- Home
- Ski
- Avalanche Safety
- Probes
- Pieps iPROBE Probe
- Probes
- Avalanche Safety
- Ski
More
Pieps iPROBE Probe
The Pieps iPROBE Probe provides the missing link during searches for multiple avalanche victims. This probe uses a single AA battery-powered proximity detector to give you both audible and visual confirmations when you’ve located a transmitting beacon. The iPROBE will detect any brand of beacon, no matter what your friends are using. If the buried person has an iPROBE-supported beacon (such as the Pieps DSP or Freeride), you can actually temporarily turn off the transmitting beacon to go search for other beacons. The reduced interference could save valuable minutes. How does it work? When the tip of the iPROBE comes within two meters of a transmitting beacon, the iPROBE’s LED lights up, and it emits a “peep, peep,” sound. When the iPROBE is within 50 centimeters, the intermittent peeps become continuous (“peeeeeeep”). If the transmitting beacon has iPROBE support, you can hit a button on the probe to mark the location, turn off the beacon, and search for the next victim using your traditional transceiver and a second probe. Hitting the “mark” button again or removing the probe from the area causes the iPROBE-supporting beacon to turn on again.
Bottom Line: Closer searches mean faster, easier victim recovery.
Talk shop with all the gear freaks out there: ask 'em questions, upload/browse photos, and give your 2¢.
Big
By: Jonathan S. Shefftz
August 29, 2009
First off, let's get the wow factor out of the way: wow! Yes, this probe has a beacon (receive only) in its tip. So although as an avy instructor I'm always supposed to answer the student question of "how do I know a probe strike is hitting the victim and not something else?" with "trust me, you'll know" with the Pieps iProbe the answer is, "it will tell you!"But wait, there's even more "wow" factor: it can temporarily mark/mask a found Pieps DSP or Freeride, and not just for you, but for everyone. In other words, let's say you find a Pieps DSP or Freeride with your own DSP, S1, or Pulse, then mark/mask the beacon. Great job, but any other searchers will still have to deal with that potentially confusing signal in a multi-burial. However, the iProbe will temporarily suspends the victim's transmission to any and all searchers.Now for the big drawback: at an actual weight 12.2 ounces (with single AA battery), this probe is heavy for its length. Okay, just a few extra ounces though. Also, who knows about long-term durability of the electronics, plus the off-on-mark switch is hard to see.So is this really practical for ski touring? I'm not quite sure. However, if I was running a snow cat or heli op with newbie guests equipped in victim-only mode, I would strongly consider the cost-effective approach of giving all guests a Pieps Freeride, then all guides would get a DSP and a iProbe (or two) each.
(Picture is of Mark Renson from the Mad River Glen & Mt Washington ski patrols using my iProbe to "find" a transmitting beacon hidden inside one of many decoy boxes at this ski patrol event: http://amn08.nmnsp.org )
12.2 ounces (with single AA battery)
By: Jonathan S. Shefftz
August 29, 2009
10 oz (290 g)
By: Bud Martin
November 4, 2008
Innovative Product
By: Brian Muller
November 13, 2008
After seeing a demonstration from Pieps about this product at the Utah Avalanche Center lecture, it is apparent that this thing, while expensive is groundbreaking, however serves basically the same purpose as a probe. If you are without a beacon (stupid) than this would help, but the accuracy of a beacon is good enough to allow you to begin digging, and to be honest some stupid people will use the iprobe to then begin to dig directly on top of another person, causing more problem than harm because the beacon is located at the chest number 1, and number 2 people need to learn proper shoveling techniques. Very cool device, but until the price comes down, invest in a good beacon because its not worth it
1 Comment Last Comment: August 29, 2009 by: Jonathan S. Shefftz
By: Jonathan S. Shefftz
August 29, 2009
This review is all mixed up. The Pieps iProbe is of course intended to serve the same purpose as a probe, because it is . . . a probe. And an enhanced probe as such, to take the uncertainty out of whether you have a real strike or not.
If you don't have a beacon, it won't help that much, because you'll still have to probe the entire debris field.
But no, the accuracy of a beacon is not good enough to allow you to being digging without probing first (unless the burial is very shallow, but in that case a body part is probably already visible anyway).
Whether the price and weight are worth it though is another question.
Change me.
Comment on Jonathan S. Shefftz's review >