 Poster: A snowHead
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Have just purchased a transceiver and would like to be able to familiarize myself with it before going out to resort. Has anyone found a way to do this without splashing out on a second full functioning transceiver? e.g. is it feasible to buy some form of transmitter from an electronics shop that uses the 457khz frequency?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DCG, There were a few diagrams on the net which showed how to make a basic transmitter on that frequency. It just a case of following the wiring and buying the parts from Maplins or similar.
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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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DCG,.....Scarpa, has the right idea.If you have a Maplins nearby,call in and ask.Many of their stores have an electronic geek or two  Try to match the transmit power of your unit or you could get erroneous readings.Too powerful and it could be everywhere or,more likely,too weak and you may not 'see' it until right on top of it.
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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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| Scarpa wrote: |
| DCG, There were a few diagrams on the net which showed how to make a basic transmitter on that frequency. It just a case of following the wiring and buying the parts from Maplins or similar. |
Anyone got links to the diagrams ?
A 457kHz signal generator is easy
However making and tuning the antenna is the hard part!
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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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easiest way is to find a fellow snowhead who has one and practise together.....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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All sHs should wear their beepers to work. We can find each other in lunch hour. That would actually be quite a fun game.
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Scarpa, Thanks for the suggestion. Will search the web and check out Maplin.
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Scarpa, excellent idea - but you can also play this game shopping. One snowHead goes into Tescos and buries a beacon in the frozen food section, all the others rush in and then search and dig
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brian
brian
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DCG, you can buy tx only ones to put on your dog (seriously). I'll see if I can find a link ...
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brian, they sell them in Snells in Chamonix but you will get the third degree before they will sell you one.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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brian, Thanks. That would be good - my electronics skills not too hot.
jbob, Thanks, but Chamonix is not close. I understand why they would give you the third degree - not wanting people to go with tx only devices.
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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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DCG,
Some ski resorts have sessions or short courses where you practice using your transceiver. They bury one in the snow and you have to find it.
What type of transceiver have you bought. You should also buy a shovel and probe as well.
If you search the internet you can get good information about using them as well.
As suggested above also get fellow snow heads with transceivers to practice, some SCGB members did this in London last year.
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welshflyer, Good point. I used the les Arcs training park last season, good fun and bloody knackering in waist deep snow.
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You know it makes sense.
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DCG, I work with two electronic engineers, both have said its dead easy to make up a circuit for a basic transmitter and they'd sketch something out for me in a lunchtime.
That was two years ago, still waiting.
If you find a circuit, let me know.
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brian
brian
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
DCG, you can buy tx only ones to put on your dog (seriously)
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I can understand using one for ferreting or using terriers to flush rabbits from a warren or something but anyone that puts 457 on dogs anywhere near snow.... I cannot imagine how annoyed I would be in a multiple burial situation to dig up a dog first.
With that in mind one thing you might want to check out are ferret and terrier finders made by Deben or Bellman and Flint. I'm not sure what frequency the Deben ones transmit on but the Bellman and Flint uses 457 (they sell it with the Pieps DSP). The Ortovox D1 is another option in this field http://en.ortovox.com/transceiver/ddoggy.html.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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brian, Thanks for finding that site. Looks interesting. Not sure how much the d-i-y route would cost, but 52 euros isn't bad for a finished product. Your earlier post reminded me that when I did my initial research to seek out reviews of the various products I came across some websites that used transceivers for putting on terriers - presumably in case they ended up stuck down fox holes. I didn't bother with it at the time and can't now remember the names of the sites - but think it might have been some club in cumbria.
welshflyer, Thanks for the suggestions. I've done a number of these courses - particularly the excellent ones run by Henry's Avalanche Talk in Val d'Isere - and have previously been supplied with transceivers when on off piste holidays. In the past I've mostly used Ortovox (and think these are good devices) and was reasonably familiar with those, but following a look at the reviews decided to opt for a Pieps DSP. I realise it's more complex to use so I want to practice a bit before I get out to resort - hence the original post.
