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We’ll
start and finish with
this: whatever
transceiver you get,
practice, practice and
practice some more.
There is nothing more
than the specter of
death to scramble the
brain. In a real life
search, chances are that
the person (or persons)
you are looking for is
someone you care very
much about, and this
will generate even more
stress.
The main features that
you will decide on are
whether to go with an
analog beacon or a
digital beacon. The
analog gives greater
range (approximately 80
meters) to pick up the
first available signal
and is a little slower
for the infrequent user.
A digital beacon will
only pick up the first
signal at half that
distance (approximately
40 meters) but is quite
a bit easier for those
less experienced to use
once a signal has been
picked up.
There are also
combination units that
use analog to pick up
the first signal and
switch over to digital
once they have closed
in. Each of the units
have their strengths,
which is what we are
going to try to help you
muddle through.
The analog beacon really
shines in a situation
where you may not have
seen where the person
originally started in
the slide. You may be
over a ridge, or in big
terrain where a victim
might travel a long way
before coming to rest.
Because the fine search
phase (after you have
picked up a signal) is
not as intuitive, it is
important to practice
the fine search with an
analog beacon as much as
possible. Depending on
whom you talk to, a
practiced person with an
analog beacon can be as
fast or almost as fast
in the fine search as a
person using a digital
beacon.
If you think the type of
terrain you’ll be in is
smaller scale and not
likely to run as far, or
if you want an easier
learning curve for the
fine search, then
consider a digital
beacon. Murphy’s law
dictates, however, that
whatever terrain you end
up in will be different
than you expected. At
any rate, many experts
feel that good
observation can reduce
the necessity of having
a large analog range on
a beacon.
Well, why not get the
best of both worlds and
get a combo
analog/digital beacon?
Indeed many do. But it
is not necessarily an
instant cure-all. You
will start with audio
prompts in the analog
phase of the search, and
then go to a combination
of audio and flashing
lights in the digital
phase. Sounds easy
enough now but under
pressure it can be
confusing. Not to say it
is a poor choice at all,
but if you think that
the beacon is going to
do all the work you will
be disappointed with the
results. So, again, you
must first ask yourself
what aspects you value
the most, let that
determine which style of
beacon you get, and then
get super familiar with
the way it works.
If you do not know what
you want, it probably
means you are a bit new
to this… we suggest
getting a simple digital
unit (like the BCA
Tracker) and use it a
ton. At the other end of
the spectrum, if you are
a guide and you use
beacons often, the
analog M2 from Ortovox
is worth a look. Or, if
you have special tastes,
some units are very
customizable such as the
Barryvox. Both the
Barryvox and the Tracker
have modes that jump
back to transmit from
receive after a period
of time. This makes
certain that if a
searcher is caught in a
secondary avalanche that
they are not stuck under
the snow in search mode.
For the uninitiated or
the under-practiced,
beacons in the search
group suddenly going to
transmit at random
intervals can be very
confusing. Ortovox deals
with this by having a
very easy switch to push
in if you see an
avalanche coming (and
that is a very big if).
In the end, all of these
beacons have saved many
lives- but only because
their operators took the
time to learn their use
and nuances. So, choose
according to your gut
and then practice,
practice and practice
some more! |
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