Introduction
Avalanche transceivers are held close to the body. They constantly emit a radio signal picked up by other transceivers in the area.
Mates with transceivers can switch them to “search” mode to locate a buried person’s signal and with a probe assist them pinpoint exactly where to dig.
All transceivers function on the same international standard of 457 kHz, so you don’t need to get the same brand or model as others in your group. Keep this in mind while choosing the best avalanche beacons in USA.
You also don’t need to pay a premium price unless you want a unit with more developed features.
An avalanche transceiver is not similar to a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). A PLB can only be used to send an SOS signal to search and rescue teams; those teams are likely to be too far away to assist you in a successful avalanche rescue. Many avalanche experts like the term “transceiver” to “beacon” so as not to confuse the two.
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Tips for choosing the right avalanche beacons for you
Number of antennas
Most transceivers today have a three-antenna design that allows searchers to more efficiently identify the location of the victim, regardless of the orientation of the buried person’s transceiver. It is a must-have feature in the best avalanche beacons in USA.
Display screen
A display expresses the direction and distance of a buried victim. User interfaces differ by brand and model, but most are intuitive.
Range
Take stated range distances to be a best-case scenario. A larger range may let you pick up a signal from a farther distance. In reality, the range is often shorter because the orientation of a sending unit to a searching unit is rarely superior. The search technique calls for searching in 20-meter swaths, so you require that as a minimum.
Multiple burials
Valuable in a slide that has many victims. This feature allows you to flag the location of each buried person so you can move on to search for other party members. Then you can go around and do a fine search, victim by victim.
Audio signal
Most models of best avalanche beacons in USA also eject an audible tone that helps searchers know when they get closer to a victim.
Auto revert to send
This function automatically swaps a transceiver to send mode if it’s accidentally left in search mode and has been inactive for a specified time. The work of this feature varies between models, and different situations make it more or less useful.
Backup transmitter
It is not an avalanche transceiver because it has no search function. Its purpose is to transfer if a subsequent avalanche separates you from your regular transceiver while you are looking for someone else who is buried.
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Advantages of using avalanche beacons
Auto revert-to-transmit
The best avalanche beacons in USA now possess auto-revert functionality. It is a safety measure in the possibility of a secondary avalanche. If one of your ski partners is buried in a slide, while you’re searching, another avalanche rips down from above and buries you under it.
Now you’re trapped under snow, and your beacon isn’t transmitting a signal. With the auto-revert feature, your beacon just switches back to send mode after a specific number of minutes of inactivity, avoiding a scenario in which searchers are buried and cannot be located.
Auto-revert functionality varies considerably among beacon models and could very well be a deciding factor in which model you pick.
Some are just time-based, meaning they revert to send mode after a few minutes. Others have a motion sensor that notices your movement: if you’re not moving, they’ll change back to sending after a short period.
Multiple Burials and Signal Suppression
Most contemporary avalanche beacons have a multiple-burial indicator. It means that the beacon can witness more than one transmitting signal and will show this on the display screen. Some models of the best avalanche beacons in USA even indicate if the burials are nearby with parentheses.
This feature is not essential, but it is certainly nice to have, particularly for those who regularly adventure with larger groups.
In addition to a multiple-burial indicator, another valuable tool to have is signal suppression, also referred to as “flagging” or “marking.” In the case of multiple burials and multiple searchers, the searchers can function together to locate one victim and then split resources while continuing the search for a second victim.
Once the first victim is located, the searcher will mark their transmitting beacon and continue to examine for the next-closest signal. Avalanche beacon models can change quite a bit in how this function works: some of the higher-end options will display a list of all signals, and the user can select which signal to follow. In contrast, other models can only suppress one signal for a minute.
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Frequently asked questions on avalanche beacons
1. What does an avalanche beacon do?
2. How long do avalanche beacons last?
3. Are all avalanche beacons compatible?
4. When should an avalanche beacon battery be replaced?
5. When should you replace your beacon?
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Conclusion
Buying a beacon is a significant first step toward realizing your backcountry goals, but it’s only one of many crucial factors.
In addition to the equipment you bring, the best avalanche beacons in USA include learning about the intricacies of snowpack and snow conditions, being able to evaluate and safely navigate avalanche-prone terrain, and identifying and mitigating human factors.
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