REASONS TO BUY
Intuitive to use
Very fast processor
Excels at fine search
Comfortable to wear in a zippered pocket
REASONS TO AVOID
Takes more practice for proficiency at multiple burials
Signal suppression clears after 60 seconds
Backcountry Access Tracker4 Review
One of the fastest, most intuitive, and easiest to use beacons on the market
For speedy searching, it's hard to beat the proven processor included in the BCA Tracker4.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
RELATED: Best Avalanche Beacon
Our Verdict
The Backcountry Access Tracker4 is the latest in BCA's popular line of avalanche transceivers, offering several small upgrades over the previous models. This solid all-around beacon works well for a wide range of abilities, consistently producing some of the absolute fastest overall search times for one or two buried victims. Its simple display, intuitive design, and lighting-fast processor help rescuers – particularly newer or less practiced users – execute their search under stress. But for seasoned or aspiring professionals, it takes more practice to nail more complex rescues with three to four buried targets due to the lack of some key features. See how the Tracker 4 stacks up against the competition in our avalanche beacons review.
Editor's Note: After the voluntary recall issued by BCA, we re-purchased and retested the Tracker4 to guarantee that the model we reviewed below is fully functional. This review was updated on May 13, 2024.
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| Price | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | Check Price at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $294.78 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $322.46 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers |
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| Bottom Line | BCA honors the 'simplicity is speed' mantra, including only the most sought-after features in this fast and intuitive beacon | An easy-to-follow display and just the right amount of features make this the perfect option for most backcountry users | Great for both novice or advanced backcountry skiers, this beacon offers top-level capabilities for the most common rescue scenarios | An intuitive model that manages to pack in a host of user-friendly features, whose price point will appeal to a wide range of backcountry skiers | With an easy to use interface and a very fast processor, this an ideal option for intro-level backcountry skiers and riders |
| Rating Categories | Backcountry Access... | Black Diamond Recon X | Mammut Barryvox | Arva Neo BT Pro | Backcountry Access... |
| Speed (30%) | |||||
| Interface (25%) | |||||
| Accuracy (20%) | |||||
| Multiple Burials (15%) | |||||
| Range (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Backcountry Access... | Black Diamond Recon X | Mammut Barryvox | Arva Neo BT Pro | Backcountry Access... |
| Manufacturer's Stated Max Range | 55 m | 60 m | 70 m | 90 m | 55 m |
| Measured Range | 42 m | 40 m | 55 m | 62 m | 42 m |
| Flagging Feature | No (Signal Suppression) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (Signal Suppression) |
| Digital or Analog Modes | Digital | Digital | Digital | Both | Digital |
| Stated Battery Life (in "Send") | 250 hours | 400 hours | 300 hours | Alkaline: 350 hours Lithium: 450 hours |
250 hours |
| Number of Antennae | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Measured Weight | 215 g | 217 g | 210 g | 214 g | 165 g |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Backcountry Access Tracker4 is an intuitive, ultra-quick avalanche transceiver. In extensive side-by-side testing in the hands of both novices and pros, this beacon consistently produced some of the fastest search times for finding one or two burials. The Tracker4 sports one of the fastest processors on the market, which helps its user stay on the flux line. It was also among the most precise during the fine search phase, the search phase where many users struggle and where we find the most significant differences in accuracy between models.
Performance Comparison
For professionals and novices alike, the Tracker4 is intuitive to use and quick to complete a fine search.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
Speed
The beacons in the BCA Tracker family are some of the fastest on the market, and the Tracker4 is no exception. In our testing, it consistently provided some of the fastest rescue times thanks to its lightning-fast processing speed and instant-read feedback – rather than a delayed reading, the numbers adjust as you move so that you can make quick adjustments on the fly.
Simplicity is speed is the design philosophy behind BCA's Tracker series. Sure, some more advanced beacons in our lineup have more features. But the more straightforward Tracker4 still has the main features most users want, while consistently providing the fastest rescue times for one- to two-person burials. We'll leave it up to you to decide which is more important.
The instant-feedback display makes it easy to follow the numbers in a fine search. And you know what they say: slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
Interface
The Tracker4 is straightforward to use, and even among entirely novice users, it doesn't take very long to figure out. This beacon can be used right out of the box with little to no setup. Although it has a limited feature set compared to other models we tested, it excels at single burial searches.
Our main complaint with this beacon – and all BCA beacons, for that matter – is that the Tracker4 doesn't use the colloquial “send” and “search” phrases for their on-off switch. Instead of “send”, which is what it's most often called, BCA opts for the more proper term, “transmit”. Although it shouldn't, in our experience teaching avalanche courses, this labeling has caused a lot of confusion among new users.
