Avalanche Beacons

We carry the newest avalanche beacons such as the Ortovox S1, Ortovox D3, and Backcounty Access Tracker DTS. Avalanche beacon is an essential part of avalanche safety equipment package that also includes avalanche probe and snow shovel. New avalanche beacon technology found in models such as the Ortovox S1 promise to revolutionize an avalanche rescue by improving speed, accuracy and ease-of-use. The Ortovox Patroller and BCA Tracker DTS are popular and time tested models among avalanche rescue professionals, backcountry skiers and snowmobiling enthusiasts.

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	Backcountry Access Tracker DTS avalanche beacon The easiest to use! BCA Tracker DTS revolutionized the avalanche transceiver/beacon market by introducing digital, dual antenna technology. Over the past decade, it has become the world’s best-selling transceiver because of it’s ease of use. » Buy / More Info	$294.95
	Ortovox S1 avalanche beacon Multiple burial scenario - no problem! Ortovox S1 avalanche beacon is the world's first sensor-controlled beacon. This revolutionary avalanche beacon scans for multiple victims and displays them simultaneously on its LCD display. It provides you with the positions and the distances to the buried victims. » Buy / More Info	$579.95
	Ortovox D3 avalanche beacon The Ortovox D3 is the newest offering for the 2007 season. The D3 is a fully digital, triple antenna avalanche beacon, with a multiple burial indicator. It has a search range of up to 70 meters and is especially easy to use. The D3 is the perfect avalanche beacon for any beginner caught in an avalanche rescue situation. » Buy / More Info	$299.95
	Ortovox Patroller avalanche beacon Ortovox Patroller is a very easy to use avalanche beacon with a range of up to 70m. It is a triple antenna beacon featuring a microprocessor that converts analog signals to provide a distance reading and directional arrows to help locate the avalanche victim faster. » Buy / More Info	$299.95
	Ortovox M2 avalanche beacon Professional rescue teams and mountain guides put their trust in the Ortovox M2. Like all Ortovox beacons its body belt system will never let you wear it, without it being switched on. This product is arguably the best beacon on the market today. » Buy / More Info	$299.95
	Ortovox F1 avalanche beacon The Ortovox F1 Focus is the most widely sold avalanche beacon / avalanche transceiver worldwide. This analog beacon is a long-standing favourite with professionals because of its reliability, ease of use and visual indicator that helps aid in a speedy avalanche rescue. » Buy / More Info	$279.95
	ARVA Ortovox D3 - French translation Une nouveauté pour la saison 2006-07, l’Ortovox D3 est un appareil de recherche de victimes en avalanche (ARVA) entièrement numérique à trois antennes, doté d’un indicateur multi-victimes. Avec une portée jusqu’à 70 mètres et facile à utiliser, le D3 est le parfait ARVA pour le débutant. » Buy / More Info	$299.95
	Backcountry Access Tracker 2 avalanche beacon A top of the line beacon - BCA Tracker 2 is the company's newest addition to avalanche beacons market. It retains the easy to use ability of the older Tracker DTS but it's faster and displays the search progress in real-time. » Buy / More Info	$359.95

Selecting the right avalanche beacon / transceiver:

Selecting the right beacon for you can be a daunting task because there is a large range of avalanche beacons and several different operating technologies. An avalanche beacon is the most important piece of life saving equipment in an avalanche rescue scenario. It is essential to understand the workings and principals behind avalanche beacon technology before you can choose the right one for you.

Operating Frequency:

It is essential to consider a beacons operating frequency before making a new or used beacon purchase. All new avalanche beacons transmit and search at an operating frequency of 457khz. This is an international standard that is followed in every country of the world. Please note that some older beacons will not be compatible with any new models, read more about this issue: Avalanche beacons - frequency drift.

Analog, digital and dual beacons / transceivers:

Avalanche beacons are separated into 2 general categories: analog and digital.

Analog avalanche beacons use a single antenna to receive the signal. A purely analog beacon operates by way of an audible sound that is often referred to as a "beep" or "sonar" sound. As you move closer to the victim the signal strength increases and the "beep" gets louder. Analog transceivers can use digital processing to provide distance and alignment information to the searcher. This information is usually relayed by way of a visual indicator on the top of the beacon made out of LED lights. The Orotovox M2 is arguably the best analog beacon on the market today.

Digital avalanche beacons use a dual or triple antenna system to receive a signal. A microprocessor sorts out the information from the antenna to provide distance and directional information to the searcher. Digital beacons usually combine a sonar sound and a directional visual display.

Some beacons are known as dual analog/digital beacons. These beacons utilize the long range of the analog signal for the initial search and then switch over to a digital signal for the final close range part of the search. The Ortovox X1 is an example of a dual analog/digital beacon.

Our testing and experience show that digital beacons are more user friendly and intuitive to use, especially for beginners and novices. We found that people with little or no training were able to use the Ortovox D3 digital beacon to perform a fast and accurate search. This being said there are advantages to analog avalanche beacons. Many professionals rely on the Ortovox M2 transceiver. The sonar "beeping" sound of the analog beacon is real time and the battery life lasts significantly longer.