Is it time to upgrade your beacon?

[RGM]

Good article for you guys still using single or dual antenna beacons

Mountain Skills: Why You Should Upgrade Your Avalanche Transceiver

 

[moyiesledhead]

Mehhhhhhh.....my dual antenna still works just fine. My old truck doesn't have antilock brakes either, but it still stops. My computer is still a 32 bit system.....God forbid I should keep using that too.

 

[papajake]

but in the same sense people will buy a new phone for 500-1000 because it is a new version,only to have a newer one come out 6-12 months later.the computer companies have the new ones built and sucker us into buying the old one then do a minor upgrade for a new one.

 

[moyiesledhead]

but in the same sense people will buy a new phone for 500-1000 because it is a new version,

Yup. Nothing wrong with my old phone either. Guess I'm just a dinosaur.

 

[Lowlife82]

Good article for you guys still using single or dual antenna beacons

Mountain Skills: Why You Should Upgrade Your Avalanche Transceiver

Thanks for sharing. Great food for thought in there

 

[pipes]

Yup. Nothing wrong with my old phone either. Guess I'm just a dinosaur.

I wouldn't say that you are a dinosaur. Just old school. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

On that note, I did update my beacon last year because I was not satisfied with the performance of my old beacon. In the 21 years that I've been going to the mountains I'm on my third beacon. My first one is an SOS-SB. Old School analog beacon. Worked well in it's day. and still works but not as easy to use a the new digital ones. The second beacon is a Tracker 2. much easier to use but last year when I finally took my AST1 I discovered it didn't have the range of some of the newer beacons. My latest beacon is a Barryvox Element. Much better range and just a little easier to use. Will I upgrade again. Probably not right away but if there is something that I think is better I would definitely upgrade.

 

[YamaDad]

I played around with my old SOS, my Mammut Element, and 2 Pieps DPS beacons, and found no matter which beacon I used as the searcher it locked onto the Mammut first and the SOS last. Perhaps I am a bit selfish in this but if I am buried I am good with being found first.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

 

[jeremy]

I have the tracker Dts. ....it's the same one as shown in that picture. I thought it was still a decent one but now I'm second guessing that. What brands are you guys using for new ones and why did you pick that brand?

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[pipes]

I have the tracker Dts. ....it's the same one as shown in that picture. I thought it was still a decent one but now I'm second guessing that. What brands are you guys using for new ones and why did you pick that brand?

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk

when I took my AST1 last winter I got a chance to compare against other units, and felt that my Tracker 2 didn't have the receiving range that the others had. As a matter of fact mine was the worst of all the different models. The reason I chose the Element was that is what the instructor was using and it had the best range of all the ones we had to compare to.

 

[tmo1620]

I upgraded two years ago to the Pieps DSP, for 7 years before that I had an SOS analog beacon that I got second hand, really glad I finally got a decent one, much nicer and user friendly

 

[RGM]

Mehhhhhhh.....my dual antenna still works just fine. My old truck doesn't have antilock brakes either, but it still stops. My computer is still a 32 bit system.....God forbid I should keep using that too.

LOL and what year is the sled you are riding?

 

[moyiesledhead]

LOL and what year is the sled you are riding?

2010.....whatever your point is. But I do have a 1969 Johnson Challenger sitting in the yard too.

 

[gdhillon]

Tracker dts is garbage nowadays?

 

[RGM]

Tracker dts is garbage nowadays?

They have a pretty small range

 

[RXN]

I bit the bullet today. Went down to the doo dealership in Kamloops. And picked up a tracker 3.
When I get home I'm going to have my wife bury my tracker 1 and her SOS beacon. See how quickly I can find them.
Then have her bury my Tracker 3 and I'll use my tracker 1 and see if it's any slower to find.
Either way it's good practice before heading out

 

[CUSO]

I have the peeps DSP and it seems to perform well. I did my AST-1 refresher last winter and tried pretty much all the latest ones, and still found that my peeps is still one of the best for ease of use, and range.

Buddy has a mammut and hates the holster, he says it shifts around too much.

 

[LBZ]

I didn't realize my beacon was so far behind the times. I've got the old school DTS.
Sure it still works and I will keep it as a b/u as it's better than nothing but when lives are on the line I'd definitely want something much more accurate and faster.
Going to check out the element and the T3 and see which one I like better.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

 

[BIGHORN1]

I didn't realize my beacon was so far behind the times. I've got the old school DTS.
Sure it still works and I will keep it as a b/u as it's better than nothing but when lives are on the line I'd definitely want something much more accurate and faster.
Going to check out the element and the T3 and see which one I like better.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

we spend thousands on sleds and go fast parts the least we could do is also upgrade the items that will keep us alive in the event of a catastrophe.

 

[tex78]

Well I've got a tracker 1 I use for the wife, kids, or a loaner if someone forgets one


I use the tracker 2 , bought it cause I was used to the tracker...

 

[mountaincatab]

Wife and kids bought me a new tracker 3 and inreach for Xmas