The author is mistaken in the article. Alan says in the article:
Gurung told CNN that the chips are manufactured in “a European country” but did not specify where or by which company and cost $10-15 apiece for each chip. He said that they would be sewn into the climber’s jacket. Once the climber returns, the chip will be removed, given back to the government, and saved for the next person.”
No where in the CNN link does it say the chip costs $10-15 a piece. It says:
He explains that climbers will pay $10-15 apiece for the chips, which will be sewn into their jackets. Once the climber returns, the chip will be removed, given back to the government, and saved for the next person.
So the $10-15 is a rental price, not a per unit price. Which means it could be some of the more expensive solutions he ruled out due to cost.
Good catch. There's still something fishy though. I mean, does anyone here know of an an unpowered, waterproof GPS "chip" that can be "sewn" into a jacket?
Also, charging a $10-$15 mandatory rental fee is weird given that an Everest climbing permit is already in the neighbourhood of $15k (up from ~$10k last year). I can't see the Nepali Government bothering with a rental fee of that magnitude, so maybe it is a cheap Recco-like device (ie *not GPS) and the fee is more of a deposit? So many questions.
This mistake aside, I can't say enough about Alan and his blog/podcast for those interested in the topic. Even non-climbers.
Gurung told CNN that the chips are manufactured in “a European country” but did not specify where or by which company and cost $10-15 apiece for each chip. He said that they would be sewn into the climber’s jacket. Once the climber returns, the chip will be removed, given back to the government, and saved for the next person.”
No where in the CNN link does it say the chip costs $10-15 a piece. It says:
He explains that climbers will pay $10-15 apiece for the chips, which will be sewn into their jackets. Once the climber returns, the chip will be removed, given back to the government, and saved for the next person.
So the $10-15 is a rental price, not a per unit price. Which means it could be some of the more expensive solutions he ruled out due to cost.