 Summary:
The Barryvox Pulse is a small, three-antenna, avalanche transceiver with a long range. It offers
both analog and digital modes, supports marking of multiple burials,
handles spikes well, has a floating direction arrow
that indicates minor changes in direction as well as point behind you, and has excellent
audible indication. If the victim also has a Pulse transceiver (which
has been configured for use in the same region), the Pulse can tell you if the victim is alive
by sensing tiny movement—hence the name Pulse. With the 3.0 firmware, the Pulse offers
both a basic and advanced user interface.
The Pulse is a top-rated avalanche transceiver on BeaconReviews.com.Searching:
The Pulse has a long digital reception range (similar to the
Ortovox S1 and the Pieps DSP). The Pulse's range when
it first receives an analog signal (without a directional indicator) is even longer.
The Ortovox S1, Pieps DSP and the Pulse have the widest
recommended primary search widths (50 meters) of the
multiple-antenna transceivers.
A unique feature of the Pulse is that if you are headed in the wrong direction (which can easily happen, since transceivers
simply align you with the transmitting beacon's flux lines) the
direction indicator will reverse direction and point behind you. If you're
heading in the wrong direction with all transceivers except the Pulse and Ortovox S1, you will need to see that
the distance indicator is increasing and turn 180-degrees.
The Pulse (and the Ortovox S1) uses an internal compass to help you locate the victim.
You need to hold the Pulse level while searching or a message may appear telling you to "Hold Device Horizontally" (the
occurrence of this message was significantly reduced in the 3.0 firmware update).
During the primary and secondary
searches the audio signal is analog. The analog tone lets you hear faint signals (as well as non-beacon-generated
background noise) and can be helpful during multiple burials. During
the pinpoint search, the digital audio tone increases the pitch, cadence,
and volume. Learn more about audio indicators.
You can toggle the Pulse into a fully analog mode (this requires changing a custom setting
which should be done in the comfort of your home). You can then press both buttons simultaneously to toggle the between
analog and digital. This is a nifty feature for power-users.
Multiple Burials: The handling of multiple burials is similar to the Pieps DSP
(you select Mark to ignore the current beacon and advance to the next beacon). However as with the S1, the Pulse also allows you to unmark
a previously marked beacon. Read the details here.
Spikes: Spike handling is excellent.
Controls: Beginning with the version 3.0 firmware,
the Pulse offers two user "profiles." The basic profile simplifies the user interface by removing a few of the more advanced
features. When using the basic profile:
- Toggling to analog mode is not available
- The left and right buttons perform the same task (except when you are modifying the internal settings)
- During searches for multiple victims:
- The searcher is always sent to the closest victim (rather than being able to select a victim by scrolling
through a list)
- The screen display is simplified (rather than showing the distance and direction to each of the victims)
The first time you turn on your Pulse, you are prompted to choose a profile. After that, you
can change the profile via the custom settings:
- Turn on the unit
- Immediately press either button ("activated" will appear at the bottom of the screen for several seconds)
- Use the left button to scroll through the list of settings
- Choose OK with the right button to select a setting
- Select the desired value using the left button and confirm the selection with the right button
Although I used to be critical of the two-button interface on the Pulse, the new basic profile simplifies the interface
by displaying only one command at a time and allowing you to select commands by pressing either button. The basic profile
still includes all the core features, including the ability to search for single or multiple victims, mark victims, etc,
but it limits the number of menus options. This is a significant improvement and goes straight at the ease of use of the
Pieps DSP and Trackers while still offering advanced capabilities not found on those beacons, such as an analog mode and
selective marking and unmarking.
The user interface still has a few oddities that can confuse the unwary. For example after turning on the unit and
pressing either key to enter the custom settings mode, the screen displays "activated" at the bottom of the screen for
10 seconds, then "self test okay," then "Group check."
Off/Send/Search Switch: There is a
thread
on PisteHors.com mentioning that you can slide the Pulse's Off/Send/Search switch from Off to Send without the switch
locking into place. The concern is that the switch may then get bumped and turn the device off. I have been able to put
the switch into this nebulous position (although it took a little trying). The simple solution is to make sure you slide
the switch until it clicks in the Send position. Yeah, it isn't perfect, but not a deal breaker in my option.
Comfort: The Pulse's harness positions the transceiver vertically on your side. The transceiver fits into a
molded-plastic case that is secured with a small Fastex buckle. The case is designed so the transceiver's screen must
be facing toward your body and so the beacon cannot be switched to search mode while in the harness. Good stuff.
The somewhat unusual double-threading of the straps through the buckles makes the harness difficult to adjust. And
I find the that strap which goes around your waist is a little short (I'm a thin guy and the strap is almost too snug
for me—but I prefer a loose waist strap ala the F1 rather than the snug-elastic
feel).
