this was my first and i'm still using it years later. it's a great beacon. it's easy to use. the display tells you which way to turn the dial as you approach the other beacon, if you are getting closer or further away. i've used this thankfully only in practice and it's as efficient as any other beacon my peers have. the strap is easy to use and fits the body well. the only gripe i have is getting it to shut off completely means you have to dig up this little tab and pop the bottom out. sometimes tough with very cold fingers, and impossible with gloves on.

Why do so many people complain that beacons arent redicuously easy to use? If youre in the backcountry, its your responsibility to learn how to operate your equipment correctly, big deal if that actually includes reading the manual and running some drills. I picked up the M2 last season after having the BCA DTS and couldn't be happier. Spent a little time learning how to use it and it performed admirably during the season.
Its accurate, comfortable thanks to the contoured fit (not as bulky and slightly lighter than the tracker), has a fast response time and is better than expected with multiple burials. Great range, and the hybrid feature's a plus. My only issue is with the on/off switch on the back, which can be a hassle with or without gloves.
I've converted to the germans when it comes to beacons, maybe you should too.

Out of all the transeiver I have owned, including the Mammut Pulse and Ortovox Patroller, this is by far my favorite. It is extremely comfortable to wear because it contours to your abdomen, it has a phenomenal range of 80m, and it is relatively inexpensive when compared to its big brother the Ortovox S1. To top it all off, it has an extremely user freindly interface that works best with single burials but works well with multiple burials too. The strap system also works extremely well, because whenever it is strapped to you it is automatically locked into the on position, so there is no way that it could accidentally be turned off during use. I HIGHLY recommend this transceiver.

Takes more practice than the Tracker, but very fast once you gain experience. Also better for multiple burials in which each beacon stays on as it is found, since you can hear the different beacons. Longer range can be helpful in certain situations, although usually is not a factor. Harness system allows for very easy change to search mode.

I've used this beacon for the past six seasons, it has never failed me and still has a kept it's signal strength. 80 meter range is a great thing in a large search area. All my patrol buddies use it and it's design hasn't changed much over the years which tells me that it is solid. It is a solid piece of equipment for the price.

This beacon has all the simplicity and reliability of the F1 plus the added benefit of a more sensitive signal strength display and a distance readout. The dial adjust prompt is unnecessary but certainly doesn't hurt. This beacon shows you on a screen what the F1 tells you with sound. The only down fall of the beacon is the on/off switch and strap system which takes ungloved hands and some getting used to. The transmit/search switch is easy and fast which is what really counts. A great beacon and the only one with a faster search time than the F1.

Quickly simply, there is no reason to buy a M2 at this price. For less money you can buy the BCA Tracker DTS which is a two antenna digital beacon. While it doesn't have the range of the M2, you'll more than make up the fine in the intermediate search as the directional arrows vector you right to the beacon. There is a reason virtually everyone who travels into the back country regularly has switch over to, at a minimum, a two antenna digital beacon. Bottom line, if you're about to drop the cash on this, go buy the Tracker instead, and you'll find your friend faster.

Distance and signal strength information makes locating the victim simple. Plus the display tells you when to change your distance attenuation. IMO the M2 is just as easy to use as a Tracker. In practice I found the short range of a Tracker to be limited to slightly less than 40m, while I was getting 80m out of the M2. Does range matter? All I know is I want a signal sooner rather than later. I also found the M2 to be superior in fine-grain searches. The audio tone of the M2 changed noticeably when you were right over the victim while with the Tracker you never know until you probe. The M2 is also much better for multiple burials. You can hear the other beacons and you can adjust the range attenuation to quickly identify the relative distances from the initial beacon.

Positive interlocks provided by the harness connections make the On/Off and Send/Transmit controls fail safe and intuitive. As long as your batteries are fresh, which is easy to determine from the display, you have confidence of what mode you are in without needing to look at anything. The downside is that when you turn the unit off it is either hanging lose around your neck or you have to stow it away. I consider this a small price to pay to instantly know the unit is in send mode. While in search mode, like most modern peeps, it provides intuitive clues about how to close the distance and its use will be familiar to anyone who is in the backcountry. Maybe not the best on the market but certainly an equal to all the other models I have used. Note that I have not tried any of the gazillion $ units now on the market.

