Gear Review
Mammut Pulse Barryvox Avalanche Beacon
GREAT IDEA, NEEDS MORE WORK
By Stan
Ranked #210 - Avalanche Beacons
December 10, 2007
I purchased this beacon after using an Ortovox M2 beacon for four years. I have worked in the ski industry for two years and am well trained with analog beacons so was skeptical at first about how much these beacons take away from thinking as I was used to. At first glance the user interface was really simple to use. After three weeks of using the beacon and putting it through its paces I came to this conclusion that I could not use this beacon with a clear conscious. The user interface was great, simple to use and made multiple burials a snap (also great for those who are not as well practiced at their searches). The only downfall (and a huge one) is the range, or lack there of. In comparison to the Ortovox F1, the range of the Pulse was consistantly about 1/3 that of the F1's distance ...unacceptable. I could not keep this beacon, knowing what one day it might cost someone their life so it went back and I am back to an Ortovox F1 until the technology improves in the digital beacon field.
View Details: Mammut Pulse Barryvox Avalanche Beacon
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
Change me.
1 Comments Last Reply: February 3, 2011 By: Fool4Gear
Your range observation doesn't fit with my expreience- during a recent avy training I found that those of us with the Pulse beacons had the longest range of any of the beacons in the class, every time- often by a margin of 10 meters or more. I've picked up signals from over 70m with mine. Perhaps there's been a meaningful revision of htis product between then and now?
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes