Avalanche beacons range from relatively simple, streamlined options to more feature-laden products designed to assist experienced riders and professional guides. While there are pros and cons to each, the most important thing is to practice and become familiar with whatever beacon you choose. Advanced features often look great on paper, but if they're confusing and difficult to use in a time sensitive situation, they can easily do more harm than good. The best beacon is the one that you can use efficiently in a high stress situation because you’re thoroughly familiar with its operation and quirks.
Although analog avalanche beacons were once common, they have been replaced by digital versions which are less finicky and simpler to use. Digital beacons use multiple antennas and microprocessors to send and receive radio signals. When turned on, an avalanche beacon will transmit a steady signal that can be picked up by other beacons. When switched to "search mode", it will receive signals sent out by other beacons, and translate the transmitted data into both an audible signal and a visual display. Digital transceivers normally indicate both direction and distance to the victim, and adapt very quickly to changing signals.
In a word, yes. While older beacons commonly had only one antenna to emit the radio signal, the vast majority of beacons sold today now use a three-antenna design. Generally speaking, the more antennas a beacon has, the more accurately and efficiently that beacon will be pinpointed by another, regardless of how either beacon is oriented in space. While you may encounter older models with only two antennas, the three antenna design is known to give more accurate readings and be less prone to error. It is these that you should aim for.
Wear your beacon under at least one layer of clothing, so it is not pulled off your body in the event of a slide. Most beacons come with a harness system that allows you to wear the beacon underneath your jacket and over base layers. Some people prefer to place their beacon in a secure pocket in their pants or jacket. If you choose to do this, make sure it is pocket designed for this purpose, with something to clip the beacon to. With or without a harness, the beacon’s controls are normally placed facing your body and in a place that’s convenient to reach if you need to pull it out and perform a search.
How do I get to know the features on my avalanche beacon?
Practice, practice, and practice! Nothing prepares you for an emergency beacon search like regular practice with your partners in a realistic setting. Many ski areas in avalanche country maintain “beacon basins” or practice areas during the winter that offer user-activated search scenarios at different skill levels. If a practice area isn’t available, take turns with your partners burying a pack with a live beacon in it, and then time yourselves searching, locating, and retrieving it. These skills require plenty of practice so that they become second nature when the time comes to use them.
We recommend that backcountry travelers take an AIARE Level One class or equivalent and practice the skills they learn there regularly with their partners. Here are some great resources for avalanche safety education:
— American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education
— American Avalanche Association
— Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center
— Avalanche Canada
You should carry an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe when travelling in avalanche terrain and know how to use them. Backcountry travel requires an acceptance of the risks involved (avalanches are not the only danger) and implies a willingness to take responsibility for educating oneself about these dangers and ways to mitigate them.
A note on RECCO® reflectors: RECCO® reflectors are small electronic chips that can be built into jackets, pants, boots and other pieces of personal gear. The RECCO® system works by bouncing back a radar signal to the searcher and is not related to the 457 kHz beacon frequency. A search and rescue party with a corresponding RECCO® detector unit can locate a buried victim wearing a reflector in either a ground or air search. RECCO® reflectors are strictly passive devices and do not allow the wearer to conduct a search for a buried victim. They are not a substitute for avalanche beacons for backcountry travelers.
A note on "W" Link: Some models of Mammut and Arva transceivers use a separate frequency called "W" Link to transmit data other than victim location.
A note on Pieps TX600: Pieps offers a small transmitter for dogs or gear that transmits 1kHz below the standard operating frequency (456 kHz, rather than 457 kHz) and can be detected by specific Pieps models.
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