Modern avalanche safety technology makes a difference. Is it time to replace your old transceiver (AKA beacon)?
Modern
avalanche transceivers are incredibly advanced compared to older models, with increased accuracy, reliability and additional advanced features to help you find buried skiers or riders effectively. This new technology could mean the difference between life and death in the backcountry. Backcountry Magazine published an article titled "
Mountain Skills: Why You Should Upgrade Your Avalanche Transceiver" by Joe Vallone and David Dellamora, which highlights the ways that modern transceiver technology —specifically three-antenna transceivers— is notably superior to older models.
According to the article, modern 3-antenna transceivers are superior to previous models in various ways:
- Frequency Drift – a common phenomenon wherein transceivers, over their lifetimes, gradually stray from their 457kHz frequency and may not be recognized by digital transceivers operating on the actual 457kHz frequency.
- Antennae can and do break, which may compromise signal strength and directional arrows.
- By creating a three-dimensional layout, three-antenna transceivers no longer succumb to unexpected “spikes” while pinpointing. They are therefore more accurate with deep burials.
- Advanced features such as marking, flagging or signal suppression may simplify the search process for practiced users in the unlikely event of a multiple burial scenario. It should be noted that these advanced features can and do fail in rare scenarios due to signal overlap, and alternative techniques such as micro search strips need to be learned.
- Now that every avalanche transceiver manufacturer in the world offers a three-antenna transceiver, even dual-antenna transceivers are becoming obsolete.
- While not yet an industry standard, as both guides and educators, when clients arrive with single-antenna analog transceivers, we issue three-antenna transceivers while they are under our professional care.
(Vallone, Dellamora Backcountrymagazine.com)
While your old transceiver may seem to work fine and you may be comfortable operating it, the technological advancements of modern three-antenna devices represent a new era of backcountry safety. You can continue to ski on your favorite pair of skis, even though ski technology has advanced to include tip rocker, fatter waists, and tapered tips, or wear your trusted Gore-Tex shell, though outerwear technology and style has changed; yet these and most other advances in ski equipment over the last few years don't correlate to a safer skiing experience. If there is a single piece of gear that should be kept up-to-date, regardless of cost, it is your transceiver. As Vallone and Dellamora state simply: "When one of your partners is buried, would you be willing to spend a few hundred dollars to excavate them in a timely manner?" (
backcountrymagazine.com).
Many of you who are reading this have probably already determined whether your transceiver is outdated by this point. If you've had your transceiver for a number of years, you likely already know that newer, better technology is available, and may have considered upgrading, weren't convinced yet. To determine whether its time for a new transceiver, consider the following questions. If you answer "yes" to any of these, you should invest in a new, three-antenna transceiver in order to keep yourself and your friends as safe as possible in the backcountry:
- Has the manufacturer’s warranty expired?
- Does your transceiver have fewer than three antennae?
- Does the manufacturer offer a more recent or updated model?
- Does your employer provide your outdated transceiver?
- Was your transceiver purchased used on the Internet because it was the cheapest one you could find?
- Is your transceiver more than 10 years old? (Professionals who use their transceivers heavily might want to consider an upgrade more frequently.)
(Vallone, Dellamora Backcountrymagazine.com)
If you have decided that you need to replace your old transceiver or you are just starting to venture into the backcountry and need the proper equipment, make sure that you opt for a modern beacon with three-antennas. Consider some of the transceivers that we carry from
Pieps,
Ortovox, and
Mammut, all of which have three antennas and a variety of modern functions for simple, efficient operation. Upgrading to a modern transceiver with the most advanced technology available may just save your life or the life of one of your friends.
Check out all of our transceivers here and stay safe while enjoying the mountains!
*** It is important to note that, while having the most advanced transceiver technology and proper avalanche safety gear is crucial for backcountry skiing and riding, proper education is paramount. Sign up for a level 1 avalanche course with the American Avalanche Institute (AAI) or the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) to learn decision making, rescue skills, backcountry etiquette and how to properly use your transceiver and probe. ***
Read the original Backcountry Magazine article and other informative articles at
backcountrymagazine.com
*** It is important to note that, while having the most advanced transceiver technology and proper avalanche safety gear is crucial for backcountry skiing and riding, proper education is paramount. Sign up for a level 1 avalanche course with the American Avalanche Institute (AAI) or the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) to learn decision making, rescue skills, backcountry etiquette and how to properly use your transceiver and probe. ***
Read the original Backcountry Magazine article and other informative articles at backcountrymagazine.com