Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
Χρήστος Λάππας

Four Beacons, Reviewed

Recommended Posts

AP4V0022.jpg

FOUR BEACONS, REVIEWED Better to have and not need, than to need and not have

 

December 16, 2015 By Megan Michelson

 

I remember the exact moment I turned my beacon to search. Not a drill, the real horrifying thing. My body snapped into overdrive and fear pulsed with every pounding heartbeat. One thing I didn’t have to worry about was figuring out how to use my beacon. I moved fast, but carefully read the signals, following my transceiver’s increasingly louder beeps and smaller numbers, signaling that I was getting closer to my buried friends. That little blinking device in my hand was the only clear message I had in a sea of debris, commotion,
and terror.

 

Later, amidst unbearable grief—the avalanche was too massive, too devastating, and three of skiing’s finest perished that day—I quietly thanked myself for all those beacon hide-and-seek drills I’d done with friends in snowy parking lots. At least I had that. Suffice it to say, don’t wait until you need it to learn how to master the search function on your beacon. Practice, practice, then practice some more. And do everything in your power to make sure you’ll never need to use it. Here are four beacons—all built with advanced triple antennae for better transmission—worth practicing with.

 

For more reviews on the best gear for skiers, check out the Gear Locker.

 

AP4V0002.jpg

 

Arva Evo4

$290 | Arva-Equipment.com
The only new beacon on the market this winter, Arva’s Evo4 is designed for entry-level backcountry skiers. It’s affordable, unpretentious, and gets the job done. It’s also idiot proof. There’s no chance you’ll forget to turn your beacon on with the Evo4—put the harness around your chest and an attaching clip turns the power on. At the trailhead, it allows you to lead a group check to make sure your partners’ beacons are up and running. The search mode is as straightforward as it gets. Follow arrows and decreasing distances and you’ll be probing and shoveling in no time. It took a bit longer than other beacons to initially identify more than one signal, but once it registered multiple victims, it was easy to find and flag them. Only bummers: It feels big and clunky compared to some of the thinner beacons in the test and it doesn’t automatically switch back to transmit if you’re caught in a slide while searching.

 

AP4V9987.jpg

 

Backcountry Access Tracker

$335 | BackcountryAccess.com
Known for being one of the most user-friendly beacons on the market, Backcountry Access’ Tracker is now in its third, even smarter version. The Tracker3 is small and light, about the size of a deck of cards. Heading into the backcountry? Switch the dial to TR for transmit and a blinking light confirms you’re good to go. Slope just slid? Turn the dial to SE for search and red arrows and a distance, in meters, clearly directs you to the victim. For multiple burials, a big picture mode lets you see all the signals and how far away they are—an understandable, clever overview—and one tap suppresses a signal once you’ve located the first one. If you’ve never used a beacon before, consider this one. It couldn’t be simpler to operate.

 

AP4V9975.jpg

 

Mammut Pulse Barryvox

$490 | Mammut.ch
The Mammut Pulse Barryvox feels like the Swiss-made machine it is—sleek, calculated, concise. It’s built for avalanche professionals and mountain guides, but it’s surprisingly easy to use. At startup, you’ll get a satisfying triple beep and blinking red light when your beacon is sending a signal. No confusion there, or anywhere else. Searching is intuitive—clear numbers and arrows lead the way, a beep gets louder the closer you get, multiple victims can be spotted and flagged. When you’ve zoned in on the victim, a symbol appears on the screen indicating it’s time to probe. If you don’t move for four minutes while in search mode, it’ll switch back to transmit in case of a secondary avalanche. Plus, the harness was the most comfortable and secure of any we tested. This beacon was the priciest of the bunch, but for good reason: It’ll help you be a smarter, faster rescuer.

 

 

AP4V9979.jpg

 

Ortovox 3+

$369 | Ortovox.com
Ortovox’s 3+ is the company’s top seller and the best choice for recreational backcountry skiers. The on/off switch isn’t exactly intuitive (who knew 1 meant on and 0 meant off?) but everything else is clear. Flashing bars on the screen show you’re in transmit mode. If you’re buried, Ortovox’s patented Smart Antennae Technology determines what position you’re in, then switches to the best transmission antenna to help your ski partners find you faster. That’s a feature other beacons don’t have. To search, pull apart the sliding arrows at the top and follow the easy-to-translate numbers and directions. The 3+ was the best performer for multiple burials—the screen instantly shows you how many signals are in the field and quickly grabs onto the closest one, then lets you flag one signal when you’re ready to move to the next. The 3+ also comes with auto switchover if a rescuer is caught in a secondary slide and built-in RECCO reflectors as a back-up rescue tool.

