Pieps iProbe First Look

Liberty Mountain was nice enough to send out the new Pieps iProbe to me just in time for our annual ski patrol event ( http://amn08.nmnsp.org/ ).

The iProbe weighs ~12.2 oz and its total length is ~226cm.
By contrast, my other cf probes weigh:
Life-Link 246cm 6.2 oz
Ortovox 240cm 7.0 oz
BCA 260cm 7.2 oz
These lighter probes are all about 10.2 to 10.3mm diameter, whereas the iProbe is about 13.4mm (to accommodate the far thicker tensioning cable that must have some sort of wire inside the power the probe receiver tip, as the single AA battery is way at the other end in the handle).

The control markings (On, Off, Battery Compartment Open) are some sort of cruel joke: even in good lighting they are very difficult to see. I will definitely have to append the markings with some sort of colored marks. The position of the grip also indicates the mode, but not all that well either.

Operation is straightforward: turn iProbe to On (although see control comments above) and when the probe tips gets very close to a beacon, the probe starts Beep Beep Beep. Then when it gets even closer, it emits a steady & continuous BEEP. (No, I have not yet quantified when it each stage kicks in.)

And now for the truly Mad Skilz (maybe even with a double Z) move: if the target beacon is a Pieps DSP or FreeRide, press the iProbe Mark button (very clearly identified, unlike the other controls) and the target DSP or FreeRide will stop transmitting. (I haven’t yet tested the details of for how long, how consistently, etc.)

I’m sure this will engender all sorts of debates of this feature’s desirability and utility.
However, for the moment, I will say how totally cool it is when you have a whole bunch of searchers standing there, their beacons beeping away at a nearby DSP, and then they all go “whoah” when the signal stops as you press a button on a probe. (Hey, running a beacon practice station becomes really repetitive after awhile, so I gotta gets my kicks somehow!)