FITRE SnowBip RT3 User Manual

ARVA 457 kHz ARVA 457 kHz
ELECTRONIC AVALANCHE BEACON ELECTRONIC AVALANCHE BEACON
POWER SUPPLY
Insert 2 batteries 1.5 V in the back compartment of the
SnowBip RT3, by respecting the marked polarities. Then
close with care the battery door, by tightening the closing
knob. Use only alkaline batteries of primary brand
(Duracell or similar), "AA" (LR6) size (14 mm diameter, 50
mm length).
SWITCH ON - SELF TEST - SEND MODE
Switch-on the SnowBip RT3 to the
anti-clockwise and thoroughly the knob placed on the back
of the unit. A self-test cycle starts automatically, during
which you can read on the display, by
charging state of the batteries expressed in
With new batteries, the reading can change from 95 to
99%. At the end of the self-test cycle, with successful
result, the " Ok " message appears followed by a short
acoustic signal. Then the beacon sets automatically into
the SEND MODE , which is confirmed by a flashing led and
by a "bip-bip" pacifier tone, repeated every 10 minutes
(exclusive feature of the SnowBip RT3). When, at the self-
test cycle, the charging state of the batteries is detected
lower than 10% (down to 6%), then a repeated display
flashing of the battery icon and the "
message recommend to the user of changing the batteries
as soon as possible . If the user should not do that, he
would then risk of reaching a threshold (5%), under which
the energy reserve required by official standards for
considering the battery check as positive (at least 20 hours
on SEND MODE plus 1 hour on SEARCH MODE), would
no more be guaranteed. The failure of the battery check is
shown on the display through the flashing of the value "
and of the message " no
course the beacon's working would be however allowed,
until the residual stored energy could make it possible).
If, by chance, the self-test cycle should detect a beacon's
damage (e.g. the break of an antenna) then the flashing
message " " (Error), followed by " Er
user not to trust anymore on his own beacon. The beacon
working would be nevertheless enabled (even if with the
weakening due to the kind of damage) in case this event
should occur just during a tour, but back to home the user
shall have to consider it as no more working and he shall
avoid to use it again on a tour before having it repaired.
Note: the self-test cycle, even carefully made, cannot however be
considered as exhaustive; the user is therefore invited to return
the beacon to factory, in case he should find out some anomalies,
even if the self-test should end with the message "
USER MANUAL
USER MANUAL
ON position, by rotating
few seconds, the
% (per-cent).
Cb " (Change battery)
", together with the battery icon (of
no ", would warn the
Ok
".
FROM SEND MODE TO SEARCH MODE
For switching the SnowBip RT3 into the
please press shortly and consecutively
key. The SnowBip RT3 gives out a short acoustic signal,
then it displays again the charging state of the batteries
(as %) and finally it sets on listening eventual radio-
signals, at its maximum sensitivity, corresponding to
volume step . 9
Note: the sensitivity of volume step is very high and it has the purpose
of detecting radio-signals at a great distance from the transmitting
beacon; such a high sensitivity must be however used just on
open field, and not inside or around of buildings, which are always
seat of polluting and unbearable radio noise, which would wrongly
affect the displayed readings on the unit.
VOLUME STEPS IN SEARCH MODE (1 TO 9)
The SnowBip RT3 has as many as 9 standard sensitivity
steps (represented by the figure of the volume,
which appears on the display), each step corresponding to
a different distance range from the transmitting beacon.
At its switching into the
automatically at volume (max. sensitivity), step that then
decreases automatically, step by step, together with the
progressive increasing level of the received radio-signals,
according to the progressive approaching to the
transmitting beacon. Inside each one of the volume steps,
the intensity of the acoustic "bips" generated by the
SnowBip RT3 increases following the approaching to the
transmitting beacon. Once the highest acoustic intensity
has been reached ("saturation" value, beyond which the
intensity cannot rise any more), the automatic reduction of
one volume step springs up, together with a sharp intensity
0% "
drop of the acoustic signal (and of the circular bargraph,
which is visually reproducing the intensity value), to allow
the detection of new increases of the acoustic signal, as a
consequence of further approachings.
PRIMARY SEARCH PHASE
You must detect the first, even weak, acoustic signals. In the
lack of useful signals, the SnowBip RT3 sets its sensitivity
volume automatically
detections easier, move slowly your beacon from the left to
the right and from up to down. If there are more rescue
people, all equipped with their SnowBip RT3, then draw up
them fan-wise, spaced out up to 40 m each other, distance
to be halved for the rescuers at the avalanche borders. In
this phase using the supplied earphone can be useful.
SNOWBIP RT3 SNOWBIP RT3
ANALOG+DIGITAL 2-ANTENNA AVALANCHE BEACON ANALOG+DIGITAL 2-ANTENNA AVALANCHE BEACON
CODE 7431300
SEARCH
3 times
9
SEARCH mode, the beacon sets
9
on the step . In order to make the first 9
mode,
the MODE
1 to , 9
1