When your 490-dollar avalanche transceiver turns out to fail in precisely the conditions when it is needed most, at the very least you deserve a free repair.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of the ORTOVOX S1+ Avalanche Transceiver after concluding that the device can fail to transmit a discoverable signal during an emergency situation, even as the unit appears to be powered on and functioning properly.

The whole point of the ORTOVOX 1+ and other transceivers is to serve as a beacon to help people find skiers and climbers buried in avalanches. Transceivers are considered required equipment for out-of-bounds skiing and snowboarding in areas of avalanche danger.

The ORTOVOX flip-case design transceiver is built in Germany and distributed by Deuter USA in Colorado. It is black with green accent stripes on the top sides. ORTOVOX and S1+ are printed on the top of the device. In the open/receive position the top half of the transceiver displays a blue screen with green border that displays an image and distance reading of the buried individual. The transceivers measure about 5 inches long by 3 inches wide by 1 inch thick in the closed/transmit position.

The ORTOVOX S1+ transceiver was sold at specialty retailers, ski shops and directly nationwide from July 2010 through April 2015 for about $490.

All transceivers manufactured from 2010 through 2014 are included in the recall. The manufacture date is printed inside the battery door on the back of the transceiver with a roman numeral representing the quarter of the year and a two digit number referring to the year.

Consumers should stop using the recalled S1+ transceiver beacons immediately and return them to ORTOVOX for a free repair.

Contact Deuter USA toll-free at (877) 384-9252 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, email at [email protected] or online at ortovox.com and click on the “S1+ Avalanche Transceiver Recall” box for more information.

Last modified: June 3, 2015