A curved line connecting the signal from a search beacon to a transmitting beacon.

Credit: Mountain Weekly News

Radio waves transmitted by transceivers don’t follow a straight line; rather, pulses are emitted in an ovoid (3D oval) shaped pattern. When you move through the coarse search, you’ll notice that your transceiver directs you in a curved flux line towards the buried transceiver. It’s helpful to be aware of this and anticipate it during a transceiver search.