Pieps Pro IPS Review

There have been some exciting advancements recently in the world of avalanche transceiver design, and the Pieps Pro IPS is one of those that sets a new benchmark for professional-level beacons. The Pieps processor remains my favorite for its nearly unparalleled combination of ease of use and speed, and I quickly got used to the Pro IPS's unique layout, where the antenna flips out from the body of the beacon. Part of the Interference Protection System (IPS) is that if it detects any EMI in Send, the processor will compensate by pushing a stronger signal to overcome that interference. If you are someone who carries a lot of electronics while touring, the advanced EMI protections of the Pro IPS are well worth considering before you purchase your next beacon.

Speed

In the coarse search phase, the Pro IPS performs similarly to Pieps of the past. The distance readings are generally smooth, and the arrows are easy to follow, but they are not as fast as other beacons I tested during this phase of a search. Like other beacons with extended ranges, the Pro IPS also suffers from issues that seem to go hand-in-hand with increased range. At the max extent of its range, the arrows are a bit jumpy, and it was hard to follow until I moved in closer than 50 meters to the target. However, this beacon more than makes up for any of these issues once you move to within 10 meters of the target and into the fine search phase.

The Pro IPS is faster than previous Pieps models I've tested, and is easily one of the fastest models on the market, especially in the fine search. During this phase, it was easy to move naturally with this beacon while bracketing, and the processor didn't get bogged down by multiple burials. Compared to some other professional-level beacons I tested. When solving multiple burial problems, the directional arrows on the Pro IPS jumped around a bit more than other professional-level beacons I tested. Fortunately, I didn't notice this issue during a single-burial search.

Interface

The Pro IPS introduces a new and interesting interface unlike any other beacon on the market. While almost every beacon I tested has a simple slide-lock to switch, you flip out an antenna on the Pro IPS to switch from Send to Search. Pieps and Black Diamond have had issues in the past with their slide locks malfunctioning, and this new design definitely solves that problem. The power button and the multi-use function button are easily identifiable once you flip out the antenna, but the buttons are small and a little challenging to manipulate with gloves on. The flag and scan buttons, on the face and side of the beacon, respectively, are larger and a bit easier to use with gloves. These two buttons also work like arrow keys for adjusting menus and tone volume, but it's not intuitive without first reading the owner's manual.

The screen on the Pro IPS is easy to read under all light conditions and while wearing polarized sunglasses. To change any settings, access any professional-level functions, or run any software updates, you have to connect this beacon to an app via Bluetooth. I wish there were a way to adjust settings via the app and on-screen menus – which always makes it easier to adjust settings in the field – but it's really not a big issue.

Notable Features

One of the standout features of the Pro IPS is its advanced EMI (electromagnetic interference) detection. Based on the strength of the interference, on-screen prompts in Search mode will suggest search strip widths (80-, 60-, and 20-meters). The prompt could be more obvious, but I still found it helpful to receive direct feedback so that I could switch my search technique appropriately. The Pro IPS will also detect interference in Send mode and will automatically put out a stronger signal if it detects interference.

Avalanche professionals will appreciate that you can easily adjust the sensitivity of the analog mode. Although you cannot run analog and digital functions in tandem, it's easy to switch back and forth during a search. The previous Pieps beacons I tested only included a scan function, which offered an overview of all of the signals in a search field. The Pro IPS still includes the Scan mode, but a new scroll function is a welcome addition to this beacon's pro mode. Unfortunately, scrolling is limited to only the closest three signals, and unlike other professional-level beacons I tested, the Pro IPS doesn't identify signals I had already flagged.

One of my previous complaints about Pieps beacons was that I had to constantly hold down the scan button to use the Group Check function. Fortunately, the Pro IPS addressed this annoying accessibility issue – you only need to press the function button once during startup to access Group Check. Pieps also added a cool function: You can switch from Send to Search in Group Check mode by simply tipping the beacon up or down. (Group Check mode on other beacons forces you to revert to Send for other people to check your signal.) While both improve functionality, the time-out for the Group Check mode is pretty short compared to other beacons I tested – it regularly reverted back earlier than I wanted when checking a large group of guided clients.

Accuracy

To assess the accuracy of a beacon, I'm looking at the directional arrows and distance readings the moment I acquire a signal. Even though the Pieps Pro IPS demonstrated a long receiving range, it suffered from jumpy arrows and inaccurate distance readings at the maximum extent of its range. I've discovered that this problem isn't unique among newer beacons that offer extended ranges, and it requires a bit of practice to learn how to deal with these issues. However, once I moved within 50 meters, the Pro IPS was quite accurate during the rest of the coarse search phase.

The readings were still a bit jumpy between 10 and three meters, especially compared to other top-tier beacons. However, once I entered into the fine search phase, the Pro IPS was one of the fastest, smoothest beacons of any I tested. The speed and steadiness of the Pieps processor are something I've always appreciated, and I'm glad to see that this new beacon maintains this lineage. Using the Pro IPS, I was able to get a probe strike consistently within 25 cm or less, and never felt like the quick processor supports proper bracketing in a fine search.

Multiple Burials

The processor's ability to handle multiple signals with ease is the most impressive feature of the Pro IPS. Even in tests with four close-proximity targets, the Pro IPS functioned nearly as well in a fine search as it did with just a single burial. Interestingly, the processor lagged the most during the coarse search phase, which is more similar to other professional-level beacons on the market. However, I'd much rather have a beacon that is able to perform quickly and efficiently during the fine search phase, where accuracy really counts.

Of course, the Pro IPS includes all of the pro-level features you expect to conduct a complex burial rescue successfully, including flagging, the ability to scroll between targets, and an analog mode. However, if you rely heavily on functions rather than alternative search techniques, other directly comparable beacons offer more functional multiple-burial features. The scroll function on the Pro IPS is a nice addition, but I struggled to use it effectively because after I flagged a signal, I couldn't tell which signal I flagged. This is where your choice of beacon largely comes down to preference – if you rely less on flagging, then you will greatly appreciate the fast fine search capability of the Pro IPS.

Range

The range listed by manufacturers is based on measurements under conditions of ideal coupling, which only occurs when two beacons line up along their long-axis antenna to achieve perfectly paired signals. This rarely happens during a rescue, so for more of a real-world assessment of range, I recorded the distances where I first picked up a consistent signal, and averaged those across multiple tests. The stated range of the Pro IPS is 80 meters, and the average measured range was 72 meters – both the range where this beacon can pick up a signal and the proximity of my averaged measurements to the stated range are impressive.

There are very few beacons on the market that receive a signal at this distance. While some other beacons offer long-range signal acquisition, I've found it incredibly frustrating to deal with inaccurate readings at that maximum range. The Pro IPS struggles at its maximum range as well, but not nearly as badly as some other beacons I've tested. This is thanks to the movable long-axis antenna – when you swing the antenna out to activate Search mode, it's further removed from the EMI put out by the beacon itself and helps increase the range.

Should You Buy the Pieps Pro IPS ?

This beacon is certainly targeted towards professionals. However, the Pro IPS makes a strong argument for anyone looking to purchase a new beacon: Increased range can speed up the signal acquisition phase by reducing search strip width; an extra-long antenna is accurate during the bulk of the coarse search; and the smooth and speedy processor helps shave valuable seconds within the fine search phase. Finally, the advanced EMI protections should factor strongly for anyone who travels in avalanche terrain with a lot of electronics – photographers, ski patrollers, and snowmobilers would be remiss not to put this beacon on their short list.

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