The Audible Beacon is amazing!!!
I am a woman who is completely blind. The first thing I noticed, upon opening my Audible Beacon, was that there was a Braille tag attached to it, stating what it was!!! I was so impressed I kept the tag!!! I wish Ruff Wear would attach Braille tags to all their products. It certainly would make it easier to identify items, with no sighted assistance.
I had to purchase two Audible Beacons. The first Beacon, I lost the rubber portion which goes around the dog’s collar. I had to take it off to charge the light. I wish the video which came with the product explained that the rubber top portion must be removed to charge the light. Under this rubber portion, is a metal clip. The charging port to charge the light is most easily accessed by unclipping the clip by pushing down on the plastic tab until you feel it give, then sliding your fingers down slightly. I took my service dog, Kombi, to our trainer. She assisted me to locate the charging port, under its rubber flap. She also showed me how to remove the rubber cover on the light itself to access the charging port. Once the cover was off, I could not get it back on. I lost it on the bus, going to my piano teacher’s. I took it with me because I thought she could assist me to install the cover again. The Ruff Wear employees were understanding about me purchasing another Audible Beacon. I now attach the first one to myself when we go out. The second one, I have affixed to Kombi’s collar. He is only thirty pounds. This works well to ensure that we are both visible at night, though, in wintertime, I wear my reflective gear also.
The Audible Beacon contains audible alerts for everything a blind person would need to know about the light. Whether it is charged, if it is dying, when it is fully charged, when it is on and when it is off. It is brilliant, simple and a joy to use!!! I love that it beeps every five minutes, to allow you to know the light is still actively shining. It makes different sounds for different things. Once you learn what the sounds are, you know what is transpiring. Kombi does not seem to mind the light, or the cute little beeps close to his face.
If you are considering purchasing the Audible Beacon, go for it. You have nothing to lose, and it will help you and your dog be visible at night!!! While you are at it, consider purchasing two. That way, you both have one!!! Initially, I was frustrated I lost the cover for the first one. I’m generally not that careless with things. However, I’m grateful now, that we each have one for additional visibility!!!