Avalanche
Transceivers FAQ Are
all transceivers compatible ?
Yes. All transceivers
made since 1992 work on 457MHz. Previously the USA and Canada were different but
now have standardized with Europe (Since 1992).
Can you use a digital transceiver with an analogue
one ?
Yes. ALL transceivers are compatible.
See difference between analogue and digital transceivers. What
is the difference between analogue and digital transceivers ?
The difference is in the way the transceiver interprets the signal it receives.
When YOU are buried it makes no difference which transceiver you have. All transceivers
transmit the same, at different rates but on the same frequency. Digital transceivers
process the signal they receive and tell the user in which direction to head,
analogue transceivers display the raw signal received and leave it up to the user
to decide which way to head. For most people the digital ones are much quicker
to use in search mode, but have a smaller range than analogue units.
Which one is best?
That depends on you. Transceivers require practice to be quick. If in all honesty
you will not practise, and will just wear it off piste each year then a simple
to use digital transceiver is definately best with the Tracker
DTS being the most straight forward to use and the best choice. If you will
do some practise and use some of the extra features on offer then the Pieps
DSP is a good choice. If you are short on money but have plenty of time then
you can get the pure analaogue Ortovox
F1 which has a good range but requires regular use to keep your searching
skill levels up and the long signal period causes the newer digital transceivers
more problems during the search. Please read our Transceiver
review for more information.
Is
there any point if only you have one?
YES. All
ski patrollers and many guides and instructors wear transceivers. If your party
is avalanched then the first action of the rescue team will be a transceiver sweep
of the area. So you will be the first to be rescued. The ideal is that someone
else in your party, who is not avalanched, will be able to start the rescue before
help arrives. Persuade a regular off piste buddy to get one aswell.
Are
there any alternatives to transceivers?
Not
really. Transceivers are the only 'active' system available and the only self
help method available but there are reflector systems 'Recco' which rely on a
rescuer armed with the machine to look for the reflector patches and the victims
reflectors not being obscured. Not available in all resorts. And not recommended
as your primary method of survival. We asked Recco to supply us any details of
actual saves, and they did not respond to us. So don't rely on those patches.
How long do the batteries last?
About 200 hours or 25 full skiing days. All the transceivers use either two AA
batteries (F1) or 3 AAA batteries (Tracker & DSP). All units have a battery
strength indicator. Battery strength affects the range of the transceiver so it
best to change the batteries before absolutely necessary. Which
Batteries should I use?
Ortovox recommend the use of high quality disposible
alkaline batteries.
They have this to say on the use of Lithium batteries
- 'We absolutely DO NOT recommend lithium batteries. Yes the life of them
is much longer, and they are much lighter, but unless you know exactly how much
power is left in them, they are potentially dangerous.When a lithium battery loses
power, it drops off very quickly. In receive mode, the beacon uses less power.
Switch to transmit, and you may find that although the beacon is working, there
is suddenly not enough power to continue transmitting. Alkaline batteries
fade more slowly, giving the user an indication of diminishing useability.'
You should also never use Rechargeable batteries in your transceiver.
Tests
by Lyon Equipment (Petzl UK) have also shown that branded Alkaline batteries outperform
non branded ones to such an extent that they are actually cheaper to use.
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