Best Beacon/Shovel/Probe

[char]

After stumbling across this thread I've decided that I need a beacon, probe and shovel. So, I'm asking the collective:

What do you use? What is affordable for someone with little cash?

I know the basics: Aluminum shovel and digital beacon. But what brand, model, etc? Are their any good deals right now?

[slim]

I use the DTS Tracker. It is by far the easiest beacon to use and simplicity is your friend when you're searching in a hurry. However, you'll get arguments from people here for other options.

As far as shovels: Get one that is telescoping with an aluminum blade and a d-handle. Voile and G3 make nice ones that fit this category.

As far as probes go: Get one that is 280-300cm and has 10cm markings on the side. Life-link and Black Diamond make nice ones that fit this category.

[summit]

My gear:

Ortovox F1 Focus ANALOG beacon. (I can find as fast or faster than the digibeacon freakos even in multiburial searches, but I practice a lot. Analog == 2X the range of a DTS))

Black Diamond fully extendable D handle shovel with composite blade and storable 30cm snow saw.

Black Diamond 240cm Carbon Fiber Pro probe with cm markings and pointy brass head.


My thoughs:

IMHO DTS tracker is not the best beacon because of it's short range. There are much longer range beacons. DTS is the easiest to use, but not necissarily the best.

Black Diamond has the BEST probe poles PERIOD. Get at least a 200cm probe.

Be sure to buy a shovel with a composite or aluminum blade. Avoid lexan (plastic) blades. D handel is much easier to use especially when its cold and you have mittens. Extendable shaft gives you much easier time digging... more power...

Snowsaw is really fucking necissary to do snowpits well.

www.bdel.com

[Spamhelmet]

Originally posted by SummitCo 1776
My gear:

1. IMHO DTS tracker is not the best beacon because of it's short range. There are much longer range beacons. DTS is the easiest to use, but not necissarily the best.

2. Black Diamond has the BEST probe poles PERIOD. Get at least a 200cm probe.

3. Be sure to buy a shovel with a composite or aluminum blade. Avoid lexan (plastic) blades. D handel is much easier to use especially when its cold and you have mittens. Extendable shaft gives you much easier time digging... more power...

4. Snowsaw is really fucking necissary to do snowpits well.

www.bdel.com

1. with digibeacons vs. analogs go check out the couloirmag.com
and telemarktips.com forums. theres a long discussions about the benefits/disadvantages.
in short, summit1776 makes only half the pont in the range discussion. what you loose in the range/time that you pick up the initial signal you save it in the close range search. at least the 99 people out of 100. period.
personally i would purchase a DTS or the new Pieps DSP

disclaimer:as a former owner of f1 and present owner of DTS.


2.not that big differencies in poles that you would have to pay the extra 50% for a BD stuff. Ortovox/duotone and lifelink probes
work the same, for what experience i have tried them. Only that in ortovox probes it is possible to unscrew the rearclip from the cable, that way you loose the possibility to "assemble" the probe.
that takes about 30 seconds to correct, if you have happened to disassembled your probe. the lengths 240cm and 300cm are prefeable.mainly because it helps you to reach easier (without bendig over) the probing depths of 2m. in burials deeper that
there is usually no hurry anyway...
the benefit of the 300cmprobe can be used as a spare tent pole in the most of the mountainhardware or TNF tents.

just dont buy the pole/probe combo that you can get from BD for example. they truly are the pain in the ass to use.

3. avoid lexan. have personally broken two of my friends ortovox spades. D handle is a must if you dig more, i.a snowcaves, kickers.

4. its good to have, but not a neccessity. you can survive just fine without it. good use is to use it to saw of cornices and using them as "your own backountry explosives" to test the slopes below.

but as stated: it´s good to own to have the stuff and know how to use it, but more important is to know how to AVOID to use it...

[cj001f]

1. It's whatever you can search with fastest that counts - some people like range. If someone's buried a meter deep in Avy debris it'll take you longer to dig them out then to do the beacon search.

