 Poster: A snowHead
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This is a device for finding buried skis after wiping out in powder. I wondered if anyone knew anything about them or has an opinion whether they think they'll be any good or not.
http://www.resqski.com/
I'm wondering whether they'll interfere with tranceivers?!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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boris360, interfer with the bank balance....£98!
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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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| carroz wrote: |
| boris360, interfer with the bank balance....£98! |
True  But if this thing really works, I'd gladly pay it not to spend valuable powder time searching for my skis. My concerns are it's accuracy and potential interference with my transceiver.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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boris360, Had a demo of it at the ski show, seemed to work OK. Shame the receiver isn't built into the skis rather than having them stuck on, but I suppose that's for them to work with ski or binding manufacturers. Works like an avalanche transceiver, it found the 'Lost' ski no problem. In 33 years of skiing, I've never not found a lost ski in powder, so I'll put the £100 towards beer instead.
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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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...
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Mon 12-11-12 19:02; edited 2 times in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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It's a good question. They've got a "contact us" page on their site, why not ask them and report back - it's a very fair question, especially seeing how alot of people are carrying more and more electronics with them on the mountain, and also as they're pushing this as a backcountry solution, you don't want to spend 20 minutes digging some poor sods ski out of an avalanche rather than him.
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| It's a good question. They've got a "contact us" page on their site, why not ask them and report back - it's a very fair question, especially seeing how alot of people are carrying more and more electronics with them on the mountain, and also as they're pushing this as a backcountry solution, you don't want to spend 20 minutes digging some poor sods ski out of an avalanche rather than him. |
Thanks. He's just replied. This is what he said:
Hi Tony
Your Ortovox will operate around the range 450 khz. RESQSKI operates at 2.45 ghz a bit similar to model airplanes. There should be no interference at all according to my Technical Director.
With best wishes
Chris
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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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boris360, I use fluorescent powder ribbons on days when there's a chance of losing skis, bit of a faff tucking them up your trousers, but they work foolproof and as cheap as chips. Even with the device it could still take quite a few minutes to find a ski, with the ribbons it's always been instant for me.
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I had a go at the Ski show as well, as mentioned above they look like a good idea, trying to get trade prices out of them at the moment if we end up selling them I will pop an update on here.
PS yep I thought they were too much money, would be better at about £75 retail the ability for the finder to search for 2 pairs of skis with one handset was I think a good idea.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yeah too expensive - needs to be sub £60 retail IMV.
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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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Could you use them as avalanche tranceivers, if there were two of you, and had each others finder attached to you? Just wondering for the kind of small scale avalanche whether they could work? I have not read up on their accuracy, but presumably if they can find a ski in 2 feet of powder, they can find a person in 6 feet? Or could they?
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| boris360 wrote: |
| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| It's a good question. They've got a "contact us" page on their site, why not ask them and report back - it's a very fair question, especially seeing how alot of people are carrying more and more electronics with them on the mountain, and also as they're pushing this as a backcountry solution, you don't want to spend 20 minutes digging some poor sods ski out of an avalanche rather than him. |
Thanks. He's just replied. This is what he said:
Hi Tony
Your Ortovox will operate around the range 450 khz. RESQSKI operates at 2.45 ghz a bit similar to model airplanes. There should be no interference at all according to my Technical Director.
With best wishes
Chris |
To be more accurate, the internationally agreed standard frequency for avalanche transceivers is actually 457kHz with a tolerance of +/- 80 Hz. The stated RESQSKI frequency of 2.45 GHz (=2450 MHz) is more than 5000 times higher in frequency than that, so as they say there should be be no interference problems. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Waste of money. 'fluorescent powder ribbons' - spot on - almost infallible, never runs out of juice and has the additonal function of creating drag meaning you don't have to walk as far to recover them.
I can see a miniscule positive IF the device worked with with your transciever but gave off a different noise. First that would mean you only have to carry one transceiver and it might speed up recovery times for a lost skier if one could pick up a signal from the skis on a sweep as that could narrow down the field of search more quickly.
One additional point for powder ribbons - I beef mine up, double them up and remove the ski brake on some of my skis. I then get springy snow board tethers and attach them to the end of the ribbons and loop around each leg. On anything other than epic wipeouts, the skis clear my immediate zone but remain tethered so I can just gently haul them back to where I am. If the crash is too violent, they break away from the snow baord tether but I can still trace them. So far - works pretty well and the weight saving is welcome. TBH - I've seen a number of runaway ski's on and off piste so I am less than certain a lot of ski brakes actually work that well.
