speed to search

Frequency - The Snowboarder's Journal
February 2005

Backcountry Access Tracker DTS ($299)

Slides are part of the backcountry and no rider worth their setback stance should head out without a beacon. But until 1996, when the digitally based Tracker DTS improved on analog technology, developing search competency was a tedious process that required years of disciplined grid-search practice. John Hereford's new dual-antenna design solved the problem by speeding search times for recreational users and pointing directly to the burial with a distance-and-direction display. This made the frantic search process more intuitive for the average rider, leading to a noticeable increase in the number of successful recoveries.

Since its genesis, the Tracker has been refined to better deal with multiple burials, reprogrammed to stay focused in search mode and outfitted with easy-to-operate harnessing. At first resistant to change, every major European manufacturer has now launched a transceiver that relies on some derivative of digital technology. Analog-only beepers, although still functional and fully compatible, are being eased toward retirement by owners who seek to speed the search. This categorical renaissance has generated a slew of new and varied options, but the Tracker is still chosen by three of every four North American buyers.

-Dan Kostrzewski