2. BD Poles are the same price, or cheaper than Ortovox or Life-link, and better. (BD 300cm Guide is $60 - Life-Link 300cm is $76)

3. I like T Handles

4. It's alot easier to run a Rutschblock with a saw - takes less digging. Depending on snow conditions skis etc don't work. If you're sawing of cornices you should really have rope & belay gear.

[DougW]

From what I've seen in a beacon comp experience is way more important than electronics. Digi also have a hard time pin pointing in the last meter. If I could buy again I'd want something that could switch from digi to anolog for the the last meter. That being said some digi may be better for multi beacon search but only one digi was in top 5 to go on to multi search. Also seemed like the DTS people had more problems with false signals than everybody.

[summit]

1. Doug: absolutely! Practice is way more important.

Recent beacon drills (3 sets of 2 buried beacons). I reached the pinpoint stage on the buried beacons faster or the same speed as those in my group but my pinpoint searching was mcuh faster. I was using a F1 and everyone else was using DTS beacons. Everyone in the group was very well practiced.

2. I agree longer is better, I gave 2m as a minimum. Some companies sell 1.4m and 1.8m probes. I personally would never buy anything shorter than 230cm or 240cm.

3. we all argee. Composite or Al.

4. I think snowsaws are a necessity to Do It Right... trying to cut loose anything with todays skis that are twinned or at least flared is virtually impossible. I think a nice cut from a saw removes potenetial error sources from tests. Saw should be 30cm at least. Longer is better.

Cut loose cornices with a saw alone? SCARY! Potenetially very dangerous! I'd rather use a cord with knots in it to let me cut off larger sections and be able to stand back.

If you are in a coastal snowpack, you can use the saw to cut blocks of snow for creating a shelter.

[seldon]

Originally posted by SummitCo 1776

Cut loose cornices with a saw alone? SCARY! Potenetially very dangerous! I'd rather use a cord with knots in it to let me cut off larger sections and be able to stand back.

If you are in a coastal snowpack, you can use the saw to cut blocks of snow for creating a shelter.

I've heard of tying the snow saw onto the end of a ski pole as the best route.

But i've never tried it, being a complete BC jong who doesn't go w/o a guide.

[Spamhelmet]

Originally posted by seldon
I've heard of tying the snow saw onto the end of a ski pole as the best route.

But i've never tried it, being a complete BC jong who doesn't go w/o a guide.

..yes. attached to the pole of course!

[Gordyman]

I'm bumping this sucker because I found it very informative and IMHO maybe even sticky worthy. It did lack the entertaining penile jousting like in Blurred's avie shovel thread ( [ame="http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144136"]Avi shovels on the market=garbage - Teton Gravity Research Forums[/ame] - also very informative).

[GeezerSteve]

I own both a F1 Focus and a Pieps DSP, pretty well practiced on both. I can locate faster with a DSP, but YMMV. F1 works fine for a binary search method, DSP better for induction line method. Duh. DSP definitely worked better for multiple bury practice scenarios.

We've experiemented with transmission distance with both F1 and DSP. Slight edge to DSP, but that was a one off experiment and conditions (battery level, ambient RF interference) might be different in different places. The Tracker range seemed shorter than either the DSP and F1.

Tracker certainly is easy to use, but the DSP is also pretty damn user friendly. Shorter transmission range nixes the Tracker, IMV.

[Pinner]

Package deals are available from many retailers. Friends of Berthoud Pass members get discounted packages from Bent Gate and Alpenglow here locally, and we have relationships with manufacturers and distributors.

Last year in our silent auction a maggot took home a Lifelink pack and probe, BCA shovel and DTS beacon for a winning bid of less than $250.

