CAC Says Transceiver Apps Not Reliable
Friday, October 25, 2013 @ 3:45 AM
Prince George, B.C.- Although there has yet to be snowfall at the Prince George elevation, the Canadian Avalanche Centre is issuing an advisory about three Smart phone apps that people may think are suitable “avalanche rescue sytems” but the CAC says there are several issues with the technology.
According to the CAC the main issues are compatibility and frequency range.
Avalanche transceivers, used by backcountry users to find buried companions in case of an avalanche, conform to an international standard of 457 kHz. It means that no matter the brand, all transceivers can be used to search and find other transceivers.
“Not only are these new apps incapable of connecting with other avalanche transceivers, they are also incompatible between themselves, so one type of app can’t find another,” explains CAC Executive Director Gilles Valade.
The 457kHz standard is used because it transmits well through dense snow, is not deflected by objects such as trees and rocks, and is accurate.
The CAC says none of the apps they examined came close to that capability “WiFi and Bluetooth signals are significantly weakened when passing through snow, and easily deflected by the solid objects we expect to see in avalanche debris” says Valade. He says the accuracy of a GPS signal is not precise enough to find an avalanche victim.
The three apps examined are:
- iSis Intelligent (Mountain) Rescue System http://www.isis-application.com/en/
- Snøg Avalanche Buddy: http://www.avalanchebuddy.com/
- SnoWhere: http://charcoalfrost.com/
Valade says there are other issues to consider as well, such as battery life, robustness, reliability and interference.
Comments
god help us when people start bringing apps into the backcountry instead of avalanche beacons. ‘hmm, well on one hand, i could use a tried and tested piece of equipment that’s been used for years and proven to work, or I could spend 99 cents and buy an app and put it next to angry birds’. the sad thing is, people will look at the .99 cent (or so) cost for an app vs. the 200-400 dollar cost for a good beacon and economics will win out.
mikmak nailed it. You show up to the mountains with an app you can stay at the truck.
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