sheffy Posted November 15, 2004 Report Share Posted November 15, 2004 I need some advice pls and thx---i have 2 beacons to choose from the dts digital tracker(few years old but hardly used----a buddies) or a ortovox x1(anAlog and digital-this years model)----which one is better---the x1--would cost me 400 and the tracker 200(friends deal)--please help me out guys---i know they both involve lots of practice but i have to decide right away which one i want??? thanks alot ks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellow Yellow Posted November 15, 2004 Report Share Posted November 15, 2004 I looked at the title of this post and thought it said "Need <b>Bacon</b> Purchase Advice Please!!!! It's lunch time.. what can I say :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy S. Posted November 15, 2004 Report Share Posted November 15, 2004 In general, you want to think that saving a few bucks on something that could very well save your life or a friend's life isn't an issue. That said, beacons pretty much work the same. The digital ones are cool because they are easier to figure out that the analog ones for a novice. My opinion is that either beacon will work fine for you as long as you get some training in use. I have the old blue Ortovox analog one and it works fine. I benefitted tremendously in a training course on it. At Squaw the Ski Patrol have teamed up with the FD to offer a free training course in the winter. They run it every Friday evening in the Fire House and you just need to tell them you are coming. They even have different beacons for folks to try if you don't have your own. I'll probably go on a Friday this season for a refresher. I've never actually had to use my beacon, but it is good to know its there. Whatever you get, check with your local ski patrol and see if they can point you to a training course. You can also practice by having someone bury a beacon and then try to find it with yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils Posted November 15, 2004 Report Share Posted November 15, 2004 Randy has a point there: a good trained beacon user with the old F1 from orthovox can outperform any guy with the latest tech... It means train, train, and train again... the idea is to always ride powder with some training under the belt, knowing that under stressfull conditions, you are likely to loose all abilities... The Orthovox X1 is supposed to be as good as the dts, but its ergonomics are better and its suppose to take in consideration that stress.. I have the M2 from orthovox, and I find it very smart to use, and easy... Now a beacon is NOTHING without a search pole and a shovel, we call it the trilogy over here in France, never leave without it! Finding your pal without a shovel to dig is I guess a bit frustrating!.... To add chances to your side, you can also look at the ABS airbag system backpacks, they have very good stats on people that used them.. I bought one, and beside the heavier weight, its neat to feel that you can rely ( a bit) on something.. Needless to say it should not make you act like a weirdo in backcountry because you wear one :)....I also know guys that use the avalung breathing system, but the downside is you have to take the mouth piece in mouth when you ride "tacky" pow areas.... kinda kills a bit the pleasure of beeing on pow! Nils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleaman Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 Well up here in Canada, I like to buy bacon and lots of it. I find that bacon cooked in some maple syrup is good too, but I also crave the odd time some peameal bacon cooked on the bbq. If you ask the cooks behind the counter at the ski area, they will even put your bacon in the deep fryer so you can have some extra crispy bacon with your breakfast. Nothing pisses me off more than a rainy day at the hill and nothing to eat but soggy bacon with my eggs. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................UHMMMM, Nevermind!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlpentalRider Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 the biggest issue I have with avalanche beacons is that they are so expensive. A safety device such as that should retail for $100, especially with the technology we have today. Hell, you can buy a GPS tracker for $60 now, I for the life of me can't figure out why they are charging $300+ for a device that emits and receives a single frequency beacon. All it is doing is preventing people from purchasing them due to the costs, and then we end up paying for it not only with lives, but with the huge S&R costs involved in recovery of the bodies. It's not just skiers and snowboarders who should own beacons, but snowshoers, snowmobilers, and X-country skiers as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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