Feedback on Beacon Comparison Chart for Avy Courses

[Jonathan S.]

The charts below are intended to provide a comprehensive review of major differences in fundamental design and features among different avalanche beacons. I’m generally trying to avoid field test results and subjective judgements.

For newbies (the intended audience, since I hope to distribute this at the avy course I will be assisting at this coming season), please let me know if you find it helpful, and for vets, please let me know of any needed corrections or suggested modifications.

Thanks in advance for any feedback, and feel free to send me a pm with your email address to receive the original file if the image quality below is too poor.

[cj001f]

Who's your audience? Perhaps good for an audience with technical background - but even they might need more explanation.

Instead of horizontal - go vertical, with newest models/most antennas/most advanced beacons at the top - by functional use, not technical definition, descending to the old obsolete models. People clue into the top first - get them going for the newest models (ostensibly the best)

Something Like:

Advanced Features - Barryvox Pulse, Ortovox S1

Directional multiantenna beacons - barryvox Opto3000, Pieps DSP, Ortovox S1, BCAccess Tracker, Arva Advanced

Nondirectional Beacons - Ortovox F1, M1, M2, Pieps 457, SOS, etc.

Beacons to Retire immediately - Ortovox F2

[summit]

There are no single frequency 457 obsolete models on that chart. All are on sale today

[Meadow Skipper]

Put the dual-frequency notice somewhere other than in a column (like in the notes) since it doesn't have any relevance to the models listed. It's confusing where it's located, adjacent to the brand names.

[summit]

I'm of the opinion that there are not good or bad beacons, just good or bad beacons FOR YOU.

The SOS F1ND is a GREAT beacon for me because of how my mind works and how I practice. For the next guy, it might be the worst choice on the map.

It is all about your mind, your needs, how much you practice, and, in the case of the Pulse/S1/DSP Adv, the size of your checkbook.

What works for you?

[cj001f]

I'm of the opinion that there are not good or bad beacons, just good or bad beacons FOR YOU.

Very, very true words. Find what works for you.

In looking at beacons recently, the price spread between new beacons has narrowed (you can get a DSP for $250, you could have got a Barryvox for $200 - it's hard to find an F1 or like for <$180) and my personal belief is the less practice required for a given level of competence, the better. The flux line was intuitive to me - as it is for many technical people - it isn't intuitive for many. which raises the practice bar for single antenna beacons.

[Cirquerider]

The dual frequency column just confuses things. I would remove that information to a footnote. It might be nice to have a list of features in column headings and list of beacons in left column and apply checkmarks or rating scores for the features (think consumer reports rating matrix).

[mntlion]

and maybe a note that the best beacon is the one that you pratice with and know the best?

[smolakian]

Yeah, good information but the presentation is a little confusing. I think you could rearrange your spreadsheet a little better.

[Snow Dog]

The number of antennas is irrelevant to newbies. I would have a feature list with four types of beacon:

• analouge
• anlogue-digital hybrid
• digital
• advanced digital

[AKWL]

I'm a newbie and am thinking about some very, very tame pre-work backcountry runs this winter. So I'm in the market for a beacon (and AT gear and the rest of a basic avy gear setup).

Just looking at your spreadsheet cold, it took me a couple of seconds to figure it out. If you were there to explain it to me, as you would be if you were teaching a course, it would be pretty straighforward.

Having said that, I look at spreadsheets all day long, so I may find it easier to read than others.

Slightly off topic:
Does wearing a beacon while resort skiing make someone a super JONG? The way I see it, it's a lot less cumbersome than a helmet, and even the most controlled fun areas at my resort still hold some risks.

[Ireallyliketoski2]

Does wearing a beacon while resort skiing make someone a super JONG? The way I see it, it's a lot less cumbersome than a helmet, and even the most controlled fun areas at my resort still hold some risks.

Yep, don't ever forget, the most important factor in deciding whether or not to wear a beacon is what people will think of you if they see you wearing one.

[Jonathan S.]

Many thanks for everyone’s feedback.
See original post for modified version of original overview chart, plus entirely new features chart.
Feedback for both is once again most certainly welcome, from both newbies and vets.

As for in-bounds beacon use, North American ski resorts have experienced only two in-bounds avalanche fatalities in recent years: a skier was swept off a chairlift by an avalanche roaring in from above the Las Vegas / Mt Charlestown ski area; and, a skier was buried by a massive springtime wet slide on a MOGULED trail at A-Basin. (A third fatality was caused by loose snow burial, but it wasn’t really an avalanche.)

I do not know if a beacon would have made any difference in either case. However, I know of at least a couple other in-bounds avalanches in recent years (Mammoth, Eaglecrest), where only luck prevented any burials (full or partial). And realistically, even after extensive control work, small pockets of instability will always be present until an area is entirely tracked out and skier compacted - my brother set off a very small in-bounds slide once when I was skiing with him. He skied away from it quickly, and it was *probably* too small to bury an adult, but still...

