Magnetron Technology: The reinvention of the auto-locking carabiner, coming July 2012

Throughout the decades, we’ve been at the forefront of revolutionary carabiner design here at Black Diamond Equipment—from Yvon Chouinard’s original ovals; to the climbing world’s first-ever wiregate, the HotWire; to the crossload-eliminating belay carabiner, the GridLock. Never satisfied with the status quo, we’re always striving to develop the next great carabiner design innovation, which has led us to our latest game-changing advancement: Magnetron Technology™. What’s so special about Magnetron Technology? One word: magnets. Yes, that’s right—locking carabiners that utilize magnets and not twistlocks or screwlocks on the gates. Available on select locking carabiners in July 2012, our patent-pending Magnetron Technology is so revolutionary we decided to share a sneak preview with you now to get you stoked. Here’s the basics: using the power of magnetic fields to reinvent the locking carabiner, the Magnetron GridLock and the Magnetron RockLock locking carabiners combine maximum security and ease of use like never before. • Magnetic attraction to a steel insert in the carabiner nose keeps two independent arms securely locked • Locking arms must be individually depressed before the gate can be opened • Once open, opposing magnetic fields repel the arms to ensure smooth and reliable gate operation • Symmetrical design allows for easy one-handed operation (right or left) For an in-depth look at the concept and development of Magnetron technology, watch this video, and then …