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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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gorilla, Thanks for that tip. Have found the Bellman & Flint site which sells the dog collars for £80. Circuit boards are half that price. I may keep looking for something cheaper.
Interestingly, googling the Barryvox S2 brought me to another SH thread http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=4259 which has just been revived and is on the same basic topic.
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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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DCG, keep your eye on ebay for an older transmitter. I got a Pieps DF a few months ago for £25, perfect for training....
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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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DCG,
Henry did courses at Sandbanks, Poole this year and on a suffolk beach last year. I keep asking him to do one in London but he can't find a suitable venue ie. an area of sand to bury a transceiver in.
Where do you live? If you're in London why don't we ask on this forum if anyone else wants to set something up. I reckon a wood would be suitable because you could hide a transceiver under the fallen leaves (may be too late if all of the leaves have been blown away).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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philw, Thanks for the e-bay suggestion. There are a few there at the moment, but maybe a bit overpriced. As far as the circuit diagram goes: thanks for the suggestion, but I think this is way beyond me.
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| welshflyer wrote: |
| Where do you live? If you're in London why don't we ask on this forum if anyone else wants to set something up. I reckon a wood would be suitable because you could hide a transceiver under the fallen leaves (may be too late if all of the leaves have been blown away). |
There was a snowHeads transceiver session in Richmond Park a couple of years ago. Bleeps were buried under the leaves. It was a good opportunity to see how several different models compared, and there was an informal presentation from the UK importers of BCA kit.
I did a BASI course in Aviemore earlier this year. Transceivers were buried under the heather - seemed to work well, although not quite the same as wading through knee deep snow looking on a steep slope!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
| Page 29 of this pdf has a circuit diagram for a transmitter... |
yup - but if you read the whole document they never managed to design a working antenna.
so it wont work as it stands...
any RF engineers with ideas of how to build a simple antenna ? (that doesnt require lab equipment to tune!)
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you would think that for not much money and complexity you could knock something together for 'training only' purposes
I could see why a manufacturer would not want to do it but I bet someone with the right knowledge could put something together for around £10
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| welshflyer wrote: |
DCG,
Henry did courses at Sandbanks, Poole this year and on a suffolk beach last year. I keep asking him to do one in London but he can't find a suitable venue ie. an area of sand to bury a transceiver in.
Where do you live? If you're in London why don't we ask on this forum if anyone else wants to set something up. I reckon a wood would be suitable because you could hide a transceiver under the fallen leaves (may be too late if all of the leaves have been blown away). |
I'd be up for meeting up with a bunch of internet weirdo's in the woods one day - I promise to show you mine if you'll show me yours 
Better be quick though as I'm going away on about the 10th dec..
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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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bertie bassett, there's a good avalanche training park in Les Arcs. Much more realistic for search techniques than an autumn day in your local park.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| bertie bassett, there's a good avalanche training park in Les Arcs. Much more realistic for search techniques than an autumn day in your local park. |
I had read about it, and will be booking myself in for a sesh. top of the transarc isn't it?
Couldn't resist the opportunity for a cheap pun however...
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You know it makes sense.
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bertie bassett, yes, top of the TransArc. It's free to use, and you just turn up and have a go. You decide how many transceivers you want to find and how many minutes you will have to find them off you go. Of course, nobody would be so mean as to come and stand at the entrance to the Park with a transmitting bleep, would they...
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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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I'd also be interested in a training session in the London area. can bring 2 Trackers.
Anyone interested in sorting this out?
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Poster: A snowHead
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hamilton,
I would have been. However, with the snow that has just fallen in the alps this weekend I will probably be go skiing in 2 weeks time and I won't have the time to organise a transceiver training session.
Why don't you start a new subject in this section and in Snow Events. I suggest you just name a date, time and place and see what response you get. If you try to get everyones agreement you'll be waiting until the end of January.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| bertie bassett, yes, top of the TransArc. It's free to use, and you just turn up and have a go. You decide how many transceivers you want to find and how many minutes you will have to find them off you go. Of course, nobody would be so mean as to come and stand at the entrance to the Park with a transmitting bleep, would they... |
It's best if you slowly ski round it 
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