Our original GPS phone tag offered a major advance in marine mammal telemetry, combining GPS quality locations with efficient data transfer using the international GSM mobile phone network.
Our Second Generation (Gen2) GPS Phone Tag now offers the same quality locations and broadband M2M data uploads in a streamlined package with no external antenna.
Features
Collects accurate high-resolution location and behavioural data at a rate determined by the user.
Typical daily data from a harbor seal:
200 dives, each with 25 depth profile points
180 GPS locations
Complete, detailed individual dive and haulout history archived on the tag
Data is relayed via quad-band GSM mobile phone module when animal is within GSM coverage. This results in:
Lower data cost compared to other platforms
International roaming capability
High energy efficiency
High bandwidth
Fastloc® GPS offers the possibility of a location at every surfacing. Less than a second is needed to acquire the information required for a location.
The tag also uses precision wet/dry and pressure sensors to form detailed individual dive
(max depth, shape, time at depth, etc) and haulout records along with more synoptic summary records as in earlier SMRU SRDLs.
Both location and behavioural data are then stored in memory.
For species that come near shore within GSM coverage the entire set of data records stored in memory can be relayed via the mobile phone system.
Visits ashore may be infrequent, so up to six months of data can be stored on-board the tag and these data may also be downloaded if the tag is retrieved.
GSM data relay offers very high data bandwidth and is over one hundred times more energy efficient than Argos — all for the cost of a couple of hours of phone calls!
Quad-band ensures that our Gen2 GPS Phone tag operates on all continents, wherever GSM coverage is available.
Specification
GSM engine: Sierra Wireless HL8548-G module
GSM bands: 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz
Depth rating (m): 2000
Pressure (dbar) range: 0 to 2000
Accuracy: max ±0.15% @ full scale
Resolution: 0.06 m
Tag Size: 100mm (L) x 70mm (W) x 32mm (H)
Weight in air: 300g
Power options
A high energy density Li-SoCl2 C-cell configuration is now standard, allowing for a lighter, more hydrodynamic device.
Data uplinks are typically attempted every 6 hours. When at sea, only an SMS can normally be sent; this provides the most recent GPS location.
Bulk data transfer occurs during a haulout, or possibly during extended surface events in very calm conditions.
An additional connection attempt is therefore allowed at the beginning of the first haulout in each 6-hour period.
If it is important to monitor the location of the animal in near real-time, more frequent uplinks may be attempted at the cost of tag longevity.
Conversely, a longer deployment can be achieved if the frequency of uplinks is reduced.
For details of pricing and how to order, please see our Contact & Sales section.