Avalanche Transmitter - transmit only???

Hacksaw · Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 3482 Location: Golden CO

Just heard about this "beacon" from an Australian manufacturer. It has no search feature--transmit only."

http://www.snow-beacon.com/products/snow-be/snow-be

I will be doing double transciever transmit and receive checks from now on... Shocked

WTF, are these guys thinking?????
_________________
"Its all fun and games until someone gets hurt, then its a sport."

- - - - - -

Hacksaw · Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 3482 Location: Golden CO

When I told an old CAIC friend about this he wrote:

"Good for dogs. Unless they’re REALLY smart dogs with first aid training and are strong diggers."
_________________
"Its all fun and games until someone gets hurt, then its a sport."

- - - - - -

bc sparks · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 477 Location: Moab, Utah

From the Snow Beacon website:

"the ATTU must only be used as an avalanche training tool and its use in any other context is strictly forbidden."

Baaahb · Joined: 07 Jan 2005 Posts: 15748 Location: Ponderosa

Really???

If you were going out in a group of five, with four very experienced BC skiers and one total BC novice, wouldn't a transmit-only beacon (to be worn by the inexperienced member) provide you about 99% of the risk management value of a full function beacon?

I think so.

Like everything else in this world, it all comes down to price.
_________________
Other vegetables have a hard time competing with potatoes.

televisionary · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 3965 Location: casa de sueños

Baaahb · Joined: 07 Jan 2005 Posts: 15748 Location: Ponderosa

you've never wanted to include someone in your group but didn't because they didn't have a beacon?

I have an old analog beacon that I'd hate to have to use to find someone, but it's great to loan a newbie coming along who doesn't have a beacon.

to me, it's all about risk reduction. a beacon is very limited help, but some help. seems to me in the situation I describe, a send only beacon provides almost the same risk reduction to the group as a whole. if it does so at a fraction of the cost, it has a real value

the concept is not that it be bought by someone who makes a practice of skiing the bc, but that it be bought by someone who makes a practice of including newbies in their group. imo, this situation comes up a lot.

but beacons are a really touchy issue. people get all weird when discussing them, and their role in the BC. they take on an aura of religious intensity.

that and US legalities regarding personal liability...where when you help someone out, you take on additional liability. totally f'd up, imo

disclaimer: I carry a beacon when in a group but try not to let it change my decision on where to ski, and stay very risk averse. if you ski in a group where people are pushing the envelope, playing with closer odds, it becomes a different dynamic
_________________
Other vegetables have a hard time competing with potatoes.

televisionary · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 3965 Location: casa de sueños

risk.reduction · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 3012 Location: Wasilla, Alaska

climbhoser · Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 5:28 pm Post subject:

Could be good for an outfitter that offers snowshoeing or intro to bc skiing types of trips. Something where they don't expect an avy at all, but would like to have some "just-in-case" types of technology on hand and the cost of a full beacon is prohibitive.

Colorado Mountain Club is a great example...tons of trips led with tons of novices. When I did a season for the tele club my experience was that a significant portion of the attendees had 0 avalanche knowledge or background. They all rented beacons for their trips, but in no way was I confident at all that they could use them. They were there for my purposes only. I don't know if it would make sense for CMC to have hardware like this on hand, but it might, and the lower pricepoint of a transmit only beacon would lower that barrier to entry, and perhaps enable more club members to take advantage of programs.
_________________
"To me Plastic boots are kind of like a condom on the experience." -light skier-

"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." -Dr. Johnson-

climbhoser · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:47 pm Post subject:

http://www.theskichannel.com/news/featured/20130122/uk-manufacturers-release-on-piste-emitter-for-avalanche-safety/
_________________
"To me Plastic boots are kind of like a condom on the experience." -light skier-

"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." -Dr. Johnson-

climbhoser · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:48 pm Post subject:

Doppel
_________________
"To me Plastic boots are kind of like a condom on the experience." -light skier-

"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." -Dr. Johnson-