The Wonk: Avalanche Transceiver Advisory
Below is an interesting advisory I received yesterday from Ortovox, makers of avalanche beacons and other snowsports gear. The basic gist is this: If you've got an avalanche beacon with a magnetic switch (and several models do, including the Barryvox's Pulse and Ortovox's S1), other devices with that have magnetic emissions—like cell phones, MP3 players, and walkie-talkies (even magnetic nametags)—can affect your beacon's functionality. That is, they can cause it to shut down or switch modes. Which, obviously, is a serious issue and one you should know about.
And while this isn't a recently discovered issue, the folks at Ortovox aren't the only people talking about it. The National Ski Patrol recently issued a warning that "certain Motorola radios can switch the PIEPS DSP to ’search’ when in transmit, and even turn it off." Read more about it on Steve Romeo's backcountry skiing blog. I agree with Steve on the take-away: Regardless of what kind of transceiver you have, read the owner's manual and be sure to observe its specific guidelines about magnetic interference. —Sam Moulton
ORTOVOX REINFORCES VALUE OF MECHANICAL
SWITCHES IN AVALANCHE TRANSCEIVERS
Advises Skiers/Riders to Keep Magnets Away From Magnetic Beacons
HOPKINTON, N.H. (Feb. 19, 2009) - In an industry statement issued today, ORTOVOX USA, the world's leading manufacturer of avalanche safety equipment, reinforced the advantages that mechanical switches have over magnet relays used in avalanche transceivers.
The statement comes as a result of the company's extensive testing of both magnetic and mechanically switched beacons conducted over the past 29 years. The study showed that even a common refrigerator magnet could trip beacons with magnetic switches. ORTOVOX produces a line of five transceivers that contain the safer mechanical relays.
“Under certain conditions, the magnetic emissions from common walkie-talkies have been shown to trip magnetic switches found in beacons made by other companies,” said Marcus Peterson, general manager. “This presents a serious safety issue. The effects of a nearby magnet can cause beacons to either shut down or switch over from 'transmit' to 'receive/search mode.'
"We recommend that consumers know what they're buying and if they choose a device with magnetic switches, make every effort to avoid placing them near a magnetic source such as a cell phone, MP3 players, walkie-talkies, key fobs, or even the magnetic closures or nametags on a ski parka,” Peterson said.
For more information on ORTOVOX beacons made 100 percent with mechanical switches, log onto www.ortovox.com.
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