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PIEPS amateur two-way radios

2 reports to CPSC, the latest made Mar 4, 2021. A report isn’t a recall.

Watch it to hear when CPSC publishes new reports about it. CPSC’s own search, on saferproducts.gov

Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.

At a glance

From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.

  • 2reports to CPSC
  • Mar 4, 2021the latest report was made
  • Dec 10, 2020the earliest
  • 0with the company’s comments
Brand
PIEPS
Maker
BLACK DIAMOND EQUIPMENTMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
Product
Amateur two-way radiosCPSC’s product type: Amateur Two-way Radios (code 545), in Electronics: Audio & Radio

By month

2 reports from April 2020 to March 2021; the most in March 2021, 1.
The numbers, as a table
Reports to CPSC by the month each was made, newest first
MonthReports
March 20211
December 20201

How badly anyone was hurt

  • No one hurt 1 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
  • No incident, no one hurt 1 CPSC: No Incident, No Injury

As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.

The reports, as CPSC published them

Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.

Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.

Source:

CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.

  1. No one hurt

    Made Mar 4, 2021, sent to the company Mar 19, 2021, published by CPSC Apr 2, 2021

    The product, in the report: Pieps Avalanche safety beacon. The broken switch is a known issue across many internet reports. The MFG is claiming safety testing of switch is fine, but clearly with all the broken switches this is marginal and their test is ineffective. Model Sport DSP02 and others

    Pieps or Black Diamond labeled avalanche product switch fails to stay in set transmit position. https://www.pieps.com/dsp/. This is a known issue to the MFG and they are claiming to address this with a new case. But it doesn’t address the faulty locking switch.

    Hello, I think the news announcement today from Black Diamond and Pieps is a whitewash of the issue.

    https://www.pieps.com/dsp/

    Snow sports people have bought these beacons and the switch cracks and fails. It has nothing to do with the case. But yet their recall plan that all are hailing across the internet is for a new hard case. “Consumer confidence in our products is paramount, which is why the PIEPS R&D Team has now developed a new hardcase carrying system for all DSP transceivers, to replace the neoprene carrying system supplied with the DSP transceivers. The design of the new hardcase carrying system provides extra safety to ensure the transceivers are locked in the “send” position when in use, and remain securely in the “send” position during use.”

    The switch on my beacon broke, likely from downward forces during switching. And now that it’s broken it moves super freely. I doubt it broke from being in the soft case. I don’t understand how a hard case prevents this beacon switch from failing. And it won’t hold it in position. I live in Abq and have two of this model, one is broken, one still working. Since the magazine is in SF someone can come look at mine and evaluate for themselves. I’m hoping someone call’s out Black Diamond/Pieps on the marginality of this voluntary recall.

    [REDACTED[

    It’s this kind of reporting that frustrates me, https://buckrail.com/pieps-issues-voluntary-recall-on-all-dsp-avalanche-transceivers/. “Subsequent investigations have shown, however, that the slide switch and lock of the DSP PRO, the DSP PRO ICE, and the DSP SPORT meet all applicable safety standards.”

    Who’s safety standards? Mine broke and I only use it lightly. Either the standard is bad, or the evaluation of the standard is insufficient. It just doesn’t make sense that you fix this problem with a case. There are two know burials with beacons that were accidentally turned off. That fact right indicates the safety standard is insufficient. How can you even say the product is OK with those known events and who knows how many of these beacons out there with broken switches!

    Model
    Sport DSP02 and others
    Serial number
    180800142262
    Where
    Albuquerque, New Mexico: Place of Recreation or Sports
    Who was involved
    Unknown
    The reporter’s relation to them
    No Relationship
    As this report names them
    Brand Pieps, made or sold by BLACK DIAMOND EQUIPMENT
    How badly, in CPSC’s words
    Incident, No Injury
  2. No incident, no one hurt

    Made Dec 10, 2020, sent to the company Apr 8, 2021, published by CPSC Apr 22, 2021

    The product, in the report: PIEPS Avalanche Beacon Model Pieps DSP Pro (PiEPS DSP02) Dark gray plastic avalanche beacon, yellow slider switch and LCD screen. It is about the size of a fat cell-phone.

    Pieps and Black Diamond DSP, DSP Pro, and DSP Sport avalanche beacons have a design flaw that has been linked to at least one fatality, one miraculous near miss, and anecdotal reports of beacons mysteriously turning off.

    Avalanche beacons are essential safety equipment used to facilitate the discovery of people buried under snow following an avalanche. The design flaw in these beacons can lead to the beacon silently disabling its key radio transmission function without notifying the user.

    The beacon is known to be increasingly susceptible to this behavior when cracking appears in the locking tab that prevents the main switch from sliding out of “Send” mode. I noticed the cracking in my own model of the beacon today.

    Anecdotally, Black Diamond is aware of many beacons being returned with the same flaw. Due to public pressure, they have instituted a “we will warranty it for you if you are concerned” policy and are offering free or low-cost upgrades to those with affected beacons. Retailers such as REI are taking it seriously-enough that they are notifying consumers who have purchased affected beacons proactively, as they would normally do in a recall.

    If this situation hasn’t crossed the line into recall territory, it is very close. Reasonable summaries of the situation can be found here: [REDACTED]

    Model
    Pieps DSP Pro (PiEPS DSP02)
    Serial number
    14080002689AE9
    Bought from
    REI
    Bought
    Feb 3, 2015
    Where
    Seattle, Washington: Other
    Who was involved
    Age 38, Unknown
    The reporter’s relation to them
    Self
    As this report names them
    Brand PIEPS, made or sold by BLACK DIAMOND EQUIPMENT
    How badly, in CPSC’s words
    No Incident, No Injury

CPSC’s disclaimer

Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.

Source:

Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.

Sources

Sources

  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.

    Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.

Source:

Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.

Back to Amateur two-way radios

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Not fully inspected in over two years (CMS flag)

11 health citations at the latest inspection cycle

The state average is 14.3.

Source:

CMS, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 8, 2026. Updated monthly.

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