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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Redwood City and Alpine Meadows, CA
    Posts
    8,277

    WTB: Cheap Avy Beacons (x4)

    The recent spate of inbounds and sidecountry slides has me spooked for my wife and kids. I want to put transceivers on each of them, even though they will never use receive mode. But because they will never use receive, spending on a state of the art DSP/S1/etc. just doesn't make sense.

    Anyone got anything?
    not counting days 2016-17

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    coloRADo
    Posts
    2,116
    Ortovox F1 (Older blue version) - $150 Shipped & PPed?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Driving2VT
    Posts
    4,572
    Older gen Ortovox F1 Focus bought from MtLion in 2007. Fully functional. $100?
    Uno mas

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Redwood City and Alpine Meadows, CA
    Posts
    8,277
    Thanks, guys. I'd like to wait to see what other options come in. Just FYI, though, my baseline is going to be driven by the Pieps Freeride, $199 from Backcountry before the Maggot discount and 12.7% Live.com kickback get added in, so figure $150ish. Unless I'm mistaken -- and please tell me if I am -- the feature set of the Freeride should be comparable to or better than the F1, and it comes with a warranty. Not saying that $100-150 isn't a reasonable price for an F1, just that it may not be enough to sway me.
    not counting days 2016-17

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Amherst, Mass.
    Posts
    4,684
    Quote Originally Posted by alpinedad View Post
    Unless I'm mistaken -- and please tell me if I am -- the feature set of the Freeride should be comparable to or better than the F1, and it comes with a warranty.
    They are very different designs.
    In very quick summary:
    -- receive range: F1 is among the longest; Freeride is shortest ever
    -- send range: all beacons are very similar
    -- size and weight: Freeride is very small & light
    -- harness design: F1 is all strap; Freeride has pouch design (although it's on the big side, offsetting the small & light beacon)
    -- searching features: F1 uses analog accoustics and a few LED lights; Freeride has LDC screen for approx. distance and flux line alignment
    -- as a victim in a multiple burial: F1 can confound the signal separation abilities of the S1, DSP, Pulse, 3 Axes; by contrast, Freeride entails no such problems, and can be deactivated by the Pieps iProbe (which a professional rescuer at a ski area might very well have)

    Reviews coming up here:
    http://www.wildsnow.com/1476/avalanc...-review-intro/
    ... although only for multiple-antenna models, and focusing on backcountry companion rescue, which is not what you seem to have in mind.
    If you're looking for a beacon exclusively for "find me" purposes for in-bounds use, then the Freeride is targeted exactly toward your needs.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Redwood City and Alpine Meadows, CA
    Posts
    8,277
    Thanks, Jonathan. That's my take on the Freeride as well.
    not counting days 2016-17

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