My personal take: wearing a beacon on powder days has potential benefits and essentially no drawbacks. I typically don’t bring along a shovel and probe in-bounds, given that I don’t usually wear a pack for in-bounds skiing and give that by the time the victim is located by a companion beacon search, the delay for the ski patrol will probably be very short. (Were I to be in a situation where I had more in-bounds powder days though, I might reconsider that and get a setup of some ultra-small probe and maybe that plastic snow claw, so that I’d have enough gear to at least get started while waiting for the ski patrol, yet be carrying around rescue gear that was even lighter and smaller than a carbon fiber 200+ sectional probe and Voile XLM or BCA Tour shovel.)

Note that for Europe, the distinction between in-bounds and backcountry is much less sharp, so full beacon-shovel-probe is *always* a good idea.

[Snow Dog]

Many thanks for everyone’s feedback.
See original post for modified version of original overview chart, plus entirely new features chart.
Feedback for both is once again most certainly welcome, from both newbies and vets.

As for in-bounds beacon use, North American ski resorts have experienced only two in-bounds avalanche fatalities in recent years: a skier was swept off a chairlift by an avalanche roaring in from above the Las Vegas / Mt Charlestown ski area; and, a skier was buried by a massive springtime wet slide on a MOGULED trail at A-Basin. (A third fatality was caused by loose snow burial, but it wasn’t really an avalanche.)

There were a couple of inbounds non-fatal avalanches at Whistler last season and there was a least one inbounds burial with beacon rescue at Baker (reported here) last season. Plus tree wells in deep snow can be unpleasant and there were lots of those reported here last season.

I like the new & improved overview and features charts.

[skibee]

Beacons, well as someone who has spent 9 years teaching a variety of people how to use beacons, most likely to find myself in a professional setting... the best beacon is a simple beacon. The fewer buttons, features and crap to confuse a newbie the better. The geekier you are the better off you are with a simple beacon to start and then upgrade as you understand the concept of the search.

Digital beacons (I use a Tracker for personal use) do some of the processing for you. Distance, direction etc. But they add some complications and distractions which can lead to slow downs in multiple searches.

Ananlogue beacons are simple, and very effective when you know how to use them. I have spent hours and days at a time working with beacons to understand them. Your average BC user is not paid like me to hang out and practice, but you are still expected to be fast with yer beacon. Also, a practice on Thanksgiving weekend is not enough, work your gear throughout the season to maintain competance.

Basically, I think a person should pick a beacon, practice and keep the batteries fresh. Check to see how competant your buddies are with their beacons and advocate a practice session before some of your trips. Halfway up the trail is not the place to find out your friend bought he latest and greatest but doesn't know how to turn it on. I have had many guests show up and have thier "own" beacon only to have me show them how to turn it on and do the whole "how to" show from the beginning.

The simple beacons are still good, the fewer parts to break down/wear out. The newer tech beacons, I think they need a few years to work out the bugs. The Tracker has the fastest processor, which lets a searcher move quickly, I find the slower processors frustrating because a searcher has to slow down to allow the machine to think. With an analogue beacon I can move and think at the same time= faster search times. which brings me to anouther fact of the matter... searches are fundamentally conducted by people, people have to be fit in order to be fast. No fancy expensive beacon is going to help you move yer ass uphill to search if thats where you need to be, so go for a run to the store to buy a beacon and then practice.

Too much coffee this morning, rambling opinionated post.

The spreadsheet is a great tool, lays out all the info. I prefer the second one with each feature for each beacon in a line to compare. Good non biased information, good for comparison shopping.

As for wearing a beacon in bounds, that depends on whether your posse is packing or not, aslo whether the patrol in your area is packing or not. There is no point in wasting batteries if no one has a beacon nearby to find you. If your hill has a culture of wearing one (Sunshine Village requires a beacon to access some of it's terrain so many folks pack all the time, we wear beacons and packs with gear at this hill all the time but at Lake Louise we do not because fewer people do.) Never consider yourself a geek for wearing one, but do travel in a like minded group with packs and shovels to complete the picture, or all you are doing is wasting batteries.

B
3 years teaching Avi courses
6 years fulltime heliski guide
CAA level 2

[~mikey b]

However, I know of at least a couple other in-bounds avalanches in recent years (Mammoth, Eaglecrest), where only luck prevented any burials (full or partial).

If you're talking about the 2001 incident I'm thinking of, it was on the Hogsback, in the backcountry that is accessed from the ski area boundary, not inbounds. There was also a close on closing day of the 2004-5 season, but that was out of bounds as well. There were a couple of partial burials and close calls at Eaglecrest last winter, but they were when the area was closed and AC had not been done that day.

http://www.avalanche.org/proc-show.php3?OID=17346