Black Diamond Issues Recall on New Pieps Pro IPS Avalanche Beacons

It's avalanche beacon recall season! Black Diamond Equipment has issued a recall on their new Pieps Pro IPS avalanche transceivers, citing an issue with the battery contacts that may cause the beacon to malfunction. The recall affects Pieps PRO IPS transceivers sold between October 1, 2023 and November 22, 2024 due to an issue with the size of the battery compartment.

Just recently, Mammut issued a recall order for their new Barryvox S2 and Barryvox 2 beacons, citing a potential flaw with the power switch. Read more about that recall here.

Black Diamond issued a statement about the Pieps Pro IPS recall, saying: "Due to a loss of contact in the battery compartment if used with AAA (LR03) batteries at the lower end of allowable dimensions, the transceiver may not turn on, or may be inadvertently turn off if it is impacted or jarred. If this were to occur before or during an avalanche, the device may fail to function correctly or turn off, making it more difficult or impossible to locate a victim and potentially resulting in serious injury or death."

So far, only a single unit has been reported to have malfunctioned, with no accidents, injuries, or fatalities.

PIEPS Pro IPS owners should immediately stop using it and follow the recall procedures that are outlined here.