 

 

Photos by JP Van Swae

 

Πηγή: http://www.powder.com/gear/gear-locker/four-beacons-reviewed/#0YX2v4RpADZsiHaz.99

  • Like 2

Νίφει!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

  • Posts

    • To σκι στην Ελλάδα είναι πια βέβαιο ότι βασίζεται σε παραπληροφόρηση και σε "θρύλους" που κυκλοφορούν. Πολύ σωστά γράφτηκε ότι είμαστε σε επίπεδο Δημοτικού σταθμού σαν χιονοδρομικά. Με την παραπληροφόρηση που υπάρχει τι να κάνουν και οι καημένοι οι χιονοδρόμοι? Άλλωστε έκατσε κανείς να τους μάθει χιονοδρομική παιδεία? Έκατσαν μόνοι τους? Γενικά σε αυτή τη χώρα υπάρχει ορθολογική φωνή και συνολικός σχεδιασμός πάνω σε κάτι? Για όποιον θέλει να διαβάσει ιδού επισήμως τα νέα του χιονοδρομικού και επισήμως και μέσα από τη βουλή. Σχεδόν 100% ψέματα. https://iparnassos.gr/2024/03/i-etad-ypevale-aitima-eksygchronismou-tou-irakli-sto-tameio-anakampsis/?fbclid=IwAR2-iVfLWVwYvszEg5Hu788np7iC_-lvJVu_wzyDu5NxfyONesxnbaOTwH4_aem_AdtwiajTFasz6xd93s-XwD_Q_2mIZRrxSKgvvwySHq_5wXD-6hEf6CWVDEvhCfvV-_-rqE7oNBLxK00e859k7Iye https://parnassos-ski.gr/me-ameioto-rythmo-synechizetai-i-proetoimasia-gia-ti-leitoyrgia-kai-tin-anavathmisi-toy-chionodromikoy-kentroy-parnassoy/ Η Βουλή των Ελλήνων, τα ΕΤΑΔ και ο κάθε διακινητής "θρύλων" λένε ψέματα στη μούρη μας. Όταν ιδρύθηκε ο Σύλλογος είχε σαν στόχο την παραπληροφόρηση να την μετατρέψει σε πληροφορία στο forum. 20 χρόνια μετά μας έφαγαν τα social media, οι "δημοσιογράφοι" και η παραπληροφόρηση όσο και να γράφεις επιχειρήματα κερδίζει. Το "μικρό" τεχνητό του Παρνασσού, εφικτότατο. Δεν απέδειξε ότι είναι απαραίτητο? Μα είναι τόσο χαζά όλα μα όλα τα χιονοδρομικά του κόσμου? Κανένας δεν διαφωνεί να γίνει το σέρβις στον Ηρακλή. Τα ΕΤΑΔ θα το κάνουν? Κανένας δεν διαφωνεί ότι καλό θα ήταν να μπει λιφτ στα Άνω Κελλάρια. Χρονοδιάγραμμα? Για να σε προλάβω, πολύ αισιόδοξα το 2030. Ξεκίνησαν την αδειοδότηση? Από την άλλη τι να πει κανείς για την μπανανία που ζούμε
    • Η τεχνίτη χιονωση στον Παρνασσό ειναι ποιο δύσκολο  να γίνει απ ότι να μπει νέο λιφτ στα άνω κελάρια η ακόμα καλύτερα να βρουν τα χρήματα για να γίνει το service στον Ηρακλή  ανάποδα έχετε ξεκινήσει  από την άλλη τι να πεις για την  μπανανία που ζούμε 
    • Το έχουν για να κόβουν βεντούζες;
  • Upcoming Events

    No upcoming events found
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. elgeo
      elgeo
      (45 years old)
    2. popitsi
      popitsi
      (45 years old)
  • Who is online

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      17,306
    • Total Posts
      460,686
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      10,476
    • Most Online
      1,823

    Newest Member
    BhoblhZog
    Joined
×
×
  • Create New...