 Poster: A snowHead
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Much to the bemusement of our assorted French neighbours, MrsPhillipStanton, crasher (who lives very close to us) and I decided that it would be good to do a spot of transceiver practice in the car park of our apartment building yesterday. Primarily driven by the fact that MrsPhillipStanton and I would look pretty silly turning up on our off-piste course and not being able to drive our transceivers.
MrsPhillipStanton and I have Barryvox Pulses and crasher brought along his Ortovox X1 so that we could practice multiple burials.
crasher did much research before buying his X1 a couple of years ago and had the opportunity to try lots of units on his BASI Mountain Safety Module.
I bought the Pulses on the recommendation of SMALLZOOKEEPER - the choice being primarily driven by the fact that we're infrequent users and needed the absolutely easiest unit to use possible.
Having tried both single and dual burial scenarios the difference in performance and usability of the units is, simply, staggering.
I managed to find two transceivers hidden about 3m apart in about a minute using the Pulse. crasher took closer to 10 minutes to find two transceivers hidden about 4m apart using his X1 - and then only really did so because we'd (deliberately) left the plastic bag edges visible - the pinpointing using the unit was a nightmare, with the distance measurement jumping.
Why the difference in speed? The key things seem to be that the Pulses:
- lock into digital mode at a much higher range (40m plus) than the X1 (10m)
- are much more responsive than the X1 - they have very little lag - making pinpointing much easier
- the display leaves you in no doubt about how many vicitms you're looking for - and you can choose which victim you're looking for.
Whatever the concerns about the switch design, I know I'd prefer my friends to be carrying.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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That's my experience with the Pulse as well. Very easy to use for neophytes like me. Glad you managed to save your plastic bags before anything terrible happened to them.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Some avalanche cord out of B&Q would have been spotted instantly! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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In the Great Transceiver Hunt in Richmond Park's leaves, I found the Tracker very easy to use in multiple burials.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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That's a good point achilles - I'm going to try to borrow one...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Could you folks poke up with a Megamum idle curiosity question please?
I often hear about all these bits of avalanche kit being discussed, but short of the 'shovel' I don't really understand what does what, what is necessary etc.
So far I've gathered that Reccos are reflectors that rely on a separte sender/receiver device to make them useful and which are not necessarily standard bits of kit everywhere?
These transceivers as discussed here are a two part kit - the bit the skier carries actively sends a signal that a receiving unit (carried by another member of the skiing party?) can pick up?
Then there are these compressed air gadgets - I assume that these deploy an air bag which can keep a skier at the top of a flowing avalanche?
are there others?
Like I say its just idle curiosity - I wouldn't think I'll ever ski off piste.
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| Megamum wrote: |
These transceivers as discussed here are a two part kit - the bit the skier carries actively sends a signal that a receiving unit (carried by another member of the skiing party?) can pick up?
Then there are these compressed air gadgets - I assume that these deploy an air bag which can keep a skier at the top of a flowing avalanche?
are there others?
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The transceiver can send a signal and when switched into receive position will also search for any buried transmitting transcievers.
Yes, the air bag is inflated by a canister containing compressed gas and is designed to help keep the skier at the top of the avalanche flow.
The final bit of essential kit you've not mentioned as an avalanche probe. This is a long pole (which disassembles into small sections to fit into a backpack) used to probe into the snow to precisely locate a submerged person.
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brian
brian
Guest
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| Megamum wrote: |
These transceivers as discussed here are a two part kit - the bit the skier carries actively sends a signal that a receiving unit (carried by another member of the skiing party?) can pick up?
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Transceiver = Transmitter/Receiver, they all transmit and receive the same frequency, 457 kHz
The whole party skis with them set to transmit, then if the worst happens and someone is buried, the rescuers switch to receive and attempt to locate the victim(s).
Once they have homed in they use probes to try and pinpoint the victim, and shovels to dig them out.
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brian
brian
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Transceiver = Transmitter/Receiver
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Ahhh....yes I see - thanks all - it just makes all these threads a bit easier to visualise
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Megamum, And poles are also good for prodding snoring mates at 4 in hte morning - some can reach across a whole bunk room
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You know it makes sense.
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Echos my experience of the X1 which I found a nightmare in the last metre compared to the F1 which is fine. I thought it was the conflicting information given by the digital distance display when you should be focusing on the analogue beeps.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Echos my experience of the X1 which I found a nightmare in the last metre compared to the F1 which is fine. I thought it was the conflicting information given by the digital distance display when you should be focusing on the analogue beeps.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I'm another one who hates the X1. I've used the F1, M2, X1, Tracker and older Barryvox, and I find the X1 better than nothing for searching but only just. Of those units I've used, its distance readout updates so slowly as to be confusing - particularly if you're trying to find something quickly. I found I needed to stop absolutely stationary for about 5 secs to let it settle down and give a stable reading - virtually useless. When trying to find two devices buried about 10m apart neither I nor the highly respected guide conducting the training session could locate the second transmitter in over 10 mins searching.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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After getting a bit worried about my search techniques or transceiver reliabilty the other day, ( read above) Thought I'd do some more research. There is an excellent article on the web called digital beacon pin pointing in the vertical plane, author dave barber. It appears that digital beacons get confused when you get close to the buried one because of the 2 antenae and the multitude of flux lines. What Dave Barbers technique does is isolate the transceiver to work on the vertical flux lines. I have practised this numerous times now. Its easy to learn and very effective. I would recommend this to any users of digital beacons.
It also assists in multiple burials close together because it highlights the signal to the beacon you are aligned with, but it doesn't help with transceivers buried in hedges at chest height, only underground!
It eliminates the wandering distances and arrows, and in fact tells you to look for this as a means of identifying the vertical plane.
It will probably be a bit difficult to get to grips with for novices, but get someone more experienced to learn it and show you
So if you have a 2 antenae beacon and not one of the new 3 antenae ones. Read and learn this article as it could save time and lives.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
And poles are also good for prodding snoring mates at 4 in hte morning - some can reach across a whole bunk room
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Buy what you now how to use. If you don't know how to use any of the units available, buy the Pulse for the reasons outlined by Philip. Simple, time is your enemy in these situations, simplicity is the key to survial. And get trained in prevention in how to advoid needing to use these units!
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FAQ
