Reminder About Transceiver Interference

Transceiver Interference!

An incident was recently reported to us where a person’s transceiver was made useless because of the small magnets in her jacket’s closure system. Several types of transceivers have a magnetic on/off or off/send/search switch. If you have a magnet close to these transceivers, they can randomly turn the unit off, or to search, or to send. Some transceivers also contain an electronic compass that can be highly sensitive to magnets and electromagnetic fields, especially during a search.

Magnets are just one of many items that can interfere with an avalanche transceiver’s signal. We need to be careful of all metallic objects and electronic devices. Research tells us to keep these items 20 cm away from transceivers in transmit mode, and 50 cm away when in search mode.

A partial list includes:

  • Metallic foil (such as wrapping on food, candy or cigarettes)
  • Cell phones
  • Cameras
  • MP3 music players
  • Heated gloves
  • Headlamps

A quick search for “transceiver interference” will give you some good articles. Also check out the online collection of papers presented at International Snow Science Workshops (ISSW). Montana State University provides a free searchable database of this research. You can find that collection here.

Backcountry users are an increasingly powerful voice and we have influence. Perhaps it’s time to let equipment manufacturers know that magnets in their products could mean the difference between life and death.