Pieps Offers Upgrades to Owners of DSP Pro and Sport Avalanche Transceivers
Pieps became the subject of intense backlash on social media this week, after the widow of a backcountry user who died in an avalanche in 2017 took to social media to share her perspective of the circumstances of her husband’s death.
The post by Bri Howard attributes the death of her husband, Corey Lynam, to a failure of the Pieps DSP transceiver. After the post went viral, backcountry users took to social media in force to condemn the avalanche transceiver manufacturer for failing to recall the two transceivers in question, the Pieps DSP Sport and DSP Pro. Currently, the manufacturer continues to sell the DSP Sport as a value-priced option, despite a newer generation of transceiver being made available less than two years ago.
Prior to the post by Howard, Pieps had issued the following statement on its Instagram feed:
“We have received inquiries about the design and safety of the Pieps DSP Sport and DSP Pro avalanche beacons.
These beacons have undergone vigorous testing and exceed all certification standards. They have been sold globally since 2014 and used by countless backcountry travellers ever since.
A beacon is a personal safety tool which must be properly used and maintained. Any misuse may compromise its functionality. Please refer to the video on the fourth slide for how to inspect your beacon.
Your safety in the backcountry is our top priority. Please reach out to Black Diamond Equipment in North America and Pieps in Europe if you need further information or if you are unsure how to verify the condition of your beacon.”
A video showing how to inspect the DSP Pro and DSP Sport lock button and slider mechanism for damage, and how to test the device for failure was published at the same time (fourth slide in the post below).
Pieps Offers Avalanche Transceiver Upgrade
Today, after days of backlash on its Instagram and Facebook accounts, Pieps published a follow-up post offering to upgrade users of the DSP Pro and DSP Sport to the latest generation of their transceivers.
The post reads:
“We’re out there in the mountains with you.
We know that confidence in your equipment is key.
If you have concerns about your DSP Pro/Sport, please contact us.
We will offer you an upgrade to the latest generation of our avalanche transceivers.
Contact us at: dsp@pieps.com”
The latest generation of Pieps transceivers, Pieps Pro BT and Pieps Powder BT, feature a different mode locking mechanism design than the transceivers in question.
At the time of publication no official recall of the devices has been announced. The Pieps website (www.pieps.com) at the time of publication was unresponsive.
– MS
