primate

Fern: I think the 12 in your formula should be a 4. If you assume the hole you dig is a cylinder of height h and diameter h, then the horizontal cross-sectional area is pi*(h/2)^2 and the volume of the hole is V=pi*(h/2)^2*h=pi*(h^3)/4. This implies that h=(4V/pi) ^(1/3), so to estimate the depth of a hole from the volume, you would take V, multiply by 4, divide by pi, and take the cube root of the result. This would give you the depth of a cylindrical hole of volume V with height equal to diameter. Perhaps you used a different assumption? [ 12-07-2001: Message edited by: primate ]

I did start this thread b/c I wanted to complain about the price of somthing. I sometimes rent beacons, know how to use them, and try to practice every time I rent. I was bitching about the price becuase I know my partners will not buy them, so if I wanted them to use one I would have to buy it for them compounding the price problems.

This question has come up a couple of times, but there never has been much in they way of speculation: why the fuck to avalanche transcievers cost so much? I was wanting to feel a little safer this winter, but I'm not going to shell out $200/beacon. What's up?

Wow! I'm surprised the road to climber's bivi was still open. We climbed St. Helens on the 21st (in relatively light winds), and when we left it was snowing hard at the trailhead. I assumed the road would be blocked lower down. Thanks for the info.

I thought I would throw a couple of ideas out. 1) PV=nRT is not likely to model the gas well at high pressures (i.e. if any of the fuel is liquid) as the ideal gas law assumes that interactions between the molecules are negligible. 2) Don't the canisters have pressure relief valves like propane tanks?

A picture (not mine) I found on the web: http://www.uac.pdx.edu/photos/Reid-Palmer_small_HH7.jpg

I love the new msg board, but I miss the random picture.