Multiple Burials; Advanced Options - bca TRACKER2 Owner's Manual

Operating Instructions
Shoveling
Shoveling is difficult and consumes the majority of time during an
avalanche rescue. Do not take shoveling skills for granted. For best
results, start shoveling just downhill of the probe (Figure G). Make
your hole at least one "wingspan" wide. In burials deeper than one
meter, excavate downhill about 1.5 times the burial depth (this can be
determined by noting the depth marking on the probe).
Figure G
1.5 x
burial depth

Multiple Burials

Complex multiple burials are quite rare in recreational settings and
usually can be treated as a series of single burials. When more
than one transmitting victim is within the receive range of Tracker2,
|
the multiple burial light will illuminate and stay solid. (Note:
this light can occasionally illuminate irregularly in the presence of
electromagnetic noise or when detecting older analog transceivers.)
If the multiple burial light is illuminated and/or the Tracker2 displays
more than one distance and direction, then you probably have
several victims within your receive range. Stay in search (SE) mode,
and focus on the closest distance reading, attempting to engage that
signal in the center search light.
Once you are significantly closer to one signal than the other (in SE
mode), Tracker2 will "lock" onto that signal and mask out the others.
Once this signal is isolated, the Tracker will behave very similar to
how it does in a single beacon search. Once you have located the
first beacon, turn it off if you determine the conditions are safe. If you
have a clear signal, then begin the search here for the next victim.
If the multiple burial light is flashing consistently on and off, then there
are at least two victims in close proximity (within five meters of the
searcher). This may require a special technique.
12
Special techniques should be considered if there are several rescuers
available, the victims are in very close proximity, and their beacons
cannot be turned off. See page 16 for advanced search techniques.

Advanced Options

Auto-Revert System: if engaged by the user, the auto-revert feature
automatically returns the Tracker2 to transmit mode after five minutes
in search mode. At startup, the user can engage the Tracker's auto-
revert feature by pressing and holding the options/SP button
turning the beacon on. Continue to depress the SP button until the
display window shows "Ar." Once auto-revert is engaged, auto-revert
remains activated as long as the beacon is on.
If auto-revert is engaged, then after four minutes and 30 seconds
in search mode, an alarm will sound for 30 seconds and "Ar" will
flash repeatedly in the distance indicator. To remain in search
mode, briefly press the options/SP button or toggle the search tab
in and back out at any time during the 30-second alarm period. If
30 seconds elapse, "tr" will flash once and the Tracker will begin
transmitting. In auto-revert mode, as long as the search tab is pulled
out, the beeping will continue to alert the user that the beacon is
transmitting.
If auto-revert is not engaged, the Tracker will sound a short alarm
every ten minutes to remind the user that he or she is in search
mode. After 30 minutes in search, the beacon will beep every ten
minutes.
Mute Mode: To mute the sound, begin in transmit ("tr") mode, push
z
and hold the options/SP button
until "L0" is displayed, then release the options/SP button. To turn
}
the loudspeaker back on, simply push the search tab back into
transmit. The next time you return to search ("SE") mode, the sound
will be on. Mute mode will not deactivate the beeps emitted when the
beacon is about to begin transmitting a signal.
Special Mode: Special (SP) mode is an advanced feature designed
to assist expert searchers in specialized multiple burial situations.
These situations are typically only found in guided groups where
victims are in close proximity and one or more rescuers can start
shoveling while a professional guide resumes the transceiver search.
SP mode can provide that searcher with a distance and direction to
the next victim.
Special mode can only be entered while the user is in search mode.
To enter SP mode, press the options/SP button
instructions, see the next page.
Operating Instructions
z
while
, then pull the search tab on, wait
z
. For further
13