Comments on: Three Myths of Avalanche Survival – #1, My Beacon is my Savior — And Needs More Features http://www.wildsnow.com/1028/two-myths-of-avalanche-survival-1-my-beacon-is-my-savior/ Backcountry Skiing Snowboard Telemark Snowsports Information News Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:59:33 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Steve Haymes http://www.wildsnow.com/1028/two-myths-of-avalanche-survival-1-my-beacon-is-my-savior/comment-page-1/#comment-12820 Steve Haymes Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:35:39 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1028#comment-12820 Lou: It took a while for me to find this blog with you from last winter. Just to let you know that my Barryvox Opto 3000 died on me yesterday after about 3 years of use. The on-off switch did not power on the beacon. Same results with another set of batteries. I REALLY liked the dual analog-digital capabilities of this beacon, analog for distance and close in and digital for in between. I had to use a 10+ year old F1 today which I did not like because I know that it is drifted and we had 4 "cross it one at a time spots". I plan to contact Mammut ASAP to fix/replace ASAP. Any comments/suggestions? Thanks, Steve Lou:

It took a while for me to find this blog with you from last winter.

Just to let you know that my Barryvox Opto 3000 died on me yesterday after about 3 years of use. The on-off switch did not power on the beacon. Same results with another set of batteries. I REALLY liked the dual analog-digital capabilities of this beacon, analog for distance and close in and digital for in between.

I had to use a 10+ year old F1 today which I did not like because I know that it is drifted and we had 4 “cross it one at a time spots”.

I plan to contact Mammut ASAP to fix/replace ASAP. Any comments/suggestions?

Thanks,

Steve

]]> By: Coofer Cat http://www.wildsnow.com/1028/two-myths-of-avalanche-survival-1-my-beacon-is-my-savior/comment-page-1/#comment-9409 Coofer Cat Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:46:29 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1028#comment-9409 This page and the comments make interesting reading. I'm a fairly advanced skier, but don't tend to do much that's realistically at that much risk (mostly because I don't spend enough time in snow these days). However, I am thinking I should get a beacon, mostly out of responsibility rather than because I'm in places where it might be needed. I really don't care about features or glitz, and I'll pay almost any amount of money for a decent beacon. I'll obviously do some practice, but with the best will in the world, I'm never going to be an "experienced" user. As such, I need something that stands a chance of getting me found, and something that makes me some use in an emergency. I've heard that the the Tracker DTS is okay, same goes for the Ortovox M1, but that's really pretty much hearsay, and almost certainly not based on "real world" experience. It's been pretty enlightening to hear the differences in reliability and durability, so I'd be really interested to hear which beacons people think are good (so far most feedback's been pretty negative of most beacons!). This page and the comments make interesting reading. I’m a fairly advanced skier, but don’t tend to do much that’s realistically at that much risk (mostly because I don’t spend enough time in snow these days). However, I am thinking I should get a beacon, mostly out of responsibility rather than because I’m in places where it might be needed.

I really don’t care about features or glitz, and I’ll pay almost any amount of money for a decent beacon. I’ll obviously do some practice, but with the best will in the world, I’m never going to be an “experienced” user. As such, I need something that stands a chance of getting me found, and something that makes me some use in an emergency.

I’ve heard that the the Tracker DTS is okay, same goes for the Ortovox M1, but that’s really pretty much hearsay, and almost certainly not based on “real world” experience. It’s been pretty enlightening to hear the differences in reliability and durability, so I’d be really interested to hear which beacons people think are good (so far most feedback’s been pretty negative of most beacons!).

]]> By: ffelix http://www.wildsnow.com/1028/two-myths-of-avalanche-survival-1-my-beacon-is-my-savior/comment-page-1/#comment-8706 ffelix Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:17:41 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1028#comment-8706 Dale Atkins published a paper maybe 7-10 years back about risk acceptance increasing with the use of safety technology. It was well supported by data from studies of automobile & pharmaceutical safety devices [seat belts & child-safety caps, I remember specifically. Maybe helmets, too]. You could ask CAIC or TAR for a copy--the avy world lives in the dark ages as far as putting digital documentation on line. Might as well burn it. Ian McCammon has done related work on human factors in avalanche accidents, too, if you want to check into it. It seems to be a well-documented phenomenon, not a "simplistic, and sophmoric [SIC] assumption": use a safety device, incline toward ratcheting up your risky behavior until you feel unsafe again. Werner Munter incorporates this idea in his avalanche awareness writings, as well: low-tech, high-brain; high-tech, low-brain. I don't know how much has been translated into English, though, or what his supporting references are. I don't think that means these devices aren't useful, but we should be aware of our compensating behavior: my observation is that folks do tend to use them as an excuse to shut their brain off. Witness the cases in these comments. And I wonder if today's bigger skis have something to do with the declining percentages of avalanche victims: less surface pressure? Harder to get face-shots, too :) Dale Atkins published a paper maybe 7-10 years back about risk acceptance increasing with the use of safety technology. It was well supported by data from studies of automobile & pharmaceutical safety devices [seat belts & child-safety caps, I remember specifically. Maybe helmets, too]. You could ask CAIC or TAR for a copy–the avy world lives in the dark ages as far as putting digital documentation on line. Might as well burn it. Ian McCammon has done related work on human factors in avalanche accidents, too, if you want to check into it.

It seems to be a well-documented phenomenon, not a “simplistic, and sophmoric [SIC] assumption”: use a safety device, incline toward ratcheting up your risky behavior until you feel unsafe again. Werner Munter incorporates this idea in his avalanche awareness writings, as well: low-tech, high-brain; high-tech, low-brain. I don’t know how much has been translated into English, though, or what his supporting references are.

I don’t think that means these devices aren’t useful, but we should be aware of our compensating behavior: my observation is that folks do tend to use them as an excuse to shut their brain off. Witness the cases in these comments.

And I wonder if today’s bigger skis have something to do with the declining percentages of avalanche victims: less surface pressure? Harder to get face-shots, too :)

]]> By: Larry http://www.wildsnow.com/1028/two-myths-of-avalanche-survival-1-my-beacon-is-my-savior/comment-page-1/#comment-8591 Larry Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:11:07 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1028#comment-8591 I have had good luck with the Barryvox in light use. I also have an M2 and it is clearly far better built... I have had good luck with the Barryvox in light use. I also have an M2 and it is clearly far better built…

]]> By: Lou http://www.wildsnow.com/1028/two-myths-of-avalanche-survival-1-my-beacon-is-my-savior/comment-page-1/#comment-8590 Lou Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:54:55 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1028#comment-8590 Steve, one failed to turn on one morning, another we had got an error message, and then the more recent one presenting an error message. Just my gut feeling that if I encounter that many failures with one beacon, while using others for several years with no problem, my thumb tends to turn down. Basically, I've had more problems with Barryvox beacons than I have with headlamps, that seems wrong. Steve, one failed to turn on one morning, another we had got an error message, and then the more recent one presenting an error message. Just my gut feeling that if I encounter that many failures with one beacon, while using others for several years with no problem, my thumb tends to turn down. Basically, I’ve had more problems with Barryvox beacons than I have with headlamps, that seems wrong.

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