June 2004
Boulder Engineer Builds a Better Avalanche Beacon
An avid winter backcountry recreationalist, John Hereford believed there had to be a better way to conduct avalanche victim searches, so he set out to design a new tracking beacon. When it was put on the market in 1997, his Tracker DTS set the avalanche transceiver industry on its ear.
 John Hereford, designer of the Tracker DTS, and his wife Jody enjoy the backcountry with Rio and Elsa. |
"When I was shown a beacon for the first time years ago, I was surprised and disappointed that the technology at the time was so difficult to learn and use," says John. "I knew it could be done better."
Conventional locator beacons used a single antenna analog system and an audio signal to locate a person buried in snow. By walking through a complex search pattern, rescuers listen for the victim's beeping beacon which gets louder as they get closer.
During three decades of use, analog beacons had not appreciably improved, even with an increase in frequency and the addition of lights indicating signal strength. Frustrated by the antiquated technology of analog beacons, John designed the first avalanche transceiver that incorporates digital technology with a dual receiving antenna.
Like a bird dog following a scent, the Tracker DTS (Digital Transceiving System) designed by John, an electrical engineer, literally points the way using directional lights and digital distances, thus, significantly decreasing search time. The Tracker DST is also user-friendly for typical winter recreationalists.
"The Tracker DTS explicitly shows which way to go to find the victim," says John. "It gives an approximate distance to travel. There's no need to adjust sensitivity. The user interface is very simple."
John's company, Rescue Technology, teams up with Backcountry Access, Inc., both based in Boulder, to design, market and distribute the Tracker beacons.
"Of course, a beacon can't shield a person from an avalanche," cautions John. "One advantage of an easier-to-use transceiver is that it frees up time previously allocated to beacon training to learning how to avoid avalanches in the first place, including route-finding and snow stability analysis skills."
 Beacon pioneer playing in the snow. |
John and his family live in Boulder. He likes to randonee ski and, although his early attempts at freeheeling in 1980 were frustrating, he plans to give telemark skiing another try.
John's company is a generous donor to Backcountry Snowsports Alliance. Captivated by the solitude, beauty and adventure of the winter wilderness, he believes in what BSA is working to accomplish - preserve a quiet, nonmotorized winter experience.
"I like how BSA is not necessarily trying exclude other use, but is working with all types of recreation users and government entities to preserve and provide agreeable opportunities for all in the backcountry," explains John.
"I want to give back what we can to the community that has been so good for us," he says. "Our contributions pale in comparison to what so many people involved with the BSA, including Friends of the Routt Backcountry, have given in terms of time, energy, love, resources, and passion."