Summary: The Tracker2 is a three-antenna transceiver from Backcountry Access (BCA) that is undergoing testing. BCA plans to ship the Tracker2 in the Fall of 2008. I used several Tracker2's (indoors) in early 2008. This review is based on that experience and conversations with BCA's Bruce Edgerly.

Searching: The Tracker2's unique feature, and the surrounding marketing pitch, are that it updates in "real time." What this means is that as you move the Tracker2 during a pinpoint search, the display updates almost instantly. For example, if you move the transceiver from three feet away from the victim to five feet away, the distance indicator updates immediately. It certainly did during my testing.

The Tracker2 is rumored to have a longer range than the original Tracker, although I was not able to test it.

The transceiver has three antennas. In my brief testing (holding the transceiver approximately one meter above a transmitting beacon), the Tracker2 appeared to resolve spikes flawlessly.

Multiple Burials: The Tracker2 will indicate when there are multiple victims, but it does not have the ability to suppress a transmitter so you can search for the next victim. The multiple victim indicator was not function on the units I tested. There is a small "special mode" button that you can use to locate multiple victims based on direction (similar to the classic Tracker). BCA is stressing that searches for multiple victims should be done using the generic multi-burial search techniques, because challenges with signal overlap prevent any beacon from consistently being able to suppress a signal.

Controls: BCA stuck to the core principle of the original Tracker when they designed the Tracker2: ease of use. The Tracker2 does not have any extra buttons, menus, or extraneous features. It features an obvious on/off dial, and a reasonably intuitive toggle between transmit and search (you pull the triangular block on the "tail" of the transceiver). If you hold the "special mode" button pressed while turning on the Tracker2, it will automatically revert to send after a few minutes of searching without receiving a signal.

Comfort: The Tracker2 is approximately 15% smaller than the original Tracker and is lighter. The harness is less bulky, has a wider shoulder strap, and uses the pouch-and-leash design.

Other: The Tracker2 has a brighter screen that is easier to read in bright sunlight, a stronger (rubberized) case, and will be upgradeable. I expect this to be a very strong contender.