Storm Operations
Edit on GitHubOperating the beacon in a storm: what the weather does to the radio, the battery, and the plan, and the tactics that keep the signal alive.
Storm Operations
Storms are when the beacon earns its keep, and also when everything about it gets harder. This page is the storm operating manual.
What the storm does
| Element | Effect |
|---|---|
| Rain on the case | Water paths open (see Waterproofing) |
| Wet antenna | Loss and detuning (see Snow and Signal Behavior) |
| Cold | Battery sag (see Cold Weather Batteries) |
| Wind | Antenna flexing, case abrasion |
| Lightning | The radio must be OFF or the antenna DOWN during active lightning |
The tactics
- Protect the seals: check the case before the storm, not during.
- The antenna wipe: before each important burst, wipe the antenna and connector.
- Battery first: the cold sags the cell; warm the case before TX (see Winter Pack).
- The ridge rule: storms make ridges dangerous; move off the crest to a lee position, and use the Ridge Crossing Technique understanding in reverse: the lee position still needs a path.
Lightning discipline
The beacon’s antenna is a lightning attractor. During active lightning: antenna down or the device off. The beacon’s transmitting schedule matters less than not being the tallest conductor on the slope. Resume beaconing when the storm passes overhead.
The plan change
A storm changes the emergency plan: visibility drops, aircraft cannot fly, and the Incident Command system switches to ground-based search. The beacon’s repeating bursts become the only continuous signal the teams have: battery management becomes the mission.
Related pages
- Weather Planning for the forecast side
- Winter Operations for the cold
- Emergency Response Scenarios for the plan