Crystal 12/18/12

Seems to be a lot of hub-bub on the interwebs about GoPros interfering with beacons in search mode when within 18-24" of the beacon giving odd readings like seen in this search. Might be worth checking out and could be worse with newer GoPros that have wireless transmissions.

I just checked my beacon (Tracker) and my helmet cam (Contour HD) and there doesn't appear to be any interference.
Can a signal bounce off trees? I really don't think all beacons in the area were turned to search.
I am really thinking of selling the Tracker and getting something else.

have you seen this? field test...although perhaps you could argue they are adding additional interference by filming...
vimeo.com/55318200

Seems to be a lot of hub-bub on the interwebs about GoPros interfering with beacons in search mode when within 18-24" of the beacon giving odd readings like seen in this search. Might be worth checking out and could be worse with newer GoPros that have wireless transmissions.

I really don't think all beacons in the area were turned to search.
I am really thinking of selling the Tracker and getting something else.

I believe you are correct on the other transceivers being on based on the numbers I could see on your Tracker. According to my manual for the same unit the distances are in meters not feet so the 8 value was saying something more than 25 ft away.

Before deciding to sell the unit maybe give it some practice in a beacon park (maybe even comparing it to other units at the same time). It took me awhile to learn to use it well and I know if I'd gotten one with more bells and whistles I'd be paralyzed by the complexity.

Thanks for posting the video, makes me really want to think about how to respond to those incidents calmly and productively.

Certainly the outcome all hope for and good work to those involved. The initial "panic" that will hit most people in their first burial/retrieval prevents quick effective action, I know this. But the video has such an educational value when you put yourself there and think through it. The comments about someone stepping up and calling action is right on. The more probes working in a systematic fashion, knowing what's checked, what isn't saves many precious moments. Getting the word out quickly to suppress " transmit" modes and allow a probe search first before shovels come a flyin. If a last sight approximation is made, trust gravity to make reasonable sense of the deposit area. Likely stop points might be worth reading and putting effort into. All came out good on this event and I'm sure the knowledge gained will be valuable. Damn fine of everyone to respond so quickly when things go sideways.

Amazing vid bro, thanks for sharing. Did any networks try and contact you about obtaining that footage?? My wife said she saw the gal that was buried on the Today this week.

I am a pro skier and have had many bros on the Patrol, so nothing but respect to them. Yet I will agree that the mainstream reports that I saw this week on TV did not give nearly enough credit, if any, to the group that performed the rescue. Why??? Is Boyne just worried about PR?? Was there a concious decision to do so???

Not to be overly melodramatic (redundant I know), but this is a PERFECT opportunity to educate the GP about avys and wearing safety gear. And while the stories have clearly identified the fact that she didn't have a beacon on, an emphasis on that would benefit all.

When I first got in to AT skiing in 1983, I of course immediately learned that a beacon was gear #1 to get, above everything else. Now the first thing you get is a big 'ol pair of skis that let ski stuff that you couldnt 20 years ago. So more people in the BC w/o gear.

The 2nd thing you learned was that practice makes perfect, so you trained with your beacon. Having so many false positives sends shivers up my spine. Story along those lines:

So I am packing up at Alpy yesterday in P4 about 12:30 PM (darn that work), and I see two bros come skiing by from the BC (E gate was open). As one approaches I hear the familiar sound of a beep from a beacon. I turn around and its one of the bros picking up my beacon. I say to him that I think his beacon is in receive, and he truns to me and says "yeah, I think I hit the button on the way down", to which my return comment is "that's a good way to end up dead". OUCH.

Second story:

On Thurs, was riding up C2 with a bro. Told him the story as I knew it then about the gal getting buried and the fact that I stopped wearing my beacon lift skiing for a few years but that last year a bro made me realize the shortsightedness of my ways. I had gotten complacent. I always wore my beacon in the 80s and 90s in bounds. Its back on. To which he reached in hic pack and turned on his beacon.

Finally, you educated yourself. Back in the 80s the US Dept of AG had a great avy handbook which I still have to this day. Certainly there are more definitions today then there were back then, but the truth is the truth, and will always remain the truth.

Man, I personally think that is an important opportunity that is going by to really wake people up about the dangers. Like I said, maybe I am too melodramatic about it, but after seeing the death this week, it just seems like dying in an avy that could have easily been prevented is so meaningless.

Being in the mountains has meaning. It's church to many of us. Let's honor that by helping everyone to stay safe.

Peace!!!

Being in the mountains has meaning. It's church to many of us. Let's honor that by helping everyone to stay safe.

Peace!!!

Amen to that Bro...Think I'll grab my gear now, go to church and hope the higher power sees kindly on us.