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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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The problem I have is .... finding the powder ribbons ... I'm sure I tucked them back in my boot bag after I last used them....
that was in Ischgl in 1993 ... Haven't had much powder since!
Alternative is that you tape two old telephones to your skis ... if you lose one ... you can ring it up!
Also handy for finding them outside that restaurant after a very long lunch!
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Poster: A snowHead
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DrLawn, You complete and utter b@5tard! I just spat coffee all over the dog! "tape two old telephones...." PMSL!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DrLawn, heh!
I just leave mine on whatever I am skiing - why take them off?
And I think you are in error regarding the telephone directories. I am afraid you have fallen for a common fallacy - unless you have also strapped mobiles to each ski in which case I concur with your alterantive method......
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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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| RattytheSnowRat wrote: |
Waste of money. 'fluorescent powder ribbons' - spot on - almost infallible, never runs out of juice and has the additonal function of creating drag meaning you don't have to walk as far to recover them.
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I've considered the ribbons but I think it would be a bit too much of a faff for me. My wife always skis with me and I can see one (or both) of us not bothering with the hassle of prepping the ribbons. It will always be me that's searching for our skis.
This gadget would allow me to tag all 4 of our skis with one device.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| DrLawn wrote: |
| Alternative is that you tape two old telephones to your skis ... if you lose one ... you can ring it up! |
Just make sure they are the cordless ones, copper cable is expensive these days!
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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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Sorry ... lilywhite,
Perhaps not so good ... the GSM signal may be a bit iffy on the back side of a powder bowl (if such things really exist)
But a couple of these cheap "walky talky" things would work well ... You would never lose both skis and you could use one to call the other.
I've always managed to find my buried ski (or at least one that looks similar).
by tracing my way back up the hill slicing through the snow at 45 degrees angle with the tail of the ski that was loyal.
I've found that the ski is sometimes as far as 10 metres behind.
Never in front of me ....
But I've saw a guy searching for his ski one afternoon in the bowl above Kitz.
I bumped into him later that evening when he was drowning his sorrows .... he didn't find it so through the other one away as well for someone lucky in the spring.
I sold him my pair for a lot of kronner ... He was an honest fellow because I didn't know what Kronner were worth and I got rid of a pair of skis tat were a bit too good for me.
PS
lilywhite, I'm sending my daughter down to try for size the Jackets as you suggested, They have the Norronas and the other Ary-Xpensive ones in Ellis Big'ns off Covent Garden
We had a great day out there Saturday. Thanks
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Hi czl,
Oh .. I did mean GSM phones .... but I was thinking of two paper cups and a piece of string .....
Thinking about it why not tie the skis together with a bit of string ....
better still elastic.
Emm ... perhaps we should have just one fat ski instead of two?
Then why bother with poles.
and ... why not have comfy boots?
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| DrLawn wrote: |
I've found that the ski is sometimes as far as 10 metres behind.
Never in front of me ....
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The only time I spent a really long time looking for a ski, it had continued under the snow to about 8 metres below me. It could probably only happen in light powder.
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Hi snowball,
I was hoping someone would be able to give us the full monty on this.
So its not just up but down as well.
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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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Does anyone use powder leashes? Not the brightly coloured ribons but lenths of cord or cable tied betwen your boots and bindings?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| davidof wrote: |
It is a Loc8tor at twice the price specially designed for suckers
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Thanks for posting that link. I've looked at the loc8tor and notice that the tags are not water proof. They do a housing but it's only described a "splash proof". They have a suggestion to protect it from water but it's a DIY process involving silicone sealant and plastic bags!
The resQski ones are shock and water proof. I'm guessing this is one of the reasons it costs more??
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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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Kevin Stephens, see above, m8 - I don't lash up directly becasue you can give yourself a very nasty surprise as the ski reaches the end of the leash and then flips back at your face/head area, hence my release mechanism (i.e. some parachute break string). You can also do yourself a nasty if the lash catches and pops the ski. There is also the question of the ski snagging when it pops and doing your leg a mischief via the lash. Snowboarders get away with it because they are 'permanently' attached to the board in transit, the lash is there for when binding exit occurs. FYI - skis used to come with lashes as the norm but these dropped out of fashion when ski brakes came about. Skis were much heavier then so people wanted to see the ski make a short distance run away from them so it made sense to go with the brakes. Now that skis are much lighter they can shoot off all over the place, regardless of the brakes. And the brakes now make up a much greater percentage of the total ski weight.
