General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Synthetic and fabric

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

12.7 cm

Width

8.2 cm

Height

2.9 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Meteorology

Category

Precipitation amount, rate & duration measurement

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Unknown

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

British Columbia

Period

1970's

Canada

Taken from acquisition proposal, Reference 1: This device represents the early use of avalanche beacons in Canada. Served in a number of avalanche rescues, this was used by the Parks Canada staff in the mountain rescue program.

Function

An avalanche rescue beacon (radio transceiver), is a radio transmitter-receiver device used to detect people buried in snow. This analog device broadcasts a pulsed signal as an audible tone which is picked up by users with other beacons and heard wearing the supplied earphone.

Technical

Taken from acquisition proposal, Reference 1: This second generation SKADI also operates at the frequency of 2.275 kHz and uses an earphone. As above, the invention of the first practical avalanche beacon is owed to a research team led by Dr. John Lawton at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in Buffalo, New York who, influenced by avalanche expert Ed Lachappelle in 1968 developed the Skadi. This analog device broadcasts a pulsed signal as an audible tone and picked up by other beacons. As a second generation model, it likely went into production about 1972-74. In Europe, the first avalanche rescue beacon was commissioned by the Swiss Army in 1968 and developed by the Autophon company. Using the newly introduced European standard frequency of 457 kHz, development of the Barryvox VS68 took almost 2 years and soon thereafter found civilian use. The standard of 457kHz was adopted in 1986 by the International Commission on Alpine Rescue (IKAR), in 1996 by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and also by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Print on top of transceiver "TRANSMIT/ UNLOCK/ HIGH/ RECEIVE/ LOW/ SKADI [registered]/ AVALANCHE RESCUE/ TRANSCEIVER". Incised print "88073-39". Print on back "LET SKADI TRANSMIT ALL DAY/ CARRY IT ON YOUR BODY-/ NOT IN A PCK", "PRACTICE SEARCHING OFTEN/ ALL SKADIS ON RECEIVE - HIGH/ SPACE SEARCHERS 100FT (30m) MAX/ ORIENT SKADIS FOR MAX SIGNAL PICKUP/ USE BRACKETING TECHNIQUE./ PINPOINT LOCATION BEFORE YOU DIG/ TAKE A SHOVEL ALONG", "WARNING/ AVALANCHES ARE DANGEROUS/ SKADI CAN ONLY SPEED UP/ LOCATING A VICTIM/ DEAD OR ALIVE". Print on side "CHARGE BATTERY OVERNIGHT AFTER EVERY USE/ BUT AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK/ BATTERY CAPACITY/ TRANSMIT: ONE WEEK RECEIVE ONE MONTH". Incised on other side "88-39". Print on bottom "Removing decal voids warranty". Print on top beside dial "TRANSMIT/ OFF &/ CHARGE".

Missing

Nothing missing.

Finish

Red synthetic case with red labels and black print affixed to surfaces. Red fabric strap.

Decoration

N/A