Backcountry Access Tracker S Review

Don't let its below-average price or the "S" for simple fool you into thinking this isn't a capable beacon. With its lightning-fast processor, easy-to-use interface, and top-tier precision during the bracketing stage, this model was consistently quick at finding a single beacon. It's not our first choice for guides or avalanche educators, as its software can't be updated, it has a so-so range, and there's an inability to adjust several of its features. However, it's an extremely solid beacon for the vast majority of backcountry travelers.

Performance Comparison

Range

Backcountry Access claims a maximum range of 55 meters and recommends a search strip width of 50 meters. On a dry football field and side-by-side range testing on a snow-covered parking lot, we consistently found this model to have a maximum range between 40-45 meters; we think the 50 meter search strip width is a bit on the more aggressive side. We do find that many manufacturers are slightly more cautious in many cases.

The Tracker S meets AIARE and AAI's recommendation of a 40 meter search strip width (effectively searching an area of 20 meters on either side of you), but not much more.

Ease of Finding a Single Victim and Speed

An avalanche beacon's ability to find a single burial is by far its most important design characteristic. For finding a single victim, the Tracker S is one of the fastest. The user interface is easy to use with a combination of five directional arrows. It also has intuitive sounds that change dramatically as you move toward the buried signal.

Ease of Use in Fine Search

The directional arrows vanish at two meters. This tells the searcher to keep that orientation and start bracketing. We prefer this configuration as opposed to other beacons with directional arrows that vanish at three meters. With models having arrows that disappeared at three meters, we found it consistently harder to keep the same orientation over the longer distance, especially in lumpier debris or in steeper inclines.

All of our testers loved the precision of the Tracker S in the fine search, and it is a consistent model, putting the buried beacon at the dead center of the bracket. This leads to a quicker probe strike and generally increases the odds of finding the buried signal longer. Of note, newer or less practiced users had an easier time bracketing with this beacon than most of the more expensive models in our review.

Sharing the same processor as the Tracker3, this beacon is fast at finding victims. Even with a lot of signal overlap, it rarely gets bogged down, and while all rescuers should strive not to move too fast in the fine search, this beacon manages to keep up most of the time.

Multiple Burials

The Tracker S, like its cousin the Tracker 3, is built to easily jump to the closest (strongest) signal; it can also supress a signal for 60 seconds. Like most things, both of these designs have advantages and disadvantages.

The ability to easily jump from one signal to another is fantastic for micro strip-searching during truly complex burials or in situations where you have three or more beacons buried nearby. When you have three or more beacons buried in close proximity of one another, most beacons are more likely than not to have their signal supression mode (the flag or mark feature) fail or not blind the intended signal (or blind both of them, depending on the feature). The Tracker S, along with the Tracker 3 and the Mammut Barryvox (in analog mode), were among the best for micro strip-searching.

If attempting to flag a specific beacon, we felt the Tracker S did a very good job at differentiating beacons and not blinding two beacons by mistake. To flag/mark a given beacon, simply press the button on the face of the beacon until it flashes SS for signal suppression, which lets you know the beacon has completed this function.

For very close proximity burials, you need to be aware that the Tracker S disengages the flag/mark after 60 seconds. This design aspect isn't as important when people are buried further apart, and its ability to lock onto the closest signal will make sure you stay closer to the next beacon; however, when two models are buried very close, and you aren't able to bracket the second beacon very quickly, it can be problematic.

One of the most helpful features for multiple burials is the big picture mode, which is also found on the Tracker3. To access big picture mode, continue holding down the flag button (which BCA calls the options button) until it displays BP and then starts displaying all the signals simultaneously by bouncing quickly between each buried model distance and direction. For guides and avalanche educators trying to pass their respective beacon drills, we think this is one of the most helpful modes. We also found this was extremely helpful to obtain a good overview of the scene for more complex burial situations in general.

Features

This model's slim profile ensures it's comfortable to wear. Sharing the same low profile body as the Tracker3, it is one of the lowest profile models in our fleet.

One of the two major differences between the Tracker3 and the Tracker S is this model doesn't have an internal motion sensor; thus, it has a fixed five minute time frame before it reverst to sending/transmitting. Thirty seconds before the five minute mark, the beacon will start to flash, indicating that it will go back into send/transmit mode. To stop it, simply hit the options button, which is the only button on the beacon. The idea behind this design characteristic is that if a secondary avalanche occurs while the rescuer is still searching, they have some hope of being rescued once their beacon switches back over.

The Tracker S has above average battery life, with 250 hours in transmit, or 50 hours in search only. Even after 200 hours in transmit/send mode, the Tracker S can still search for an hour.

Value

For the price, this is our favorite for overall speed and ease-of-use. The more basic beacons have gotten a lot more capable in recent years, including this one, but they have also all gotten a little more expensive, and we believe this is the best of the bunch for performance versus price.

Conclusion