I've used Barryvox, Ortovox, Pieps and Tracker beacons over the last 15 years and liked them all without developing an attachment to any particular brand. Last year I had an opportunity to review the top six brands of beacons for Skiing Magazine under the assumption that they would be tested as a "normal" user uses them, ie; take them out of the package, turn them on and use them with little to no reading of the manual. Fortunately, I was in the market for a new beacon, so I had a personal interest in the results. I tested range, speed of a single search, ease of a multiple search, ease of use and how the harness fit. I didn't know what to expect, but I definitely didn't aniticipate the Pieps DSP to be such a clear winner in almost every category! It had by far and away the longest range (70 meters) and somehow eliminated the flux line arc which takes the searcher on a tangent before honing in on the victim. Instead, it was a direct bee-line to the victim. Single searches were no problem (as they are on most modern digital beacons) and the multiple search was very intuitive and accurate. I use a custom beacon harness, so I don't have any comment on the fit of the Pieps harness. Of the two Pieps models, I chose this one as it is the most basic - I want simplicity and durability out of a beacon and get temps and altitude from my watch.

You you have the bling then spend it on this little guy. I personally don't have one of these models for myself, but I was able to use one in Alaska last season. It was easy to use, as I was able to figure it out, and the design is well thought out. I could play with it while my gloves were on and the display is simple, concise, and got the job done (in training at least). The reviews are right, this little thing is the best, not to say the others are bad, but remember you have to pay the price for the best. I would spend the money on this if you got it, but otherwise there are cheeper models out there that will do just as well.

The DSP has wide appeal to many different types of people. For a single-burial search, it functions in a simple straightforward matter, and the marking/masking feature has improved significantly over the years -- although it still doesn't come close to the reliability of the S1 and Pulse in this regard. The range at which full directional indicators function is impressively reliable.
My full review is available here:
http://www.wildsnow.com/1677/pieps-dsp-beacon-review/

This is the best beacon I have used. The BCA tracker is the better VALUE so I recommend that one to my poor college buddies. However, if you have the extra money to blow this is the beacon for you! It is insanely easy to use. I really do not think you need the upgraded version (Advanced) of this beacon unless you do more talking about how cool your gear is in the bar than BC skiing.

This beacon is high-end. I've never had to use it in a actual burial, but performs very well in practice scenarios. Provides very accurate and quick readings. Handles multiple and deep burials. Worth the slightly higher expense. Take classes and know how to use it.

In answer to LifeLONGBackCountrySkier's review below, what's he's writing as fact is simply wrong. I'd hate to see someone buy a less capable beacon based on patently wrong information.

1. The DSP is fully backwards compatible with all beacons which operate on the standard 457mhz frequency. It will pick up even the oldest analog beacon. In fact, old beacons tend to drift of frequency when cold (Google it), and the DSP is one of the best at finding out of frequency beacons.

2. Andrew is endorsing it with HIS LIFE. Seems pretty solid to me.

3. When worn correctly, with the LCD facing the body, the body of the avalanche beacon shields the switch for anything except a very large magnet. Several beacons use magnet switches since they're durable and completely waterproof, and this is not a new allegation, but it not something which happens in the field when properly used. Beyond that, many beacons have issues with radio, iPods, or cell phones near them (particularly the Ortovox S1) due to how sensitive the receivers on them are, so you should NEVER carry any electronic equipment near your beacon to begin with.

4. This is simply wrong. The DSP has consistently turned in the highest marks in field test both in range and ease of use. In fact, it's speed and ease of use are it's hallmarks. Don't take my word for it though, go to http://beaconreviews.com or http://www.wildsnow.com and educate yourself.

These beacons were really solid starting with the 5.0 firmware update, and between the flagging and scanning functions can handle multiple burials very well. The three antenna design resolves spikes without any issue. It's very simple to use, and I like to think of it as the three antenna version of the tracker for it's simplicity and easy of use. The new carrying pouch it comes with is the most comfortable one I've ever used, but it can be hard to get out until the fabric stretches out a bit from use. The range is exception for a digital beacon, and its handling of worst case orientation of the transmitting beacon is the best out there. Like with any beacon regular practice is a must, but this is the beacon I currently use.

I recently had an opportunity to do some beacon practice with the Pieps, Ortovox, and Tracker and the Pieps was far and away my favorite and what I ultimately decided to buy. It is great for multiple burials, very intuitive and easy to use. Hopefully you have a chance to try several brands before you buy one, but if not this is a very solid choice.

Yup. For multi burials, I'm much faster with this one than with my Ortovox M2. Will tell you how many tranceivers are out there, and will "ignore" a signal so that you can focus on one at a time. Not much faster or slower than a Tracker for a single beacon search as far as I can tell. But they really flubbed the strap system. You wear this thing in a pouch, crappily strapped to your chest and it is connected to the pouch via a tether when you have it out. Meh.

After having 2 BCA beacons die on me in 3 years, I thought it was time for a new brand. The Pieps has not disappointed me. The range is about 25 to 20 percent longer than the BCAs I had been using. It picks up signals very quickly. The mark feature for multiple buriels is a great feature that allows for very rapid searches of multiple victims.

