Is It Time For a New Beacon?

Radar78

Active VIP Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
479
Reaction score
1,009
Location
Dundurn, Sask. Canada
I have a BCA Tracker 2. Two questions. Is it time for me to upgrade? I know technology has obviously improved but has it improved so much that I should look into getting into something new? Also, I have a 12 year old daughter that may be making a trip out west with me in the next couple of years. At 70 lbs soaking wet, I don’t think she would be any help in an actual burial situation at this time. Obviously as she gets older and bigger that will change. But until then, her beacon would strictly be for her own retrieval. Would the Tracker 2 suffice for that?
 

Bnorth

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2010
Messages
10,511
Reaction score
19,964
Location
Salmon Arm
Newer units are a lot better than a tracker 2. That said I used to be pretty quick with a T2 when I was using it a lot. One thing that opened my eyes and got me to upgrade though was the range on the T2 compared to the newer units. The new ones are sending and receiving much farther out. Personally if I was taking my kid in Avy terrain I would have a pretty top notch unit on them.

How many times have you upgraded your truck, sled or sled gear since you upgraded your transceiver?
 

GreyGhost

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
347
Reaction score
417
Location
Swift Current
I agree with Bnorth. You can almost get alway with a four yearl old beacon but anything older I would question it. I forgot what brand it was but a guy we were riding with, his died about a day in. It can be a life saving thing so I always make sure my beacons are good along with my radio
 

RXN

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
6,604
Reaction score
33,444
Location
Gibbons, Alberta, Canada
Screenshot_20211121-102046_Facebook.jpg
 

Tchetek

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
Messages
2,680
Reaction score
6,698
Location
Alberta
I have a BCA Tracker 2. Two questions. Is it time for me to upgrade? I know technology has obviously improved but has it improved so much that I should look into getting into something new? Also, I have a 12 year old daughter that may be making a trip out west with me in the next couple of years. At 70 lbs soaking wet, I don’t think she would be any help in an actual burial situation at this time. Obviously as she gets older and bigger that will change. But until then, her beacon would strictly be for her own retrieval. Would the Tracker 2 suffice for that?
Depends on the terrain the 12 year old is pushing. If they are pretty mellow that beacon will be sufficient as you will likely be in mellow terrain. It’s also likely the same beacon you would get if you were renting one somewhere to take out a newbie. But doesn’t hurt to buy a new one and have an extra. We make the kids close their eyes and we toss a beacon as far and hard as we can, make it a race for prizes to find it. Parents can bet strips of beef jerky or colas for the adult entertainment too.

It’s all about practice. If they learn to use the tracker 2 then they will only get faster with the long range screen display stuff. Tracker 2 is also a good one to be whipping into the woods.
 

kingcat162

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
Messages
1,292
Reaction score
1,582
Location
Alberta
I ordered up the mammut barryvox S out of Europe for $488 Canadian and gambling on the brokerage and duty - cheapest I could find in Canada was $600 so as long as the duty isn't $122 I'm winning
 
  • Like
Reactions: RXN

norona

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
2,141
Reaction score
7,923
Location
North Vancouver
Website
www.noronalife.com
I ordered up the mammut barryvox S out of Europe for $488 Canadian and gambling on the brokerage and duty - cheapest I could find in Canada was $600 so as long as the duty isn't $122 I'm winning
The s is a great beacon, but it is more for professional guides who are using it every day and testing, the regular barryvox is all anyone else needs. Getting a beacon that can do tons of stuff can be confusing if you dont use it all the time, using does not mean turning it on, it means doing searches all the time like guides do before each group etc.
I would also switch out beacons after 4 seasons and after 2 they really should be sent back to manufacture to see they have not drifted of the signal. So there is a cost per year and anyone buying a used one should do this also otherwise you dont know if it has been dropped or not working to its potential.
 

kingcat162

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
Messages
1,292
Reaction score
1,582
Location
Alberta
The s is a great beacon, but it is more for professional guides who are using it every day and testing, the regular barryvox is all anyone else needs. Getting a beacon that can do tons of stuff can be confusing if you dont use it all the time, using does not mean turning it on, it means doing searches all the time like guides do before each group etc.
I would also switch out beacons after 4 seasons and after 2 they really should be sent back to manufacture to see they have not drifted of the signal. So there is a cost per year and anyone buying a used one should do this also otherwise you dont know if it has been dropped or not working to its potential.
It was a good price - I'll use my old one to test with and figure it out - wanted to try a different brand than bca - the "S" stands for simple - people that don't do their own mapping tuning r&d and inventing could figure it out I'm sure
 

deaner

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2008
Messages
3,201
Reaction score
11,055
Location
Creston, BC
I wonder how much they give for your old beacon? Which beacon should a guy upgrade to?

I've never thought about it but my tracker is probably close to 20 years old!
 

kingcat162

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
Messages
1,292
Reaction score
1,582
Location
Alberta
I wonder how much they give for your old beacon? Which beacon should a guy upgrade to?

I've never thought about it but my tracker is probably close to 20 years old!
You send in the old beacon and they send you a 30% off voucher on a new one
 
Top Bottom