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I visited ICI yesterday to look about purchasing a transceiver. They had 3 models to Ovortox (sp?) and one DTS.

 

One of the Ovo Transceivers was nearly 100,000 Yen and the other was around 55,000 Yen. The DTS was 44,000 Yen.

 

Anyway, the less expensive Ovo Transceiver I noticed was Analog and Digital. I did a little web searching and found that the Analog Transceivers will be loud and more often as you get closer to the target, whereas a pure digital transceiver would not. The website also mentioned that the DTS had dual antennaes so that it might help locate the target quicker, because of directionality.

 

What are you guys using now? Which transceivers to absolutely avoid?

 

I read the thread about the Oxyride batteries and the DTS. Interesting to know, I had heard about other problems with the Oxyride batteries (I work for the manufacturer).

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I have 2 a Mammut Pulse and Mammut Barryvox. Have not had any problem with either. There both spot on when doing any type of training.

 

As far as batteries go use nothing but alkaline. Do not use rechargeable or lithiums.

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closed.

 

but seconded.

 

buy the tracker. It's wwaaaaaay faster than anything else. Your partners will thank you.

 

Go ahead, bury your friends' tranceiver outside and go find it. It takes like 30 seconds.

 

Ortovox is beyond slow. (people don't have time to wait for the beeps. Analog sucks.)

 

Signed,

American Avalanche Institute Level 3 Forecaster. I've started more avalanches than you have literally... imagined.

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that's a sick one too, okemo.

 

basically, most transceiver companies have gone digital.

 

But, keep that screen warm. In super cold conditions, LCDs can act up. (so I've read, and can understand, though have never witnessed.)

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  • 3 years later...
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  • 3 weeks later...

closed.

 

but seconded.

 

buy the tracker. It's wwaaaaaay faster than anything else. Your partners will thank you.

 

Go ahead, bury your friends' tranceiver outside and go find it. It takes like 30 seconds.

 

Ortovox is beyond slow. (people don't have time to wait for the beeps. Analog sucks.)

 

Signed,

American Avalanche Institute Level 3 Forecaster. I've started more avalanches than you have literally... imagined.

 

Hmm with my experience and most people I know, analog is actually faster to pick up a signal. So Ortovox F1's actually pick up the signal faster and respond faster there is just the pause with the beeps that the tracker has to refresh for anyway. So in that respect, they are pretty similar.

 

My recommendation is if you get analog, just practice with it. It takes a certain skill but when you get good with it, they are just as good as digital. I found my buddy in about 70 seconds with an analog.

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  • 2 weeks later...

with Voile shovel.

Any recommendation on shovels ?

 

The Black Diamond deploy has been what I have always used. It's compact, light, and structurally sound. Can't get much better than that.

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I use the Mammut Pulse, and have a G3 shovel and probe. I've also had a Voile shovel, and used a couple of Black Diamonds. The Voile was cheap, but pretty heavy and didn't pack well in any of my bags. The G3 and BD's were both of similar weight and ease of use. I mostly went with the G3 stuff because they're located down the street from where I work and the guys that work there are pretty awesome.

 

There were about a dozen people I work with that recently went out and got the Mammut Elements, and I was able to do some "playing" with them a couple of weeks ago - they are definitely a refined version of the Pulse. Most of the things that I found required more practice to use on the Pulse, just aren't available on the Element (like the suppressing of specific beacons vs the closest) / switching between analog and digital, etc or are more intuitive. Both are solid transceivers, and if they'd both been available when I purchased the Pulse, I don't know which I would have bought...

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I all.  I am new to this forum this is my first post.  Be gentle ;-)

I recently purchased the Mammut Pulse Barryvox after doing a lot of research and watching the youtude videos of it being used/tested.  It has not arrived yet but expect it to come in the next week.  It shone very well in the tests without hickup whereas some other top brands would struggle with multiple signals (slight confusion with signals).  

I was going to hang out for the new Pieps Vector but it would not have been shipped to me before I fly to Sapporo (on 1 Feb 2012).  From what I read, the Pieps Vector has GPS which would come in handy.  It has four antennas (three and 1 self analysis antenna) from what I have found on the intenet.  It comes with rechargeable inbuilt batteries that should last a few years before requireing factory replacement -not a feature I like as in Aust, there doesnt seem to be any places that service aval. beacons (because we just don't get that much snow).

Regardless, all three antenna beacons work well.  It seems like they have reached the peak of the intended function with only new bells and whistles being added.  The Mammut Pulse Barryvox can be software updated (like many other brands) so that is helpful for 'future proofing'.

I want to do a lot of backcountry snowboarding in Niseko (and surrounding day trip mountains) and I have 1mth to get my dose of powder fixation.  If you are around then, let me know and we can go BC.

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3decks, Will drop you a PM when I have been provided with access to that function.

 

I was hoping that my beacon would have arrived by now from overseas but its now lost somewhere between UK and Aust. Grrrr. Both mail service claim they are not at fault but I am still messed around. How can a registered item go missing?

 

Lucky the UK seller was happy for me to buy another one and have it sent to my accommodation in Hirafu. The 'lost' one will either get returned or refunded if it does not show up (so I'm not out of pocket). The seller is pretty helpful there.

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I've got the older Opto3000 Mammut. It's one of the only ones with dual analog and digital in the same transciever when I was buying. I had a fully digital one before that and decided the extra range from the analog might be useful, you can set it to use both though so if digital is in range it will use that.

 

Def need a probe and shovel too though ;O)

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