Does a talking avalanche beacon reduce stress and speed up searching?

Does a talking avalanche beacon reduce stress and speed up searching?

When you listen to your GPS in your car, what are you listening to? To beeps or you to voice messages? If you need an explanation of something, do you want it coded or do you want to hear it in clear sentences? The answer to these questions should be obvious. Ortovox also thought of that and that is why they have now launched the Ortovox Diract Voice avalanche beacon. An avalanche beacon talking to you. That is a bit different from the avalanche beacon we have used so far. According to Ortovox, it has several advantages.

Extreme life and death stress situation!

Avalanches are unpredictable. One moment you’re enjoying great powder together, and the other moment everything can suddenly turn into a quest for life and death. No matter how well trained you are, avalanche rescues are always very stressful situations. And in stressful situations you can use all the help. That’s why the thought of helping you with a talking avalanche beacon is not so crazy at all. For two reasons, firstly, you are reassured by a voice (even if it is a machine) and secondly, spoken text is much easier to understand than just single beeps. This will keep you calmer and search faster at the same time.

Everything to search faster and be found faster

Clear, simple voice instructions tell you what to do at each stage of your search. The idea is that this will make the search easier and will keep you calmer. In addition, the display is very stable, so you will experience less stress. But in addition to helping the seeker, these avalanche beeps also help the avalanche victim. The three antenna avalanche beeps is equipped with Smart-Antenna technology, which analyzes the location of the beeper in the avalanche and automatically switches to the best transmitting antenna. This means you’ll get to double the range and be found faster! As a backup, the RECCO® reflector integrated into the carrier system further increases the chances of being found.

Rechargeable battery works even at extremely low temperatures

The Diract Voice is intuitive and easy to use, because with just one button you can quickly mark victims of the avalanche or switch to standby mode. Furthermore, the avalanche beacon switches to transmitting during a second avalanche. The modern 360° screen ensures that you always get clear instructions on the screen. The avalanche beacon weighs 210 grams and is easy to use with gloves. The Diract Voice comes with a rechargeable low temperature battery that is extremely durable and environmentally friendly. Even at -20°C, this battery provides a reliable power supply and unlike normal batteries, they don’t leak.

ORTOVOX APP

Thanks to the free ORTOVOX APP (Apple iOS & Android) you can get automatic software updates, so you don’t have to stop by the store or send in your beacon! What is your experience with this avalanche beacon? Are spoken phrases better than the good-old-fashioned way of searching?

You can find more information here

Rogier
lives in the French Alps. If there is even a little snow, he can be found outside to catch up with us afterwards.
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