If I were to get buried, I'd want all my friends to have the Pieps...the range is far better than the tracker, in my avy 1 course I was picking up signal at 70m while the Trackers wouldn't detect anything until 35-40m. The interface is simple and easy to follow, and the pinpoint once you drop the beacon to the snow is incredibly accurate. I hope to never use it in a real burial, but if I do I'm confident it will take me to the victim quickly enough to give them a fighting chance.

I bought the Pieps based on a few reviews and my friend's experiences with them in their avy courses, and am glad I pulled the trigger.

I have tested and used quite a few different beacons and this one is easier for me to use than any of the others I have tried! I own two and am a pretty die hard fan of them. They are super accurate and I have unburied my fair share of friends with them. I personally do not think that is worth paying extra to get the advance version because it just adds some simple features that are already included in most watches Backcountry.com sells. I would HIGHLY recommend this beacon to anyone who is looking for an easy to use/hassle free beacon. You don't need to have any special skills in order to use them other than taking a simple avalanche course. Feel free to email me if you have any questions about my person experiences with them at agibson@backcountry.com.

WOW. Not sure how you could not love this beacon. It will still take some practice, like any other beacon to nail down the multiple burials, but it's so cool that it can display the number of signals in a given distance, and the upgradeable software is prime. I bought mine last year before a couple upgrades came out and had the software updated, no problem. The included CD that explains how the DSP works more accurately , especially as you get into your pin point search is great too.

The only thing i miss from my last ortovox M2 beacon was that the ortovox automatically turned on anytime you strapped it on which was a really nice feature, but as long as you and your buddies are in the habit of checking each other's beacons (and you should be every time you go out) then it shouldn't be an issue. Also, i think the ortovox M2 was easier access being worn closer to the waist where you could easily reach up and under your jacket without having to unzip your jacket to get your beacon and put it in search mode, but again, just practice with the DSP, i think the other features of the DSP far outweigh those two criticisms.

This is by far the easiest beacon I have ever used.

I recently purchased this beacon for a ski trip to Squamish. I could not have been more happy with this purchase! Functionality of the beacon and ease of use had me hooked within the first minutes of testing it. I have been using an Ortovox F1 for the majority of my time spent in the backcountry. I was very impressed with the single & multiple burial search functions, and how I was able to shorten my search times using the Pieps. Our guide mentioned that too much time is spent on beacon search, and not enough on shoveling and probing techniques. This being said I felt I was able to be more effective in rescue practice due to quicker and more effective search and pinpointing with the Pieps. The only negative comment is relative to the harness which I do not like. The pocket is very tight for the device and I found myself fiddling with it too much. Yes this is an expensive piece of equipment, but your life is priceless.

I have used Barryvox, Ortovox, & Pieps doing ski patrol... yes this has all the bells & whistles but its only as good as the capabilities of the user. Take an Avalanche I or II class if you really want to use this to its full potential!
http://utahavalanchecenter.org/education/classes

Im giving it 3 stars only if you update the softwear ever season otherwise i would say 2 stars. This beacon says it can do alot. It can do a bit but when you start making things difficult it starts being a bit of a pain. Examples the pin pointing dosnt always work and when it dose it take too long and somone who is good is better off not worrying about it. Also it eats batteries, went though 8 sets last season at work.
Bottom line, If keeped updated its Alright

I just signed up to add one little thing to this...your local dealer does not upgrade your beacon for free. It's a paid service and why would they upgrade it for free if you didn't purchase it from them?! Support your local shop....you should expect to pay for service like that.

#1 this beacon is not downward compatible, i.e. it does not recognize and recieve signals from older analog beacons. This is probable because Piep's tweaked the bandwidth to increase their range. and because their software needs to be re-written, again, to account for those who still have their old analog beacons in use. Owning a beacon that does not receive all other units available is not a good idea, no matter what.

#2 At least we know who sponsors Andrew McLean, but does that equal a valid opinion on which beacon is best? NO! Don't buy into the hype! In this case it just might cost u ur life.

#3 the magnetic switch used inside the Pieps DSP is proven to be effected by small low power magnets and radio transmissions turning the unit OFF! or to receive in many cases. This is a serious flaw that should be seriously considered as a liability to all DSP users.

#4 The DSP continues to produce poor performance in the field when matched to all other beacons. Speed and ease of use are not associated with this product.

All of the beacons made are good. They transmit and they receive the same signal. It is in the industry standards that everyone must transmit the same, but what they do with the signal once they receive it is very different. "flagging" is an excellent way to find 1 transmitting beacon and move on to the next, but to ignore the signal is not correct. While I found this beacon good and easy to use I thought it lacked significantly in the area of multiple burials. It's 3 antenna digital technology is great (at the min. all beacons should have 3 antennas for the fine search) but the quoted range is off and it is still following the flux line in like most beacons. Of course your faster with 3 antennas then just 1 (ortovox m2), unless you practices with your beacon until your skills are solid. Again this beacon can be worn while turned off, a big deal when you go into the BC and you make some turns in avi arenas only to find you skied all day with your partner, but they forgot to turn it on, the what if factor left me thinking hard about a beacon even more fool proof, like an Ortovox Patroller.