The Pulse is 30% smaller than the Tracker2, 20% smaller than the Ortovox S1, 15% smaller than the ARVAs, and 3% smaller
than the Pieps DSP.
Group Check Mode: When the Barryvox Pulse is turned on, the message "Group check"
is displayed for five seconds. Pressing either button activates the group check mode. In this mode the Pulse will only
receive a signal when held one-meter from a properly transmitting beacon. The beacon automatically exits this test mode
after five minutes. This is a quick and easy way to confirm that your partner's avalanche beacon is transmitting (it is
also a good reminder to perform a test each time you turn on your beacon). Unfortunately, people who are not familiar
with the Pulse may be confused by this power-up message. (The maximum distance that the group check will receive a signal
is normally one meter, but it can be switched to five meters for snowmobilers who will do group checks while on their
sleds.)
Owner Information: You can set owner information, such as your name and email address, which will be displayed
every time the Pulse is turned on. This is certainly handy, although the data-entry felt extremely time consuming until
I discovered (by reading the manual) that holding the left
button pressed moves backwards through the alphabet.
Vitals Data: If the victim and searcher are both using Pulse transceivers (which have
been configured for use in the same region, see below), the searching transceiver will report if the victim is alive by
sensing tiny movement (hence the name Pulse). With multiple burials (and while using the Advanced profile), a small heart
is displayed next to victims who have any movement (e.g., breathing or arterial pulses) which can presumably be used to
triage which victim to locate first.
The "vitals data" requires that the Pulse is carried close to your body so it can sense motion. There is a "Vital Sensor
Test" where you lie as still as possible on the ground to see if the transceiver will sense the motion of your body.
After unburying a victim who is wearing a Pulse, the rescuer can press either of the buttons to display the length
of time the beacon did not experience significant motion (i.e., the "burial" time) and the amount of time the victim was
still moving slightly (i.e., the "still alive" time). If the rescuer presses either button again, the display will rotate
through six previous burial periods. The six burial periods are undeniably confusing (I had to contact Barryvox for an
explanation), but they may be necessary if the beacon isn't checked when the victim is first unburied (so you can access
information that would otherwise be overwritten by movement while transporting the victim).
The vitals information is transmitted to other Pulse transceivers using a separate radio signal
(referred to as W-Link). Unfortunately, the allowable radio frequency varies between regions (e.g., Region A in Europe
and Region B in North America). And the FCC does not allow beacons that are sold in the USA to support Region A. If you
purchase a beacon in the USA and you will be traveling to Region A, you can send your transceiver to a service center
to have Region A enabled. That is impractical for most of us.
Certainly Mammut is proud of the uniqueness of the vitals data. I think the feature is valuable for a fleet (e.g.,
a backcountry ski service, snowmobile tours, etc) where all members of a party wear Pulse transceivers and everybody is
in the same Region. And there are no downsides to this feature. However, I personally see only a small benefit in the
vitals data—the Pulse would easily get five stars on BeaconReviews.com without this feature.
Revert to Send: The Pulse will automatically switch from receive mode to send mode after eight minutes to ensure
that you will be transmitting if you get buried by a second avalanche. Several other beacons do this, too. The Pulse (and
now the Ortovox S1) is unique in that it only returns to send mode if there has not been any user interaction (e.g., button
presses) or major motion during the eight minutes. It also gives an audible signal before reverting. The advantage
of the Pulse's restrictive reverting is that it is less likely that a searcher will unknowingly return to send mode during
a search (which can seriously confuse the other searchers). The auto-revert mode can also be changed to four minutes or
disabled.
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| Compass Calibration |
Compass Calibration: The Pulse has an internal compass that helps the direction arrow update. As with the
Ortovox S1, the internal compass should be calibrated before the start of each season
and after replacing the batteries. This is done by slowly rotating the beacon 360°. The Pulse prompts you to calibrate
when you replace the batteries. The users manual implies that
you should also calibrate the compass if you travel a long distance, but of course the beacon will not prompt you in this
case. The calibration affects the smooth flow of the search arrow—without it the arrow will be jerkier and less intuitive.
The internal compass can't be used for traditional navigation.
Screenless Mode: If the screen on your Pulse is broken, you can enable a special mode by holding both buttons
pressed and then switching from Off to Search. You will then be in analog mode (without any distance or direction information)
and can change the volume using the buttons. This is explained on a sticker that you are supposed to adhere to the back of the transceiver.
This is typical of the Pulse transceiver: it has many extra features that will only be used by true power-users. And with
the addition of the Basic profile, these extras are now well hidden from the average user.
Upgrading: The Barryvox Pulse supports firmware updates (similar to the Pieps and S1). You can read about updating
the Pulse here.
This beacon unquestionably deserves five stars. Outstanding.
View the comparison table for more information regarding the Barryvox Pulse.
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