Black Diamond Recon X Review

The Recon X is a Goldilocks beacon. It offers an excellent range, a fast processor speed, and just enough features to satisfy novices and professionals alike. While it is essentially a stripped-down version of the Guide BT, the main differences in performance only come down to their ability to solve complex, multi-burial scenarios. But for the highest likelihood incident – a single-person burial – the Recon X is all the beacon you would ever need, no matter your skill level.

Performance Comparison

Speed

The Recon X is one of the faster beacons in our test, especially among models that include a higher-level marking function. When considering speed, we are looking for a beacon that relays information to the user quickly without lag, but also one with a processor that is accurate enough to avoid any hangups or pauses mid-search.

In the coarse search phase, the Recon X locked into a signal, and we could easily follow the search pattern at any reasonable speed. But where this beacon really shines is in the fine search phase. Often, in a fine search, a beacon will lag slightly while updating its distance from a target, causing you to slow down more than you already have. Or worse, the distance readings are jumpy, making it difficult to bracket accurately. But the Recon X struck the best balance of speed and accuracy in our fine searches, which ultimately helped us perform faster rescues.

Interface

The Recon X is a simple, base model beacon whose straightforward interface won't ever impede your ability to perform a proper search in a stressful situation. The display is large and easy to read, the buttons are easy to access, and its functions are easy to figure out in a short amount of time. While we always suggest reading the user manual for your transceiver, the Recon X is intuitively designed and generally easy to use right out of the box.

One of our main complaints about the Recon X is the cumbersome slider lock. This mechanism has plagued Black Diamond-PIEPS for years, and despite updates to address design flaws, it still requires an attentive eye to make sure it's properly locked in the correct position. It also takes some significant force to slide, which often requires two hands, and it's easy to slide the switch past where you want it. These details are manageable, but for an otherwise well-designed beacon, it's annoying.

Notable Features

The Recon X isn't the most feature-rich beacon in our test, but that's largely why we enjoy using it so much. Often, beacons that offer more features are much more expensive, and most skiers and riders will never use many of them. Conversely, the Recon X has exactly what you need and nothing else.

Like other beacons from Black Diamond, the Recon X connects via Bluetooth to the Pieps app for firmware updates and settings management. This beacon includes a revert-to-send option, which you can turn on or off via the app. Like many of the top models we tested, the Recon X offers a marking function that can block multiple signals so you can continue searching for other buried beacons. Interestingly, it can also identify any old analog transceivers that emit a continuous wave signal – these are identified by a flashing human figure. Of course, the Recon X also offers the option to perform a Group Check upon start-up. Unfortunately, it requires you to hold down the flag button throughout the entire group check, which is inconvenient.

Accuracy

In our tests, our assessment of accuracy begins the minute we acquire a signal. While some beacons struggle to lock into an accurate distance reading at the maximum extent of their range, we had no such issues with the Recon X. From the minute we acquired a signal, this beacon provided us with steady distance readings and accurate directional arrows to follow the signal into a target. What impressed us most was just how smoothly the distance and direction were displayed – the Recon X saved us the hassle of needing to decipher a jumpy display, allowing us to move confidently during a coarse search toward the lowest number.

In the fine search phase, the Recon X consistently put us within 25 cm of a probe strike on a target buried up to 1 meter deep. We attribute this partially to a properly executed bracket, and while most of the beacons we tested are this accurate, it is notable is they are not. However, out of all the beacons in our test, we were most likely to contact a target on our first probe strike, which is exceptional.

Multiple Burials

The Recon X offers an easy-to-use marking function that can be used for several beacons in multiple burial situations. Of course, we appreciate this advanced-level functionality for the worst-case scenario, but more importantly, we appreciate it for practicing complex rescues. Out of all the beacons we tested with this feature, the Recon X performed the best in a fine search – meaning it lagged the least – when the processor was overloaded with signals.

It is important to note that the Recon X lacks some of the pro-level features that come in very handy during ski guide exams or other professional-level examinations. For the statistically highest likelihood events – which are single burials – this beacon is excellent. But even for scenarios involving two to three burials, the Recon X still performed the best of any mid-level beacon we tested.

Range

Beacon manufacturers stated ranges are based on measurements with ideal coupling, which only occurs when two beacons line up along their antenna to achieve perfect pairing of their flux lines. Real-world searching does not often occur with ideal coupling, and thus, average search ranges are lower. For more of a real-world assessment of range, we recorded the distances where we first picked up a consistent signal and averaged those across our tests.

The average measured range of the Recon X was 40 meters. While it isn't the longest range, it is quite average among beacons we tested and totally adequate for modern search techniques. Of course, a longer range allows you to start following a signal earlier. But the beacons with the longest range also aren't nearly as reliable at the maximum extent of their range as the Recon X.

Should You Buy the Black Diamond Recon X?

The Recon X offers the best combination of speed, accuracy, and ease of use, making it the best beacon for the widest range of backcountry skiers and riders. If you want a beacon with an intuitive interface and an easy-to-follow display, look no further. It is as easy to use for a complete novice as it is comfortable in the hands of a seasoned professional. If you're looking to purchase your first beacon, or even if you want to upgrade from an older model, it's tough to beat the performance – not to mention the price point – of the Recon X.

What Other Avalanche Beacons Should You Consider?