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What Avalanche Beacon Should I Buy

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santcugat
Posts: 29 - Karma: 25
Ywah, title says basically everything. Thanks!
Jan 18 2014 6:38PM
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chiefbroseph
Posts: 720 - Karma: 523
i got a tracker and it is perfectly fine. have no experience with any other ones.
Jan 18 2014 6:42PM
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malonius_funk
Posts: 2249 - Karma: 1,500
if you don't have experience with a beacon i'd go with a tracker or tracker 2. straightforward and easy to use.
Jan 18 2014 7:15PM
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m-ruta
Posts: 160 - Karma: 168
There is no "best beacon". There may be a best beacon for you, but nobody here can tell you what that is. Go to a shop, play with beacons. See what your planned touring partners have, play with their beacons. Have you taken your AST 1 yet? If so, what did you practice with.

The best beacon is always the one you practice with.

I worked in a gear shop for a while earlier this year and I can't tell you how many people came in not knowing how beacons they already owned worked. Horrifying.

Any 3 or more antenna beacon on the market is good. Buy what you like best and then learn how the damn thing works, that's the important part. Otherwise it's an expensive ass paperweight with a blinky little light.
Jan 18 2014 7:22PM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13082 - Karma: 18,715
your base model is the Tracker2. its 315$ on average. Its the simplest,most reliable beacon on the market. This is what you should aim for.
There are more complex beacons from other companies that can track multiple burials, delete signals and do other stuff that amateurs dont need.
Jan 18 2014 7:41PM
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powderhound100
Posts: 2510 - Karma: 144
amateurs will probably "need" those functions more then experienced people making good decisions.
Jan 18 2014 7:44PM
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snomaster
Posts: 3344 - Karma: 5,748
Ortovox S1+
compare them all, but trust me because I've got more experience than the majority of anyone else commenting here. yes there's opinion this is the best, especially for multiple burials. any tool requires training to be efficient, but this one is certainly not harder to figure out than any BCA tracker model. I've played with lots of beacons over the last 10 years, and this is what I have on me day in and day out. I just wish my partners had the same quality gear.
Jan 18 2014 7:55PM
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snomaster
Posts: 3344 - Karma: 5,748
do you remember the recall on this beacon?
http://www.tetonat.com/2011/01/10/jhmr-returns-defective-bca-tracker-2-and-pulls-from-retail-shelves/

I DO. fuck buying BCA after this!
Jan 18 2014 7:58PM
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Ryanvdonk
Posts: 12811 - Karma: 1,971
the best avalanche bacon is hickory smoked
Jan 18 2014 7:59PM
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Bart.Man
Posts: 1742 - Karma: 1,952
Click for larger image
Jan 18 2014 8:05PM
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Dr.Dickless
Posts: 2620 - Karma: 1,392
I really like the pieps dps sport just for the price, but the ortovox s1+ is my overall favorite! it's just so pricey
Jan 18 2014 9:29PM
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
The "best" beacon is the one you're comfortable, and therefore quick, with. Having said that...

Tracker is decent but nothing special; I don't know why they're so popular. They advertise being easy to use but I think the Mammut Element is much easier (fine search smokes the tracker) and has a longer tested range; it's essentially a stripped down version of one of the nicest beacons money can buy (Mammut PULSE). The tracker also doesn't have flagging, which makes it a sub-par choice if you ever ski with more than one person...

This is an excellent site run by Steve Achelis. I had the pleasure of discussing beacon theory with him and needless to say, the man knows his stuff.

http://beaconreviews.com/transceivers/
Jan 19 2014 2:30PM
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santcugat
Posts: 29 - Karma: 25
thanks to everyone, +k
Jan 19 2014 7:37PM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13082 - Karma: 18,715
2011 the article was published. They corrected the problem and sales in BC are through the roof.
I read the article, the device was off and displaying numerical functions and making noises. Through the middle of the day one reported the beacon to have shut off.
 Sounds like water got into the device a few days before and wrecked some circuits. Now, before you diss BCA, YOU are responsible for the proper functioning of your gear in the back country. YOU should test the device frequently and at every outing. A beacon just does not fail. These beacons are designed to malfunction, then fail when problems arise. You will get a warning sound from the device.

And second, Toyota cars have been failing and faced recalls. So you will never buy from Toyota again?
Jan 19 2014 7:57PM
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nickmcnutt
Posts: 4396 - Karma: 2,966
The main issue I've seen with the BCA tracker 2 is the pull-switch for search mode, in a situation where you are digging and in search mode it is VERY easy to accidentally bump it back into transmit which can be a major problem if other members of your group are still searching for another victim etc. so I would personally not recommend it. It's a dumb design. The Peips DSP is an awesome beacon and cheaper than the Mammut and has a great flagging function, self check feature, and a range scan to tell you how many victims within 5/20/60m. Very fast and easy to use. But like posted above, the one you practice with is best. I would just avoid tracker 2.
Jan 19 2014 11:21PM
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jblaski
Posts: 5566 - Karma: 1,078
I patrol with Steve (did so tonight actually) and although the guy is a little off the wall, his knowledge about everything backcountry is incredible. I would love to spend a significant amount of time picking his brain and trying to learn from him. His WasatchBackcountry website is incredible.

Thread related: I use the Tracker 2. Does exactly what I'm looking for in a beacon. If money isn't an issue, then yes, look into something like an Ortovox or Mammut.
Jan 19 2014 11:41PM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
threads
Jan 21 2014 11:59AM
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bdowning
Posts: 1630 - Karma: 243
Read this whole thread, damn informational.
Jan 24 2014 11:15AM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124
from the shittiest skins to alpine wreckers to multiple recalls on beacons to naxos
their avvy bags it's all meh
i do like and use their snow safety kit
only cause it doesn't break and need to go through their marginal slow as shit
warrunty program
if ya can't search the intertubes for info
best of luck finding your buried partners
Jan 24 2014 11:21AM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124
from the shittiest skins to alpine wreckers to multiple recalls on beacons to naxos
their avvy bags it's all meh
i do like and use their snow safety kit
only cause it doesn't break and need to go through their marginal slow as shit
warrunty program
if ya can't search the intertubes for info
best of luck finding your buried partners
Jan 24 2014 11:22AM
0 0
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