Pieps Freeride Avalanche Beacon

[Cyber Cop]

Can anyone offer some reviews/insight on this beacon. I guess its not new, but I'm not up to date on my tech. I don't understand the whole 1 to 14 antennae deal. I thought a digital beacon needed at least two?

Yes I searched... sorta

[Cyber Cop]

wtf is an iProbe

when can I just buy a life bubble?

[Cyber Cop]

OK don't mind me while I chat with myself.

So would it be right to say this would work just like an F1 with the addition of a distance indicator? but the range is not as good?

[freak]

it works like an f1, but with better general performance. range is also quite good.
the i prope is a nice thing imho. it makes a "beep" sound if you are in a certain distance to a sending beacon (i think 1m) and a ongoing sound if youre pretty close (i think 50cm). you can also "surpress" the sending of the signal which should be nice during bigger search operations, this works only with pieps though.
the iprobe seems pretty tough and is really light, just very short. next year theyre gonna make a longer one...

freak~[&]

[Cyber Cop]

cool, thanks freak.

I found this description on backcountry.com...

Backcountry gurus often hail Pieps as maker of the finest avalanche beacons available, and it seems they’ve outdone themselves yet again this year with the Pieps Freeride Avalanche Beacon. The Freeride Beacon’s streamlined design may be no larger than your cell phone, but even if you have Tetris on your cell phone, this is way cooler. A simple arrow and distance meter guide you in the direction of your buried compadres, guiding you to victims one at a time in the event of multiple burials. And weighing in at a mere 110 grams including its single AA battery, you’ll hardly know it’s there—until, of course, it saves someone’s life. Use the Freeride Beacon with Pieps’digital iProbe (sold separately) for the fastest and most efficient search system available.

Makes it sound like a tracker, but from further reading the "arrow" is the signal strength meter not a pointer.

Anyway, found this that cleared up a lot...

http://beaconreviews.com/transceiver...psFreeride.asp

The display contains an arrowhead that grows when the transceiver senses a strong signal. This is similar to the arrowhead displayed by the Ortovox M2. The arrow can be a little misleading, as it indicates signal strength rather than direction.

Maybe bc.com should clarify their description?

cheers.

[Cyber Cop]

So no masking feature right? Does a beacon need multiple antennae to offer masking?

[Cyber Cop]

OK, basic reading comprehension fail... the iprobe adds signal masking yes?

[adrenalated]

The Freeride is basically a "find me" beacon.
The iProbe can mask, but only if it's a Pieps beacon that's buried. How likely is that, really?

I would not recommend the Freeride for backcountry use. Use it for skiing inbounds on big days, or give it to your inexperienced buddy ONLY IF you're going out with a group or 4 or 5 where everyone else knows what they're doing and have real beacons.

[geomorph]

I disagree that the freeride is only suitable as a sending device. My GF has one and I've practiced with it a bit. Works just like an old F1, but with a better interface (I've used both). The only difference between it and other beacons is the amount of processing that it does vs. your brain does. Spikes won't be resolved, but I think it is a viable low cost alternative for those who are low on funds.

[The Dad]

Search, JONG.

I bought four for my wife and kids last season, intending them to be find-me only for in-bounds use. We played around with some dry land beacon searches, and they seem to work surprisingly well for finding, despite the single antenna construction. And a great deal -- through Bing cash back and Backcountry.com, you were able to pick them up for $125 a couple of months ago; not sure whether that's still true.

[adrenalated]

I disagree that the freeride is only suitable as a sending device. My GF has one and I've practiced with it a bit. Works just like an old F1, but with a better interface (I've used both). The only difference between it and other beacons is the amount of processing that it does vs. your brain does. Spikes won't be resolved, but I think it is a viable low cost alternative for those who are low on funds.

After using a beacon like the DSP or even a Tracker, would you REALLY want somebody to be searching for YOU using a Freeride... or old F1 for that matter?

I'm not saying they can't be used to find somebody. I'm just saying the search function is extremely rudimentary compared to everything else out there.

[khyber.pass]

The only difference between it and other beacons is the amount of processing that it does vs. your brain does. Spikes won't be resolved, but I think it is a viable low cost alternative for those who are low on funds.

But that's like saying that an East German Lada is a viable low cost alternative because the only difference between it and a Toyota with ABS and Airbags is the processing your brain does.

There's a lot more at stake than just spikes. The Freeride has a lower search range, on average around 30m (stated range is 20-40m), compared to 50-70m for most modern beacons.

It is not a 3 antenna beacon -- just 1 digital antenna -- and lacks multi-arrow directionality, dimensional search capability and fallback antenna use (such as a fallback analogue if the digital system breaks). It does not function like an F1 -- it's not analog -- so the comparison is moot, and simply, well, wrong.

Pieps themselves advertises the beacon for slackcountry use. It is not a fully functional backcountry beacon, at least not by standards of what we tend to call backcountry in these here parts. I'd only use it inbounds or for dogs.

If you want to save money, get a Tracker. The Tracker is a proven beacon with superior range and search functionality at that cost point. Otherwise own up, it's your life, get a Pieps DSP, Mammut Pulse, Ortovox S1 or the new Tracker2.

[Hugh Conway]

And we are back to the "If it's not a Cadillac it sucks" internet gear fetishist meme. Yay. Where's J_S with some charts

I'd prefer the knowledgeable partner with the slightly less bling beacon (the other people meme) than the dipshit with the bling beacon who'll get buried (which is the TGR meme)

[Cyber Cop]

So I saw the tracker1 on sale today for 229. So maybe when the tracker2 is out it will be around 200.

Other than the range this seems like a big improvement over the F1. With a distance meter instead of a dial I bet most people could locate a burial as quick as you could with a tracker. I mean really, for me, the "new" F1 with the signal strength meter made searching much easier than the older beacons. Compared to a tracker it takes some practice, but with a distance readout are they really that different?

In the end I'd definitely buy a tracker if the price is similar.

So I still don't understand why the range is poorer than the f1?

[Cyber Cop]

I'd prefer the knowledgeable partner with the slightly less bling beacon (the other people meme) than the dipshit with the bling beacon who'll get buried (which is the TGR meme)

I dunno, if he gets buried you get to keep the beacon.

[The Dad]

The Tracker is a proven beacon with superior range and search functionality at that cost point.

I don't know where you buy your Trackers, but the best price I've seen is $225, and the best on the Freeride is $125. Not close to the same price point,

I'd prefer the knowledgeable partner with the slightly less bling beacon (the other people meme) than the dipshit with the bling beacon who'll get buried (which is the TGR meme)

Quoted for truth.

[Jonathan S.]

Where's J_S with some charts

Why, funny you should ask -- I'm currently updating my various charts for the Tracker2, along with the latest firmware versions of the S1 and Pulse. (Testing is now complete for initial signal acquisition, fine search phase box size, and Tricky Perpendicular Search for S1 & Pulse -- still need to do Triangle Range Test for S1 & Pulse.)

The basic summary chart below should address many of the questions in this thread.

Note that the Pieps Freeride is most similar to the ARVA 9000 and Evolution (not to be confused with the dual-antenna Evolution+). By contrast, the Ortovox M1/M2 has sensitivity control, along with a super-long range, unlike the Freeride.

[Cyber Cop]

^^^ nice. good info.