Used avy transceivers like buying used ropes?

[mycoatl]

I'm always wary about buying used safety equipment, but does anyone have opinions about buying used avy transceivers? Is this as stupid as buying a used climbing rope or is it a good way to save some bucks.

 

Thanks for the info.

[chris_w]

you can at least test an avy transceiver to see if it works, assuming you can borrow another to test it with.

 

How can you really test a rope.

 

If it doesn't look beat up, and tested ok sending\receiving, then I would consider it saving bucks.

[snoboy]

Make sure you check the range as part of checking it out. Shake it around a bit, make sure no lose connections. Most manufacturers put a maufacture date on the beacon somewhere, and most seem to reccomend replacing or at least factory testing the units after 5 years.

 

Make sure you are buying something relatively recent, defientely not an old dual frequency.

 

The other issue is frequency drift, which means that it is not transmitting on exactly 457 any more. This can show up as a reduction in transmitting range, but some modern beacons will have a hard time picking up a unit that is too far out of range.

 

So, if you know what to look for, then yes it is a good way to save money.

[telebiker]

What Snoboy said. I have heard that the life of a transceiver is much like that of a climbing rope. It becomes less trustworthy with age and should be replaced if suspect. I suppose the beacon could be sent to the manufacturer for verification of frequency etc. Frequency drift is a serious issue in the case of analog to digital transmission. Some of the new digitals wont pick up analog signals that are off frequency. So when doing your beacon check at the start of the ski, have the person with the digital do the check.