# Avy beacon



## budderbear (Nov 27, 2011)

old reliable : Backcountry Access Tracker DTS Beacon from Backcountry.com

I assume he is going with other people ? Otherwise a beacon isn't of much use, besides recovery.


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## Edp25 (Dec 27, 2010)

I agree with old reliable. The BCA is simple and durable


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I took a very introductory Avy course last winter, and while it may seem obvious, the following cannot be stressed enough, especially since you clearly care about your mans:

1. Beacons use a very, very simple mechanism to work, all of them work together (regardless of brand) and are built to withstand an avalanche. As such brand and model mean VERY LITTLE. Here's what does matter:

2. Beacons dont work with dead batteries, or if they are turned off, or in the wrong function mode... This leads to 3...

3. Intimate knowledge of the simple functions of your beacon gained from 4 and 5.

4. Proper Avy training, Avy I at a very minimum.

5. Practice. Know how to swich from transmit to receive, conduct snow stability tests, use a probe to find a buried beacon, and finally dig about 1 ton of snow in 10 minutes. (oversimplified checklist, get a real one from class)

6. Partners. 

If an avy beacon is going off and theres no one there to hear it....

There are many people on this site with more BC experience than myself, just saying, picking up a used beacon off craigslist is no big deal, finding one on sale or whatever. Alot of people with money stick their toes into a sport and buy a bunch of this shit only to find out for whatever reason (myriads) they won't use it. This is even more common with higher end mountaineering gear like this (compared to finding a deal on a NeverSummer snowboard for example).


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## ludee00 (Mar 8, 2011)

Thanks for the advice. Yes, he is going with a group and a guide. I looked into the one you suggested, which says dual antenna. But some of the other models have 3 antenna now?? Does that matter? I won't be there and I'm nervous. Hopefully he won't ever need it, but if he did, I would hate to have gotten a lesser model. 
Sorry, I'm a novice with this. I like to sit and read, he likes to do all this crazy stuff. I'm just looking out


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## ludee00 (Mar 8, 2011)

I see they have a BCA2. Any opinion on that?


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## ludee00 (Mar 8, 2011)

So you think the BCA2 is a good choice?


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## hktrdr (Apr 3, 2012)

ludee00 said:


> Thanks for the advice. Yes, he is going with a group and a guide. I looked into the one you suggested, which says dual antenna. But some of the other models have 3 antenna now?? Does that matter? I won't be there and I'm nervous. Hopefully he won't ever need it, but if he did, I would hate to have gotten a lesser model.
> Sorry, I'm a novice with this. I like to sit and read, he likes to do all this crazy stuff. I'm just looking out


Number of antennas only matters when the unit is in search mode (.i.e., when looking for somebody else). For keeping him safe it makes no difference (unless you are buying beacons for the whole group).

Edit: Oops, just noticed that Snowolf beat me to it already. Anyway, you got the answer to your question.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

hktrdr said:


> Number of antennas only matters when the unit is in search mode (.i.e., when looking for somebody else). For keeping him safe it makes no difference .


There should be no selfish thoughts like this when it comes to beacons. If you cheap out and a mate dies you always have that hundred dollars or so on your conscience. Likewise you would hope your mate buys a 3 antenae beacon so he can help find you quickly in a burial.


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## hktrdr (Apr 3, 2012)

ETM said:


> There should be no selfish thoughts like this when it comes to beacons. If you cheap out and a mate dies you always have that hundred dollars or so on your conscience. Likewise you would hope your mate buys a 3 antenae beacon so he can help find you quickly in a burial.


No selfish thoughts in my post. I agree that one should get the best beacon that one can afford, in order to be able to assist one's riding buddies.
But that was not the OPs question - she was asking whether getting a higher end unit would increase her husband's safety. The answer to that is generally no.


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## 03SVTCobra (Mar 31, 2012)

So basically it is pointless to be the only one in a group with a beacon?
Reason I'm asking is because I mostly ride with a group of 2-8 people but not all of them even consider having one.


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## DrGreeNThumB420 (Aug 19, 2007)

03SVTCobra said:


> So basically it is pointless to be the only one in a group with a beacon?
> Reason I'm asking is because I mostly ride with a group of 2-8 people but not all of them even consider having one.


Yes pretty much pointless if your the only one in group with a beacon......unless your buried it can be used for body recovery.Or you could get lucky enough that someone in the area sees the slide and has one :dunno:


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Two antenna beacons will work. A lot of lives have been saved with them. The three antenna versions are much better from a search stand point. Dead spots are eliminated, less variations due to burial angle, that sort of thing.

For the money, the Pieps DSP is probably the best beacons out there. Good balance between features and functionality. This is the base model. They do have one that has crazy other features, like an inclinometer, barometer, and shit you don't really need on a beacon. The range is search mode is far better than just about any beacon out there. You can pick up a single from 60+ meters out. The BCA2 and most others are lucky to hit form 40 meters. That is a huge difference. There is one other beacon out there that has that sort of range, I think it's the Ortovox 3+, but not 100% sure. The DSP also has the ability to search for an alternate frequency transmit only beacon they make for dogs. Since I ride with my pooch all the time, it's a great feature.

The bottom line is that, all of the digital beacons on the market are effective. You need to know how to use them, which means practice, practice, practice. Things to look for is that the beacon is simple for you to use. If it's complicated, imagine that in a life or death scenario. Not good.

As everyone mentioned, the beacon is no good unless everyone else in your group has one. On top of that *they will also need to have an avalanche shovel and probe*. If you don't have all three of those items, then you might as well not have them at all, and you you have no business riding in the backcountry as you obviously have no idea what you are doing. Education is also key. 

All that gear is great, but it doesn't protect you. Getting buried in an avalanche generally means broken bones and life threatening injuries. Keep that in mind. Paralysis, long hospital stays, expensive medical bills are common, and of course there is also that death thing. You carry the stuff as a last ditch effort, but if you need it, you've fucked up big time. Better to have a gun and not need it...

It is a lot of fun, don't get me wrong. It's all I do. I've also seen several bodies being recovered after a person was caught in an avalanche. Most of them had all the gear listed above, and they are still dead. One of them was from two seasons ago. Chatted with the guy about his set up in the parking lot before him and his two friends went out. He didn't come back. That is how quickly shit goes south on you. 

So beacon, shovel, probe, and training. All of that should be on the list. If one is missing, you are not prepared at all.


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## ludee00 (Mar 8, 2011)

Great!!! I was looking at the PIEPS originally, but when the Bca was suggested I was ready to switch. 

Thanks for the review and advice everyone


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