DIRACT VOICE

Two seasons ago I was starting to teach my young boys how to use transceivers. They were 7 and 9 at the time. Multiple colleagues from work would take my young boys out and work with them. After watching them struggle with BRAND X, we concluded that although BRADN X worked well for adults, the boys struggled with the movement needed to locate and maintain a signal. I ended up grabbing a few ORTOVOX DIRACT Voice Transceivers to see if they would bond better with the commands/voice of the transceivers. Upon arrival, the boys immediately picked up on the way the device moved, they didn’t struggle with descending and ascending numbers as much. This allowed us to enter the problem-solving concepts of flux lines and looking around at your environment. More to follow on their progress later. Last season as I was getting ready for my AAA Pro 1, I began testing myself going back and forth between their ORTOVOX and my BRANDX. One week prepping for PRO 1 test my partner recorded me with his phone. What we found was when using the DIRACT VOICE that I was faster on macro search patterns, and my bracketing to probe strike time plummeted. This started some conversations and observations around the beanery… When you watched the video’s several things came to light: • I didn’t look down to read numbers in my macro search because the DIRACT voice allowed me to look down less and I stayed in my skis longer. • I never stopped moving…. • I never lost footing in my skis because I was looking up more of the time then looking at the display numbers. • Because I was looking up I was able to notice the world around me and ground level clues such as gloves, packs, ect. • I was able to talk on the radio (if I had too) or manage a incoming dog team. I know someone complain that I shouldn’t be on the radio…. It will interfere with my beacon….. not being able to multitask also interferes with saving your partner, You know it happens, I would rather get the Calvary coming, so relax. • Although picking up 15 signals (exaggeration here) is a flex for some of the beacons the reality is that I, ME and My TEAMS travel in 2 or 3’s. I found that the acquisition of a second signal stopped bouncing around so much with the Ortovox software. Generally, I will not mess with the way my transceiver works in an emergency if it takes time from my macro to bracketing to probe strike time. • More importantly, in steep terrain its SUPER easy to pass your patient by just making one turn. That move you must make to turn around positions you to have to re-acquire your signal. The re-acquisition in my case, where I was practicing, happened faster with the OROTOVOX and again as I didn’t need to look at my device. I found that specifically with the products that I was using ORTOVOX and BRAND X, is that the BRAND X is soooooo smart that it seems to slow it down. It was thinking too hard. I don’t’ have any actual proof of that, but it seems to struggle with re-acquisition of signal. We had some entertaining conversations about this “talking transceiver” with my colleagues, friends, friends that own retailers, my SAR team, ect. Full Disclosure I’m not an instructor, I’m a working Avalanche and Rescue Professional. I train, I take care of my gear and I update device software when I’m suppose to. I replace my transceivers on a 2- or 3-year cycle out of habit. What I learned was that the device was intuitive and reliable. So reliable that after 15 years of using another brand, I switched what I carried to work. That may not seem like a lot, but to change a known piece of my rescue gear is huge ask for me that comes with a lot of thought. It certainly didn’t go unnoticed by my teammates. I also learned that my 7 and 9 yr. old started crushing the strike boards. At this point, after 15 years of carrying variations of BRAND X , I carry a ORTOVOX DIRACT for work and on SAR missions.

As a professional avalanche educator (both motorized and non-motorized) and an Ortovox Sled Team Ambassador, I have been incredibly pleased with the performance of the new Ortovox Diract Voice Avalanche Transceiver. I have been teaching rescue practices for many years and love the intuitive features that the DV offers. The fact that the transceiver speaks to the user takes so much anxiety out of the searching process and allows you to focus more on staying safe while keeping your eyes on the snow surface rather than a screen. The DV has a remarkable battery life...I have been using it for almost two months both as a teaching tool with multiple times of turning on and off as well as several days out in the backcountry while snowmobiling and touring. After two months of use, the battery is finally showing a life percentage below 80% (which is when Ortovox recommends you can now recharge it). It contains a lithium-ion rechargeable battery that is highly efficient at low temps. No more worrying about having to carry spare alkaline batteries with you. As far as the size and weight of the Ortovox DV...I feel it is a very comparable size-wise to many other devices. The simplicity of the screen is amazing. The DV keeps the function information very simple to not over-complicate things for the user. When the DV is switched into "Search" the processor begins the signal search and then goes into a course search. Arrows indicate the direction the user should travel according to flux lines produced by the "sending" transceiver and a voice also speaks to you to tell you whether or not you should go right or left. As you get closer, within "fine search" range the transceiver to reminds you to go down to the snow surface and will indicate if you were closer to the transmitting transceiver...this is when to slow down. I absolutely love this transceiver and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone in the market for a new 3 antenna transceiver.

As an Ortovox Ambassador, I find the design is super sleek and interface easy to use. It's easy to recharge and upgrade the software if needed. I'm really enjoying this beacon.

I was able to witness the difference in the speed of burial location of other beacons versus the Diract. Beginners using the Diract voice were easily able to keep up to experienced searchers, the voice command really allows you to keep your eyes on the search zone. The rechargeable battery lasted many days of use, really no issue in -30 January days. The range is not quite as good as others, and using proper search methods we found it keeps up no matter. Other transceivers I've used can lose the signal, but once the Diract is locked onto a signal it doesn't seem to lose it. Looking forward to using it again this winter!