BCA Tracker 4 Beacon Review

From the premiere backcountry brand comes the BCA Tracker 4. BCA has become the trusted name for backcountry safety and has set the benchmark for beacon safety around the world. The BCA Tracker 4 is BCA’s most comprehensive beacon in the tracker series and is an excellent choice for beginners and pros alike.

Choosing your first transceiver can be overwhelming. We’ve simplified the process in our expert-vetted roundup of the Best Avalanche Beacons, highlighting the most intuitive models for new backcountry travelers.

Beacon Ease of Use

Ease of use is perhaps one of the most important benchmarks in the world of avalanche safety. The BCA Tracker 4 along with its predecessors is wonderfully simplistic and intuitive, ensuring excellent functionality in high stress situations. The Tracker 4 has the signature top dial for OFF, Transmit (which auto locks) and Search, with one additional button for multi burial located lower on the body. That is it. No guessing, no fooling around.

While I’ve experimented with some of the best avalanche beacons, I’ve only used BCA’s for my personal workhorse. I’m most familiar with this interface and find it the easiest to use.

Performance

I of course had to take the BCA Tracker 4 into the field for testing. The BCA Tracker 4 picked up on a signal from roughly 50 meters away. At this distance the arrow directions were not accurate – this is expected and is the same across all the beacons I’ve tested. The beacon quickly reflected the change in distance and within 30 to 40 meters the arrows were accurate. The BCA Tracker was also picked up from 50 M away.

Note: I only had one BCA Tracker 4 and did the testing using the Tracker 4 with a BCA Tracker S as opposed to two BCA Tracker 4s.

Durability and Display

The main upgrade from the BCA Tracker 3+ is the Tracker 4’s upgraded design which boasts increased durability and a larger display. The Tracker 4 has a satisfying rubber lined edge increasing friction and durability while its new display is crisp and clear. The Tracker 4 is one heck of a workhorse.

Features

As expected, the BCA Tracker 4 includes all the essential features and leaves out the frivolous. The BCA Tracker 4 is the most sophisticated and up to date beacon BCA offers. A list of features is below.

• Auto Revert mode
• Big Picture mode
• Close proximity indicator
• Motion-sensing auto revert
• Multiple burial indicator
• Mute mode
• Signal Suppression mode
• Temperature resistant LED display
• Three Antenna
• Upgradeable software/electronics testing

BCA Tracker 3 vs 4

• Choose the Tracker3+ if: You prioritize a very compact and lightweight beacon.

• Choose the Tracker4 if: You want the most robust beacon with a larger display, and don’t mind a slightly larger device.

Important Note:
The performance and searching ability of both the BCA Tracker 3 and BCA Tracker 4 are the same, as they both use the same core features and searching functions. It is the physical design, durability and display that are the key differentiators.

Check out this article we did on, when’s the best time to upgrade your avalanche beacon?

Overall Impression

The BCA Tracker 4 delivers exactly what you want from an avalanche beacon. If you’re looking for the most trusted product built on years of experience look no further than the BCA Tracker 4. The Tracker 4 is reliable, tough and intuitive.

Additional Beacons We Have Reviewed in the Tetons

1. BCA Tracker S Avalanche Beacon Review
2. Pieps Pro BT Avalanche Beacon Review
3. Ortovox Zoom+ Avalanche Beacon Review