Pinpointing in a Circle - An Effective and Reliable System for the Precise Location of Deep Burials
Manuel Genswein · 2000
and INTRODUCTION: Definition of terms: _ A maximum ( maximum amount of volume) is defined as a point which fulfils the following condition: when moving away from the point the signal will decrease irrespective of the direction taken. _ A misleading maximum is a maximum which does not lead to the burial. _ A real maximum is a maximum which does lead to the burial. When searching for avalanche victims with transceivers, up to ten misleading maximum amounts of volume which do not lead directly to the victim, can occur. The quantity of those misleading maximums depends on the relative antenna orientation. The distance between the real position of the victim and the misleading maximum is approx. equal to the burial depth. This effect does not influence the search strategy for an average burial depth, but it has an important impact on deep burials. Although spot probing helps in checking the exact position, it takes longer when the probing area is larger or not clearly defined. In this case, a transceiver-based pinpointing system is faster and more reliable. Pinpointing in a Circle, which I developed in 1994 for advanced and professional users, has become part of the official training material of Switzerland's Federal Office of Sports.