Aaargghh!

Just discovered the switch is broken off my tracker! And its out of warranty too.

Managed to switch it on using screw driver to move mechanism but concerned that the electronics are exposed by the hole where the switch was. Could glue it back and seal round it then use the batterys as for on/off.

Am I kidding myself or is it destined for landfill. Think I know the answer but needed to share my pain!

I’d contact the resller - assuming you are in the UK that would be Anatom (http://www.anatom.co.uk/).

If it’s out of warranty there’s no a lot they can do, but when my old Tracker switch failed (it didn’t break off but it had an intermittent fault when the device wouldn’t start) he at least sold me a new one at a very sensible price. I got a lot more help from them than I did from Snow & Rock who just told me to “keep fiddling with it until it starts”.

As for fixing it yourself… well, it’s your neck… I wouldn’t.

Might not be worth the cost.  The DTS 2 is IMHO the best and fastest of the digital’s

Steve Haigh - 17 December 2010 08:01 PM

...but when my old Tracker switch failed (it didn’t break off but it had an intermittent fault when the device wouldn’t start) ....

Mine’s started doing this, twice last weekend on an avalanche course ironically, so it is destined to be a test beacon, and I’m pricing the new DTS2.

Not too hacked off, given it must be ~8 years old.

martinr - do get in touch with Anatom about this. It’s not good! At the very least you should get a discount on a replacement. Let me know if you want contact details.

The switch broke completely off my Tracker DTS last winter. I got it in 2007 so it would have been within 3 year guarantee so got a replacement free of charge from Anatom in the UK. A shop in Albertville had also offered to send it back for repair but I presume I would have had to pay for that. I guess you could enquire about that in case it’s cheaper.

@petern

i believe the issue with warranty is no longer hard and fast.

Although the manufacturer may give a fixed period, the EU has introduced a “ruling “ that the warranty period should be “what a reasonable person thinks is reasonable “ !!

Given that this is a rescue device, designed to be used in gloved hands in harsh conditions, then it would be reasonable for it to be fairly robust.

When you look at how often it is used, say compared to a computer, then operatively it has a very easy life and should last for a very long time.

Sorry, no link to the ruling

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargains-and-rip-offs/article.html?in_article_id=487304&in_page_id=5

I presume this is what you are referring to? Or has there been an update?

Yes that seems to be the legislation, but I didn’t think there was any time limit i.e. if you paid GBP 1,500 for a top-of-the-line TV and it died after 3 years, I thought you would be able to claim because it was very expensive and TV’s should last a lot more than this period.

UK Sale of Goods Act allows for return of goods for 6 years in England and Wales, 5 years in Scotland if there was a defect when bought which results in them not lasting as long as they should. Since my tracker had exactly the same problem, there is some evidence for there being a defect in the switch which means it doesn’t last as long as expected. I used mine with care and it never suffered any knocks/dropping etc. I wonder how long everyone would reckon it should last? My personal view is that they should last 5 years as a minimum. They should be designed to withstand being through an avalanche so minor knocks, scratches etc should not reduce this.

http://backcountryaccess.com/images/TrackerWarrantyChart.pdf

Here’s the BCA warranty chart for reference. Further to my post above, I think a deduction can be made for the benefit/time you have had it. E.g. if it’s expected to last 5 years and you got 3 years usage then getting a 40% refund/discount on a replacement might be reasonable.

simon=b s solution seems reasonable to me .