Probe Combined with short-range Beacon

By Jonathan S. Shefftz Ranked #126 - Avalanche Safety 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 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, the off-on-mark switch is a bit hard to see at first, though a magic marker fixed that. 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 )

View Details: Pieps iProbe

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