Mammut Barryvox Element Review

Likes
If you are heading in the wrong direction, the arrow indicator will point toward you to indicate you need need to turn around. With most other beacons, the arrow will keep pointed in the wrong direction and it is up to you to read the distance number and figure out you are going the wrong way. The Element along with the S1+ and the Pulse had our favorite directional arrow. Instead of having 3 to 5 directional arrow lights, the Element has an arrow that spins 360 degrees to help the user stay on the flux line.

The Element like the Pulse can be switched between digital and analog modes. It's cool for experienced users and professionals who have previously spent time learning how or using analog beacons and it allows the Pulse to have a huge range while its in analog mode. It is a feature that most people will never use.

The Element, along with the Barryvox Pulse and the Pieps DSP and Pieps DSP Tour, had the longest ranges for digital beacons in our test and with the Element in analog mode it had the longest range next to the dated Ortovox F1.

It deals with signal spikes well. It also deals with multiple burials well.

It lets you mark the victim you are not looking for and come back to them later.

If you are caught in a secondary avalanche, the Element will revert to transmit mode if there has not been motion for eight minutes, unlike the Pulse where you choose.

This is one of the smallest and lightest of the three-antennae beacons.

We also liked how easy the Element was to use with bulky gloves and mittens.

Dislikes
The Element's processing speed feels ever-so-slightly slower than Pieps or the Tracker 2 (but it is still relatively fast). In side-by-side testing with multiple burials we felt that the Pieps DSP could stay on the flux line while moving slightly faster than the Element, which would give us the "Stop" sign, its signal to slow down.