Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Tech Tips: Barryvox S Group Check Mode

Best Practices: Why To Use The Barryvox S Group Check Mode

It is the simple things that keep us alive and allow us to thrive--and the simple beacon check before headed out in the backcountry is no different.

While doing trailhead beacon checks I have found beacons that are not on, beacons that have dead batteries, and beacons that can send but not search. Simply put, a beacon check can save your life. But is it so simple? Can a beacon check be done incorrectly? What is the “best practice?”

Of course, just about any beacon check is better than no beacon check. The simplest form of a beacon check involves turning your beacon to SEARCH and moving towards your partner, who is in SEND. The number on your beacon should get smaller and smaller as you get closer, confirming that your 
A diagram of a simple group check from the Barryvox S Extended Reference Guide



partner is sending a signal. If you are testing multiple partners at once, they should all spread out 3m apart and walk past you, and you should see a low number on your screen with each pass.Is this good enough? Not exactly. 

Thursday, October 4, 2018

NEW Firmware 3.0 Update Available for Barryvox S and Barryvox

The new 3.0 firmware for the Barryvox S and Barryvox transceivers is available now!
The update can be done at the Mammut Service center for your country, or at any participating Mammut retailer--a list is at the bottom of this post.  In the USA and Canada call 800-451-5127 or email info@mammutusa.com .  A $35 fee applies to upgrades at the country service centers and most equipped retailers.


The 3.0 firmware for the new-generation Barryvox and Barryvox S introduces the following functions:

Device-to-device update:

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

NEW Service Tools for fleet management and firmware upgrade, Fall-season 2018

Barryvox PC- Service Tools season Fall-Winter 18-19 and beyond
With its Barryvox PC-fleet management Software, Mammut offers a complete avalanche equipment program to support the professional use of Barryvox avalanche transceivers. read more about the fleet management HERE (link).  This PC-Software provides organizations and retailers with efficient fleet management as a tool to provide better risk management and a higher level of customer service.  For more information please contact Mammut Customer Service at 800-451-5127 or info@Mammutusa.com .


Barryvox Service Tools are available beginning in Fall of 2018.  The W-link Stick 2.0 will be available beginning in September, and the Tester 2.0 beginning later in the fall.  

·         W-Link Stick 2.0 is a handy USB adapter allowing organizations and retailers to conduct efficient fleet management as part of a risk management protocol especially for rental transceivers or for frequent firmware upgrades.

·         Tester 2.0  offers a comprehensive functional test in addition to the functions provided by the W-Link Stick 2.0. It measures and records

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Post-season equipment check & maintenance

It's the end of the winter season for most of us in the Northern hemisphere, so unless you are one of the lucky few who has managed to steer your life toward endless winter, it's the perfect time to do a good checkup on your equipment, and take care of any required maintenance now before Fall arrives and it's the last minute.
The next recommended maintenance is shown under "maintenance" in the user settings of your Pulse Barryvox, and accessed during shutdown on the Barryvox S

Airbags should be inspected and dried thoroughly before storage.  Complete instructions on storage and inspection are on page 15 of the user manual HERE (link)

Avalanche Transcievers should be inspected as well.  Apart from signs of physical damage, check the "maintenance date" in the transceiver.  For Pulse Barryvox go into the user settings, go to "maintenance" and the date will show the timing of the next recommended 3-year functional test.  Barryvox S beacons are only one season old so aren't due yet, but you can access this info during the shut-down procedure--turn the beacon off and immediately press the orange flag button to show the date of the next recommended service.  Regardless, remove the batteries from your transceiver for off-season storage--this is critically important for alkaline batteries to avoid the risk of acid corrosion, which can render the beacon unsafe to use and is not covered under the warranty.

If you're due for maintenence, either test it on your organization's Barryvox Tester or contact Mammut Customer Service to arrange having this test done during the off season--we get flooded with requests in the fall and get backed up so make sure to take care of this now!  You can reach Mammut North American customer service to arrange this or to ask questions at (800) 451-5127.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Outdoor Gear Lab names Barryvox S Best Avalanche Beacon

In a world of soundbites that rarely get beneath the surface, we certainly appreciate the media outlets who put the extra effort in to spend real time with product and get to know them.  For many people Outdoor Gear Lab has become one of a few go-to websites for in-depth product reviews, so we're super psyched to hear they really liked the Barryvox S Beacon, awarding it their "Editors Choice" for best overall avalanche beacon.  Thanks!  You can read their full, in-depth review HERE (link).



Friday, February 16, 2018

SAFETY CHECK AIRBAG SYSTEM 3.0

Mammut has issued a notice to users of the 3.0 airbag system to check that the installation of the airbag in the backpack is correct.  The 3.0 system has a NEON ORANGE trigger handle and balloon.  The older 2.0 and 1.0 airbag systems (RED trigger handle and balloon) are not affected.



In some cases, incorrect installation of the airbag system in the pack may have caused significant bending of the deployment cable. This could have a negative effect on the functioning of the avalanche airbag after repeated deployment. If you identify the installation problem described in the instructions, please rectify it immediately in accordance with the following instructions (link)

*Note that the black plastic cable covering is cosmetic only, and it's normal for it to exhibit some cracking or peeling--this has no effect on the function of the airbag and is not a problem.

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Adirondack BC Ski fest 2018 cancelled due to ridiculously warm weather

Unfortunately, the Mountaineer in Keene Valley, NY has had to cancel the 2018 Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival (link) .  Located in the heart of the Adirondack high peaks region, the event is a fun community gathering in what is one of the coolest backcountry ski destinations in the East.

When it's in shape to ski this region has mega-cool terrain and is not to be missed, but unfortunately a sufficient quantity of demo water-wings and swim fins could not be located in time.  Hopefully the weather turns around again in time for a late refresh and we can all get out skiing in March and April, but for now they've been forced to cancel the event. 

If you have questions about the event or schedule, please drop the Mountaineer a call at (518) 576-2281 and tell them we said hi!