[dookeyXXX]

i always thought the general consensus on beacons was to get the one you are most comfortable using.

at any rate, first time i used a beacon was last Spring hitting Tioga Pass with CDLV, Ottime, and Sinecure for my virginal skinning trek.

they tossed a beacon into some shrubs at the MoMart at the bottom of Tioga and had me search it out using an Ortovox S1. they gave me a time limit on finding the beacon with the ultimatum if i didn't find it i had to stay at the MoMart and watch the cars (i.e. no skinning for me). i passed with enough colors to satisfy them that i'd be able to locate anybody in time.

i ended up borrowing that S1 for several more trips and finally bought one this summer when i found them on sale.

and it's interesting to hear all of you extol the benefits of "D" handled shovels. i have been eying those, but nobody i tour with uses them (they seem to prefer "T" handles).

what about the shovels that have "teeth"?

and thanks for the probe advice, as well. need to score some of those.

so, would you guys suggest that the OP go try a few beacons at a shop or look into a beacon class (I know a few resorts set up beacon search areas, but do they have beacons you can "rent" to practice with?)

[GeezerSteve]

Wildsnow has lots of discussion relevant to digital transceiver selection, including a review by TGR Maggot Jonathan S. DSP, S1, DTS and Pulse each have a cheering section.

One thing is certain: User acumen, which is acquired only through practice, trumps selection of currently available digital transceivers.

[LightRanger]

Dooks,

A D-handle, (usually) a T6 blade, and some extension are my three criteria for a shovel. I have a G3 Avitech. Well-regarded by pretty much everybody.

The Voile Telepro is solid too.

I'm thinking of picking up one of the smaller/lighter BD shovels for spring touring when the danger is a bit lower and I'm not doing any pit sculpting.

[summit]

There's more recent threads than this as there have been a lot of changes in the market since this thread was started nearly SIX YEARS AGO.

My updated opinion:

The best beacons on the market are the Ortovox D3 and S1, the Mammut Pulse, and (probably) the BCA Tracker X2.

The best shovels are from Ortovox, G3, and BCA.

The best probes are from BD and BCA.

[Pinner]

If you've never used a beacon before, just get a Tracker and be done with it. There's a reason they are so popular.

[summit]

If you've never used a beacon before, just get a Tracker and be done with it. There's a reason they are so popular.

I don't think this popular wisdom holds true any longer. While the Tracker DTS is not a bad choice, there are now better choices for the rank beginner. Plus, we should be telling people to go try beacons out before they buy.

[hoarhey]

There's a new Life-link shovel that's pretty sweet.

Big D handle.
Good reinforced metal blade.

Sold in two lengths (16 or 20")

Both stow well in a BD covert pack.

http://www.avalanche-center.org/store/ll-guide.html

[skifishbum]

Pesonally I'm a fan of the peips dsp. I used it to win the fastest beacon in the wasatch comp a few seasons ago. Kind bummed snowbird bca and whomever else was funding that comp cut it.
I've got a few shovels the g3's bomber and it's got the stash spot to [Mike Myers voice] put your weed in there. The bd deploy fits in my pack better and no assembly and seems burley enough although I guess you can't stand on it.
Probes the bd guide works for me seems a lot of people overlook probes and probe practice, but probes find victims beacons tell you where to probe unless it's a shallow burial.
All tools are only as good as the person operating them.

[LightRanger]

G3 Probes are good also.

[Wes Mantooth]

I use the Mammut pulse mainly because it's incredibly easy for me to use...every test I've done with a buried pack or glove I've hit the object first tap with the probe. I trust it completely and I know it gets a good rep so I'll stick with it

We gave the tracker to my friend's 6 year old daughter and she found the other beacon instantly...

[LightRanger]

We gave the tracker to my friend's 6 year old daughter and she found the other beacon instantly...

Heheh. That's cool.

And really not that surprising. Those things really are that intuitive.

[Wes Mantooth]

Those things really are that intuitive.

6-year-olds or trackers?

[hoarhey]

I've been happy with my BCA SR3 draw 300 probe...
Lightning fast deploy and sufficient length

If I had to buy a beacon today, I'd likely buy the Ortovox S1