This is my first avalanche beacon and with friends we first tried it on our own doing some exercises based on advices from an avalanche survival book. The beacons were extremely easy to use, really user friendly.

My fiance and I live in Breckenridge, Colorado. He is an avid snowmobiler and for his last birthday I bought an Ortovox M2. I did a lot of research before buying. The consistent response was also the strongest endorsement - people trust it with their lives.
Knowing that he is wearing it, that it is the very best on the market and that I got it for a great price - make it a gift to both of us!
Thank you
Jeni Eakman
East West Resorts

Although a bit delicate (don't drop it in the snow) this is a very accurate and reliable beacon-I personally found it the easiest to use and understand- it's use is simple and precise, saving precious moments while in search mode (I have not used it yet in a real emergency situation-thankfully,) I wouldn't use any other beacon to locate my riding partner or fellow skiers/boarders in distress-the most accurate I've tried. Accurate and the longest most reliable range of any beacon-we practice frequently-fun game BTW-and we can locate this little guy under 6 ft. of snow from 60 meters within 10 minutes or less!!! A bit larger than most-and as I said keep it dry and careful switching batteries, which also BTW lasted 2 weeks when I forgot to turn it off...DOH!-checked it-it still had a 99 percent battery power indication-AWESOME! This is an incredible beacon-next to my board and backpack, this is my best backcountry friend-I trust my life and my partners with it 100%; well worth 300 bones. If you snowmobile or your 'better half' does and you want them to return home after a really bad day in the hills-get 'em this guy-and feel safe knowing they WILL be found alive!!! Nuff said...
(Truly all beacons work superb, any working beacon is a good beacon-I just like this one best; easy,accurate,superior range, one of the first companies making beacons)

This is my first beacon, and after some practice is very easy to use. Not as idiot proof as some beacons, but after you get how it works it's really great.

I've used a few friends' beacons (tracker, pieps, etc) and I'm as fast with this one during the search.

I have used the older Ortovox F1 for many years and like the simplicity. The M2 kit (w/shovel and probe poles) I just bought for my wife is a nice step up. It’s a very simple operation. I like the arrow-icon that tells the user to adjust dial up or down. It seems to be very accurate in distance and very sensitive to direction. Other than price, I highly recommend this product.

The probe poles and shovel also appear to be of very good quality, although another reviewer said the shovel was weak. I have not really tested these too much yet. Happy skiing from Sandpoint!

We have one m2. I'm looking at buying another one. Can one m2 find another buried m2? Or do you have to have a special receiver?

After using the beacon for practice only a few times it will no longer switch to search mode. This is fine if I get buried but it would suck for the person I'm skiing with. Due to all the good reviews, I'm assuming that my beacon is just defective, but it's enough to scare me into buying another model.

If I am going to be responsible for saving my friends life this beacon will allow me to do it. The #1 Beacon used by ski patrollers and guides world wide I will not trust anything else.

I purchased three of these for myself and my two kids. We had a 3-4ft dump here in Tahoe, CA and my kids wanted to hit the deep stuff off piste. As a Dad it is exciting to watch your kids become GREAT skiers/boarders, however, when you start taking the kids to the backcountry/off piste, your heart is in your throat when you see them drop in. I had discussed this concern with a ski buddy and former ski patrol and he said, what are you waiting for, I never go anywhere with it. Done. Purchased these based on reviews from this and other sites, easy of use was on high on the list. They came in your site's usual rapid fashion. Out of the box, within an hour we had the basics down and were off to the mountain (Didn't get any first tracks, but the skiing was still awesome.) I have to admit it helped, but the heart is still in the throat when the kids drop-in, but I do feel prepared to do something and that helps. We ski at Alpine Meadows and the patrol there buries beacons to practice search and will even take us out to show us technique. So what are you waiting for? Dropping into the deep stuff anytime soon, make sure someone can find you... Ski often, ski safe!

First, ask questions the proper way.
Second, what would the point of avalanche beacons be if they couldnt find ones of the same model?