About GPS Tracking and Battery Recharging
The FirstCall 4G Mobile Alarm Pendants use a precision GPS module.
The GPS location is sent with each text message from the pendant. Your contacts just tap on the link sent to their smartphone and a Google map will appear showing your known GPS location.
They can also request your location by:
calling the pendants phone number and hanging up after one ring, or
by sending the pendant a text message.
The pendant will reply by sending a text message with a link to a Google Map.
The location accuracy by GPS can be as good as 2.5 metres, but it is usually somewhat less accurate, but still very good. There are some important things to know about GPS tracking.
GPS tracking may not work inside buildings, car parks, or among tall buildings
Mobile alarm pendants use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to identify the location of the person needing assistance. An accurate GPS location fix requires the pendant to be able to receive radio signals from several low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. When the pendant is taken into buildings, car-parks, shopping-malls, or even between tall buildings, the radio signal from the satellite is very likely to be blocked, or highly attenuated (reduced).
If this occurs the pendant will not know its actual position, but rather can only know the position where it received the last accurate satellite fix. This may have been outside the entrance to a building or complex, or it may be some distance away depending on how far the pendant has travelled since the last accurate satellite fix.
The accuracy of GPS tracking depends on how often a satellite position fix is taken
The accuracy of the GPS position fix also depends on how often the pendant updates its position from the satellites, and how quickly the pendant is moving. If the time between satellite fixes is short when the pendant is moving, the position sent in the text message will be more accurate. If the time between fixes is longer, the position sent will be less accurate (depending on how long it was since the last fix and how quickly you are moving).
The time between GPS position fixes is determined by a setting in the pendant, but this also affects the battery run-time between recharges.
The relationship between GPS fix times and pendant battery recharging
You may think that the best thing to do is just set the pendant to the shortest possible time between satellite position fixes, however the problem is the battery power required.
GPS receivers take a lot of battery power, and because a personal pendant needs to be small and lightweight the battery also needs to be small and light. If the time required between position fixes is short the battery will need to be recharged more often. Conversely, if the time between position fixes is longer, the battery can be recharged less often. We set a position fix rate which allows about 3-days operation between recharges.
Regardless of how you use the pendant, we highly recommend getting into the habit of recharging the pendant each night.
FirstCall cannot be held responsible for failures beyond its control. FirstCall uses external systems and services such as telecomminications and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems which FirstCall does not control. Firstcall will not be held liable for any consequential loss or damage other than those determined by Australian Consumer Law.