Better than a beacon?

That's okay, we all have our short cummings. (Sorry, couldn't resist the reference to another intriguing thread.)

While the ball does require the user to deploy, it also seems like it might speed up the search. The website is pretty convincing that on an open slope, the ball and rope would stay on the surface. I do wonder about it getting snagged by trees and breaking loose, potentially increasing the search time.

Where money and weight were no object, it would be nice to have every possible help. I sure wouldn't rely on JUST the ball alone, but a beacon plus one or more items sounds like a good idea.

In my mind I'm playing a cartoon of me skiing with a ball bouncing along behind, a balloon around my neck, a beacon silently transmitting, several ski partners acting as spotters, and a steel cable tethering me to an Air Force helicopter...while skiing the bunny slope at Crystal... 8(

Well, okay, that principle is the same -- but pretty big difference between the larger & lighter object being the cord's tail end vs. the person.

Yeah. I'm confused -- do you think I'm a proponent of the ball & string here? I think it's a pretty poor substitute for the beacon, whereas the ABS pack (which operates on the same large-object principle) is a much better option to pursue, given the tests I've seen of it so far. Still not going to keep me (or anyone, I expect) from wearing and using a beacon.

If you're considering using an avalanche cord as a beacon replacement, I encourage you to read page 26 of the Feb 2009 Avalanche Review:

www.americanavalancheassociation.org/tar/TAR27_3_LoRes.pdf

I'd consider using one in open terrain if I had absolutely no access to a beacon, and it had a large low-density ball attached and frequent directional markers along  the cord/streamer indicating the direction to the body. Otherwise, I suspect that they're largely superfluous and may pose hazards, as detailed in the article above.

Modern three-axis beacons are nearly foolproof and very accurate. I trust them to give me better odds of returning home, perhaps without brain damage, in the event that I make an incorrect assessment of snow instability. Beacons were developed after the development of the avalanche cord.

I don't think I would really use one as a replacement, but in rather in conjunction with a beacon.

I read page 26, but I think it was more referring to a simple line of rope or tape with the intention of seeing some of the rope above the surface. I would not expect an ordinary rope to stay above the surface, but I would expect the ball to keep it all very high and visible. I also agree that it would be more suitable in a clear slope free of any trees to hang up the rope. I don't think being wrapped up in the rope is extremely likely. I haven't ever heard of a mountaineering avalanche victim dying of strangulation, and climbers are often roped up to one another.

Black Diamond, in urging people to buy the Avalung, claim that the average time to rescue using beacons is about 20 minutes. I have not ever searched for a victim using a beacon so I cannot speak first hand. I would guess that most people first look for visual clues in a rescue effort, such as a hand, ski, or glove on the surface. It seems like a big orange ball on the end of a rope would be a great visual indicator and the first focus of response.

How about this....Beacon, Avalung, and Avalanche ball!

I don't think being wrapped up in the rope is extremely likely. I haven't ever heard of a mountaineering avalanche victim dying of strangulation, and climbers are often roped up to one another.

This immediately comes to mind. I think there are a few more accounts of entanglement in recent editions of Accidents in North American Mountaineering.

How about this....Beacon, Avalung, and Avalanche ball!

More power to you . The best way to survive an avalanche is by avoiding it in the first place...