check your beacons please

[skidooboy]

my wife posted this on the ladies ride site, i thought i would post it here as well as sw. i actually asked her to do this because i was curious if we could help each other or other people in case of an avalanche even though we "think" our beacons work perfectly.


With all the avy's going on lately my husband and I decided to do a quick check on our beacons. We have no plans to ride in the mountains anytime soon, actually we are putting stuff away for the season cause we are done in Michigan.

We have DTS trackers, approximately 5 years old.

Mine works fine, transmits and receives. My husbands transmits but will not receive, so if I was buried he could not search for me. When he goes into search mode it just shows 55.

Not sure when it stopped working, hubby has not used his since xmas so not a real big deal except, I am really glad we checked them. I did not verify that mine worked on the ladies ride with all of you. Something I will do on every ride from now on!

Keep yourselves safe out there!!! Please check your beacon

ski

 

[fatguy1]

My wifes beacon worked at the begining of the day last friday, however when she turned it on Saturday it wouldn't power up. (yes I changed the batteries.)

I think it's also good to add that GPS unit's WILL screw up a beacon. Know how your gear works, know if your beacon switches back to transmit after 10 min. in search mode.

 

[modsledr]

This is a good reminder to do a beacon check before EVERY ride.

A beacon that malfunctions = NO BEACON.

Thanks for the post!!

 

[cpatts2000]

My wifes beacon worked at the begining of the day last friday, however when she turned it on Saturday it wouldn't power up. (yes I changed the batteries.)

I think it's also good to add that GPS unit's WILL screw up a beacon. Know how your gear works, know if your beacon switches back to transmit after 10 min. in search mode.

How do gps units screw up a beacon, I have never heard this? very interested

 

[Pastor]

Checked mine the other day and it was sending but not receiving, they replaced it for free.

 

[skidooboy]

pastor, what brand was yours, whom did you contact? this was one of my questions i wanted to ask the group as well. i figured i cant be the only one with a non functioning beacon. thanks for the help, hopefully this thread stays active and helps others.

i really couldnt imagine not being able to help in a rescue situation. ski

 

[Pastor]

Ortovox M1

I contacted OrtovoxUSA they were great.

It took about a week.

They have a five year garrantee and I purchased mine in 2007. I had to send the receit because mine was manufactured in 2004.

I just went to the store were I purchased it and they had record of my purchase and reprinted me a receit.

 

[fatguy1]

How do gps units screw up a beacon, I have never heard this? very interested

I didn't believe it was true until it was proven to me while taking an Avalanche course. When my GPS was in my front LHS pocket of my jacket and I was holding my beacon in my left hand (which was closer to the pocket where my GPS was) it would give a faint signal that would make one little light would appear on my SOS beacon. (however no beep) When I held it in my right hand it was far enough away that it would not mess with my beacon.

The danger here is that one would get this "weak/false" signal and then think, I got a signal but I'm a long ways away and then you run like _ell to get a stronger signal only to still have one little light appear.

I now try to keep the GPS on the sled as much as possible.

 

[newmy1]

They like cell phone or a running sled can interfere with a beacon. Turn everyhting off when you need to search with a beacon.

How do gps units screw up a beacon, I have never heard this? very interested

 

[skidooboy]

ours are the bca tracker dts models. they were bought the spring of 2006 from a vendor here on snowest. i cannot remember for the life of me who that was. nor do i have a paid reciept. i have sinced switched banks and cc companies so i cant look back at past invoices or statement for the vendors info.

i am within the 5 year warrantee timeline but, i am not sure who to contact. the warrantee info in the manual (i still have both the manual and the original box they came in), says to contact the retailer. if anyone has had issues with the tracker and has info on how to get this one fixed or replaced i would be very very greatful. ski

 

[fatguy1]

ours are the bca tracker dts models. they were bought the spring of 2006 from a vendor here on snowest. i cannot remember for the life of me who that was. nor do i have a paid reciept. i have sinced switched banks and cc companies so i cant look back at past invoices or statement for the vendors info.

i am within the 5 year warrantee timeline but, i am not sure who to contact. the warrantee info in the manual (i still have both the manual and the original box they came in), says to contact the retailer. if anyone has had issues with the tracker and has info on how to get this one fixed or replaced i would be very very greatful. ski

If you have a BCA Tracker send it to:

2820 Wilderness Place Unit H
Boulder, CO
80301

ATTENTION Klye

I just talked to him on friday, He said if the unit has the maroon holding case it is obsolete and will need to be updated, however the ones made in the last five or so years are still current.

Hope this helps the tracker end users.

 

[SnowBigDeal]

ours are the bca tracker dts models. they were bought the spring of 2006 from a vendor here on snowest. i cannot remember for the life of me who that was. nor do i have a paid reciept. i have sinced switched banks and cc companies so i cant look back at past invoices or statement for the vendors info.

i am within the 5 year warrantee timeline but, i am not sure who to contact. the warrantee info in the manual (i still have both the manual and the original box they came in), says to contact the retailer. if anyone has had issues with the tracker and has info on how to get this one fixed or replaced i would be very very greatful. ski

PM'd ya

 

[skidooboy]

fatguy1, do you have their phone number?

sbd, thank you for looking into this. great customer service. ski

 

[snowmanx]

How do gps units screw up a beacon, I have never heard this? very interested

Same this on my SOS beacon, was transmitting, but when switched to recieve, didn't work. Nothing physically wrong with it.

Good post

 

[sp_20022006]

Good post..

Did this check with my buddy before my last ride.

 

[sleddin pete]

I've got 2 BCA Trackers and check to make sure I'm both transmitting and receiving before every ride.

I also keep some spare batteries in my gear bag in case I or one of my friends left one of them on since the last ride.

 

[fatguy1]

fatguy1, do you have their phone number?

sbd, thank you for looking into this. great customer service. ski

The Number I called is 303-417-1345.

 

[snobunny21]

great thread, I will have to check all of ours tomorrow before the boys go out riding

 

[skidooboy]

did a final test before sending mine in. i had put lithium batteries in to make them last longer. BIG MISTAKE! i switched out my newer lithiums, for new alkalines and the beacon works perfect, sending and recieving now.

i emailed kyle at bca, and he indeed confirmed the lithiums create some sort of issue with the recieving antenna. he said only to install alkalines. and if the unit has another issue to contact them.

anything that uses radio frequencies "could" effect the use of the beacons. gps, frs/gmrs radios, ipods, ect... now add make sure to use the proper battery to the list of things that "could" effect the use of the beacons.

hope this helps others in more way than one, i know i learned something today. ski