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Avalanche transceiver app warning

11th November 2013, by Abi Butcher

The Canadian Avalanche Centre warns that smartphone apps are no substitute for avalanche transceivers

The Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) in Revelstoke, British Columbia has warned skiers and boarders against relying on apps that turn smartphones into avalanche transceivers.

The CAC said it has found “a number of issues” with three European-made apps — the iSis Intelligent (Mountain) Rescue System, Snøg Avalanche Buddy and SnoWhere — that are being marketed as cheaper alternatives to using avalanche transceivers when skiing off-piste.

CAC executive director Gilles Valade said none of the apps “even come close” to using an avalanche transceivers.

He said: “Not only are these new apps incapable of connecting with other transceivers, they are also incompatible between themselves, so one type of app can’t find another.”

In contrast, all avalanche transceivers conform to an international standard of 457kHz, a frequency chosen for its accuracy and because it transmits very well through dense snow and is not deflected by objects such as trees and rocks. Regardless of the brand, all can be used to find each other.

Battery life, robustness, reliability and interference are all concerns with the smartphone apps, plus wifi and Bluetooth signals are weakened by snow and easily deflected to objects found in avalanche debris.

“The accuracy of a GPS signal is nowhere near the precision required for finding an avalanche victim,” said Mr Valade.

“These apps are being actively marketed as software that turns a smartphone into an avalanche transceiver, but the CAC has serious concerns about their vulnerabilities,” he said, adding: “We are warning all backcountry users to not use any of these apps in place of an avalanche transceivers.”