When to replace a beacon?

We were enjoying some nice powder this weekend and back at the car while turning off the beacons I started wondering when I should retire mine.

A Barryvox that I picked up in 2000. By all appearances it functions perfectly well, but what is the lifespan of something that transmits a signal while either attached to a sweaty body or out in the cold? I know signal strength degrades over time but haven't heard of any complete failures, but I figure it is safer if I send my current model into semi-retirement after 6-700 days of trusted service.

What say the collective?

My first Arva lasted almost 25 years, the last 15 as a practice/spare. It just totally crapped out a year or two ago. I got my first tracker the first year they came out. That unit lasted about 7-8 years and then had a switch problem and BCA replaced it for free. I've been using that unit for 4-5 years and am now thinking about downgrading this one and replacing it with a Tracker 2 in January.

ben - If you are concerned, send it in to Barryvox and have them check it out. It's a computer - they can test it. Obviously, this is something better done in the off season... Have you contacted Barryvox? What's the warranty period?

An 8 year old digital beacon is probably less likey to have the same sorts of problems an 8 year old analog would (decrease in signal strength, frequency drift, etc.), but it's certainly worth checking out. I'd probably still have a high amount of trust in it.

There are few things you can do w/o sending it in: Some of your partners' newfangled digital beacons (DSP or S1? I forget which one) can check frequency drift of other digital beacons. Not sure how reliable that is, but probably reasonably so. You can measure your recieving distance yourself. Try it with a few types of beacons and see if it's different. Find a couple that have very similar recieving ranges and see how well they recieve you. I know you practice, so doing these sorts of things are just another way for you to check it yourself.

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Originally Posted by wendigo

A Barryvox that I picked up in 2000.

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Is this the Opto 3000 with the blue-colored housing that says Red or the red-colored housing that says Mammut?

Red-colored Mammut.

Thanks for the replies. Pretty much what I thought. I haven't noticed any degradation in the signal receiving distances, nor have I had any other issues with it. Was just looking at it thinking "shit this thing has been around a while, maybe I should look into picking up a new one".

I'll probably replace it at the end of this season and just keep it around as a loaner/practice just to appease my inner gear whore. Maybe I'll do some structured tests on signal range when the workaday job slows down.

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Originally Posted by wendigo

Red-colored Mammut.

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Good, that's the more recent version.
The earlier version (blue housing, but badged by "Red" at least in the U.S.) had much slower processing (and is also older).