Although shown here on the Tracker S, the Tracker4 also uses “tr”, which is short for transmit, instead of the more commonly used term, “send”.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
Notable Features
The Tracker4 offers an Auto-Revert function, which is designed as a backup in case you are hit by a secondary avalanche while conducting a search. If the internal motion sensor hasn't logged any movement for one minute, it will auto-revert to transmit. After five minutes in search mode, even if you're in motion, the Tracker4 is set to Auto-Revert, which is a bit annoying and arguably catastrophic if you're working a complex burial and don't notice that your beacon has automatically turned back to transmit. Fortunately, a loud warning tone sounds 30 seconds before the auto-revert occurs and can be deactivated by pressing a single button. If you want to use this feature, you also must activate it every time you power up your beacon.
The Tracker4 offers a much more rugged exterior than previous Tracker models.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
Accuracy
The Tracker4 is incredibly accurate in both fine and coarse search phases. Its uber-fast processor delivers real-time data to keep you on track throughout a search. In the coarse search phase, the accuracy of the direction arrows efficiently guided us to the target. However, others who tested this beacon also noted that the arrows are jumpy compared to other models. This is likely due to the speed at which this beacon updates, but we admit that it can sometimes make the direction arrows a bit harder to follow.
Once we got down to the fine search phase, we were consistently within 25 cm of a probe strike on a target buried up to 1 meter deep. While we attribute part of the success rate to a properly executed bracket, most of the beacons we tested displayed this level of accuracy and it was only notable if one did not.
The combination of rapid updates and multiple arrows consistently facilitated quick rescue times for both pros and novice users.
Credit: Ian Nicholson
Multiple Burials
This is where the performance of the Tracker4 varies a bit depending on the complexity of the rescue and the number of signals being transmitted. The Tracker4 will display up to two individual “person” icons. But with any more than two, it will simply display a “+” sign next to the two icons. If two beacons are buried less than six meters apart, brackets will appear around both of the people symbols.
Like all recent Tracker models, the Tracker4 features a Signal Suppression mode instead of a true marking feature. This will suppress the closest signal for up to 60 seconds and can be incredibly helpful if you're searching for only two buried victims. Signal Suppression can be used quite effectively with the accompanying Big Picture mode. This mode quickly bounces between signals, providing the distance and direction of every beacon within its range, which helps a rescuer quickly size up the scene. But compared to other beacons that include a marking or flagging feature, these functions are notably less intuitive and take much more practice to efficiently find more than two targets.
Holding down the button on the Tracker4 initiates Big Picture mode, where you're able to view the distance and direction of each signal within range. Once you leave Big Picture mode, the beacon will choose the closest signal to follow.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
Along with the rest of the Tracker family, the Tracker4 also has the least amount of signal lock of the beacons we tested. This has various pros and cons, but a huge plus is the Tracker4 is a microstrip searching champion. Microstrip searching is a special technique used primarily when multiple people are buried so close together that a marking function is not viable because you might end up unintentionally marking two beacons at once. In this case, because the Tracker4 is able to accurately bounce back and forth between signals, you can better solve this complex problem.
The Tracker4 is fast, but it requires more practice and a bit more problem solving when there are multiple burials.
Credit: Dom Rickicki
Range
BCA claims that the Tracker4 has a maximum range of 55 m but recommends a search strip width of 50 m. Even though this is true for beacons under conditions of “ideal coupling” — where their antennas are perfectly aligned — it is not entirely realistic to a real-world rescue. To get a better idea of realistic range, we measured the distances where a beacon picked up a consistent signal and then averaged those numbers across our tests. The Tracker4 has an average range of 42 meters, which is average across the industry.
Should You Buy the BCA Tracker4?
The Tracker4 builds upon the legacy of BCA's line of Tracker avalanche transceivers. Compared to the bulk of the beacons on the market, the Tracker4's speed and ease of use are virtually unmatched. Whether in the hands of a novice or a pro, during our single victim searches, few beacons could consistently match the times set by the Tracker4. For aspiring professionals training for exams with more complex burial situations, the Tracker4 likely requires a bit more practice. But, speaking from the experience of a few of our testers who passed their exams using a Tracker, it is easily achievable.
Tracker4 vs. Tracker3
The differences between the new Tracker4 and Tracker3 are actually pretty small. They have nearly all the same functionality and features as one another, and most of the differences are in the beacons' exteriors and in their displays. The Tracker4 features a rubber over-mold for added durability and an easier grip. Its display is also brighter, its audible tones are louder than the Tracker3, and the USB port is on the outside instead of inside the battery compartment. However, the two beacons appear to have the same processors and share the same multiple burial functions.
What Other Avalanche Beacon Should You Consider?
While we love the Tracker4, it isn't our first choice for professionals working in the avalanche industry. If you're a guide, ski patroller, or any other type of working professional, we suggest either the Mammut Barryvox S or the more reasonably priced Arva Neo BT Pro. The other BCA Tracker models are also worthy of your consideration, but we particularly appreciate the BCA Tracker S for its balance of value and overall performance.
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Dom Rickicki and Ian Nicholson
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