Summary: The Tracker3 is a small three-antenna transceiver. It is the big brother to the almost identical Tracker S. The Tracker3 has a shorter reception range than most of its competitors, a two-digit display, and can mark (i.e., ignore) one transceiver for one-minute. That said, its direction and distance indicators are accurate and update quickly. The Tracker4 was released in late-2020. It is basically a Tracker3 that has glove-friendly Off/Send/Search controls. BCA refers to newer Tracker3 transceivers as "Tracker3+". The Tracker3+ is identical to the Tracker3, except it has circuit board hardware from new suppliers. The Tracker3 and Tracker3+ use different versions of firmware to support the different hardware. The only way to identify a Tracker3 vs a Tracker3+ is by the FCC ID number. Read a comparison of the Ortovox Diract and the BCA Tracker transceivers. Jump to this review's conclusion. SearchingReception Range The Tracker3's inline reception range is statistically identical to the Tracker2. And as with the Tracker2, the Tracker3's reception range when held perpendicular to the transmitting beacon is noticeably shorter than other transceivers. Although the Tracker3 has a suggested search strip width of 50 meters (and the user's manual conflictingly says, "no more than 40 meters"), you should use a shorter search strip width with Tracker avalanche transceivers. Searching The Tracker3 indicates direction with five LED arrows (versus round lights on the Tracker2). As with its two predecessors, the Tracker3's direction indicator updates quickly. In my limited testing, the Tracker3 resolved spikes well. The Tracker3 is the first Tracker to "suppress" (aka, "mark") a transceiver during a multiple burial search. BCA took a different approach than most of the other manufacturers: the Tracker3 marks only one transceiver and only for one minute. When the T3 senses two transmitters, it blinks two little people. If it senses more than two transmitters, a plus sign ("+") appears to the right of the people. If there are two transmitters within six meters of the searching T3 (i.e., a close-proximity burial), brackets ("[ ]") surround the people. Pressing the "Options" button until "SS" appears (for signal suppression) instructs the T3 to ignore the strongest signal and direct you to the second strongest signal. If you continue to hold the button pressed the T3 will instead switch into the " big picture" mode. (Read about multiple burials and transceiver marking on AvyRescue.com.) Advertisement When the strongest signal is being suppressed, the people alternatingly blink (far from intuitive, but memorable). The signal suppression mode lasts for only one minute, and you'll then be directed to whichever signal is strongest, possibly back to the first signal if you haven't made much progress toward the second. This approach to a multiple burial is significantly different from most of the other transceivers which can display up to three (or more) transmitters, can suppress multiple transmitters, and can graphically display which transmitters have been suppressed (e.g., by drawing a line through each person). Such ambitious features don't work perfectly all of the time; BCA's focus on a more limited design for only two closely buried victims might be more reliable. In our testing of a close-proximity burial of only two victims, the T3 worked very well. More than two closely buried victims and the edge goes to the competition. The T3 has a "big picture" mode that is activated by holding the Options button pressed. In this mode the transceiver alternatingly displays the distance and direction information of all of the signals it is receiving. For example, alternating between "straight-ahead 12 meters" and "hard-right 8 meters." This is very helpful and well implemented (although we wish they'd used the more common term, "scan"). The Barryvox S, Ortovox S1+, Pulse, Pieps, and some ARVAs also have the ability to display information on more than one transceiver at a time, mostly without directional information, but the Tracker3's implementation is simple and arguably the best scan feature available. The Tracker3 user manual states that the "Big Picture mode is the closest thing to an analog beacon in the digital world." It is a great feature, undeniably, but that statement overlooks the fact that even in the digital world, some beacons can be toggled into analog mode and can emit the raw analog audio. (Read about multiple burials and transceiver marking on AvyRescue.com.) User InterfaceControls The Tracker3 uses a single dial to change between Off, Transmit, and Search. You need to slide a small latch with your other hand to change between modes. These actions are intuitive, although they're not nearly as mitten-friendly as most other beacons—including the Tracker2. The new dial is darn-near impossible to manipulate with bulky gloves or mittens. (The Tracker4, released in late-2020, has much-improved glove-friendly Off/Send/Search controls.) The Tracker3 has a single, unlabeled "Options" button. It, too, is difficult to manage while wearing bulky gloves. A pressing this button when transmitting displays the battery percentage, a quick press while searching changes to signal suppression mode, pressing and holding while searching changes to the big picture mode, pressing and holding while switching to search mode mutes the speakers, pressing and holding the button when turning the device on displays the version number (and activates the revert-to-transmit mode if you keep it pressed). Memorizable? Yes. Intuitive? No way. We find the single-button design found on the Neo and Pieps (etc), labeled with an obvious flag, to be much easier for novices to master. Display The Tracker3 (and 