New Barryvox Transceiver

[catbirdseat]

Anyone hear about this? Supposedly, it transmits the vital signs of the wearer when to the receiver. You can tell if the buried person is dead or alive. It might make a difference in deciding who to dig up first in a multiple burial scenario, but I think that it would also tend to freak a rescuer out who is already going as fast as he can.

Edited February 1, 2006 by catbirdseat

[Weekend_Climberz]

Here is some more tid-bits too.

 

Seems like a pretty natural progression for a device such as the avalanche beason.

[kurthicks]

I want a beacon that functions as a beacon, GPS, and iPod. come on people!

[AFIVE]

If everyone in the group is using this beacon....it can pick up motion and detect a heartbeat, tell you which victims are being searched for, which victims have been positively probed and marked. These beacons can speak to one another to give you this info while searching. In a multiple burial situation it will list victims #1, #2, #3, #4 etc. If you have found #4 probed marked- you can hit a button and it will tell the other folks searching that #4 has been identified. You can see that someone is looking for #2, so you don't duplicate searchers on the same victim. It may show a heart next to #1 and nothing by #3...you will know to look for victim #1 first and then go to victim #3 last (having the least odds of still being alive). The arrow always points to the victim as you move the beacon in different directions kind of like how a compass needle points to magnetic north. This will help you take the fastest line along the flux line to the beacon you are searching for. All in all a really cool beacon. The Pulse is going to retail for around 399.00. This was one of the coolest beacons I saw at the show. The S1 from Ortovox was pretty cool as well, but cost 599.00. Both of these prices are much cheaper than a funeral, and way faster than anything produced to date!

[TrogdortheBurninator]

What makes the S1 so cool? Doe it have the integrated ipod GPS Kurt was looking for? $600 is a lot of money without some serious functional advantages. An integrated GPS transmitter rescue beacon thingy would be pretty cool for an all in one gadget of some real utility.

[cj001f]

What makes the S1 so cool? Doe it have the integrated ipod GPS Kurt was looking for? $600 is a lot of money without some serious functional advantages.

LCD Screen that displays in 2D the position of all beacons within a 60m radius relative to the user. That's a pretty big functional advantage I'd say. They've had some teething troblems with it - was initially intended to ship this fall, then january, now midsummer/fall. Integration of that with the Pulse would be quite cool for multiple victims - easily decide how best to deploy limited resources.

 

The Pieps DSP advanced integrates altimeter, compass & temp sensor, the S1 integrates a compass and temp sensor. Useful as backup.

[Figger_Eight]

The new Barryvox is the second three antenna reciever offered (after the Pieps DSP), making the search a little bit easier. You can also program your name and address into the startup screen.

 

The vital sign indicator is a nice touch, however if you're using a different brand it will your signal as a negative. The idea is that all manufacturers will eventually add this feature to their beacon.

[Nick]

But in the meantime this beacon is designed to encourage searchers to rescue their own customers first!

[Figger_Eight]

Yeah...that was my first thought, but after talking with one of the engineers I can't believe that's what they had in mind.

 

On a related note: since it has the ability to store personal information, it has the ability to transmit it. Imagine having to pick between your girlfriend and best friend in a multiple burial. Props to Mammut for dodging that issue and not allowing them to do that!

[cj001f]

Yeah...that was my first thought, but after talking with one of the engineers I can't believe that's what they had in mind.

Alive/Dead technology has been mentione in avy circles before.

 

In general avy beacons could do with further standardization - tighter frequency specs for greater compatibilty, a spec'd side channel for skis/dogs, and a standard for pulse/vivihood information. Maybe someday.