Sunday, December 29, 2019

Group Check: Myths and Misnomers

Recently an experienced user posited the question, "Is is dangerous, when doing a group check, for the two beacons to touch?"

First of all, there is absolutely no hazard in 2 beacons coming into contact during a trailhead check or any other time--it will not affect the future performance of either of the devices.

Likewise, you cannot harm your beacon by touching it with an iPhone. Electromagnetic noise is just that, noise. It makes searching for a victim difficult if it is within 20cms of the transmitting unit, but it does no permanent damage to the actual beacon. It is quite simply that the "noise" is so loud that the "beep" cannot be heard by a searching beacon.

The only issue with doing a trailhead check in extremely close proximity--or touching--is that there is a chance the beacon being tested has a broken antennae or other problem that cause it to have a WEAK signal. In this case the receiving device will still "beep" and produce a low number on the screen, even though the signal isnt strong enough to detect normally in a real beacon search--a "false positive" so to speak.

So, if you chose to do a beacon check in this manner (we at Mammut refer to this as a SEND CONFIRMATION) be aware that you have confirmed a 457 kHz signal, you simply do not know anything about the strength of that signal.

A "Send Confirmation" is an

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Pre Season Safety Check

Temperatures are dropping and snow is starting to fall in the hills-- it is time to start checking your safety equipment to make sure things are in proper working order. So, let's remind ourselves what we should be looking for when we take our avalanche safety equipment out of storage.

BEACONS

  • A general inspection should be performed on all beacons. Hopefully the batteries were removed at the end of the season. When putting new batteries in, make sure there is no alkaline battery corrosion, which will present as a white, powdery substance.



Alkaline corrosion can be very dangerous. Even if the beacon appears to be performing adequately, any piece of electronics that has alkaline corrosion on the battery terminals is suspect and should be returned to the manufacturer for inspection. Do not simply brush the terminals off and ignore. The electronics could be damaged and may not be reliable.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Barryvox S and Barryvox Firmware Upgrade - BarryHeart 3.2




Mammut develops and improves our products continuously, including our avalanche safety equipment. Our key focus is always making further improvements to reliability, functionality, and intuitive operation because simplicity and ease of use are essential when every second counts.


BarryHeart firmware upgrades are available now for both Barryvox and BarryvoxS devices.

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Call for Inspection of Airbag Systems 3.0


SAFETY FIRST: Mammut asks customers to check that the airbag balloon is correctly attached to the airbag inflation system.

Product safety and quality are the number one priority for Mammut. For this reason, Mammut is asking customers who own Generation 3.0 Mammut avalanche airbags to check whether the airbag balloon is correctly attached to the airbag inflation system in order to ensure that their avalanche safety equipment functions correctly.


All customers who own a Generation 3.0 avalanche airbag from the Winter 16/17, Winter 17/18 or Winter 18/19 seasons (neon-orange colored deployment handle),including Mammut airbags in packs manufactured by Highmark by Snowpulse or other brands utilizing 3.0 airbag systems, are requested to check them according to the following instructions or to contact Mammut Customer Service. Avalanche airbags from previous seasons (2.0 system or earlier with red deployment handle) are not affected.

It is easy to identify whether the airbag is attached correctly (see the inspection instructions HERE link). If the airbag balloon is not properly attached to the airbag inflation system, in some cases the airbag may lose volume too quickly after deployment. As a result, the airbag’s functionality may be impaired in the event of burial by an avalanche.

If you identify that the airbag balloon is attached incorrectly, the affected airbag system should no longer be used and must be returned immediately to Mammut Customer Service to be replaced. In the event of any queries, Mammut Customer Service will be happy to help.

Thank you for reacting to this call for inspection - Safety First!

You can contact Mammut customer service at:


Europe eu.customerservice@mammut.com
+49 8334 36 20 301 

Switzerland 
customerservice@mammut.com
+41 62 769 82 59 

USA & Canada 
info@mammutusa.com
+1 800 451 5127



Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Note on Use of the Supplementary Pro Check Feature in the Barryvox S

The supplementary “Pro Check” feature is an extension of the Barryvox S standard Group Check available only when the "Pro Search" function is activated.

Instructions for activating the Pro Check function are in the Barryvox S Extended Reference Guide (link).

This new feature is intended for guides and advanced users who want to see additional details of each transmitter within their group, as a tool to identify when the parameters of one transmitted signal might cause searching problems such as a higher incidence of signal overlap within the group. It is not a feature most rescuers should use every day and it is not considered a “critical check” like the standard Group Check feature. Specific guidance may be found on our previous blog post, HERE (link)

Recent reports indicate the Pro Check feature in firmware version 3.0 sometimes gives erroneous “out of tolerance” readings with some Backcountry Access (BCA) Avalanche Transceivers.

About The Supplementary “Pro Check" Feature in the Barryvox S

To best understand how to use Pro Check some background is helpful. All avalanche transceivers worldwide adhere to the same legal standard, or “norm”. This norm ensures compatibility between all transceivers worldwide, thus every transceiver is able to search for others and to be found by others, independently of the transceiver brand and model. Although all manufacturers operate under the same standard, there are still many older transceivers in use and every manufacturer applies slightly different transmit parameters within the legal framework.  Rescuers should be aware that each different signal within the norm parameters will always work with other transceivers. Some differences between individual signals, in particular in pulse rate, is even an advantage in multiple burial situations as it reduces the likelihood of persistent signal overlap. At the same time, each different signal can create different scenarios when in combination with various other beacons—many of the questions we get can be traced to such issues, so we want to provide people with a tool to see what may be driving the way their beacon interacts with other beacons.

The three parameters you'll see tested in Pro Check are defined by the international norm for avalanche transceivers as shown in Figure 1. 

Figure 1:  Transmitter parameters ETSI 300718 

Friday, January 11, 2019

Barryvox S Review by Kel Rossiter of Adventure Spirit Guides


For several years, I had been using the Barryvox Pulse.  I carried that beacon in the field for over 175 days and I used it for literally days of practicing single and multiple burial rescue scenarios.  I was impressed all around.  When I heard that the Barryvox S was coming out, I looked forward to updating my beacon set-up and seeing what improvements Mammut had lined up.


 In Fall of 2017 I started using the new Barryvox S, and I’ve now got a full season+ under my belt with it.  Below, I'll set the scene with my experiences with the original Barryvox Pulse, and then I'll describe that transition to the Barryvox S.  Bottom line, while officially the “S” stands for “Smart”, in my book it stands for “Solid.”