3+, and 4) retains the two-digit display found on earlier Trackers. That's a shame, because you'll need to remember that " Almost all transceivers now use "segmented" displays which can display zigzags during the Signal search, a four-headed-arrow during the fine search, a battery to indicate remaining battery life, flags to indicate that a transceiver has been marked, etc. When the Tracker DTS was released in 1997 it undeniably surpassed the competition in ease-of-use. The Tracker3 no longer retains that distinction. Audio Prior to the version 3.3 software update, the Tracker3 had a distinctive, "Super Mario" sound. The startup and shutdown sounds are still spacey, but the search audio is now similar to the Tracker2. Click the Play button to hear the pre-3.3 audio. The Tracker3 emits several tones when it changes from Search to Send. That's convenient, so you don't mistakenly return to Sending. The Tracker3 emits a reminder tone after 30 minutes in search mode. Similarly, after 12 hours in transmit mode the Tracker3 emits an old-school-telephone-like-ring every two minutes in case you've left it on accidentally (interestingly, it also changes the transmit "period" from around ~850 to ~1150 milliseconds; I was told this is to prolong battery life). Advertisement  Comfort The Tracker3 is approximately two-thirds the size of the Tracker2. (Our volume measurements do not take a transceiver's nooks and crannies into account, so although the Tracker3 is about 1mm shorter than the DSP Sport, the Tracker's square corners almost make it look larger. When carried in your pocket, the Tracker3 is noticeably slimmer than the DSPs.) The weights of the Tracker2 and Tracker3 are within grams if you include the harnesses—without the harnesses the Tracker3 is 20% lighter. The Tracker3's harness is made from untailored 1-inch webbing. It's a bit scratchy on your neck compared to other harnesses, including the contoured-and-ventilated Pieps harness. The T3 is secured in its pouch with a large, a glove-friendly Fastex buckle. The coiled leash is novel, although not as novel as the DSP's elastic cord which is integrated into the shoulder strap. Batteries The Tracker3 takes three AAA alkaline batteries. The battery level is displayed as a percentage when the transceiver is turned on. You can redisplay the percentage when transmitting by pressing the Options button. The Tracker3 requires a screwdriver to change the batteries (the plastic on the battery door cracks easily if you over-tighten the retention screw.) BCA recommends that you replace the batteries when they reach 40 percent. ( Learn more about batteries in avalanche transceivers.) Additional FeaturesRevert to Transmit: As with the Tracker2, you can instruct the Tracker3 to automatically switch from receive mode to transmit mode and as with the Tracker2, this mode needs to be selected each time you power-up the Tracker (by holding the Options button pressed until "Ar" is displayed). When enabled, the Tracker3 "reverts" after one minute without motion or five minutes with motion (the Tracker2 reverts after eight minutes regardless of motion, the Tracker S after 5 minutes regardless of motion). The Tracker3 won't revert without warning—the beeping begins 30 seconds before reverting and a loud warning continues indefinitely. I really like the continued beeping, because if a transceiver is placed on the ground (heaven forbid) and reverts, somebody will notice it.
Tracker3 versus Tracker2The Tracker3 is similar to the Tracker2 with these more-notable changes:
Learn MoreUpdates: The Tracker3 can be updated by the user using via its Mini-B USB port and software that is provided by BCA. A little unusual, the software is no longer available for download. Read the details. Warranty: The Tracker3 has a five-year warranty (many transceivers have a two-year warranty that is extended to five years when you register it). Remember that most warranties do not cover damage from battery leakage. User Manual: BCA provides a 16 page, well-written user manual for the Tracker3. Our user manual page also contains a link to an older "advanced" manual from BCA that provides good information about performing alternative searches using the Tracker3. |
The scan (aka " big picture") mode is excellent, the indication of a close proximity multiple-burial is nice, and the signal suppression seems very functional (albeit limited). Although the two-digit display, the shorter reception range, displaying two people when there are multiple transmitters rather than displaying the number of transceivers, and the small on/transmit/search dial are less than ideal, the Tracker3 is a solid contender. If you are considering a Tracker3, I would seriously consider the Tracker4 which has more glove-friendly controls.
| Model: | Tracker3 |
| Manufacturer: | BCA |
| Retail Price: | $349.95 |
| Score: |  |
| Type: | Digital |
| Antennas: | 3 |
| Marking: | Yes (1 for 1 minute) |
| Updatable: | Yes |
| Owner's Manual: | Read It |
Pros: Small. Great scan mode. | |
Cons: Two-digit display, shorter perpendicular reception range, can mark only one transmitter and only for one minute. | |
" means the speaker has been turned off (not set to "low"), that "
" means the battery is low, that "
" means auto-reverting has been enabled, that "TR" means it's transmitting, that "
" means it is scanning (big picture), that "
" means it marked a transceiver (signal suppression), that "SE" means searching, and that "PO" means power off. The block-like digital letters are made from several lines, so there isn't a different between the "b" in "Lb" (low battery) and the number "6." And the "SS" that shows that a transceiver has been marked is identical to the number "55" that shows the distance in meters.