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Docs Field Operations & Rescue Beacon Care Seasonal

Beacon Care Seasonal

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The seasonal maintenance cycle for the beacon: pre-season bench test, post-season inspection, and the storage rules between trips.

Beacon Care Seasonal

The beacon is a tool, and tools need a maintenance cycle. This page is the season rhythm: what to do before the season, after it, and while the beacon waits in a drawer.

The pre-season service

CheckDetail
Full bench testThe complete Two Beacon Bench Test
Firmware reviewIs the installed version current? (see Release Process)
Seals inspectionGaskets, SMA O-rings, button membranes (see Waterproofing)
Cell healthCapacity check: does it hold a charge? (see Battery Troubleshooting)
Config reviewCallsign, channels, identity current for this season

The post-season inspection

After the last trip of the season:

  1. Full clean and dry (see Cleaning and Inspection).
  2. Inspect connectors for corrosion (see Water Damage Recovery).
  3. Log anything that misbehaved (see Beacon Log Template).
  4. Charge the cell to 60% and store.

The storage rule

A stored cell at 100% ages fastest; at 0% it can die. The storage sweet spot is 40 - 60% charge, cool and dry (see Battery Storage). Every 3 months: check the storage voltage, top up to 60% if it fell.

The drawer surprise

A beacon stored for six months is not the beacon you tested: seals harden, the cell self-discharges, and the config may be a season stale. The Pack Check Routine exists precisely because of this. Run it before every trip, including the first of the season.