeze · Nov 29, 2009

There are gonna be a bunch of bca trackers for sale when the new Tracker 2 comes out. The tracker is a very easy to use, the Ortovox M2's are very easy also, but the newer 3 ant. beacons are going to be even better. The Tracker 2 and Pieps have 3 ant. The pieps has been out and is very highly rated.

We actually did some beacon practice on the hill today, one in our group had an Ortovox F1 and it was much harder to get to the target accurately. Whatever you get, make sure it has a digital distance readout, makes locating much more effective.

jakey-boy · Nov 29, 2009

Ortovox S1 sounds pretty sweet but I haven't seen one in action. Price is definitely steeper then the others. If anyone has experience with them at all I would love to hear how they work.

mad1818 · Nov 29, 2009

I was gonna wait for the Tracker 2 that is supposed to be available mid December. But I already have experience with the Tracker that is available now and that is very fast already. I didn't think the price difference of $130 was worth the 2 seconds you might save in a search. I would make sure that your riding group has digital readout beacons like skibreeze said because I have used the ortovox focus before and I know I wouldn't want to be under the snow while someone was looking for me with one of those!

Tec · Nov 29, 2009

I to was waiting for the tracker 2, but decided to go with the Pieps DPS.

sleddin pete · Nov 29, 2009

BCA Tracker for me and the wife.
Easy to use/digital distance and guidance arrows.

Regardless of the price the best one,is the one you know how to use and have practiced with.
Pete

Jkinzer · Nov 30, 2009

ortovox D3 is easy to use and is a 3 antena system, tells you what direction, and how far away

SnowBigDeal · Nov 30, 2009

Tracker DTS is a very easy beacon to use, it's digital and has 2 antennas. Tracker 2 will be very easy, fast, and has 3 antennas. It should be available within a month or so for $335. Pieps DSP and Mammut Pulse both have 3 antennas, are very easy for multiple burials, and have great range. I recommend any of the beacons I've mentioned here.

giddyup · Nov 30, 2009

beacon review

i have sat throught several beacon seminars, all interesting, you have to practise with what ever you go with. i would recomend a three antena one. far faster and very easy to use., i have used the peips and the barryvox pulse, both 3 ant. units, both work great. i dont like the switch on the pieps but i like the display on the pieps, i went with the barryvox was just very easy for me to use and understand. also remember you will likly have gloves or mitts on when you are useing them so keep that in mind. if you can find some fellow forum members around your area that would let you try theres would help you compare. cant go wrong with any of the new 3 ant. ones i think, looking forward to the new tracker.

good luck
giddyup

JSun · Nov 30, 2009

Hey thanks for all the input. I will be looking into some of the above mentioned beacons. Either way it will be money well spent.

Thanks again

Joe

datmony · Dec 1, 2009

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I have a follow up question and please bear with my ignorance, will all beacons work with one another? I do not really have any riding buddys here as I just bought the first sled I have had in the west but I will likely meet people. Are all the units interoperable?

giddyup · Dec 1, 2009

beacon

yes all current becons work on the same frequence i think it 457. but yes only some of the old old beacons were on a diff. frequence.

giddyup

KSH · Dec 1, 2009

JSun said:
Hey thanks for all the input. I will be looking into some of the above mentioned beacons. Either way it will be money well spent.

Thanks again

Joe

Check out REI. They should have all the good ones to look at and try.

http://www.rei.com/category/40000102

akturbo · Dec 1, 2009

The Ortovox S1 or Barryvox Pulse are the best out. I went with the S1. Yeah yeah, best one one is the one you know how to use... But

Can't compare these 2 with the tracker, different class of beacons. S1 for $423. Found the pulse for $350.

So far just used the s1's around the lot, got 3 of them for the group. They're spot on, amazing range and accurate. They are easy to use, at least for me, a techie. Multiple burrials are really easy. These are replacing an x1(pos) and two trackers.

Google the models mentioned on the thread and do your research.

Buy new, if you buy a used one you should send in for calibration.

AvalancheSafetyDude · Dec 2, 2009

Any 3-antenna beacon will out-perform a 2 antenna or analog beacon. They all have different features and they all have their pros and cons. We have all of the 3-antenna beacons here (Pulse, Pieps, S1, Tracker2 (demo for now, for sale in a couple weeks)) and we have used each one of them. We've heard what customers say about each one of them and we can help answer any questions about the beacons if you want to call and talk about them.
Brian

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What beacon to buy??

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