Abstract: The novel snowshoe (400) includes at least one tail extender (404) to provide variable flotation characteristics and traction bars (412) that provide improved side slip protection such as when traversing steep terrain. The snowshoe (400) is thereby especially advantageous for use in back country mountaineering. A three (or more) point attachment mechanism is disclosed for coupling the tail extender (404) to the flotation plate (416) of snowshoe (400) so as to reduce stress on the coupling elements and provide a more secure interface.

Abstract: The novel snowshoe (400) includes at least one tail extender (404) to provide variable flotation characteristics and traction bars (412) that provide improved side slip protection such as when traversing steep terrain. The snowshoe (400) is thereby especially advantageous for use in back country mountaineering. A three (or more) point attachment mechanism is disclosed for coupling the tail extender (404) to the flotation plate (416) of snowshoe (400) so as to reduce stress on the coupling elements and provide a more secure interface.

Abstract: A method of determining the bearing "S" of a signal transmitter relative to a remote signal receiver. A signal pulse having a high signal to noise ratio is transmitted and sampled at closely spaced receivers displaced from the transmitter by a distance "D". Sampled phase components are derived at each receiver by deriving in-phase and quadrature components of the sampled pulse and by deriving the arctangent of each such component. The arrival time of the sampled pulses is measured by applying a least squares Gaussian fit to the modulus or to the amplitude envelope of the pulse samples. The difference ".delta.t" between the time of arrival of the pulse at each receiver is determined and then the approximate phase difference 2.pi..omega..delta.t between the sampled pulses is determined where ".omega." is the carrier frequency of the transmitted pulse. The phase difference is then applied to resolve the phase ambiguity of the phase components and the bearing "S" is then calculated.