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I've considered the ribbons but I think it would be a bit too much of a faff for me. My wife always skis with me and I can see one (or both) of us not bothering with the hassle of prepping the ribbons. It will always be me that's searching for our skis.
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If you are popping out that much I think something else may be wrong. Anyway, it only takes a minute to reset if you use small 1mm neoprene sleeves attached to the binding with a drop of gum.
P.S. leave her to search and do a circuit - if she has not found them by the time you are back then make some sort of perfunctory search effort. If no result after 3/4 mins say 'Well, at least we tried. See you back at the chalet/flat/chateau/schloss/igloo/whatever!' and ski off. She'll be sking behind you, screaming bloody murder, in about 10 mins - guaranteed. 
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This has all just given me a spiffing idea!!
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You know it makes sense.
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RattytheSnowRat
Yes that is a good summary of the risks that concern me, but my off piste / touring friends strongly recommend them having seen skis lost permently; which can obviously be very serious in back country. I'm tempted by the streamers but not convinced they are always efffective, also lots of hassle if regularly taking skis off; so leaning to the leashes
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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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Does it work for glasses and house keys?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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No good - the whistling will wake the marmots, and they'll be hungry... FOR BLOOD.
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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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| boris360 wrote: |
| The resQski ones are shock and water proof. I'm guessing this is one of the reasons it costs more?? |
The fancy mounting thing is the only extra feature. I think you'll probably find that the tags of the cheap ones are pretty shockproof, and I suspect that the splashproof covers might well be enough. Given that I'm probably going to buy some sort of location device to cut down on the inevitable monthly lost van keys crisis I might get one of those loc8tors and risk £20 worth of tags for Science. You'll have to wait til january for any results though.
| red 27 wrote: |
| Does it work for glasses and house keys? |
Nope. The clue is in the name; they aren't called resQglasses after all.
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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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Kevin Stephens, I don't use standard powder ribbons - I use shorter ones that are in 'four's attached at right angles and partly sprung and angled so they fan when deployed. More drag, more visability. I have snowboard tehers attached to the deploy point so it's simple to detach them, no more effort than simply using tethers on their own and gives you a choice if you are going somewhere really deep in the back country (i.e. you can just use the tethers).
It's your choice - there's pros and cons to each system. I opted for my set up for the simple reason that I am using an old design binding (but brand new) and the manufacturer does not now supply a brake wide enough for the ski I have them mounted to so I needed another method to ensure recovery and prevent 'run away'. If you do go for a tether, I would highly reccomend one with sufficent flex, that way you should minimise the potential back lash (N.B. make them longish too, if poss).
I am nervous about all 'magic' kit and I am very much an advocate of KISS unless I can see a 'no lose' advantage (e.g. Gortex, Thinsulate, elliptical skis, carbon fibre, etc.). If there is a powered vs. a non powered solution of roughly equal performance, experience tells me that the non-powered is more likely to function when I need it. It's why I do not rely on GPS alone but take a map and compass as well.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Spyderman wrote: |
| boris360, I use fluorescent powder ribbons on days when there's a chance of losing skis, bit of a faff tucking them up your trousers, but they work foolproof and as cheap as chips. Even with the device it could still take quite a few minutes to find a ski, with the ribbons it's always been instant for me. |
Yep powder traces for me as well but i have tucked them into my boot before as they are a pain up the trouser leg. Someone suggested tying the loose end round my nads but not tried it yet.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| Primary safety: learn not to fall and lose skis in powder |
It seems all so obvious now you point it out. Does this trick also extend to skipping the helmet by not falling over on hardpack or skiing into things, and ditching airbags by not ending up in an avalanche, by any chance?
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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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Dave Canski, guys, guys - just get them folded into a smallish 1mm neoprene (non fabric) sleeve under your boot between the front and back piece of your binding, use tethers to go round your leg then clip on and clip off when you pop your binding. The tension of the sleeve holds the ribbon in place. Like I said above, I tie off with parachute break cord (set break point) between the tether and the ribbon but you can use anything that you can break by hand (depending on how strong you are, of course  )
No stress, no mess and no need for ski brakes.
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FAQ
