The Shadow Tracker Jr. has a built in GPS receiver. The unit stores route information while the vehicle is traveling in the field. Once the information is collected, the device is downloaded and the software generates reports about the travel of the vehicle. The device has a variable setting that determines how often the unit will record location information. This setting, referred to as the Collection Rate, determines the number of hours of travel the unit will store information. I have included a chart that indicates the approximate amount of driving hours that the unit will record at each setting. Please keep in mind that this is actual driving time. While the vehicle is sitting still, the memory capacity of the device is not depleted. How is the Shadow Tracker Jr. Installed? The Shadow Tracker Jr. is typically direct wired to the fuse block. This means that the unit is constantly connected to a power source. This eliminates the potential for tampering with the product by disconnecting the power source. If the device power is disconnected, then this will be indicated on your daily travel report. The Shadow Tracker Jr. is normally placed underneath the dash of the vehicle. The antenna for the unit is an active patch antenna measuring approximately 1 square by ¾ deep. The antenna will normally pick up a signal through plastic and glass so it can be mounted underneath the dash in most vehicles, but the optimal placement for the antenna is on the roof of the vehicle. Installation is typically performed by our customers. Installation is estimated at 10 20 minutes per vehicle. Our technical support department is available to assist in this process. They can be contacted at our toll free number.
The Download Process The Shadow Tracker Jr. is a manual download device. The download process may be performed by connecting the device to the PC in your office, or by extracting the information from the Jr. in the vehicle with a laptop computer or Palm device. What are the benefits to implementing a GPS tracking solution? Everyday you manage your office personnel by monitoring their progress from project to project. So why should your field employees be any different? The Shadow Tracker Jr. allows you to manage your field employees while assuring fewer incidents of employee time sheet abuse, unauthorized vehicle usage, and much more. One of the easiest examples of how a GPS tracking solution can help your organization save money is evident in potential fuel costs savings. With the price of gas being what it is, who isn't trying to save a few bucks at the pump these days? While we can't do anything about the price of gas, we can provide you with the tools to make sure your mobile workforce is driving responsibly. Source: Department of Energy Website Effects of Speeding on Fuel Costs Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.10 per gallon for gas. Observing the speed limit is also safer. Fuel Economy Benefit: 7-23% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.10-$0.34/gallon This chart illustrates how an organization can save on fuel costs by monitoring employee speed. It does not take into account associated reductions in vehicle maintenance, decreased risks of insurance or causality losses, and fuel savings related to reductions in unauthorized use of vehicles.
We offer GPS devices designed to help owners maintain complete control of their mobile workforce. In addition to speed information, managers can review routes driven, stop locations, time spent at each stop, and total miles traveled. The Shadow Tracker line of products is a GPS tracking system with no associated monthly fees. This means that increases in productivity and decreases in gas mileage and vehicle maintenance will add to your organization s bottom line. Technical Support is provided with your purchase at no additional charge. Our technical support department is available via our toll free number. All Shadow Tracker items have a 1-year warranty.
Which Shadow Tracker is Right for You? Feature Jr. Performer Pro 2000 Automatic Download No No No Yes Manual Download Yes Yes Yes No Download Rate 115K 115K 115K 115K Built-in Memory 512K 1Mb 2Mb 512K Compressed Data Collection Rate Adj. 3-120 Sec. Adj. 3-120 Sec. Adj. 3-120 Sec. 10 Sec Time Traveler Keypad Ready No Yes No Yes Built-in Motion Detector No Yes Yes Yes Professional Software Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Lite Software Supported Yes Yes Yes No Switched Power No No Yes Yes GPS Antenna Type Active-Patch Active-Patch Active-Patch Active-Patch The Jr., Performer, and Pro are manual download devices. They require one unit per vehicle and a software package that supports the devices. The download process may be performed by connecting the device to the PC in your office, or by extracting the information from the Jr. in the vehicle with a laptop computer or Palm device. The Shadow Tracker 2000 is a wireless download unit. It transmits the information stored on the unit to a base station over a 900 MHz frequency. It also has real time capability within a limited range (Line of sight from the base station up to 22 miles.) This system requires a 2000 unit in each vehicle, a base station, and software.
The graphic below is a screenshot of the travel map produced by our Shadow Tracker software. The route line is color coded to indicate the speed the vehicle was traveling during the route. The mapping software will allow you to zoom in and out on the route. The following page illustrates the zoom capability. The yellow X designates the beginning of the route. The car designates the end of the route. A sequential number indicates all stops on the route. The user can obtain the time and duration of the stop by simply clicking on the stop number.
The screenshot below is an example of the above route at greater zoom magnitude. The mapping software also offers other capabilities such as Point-to-Point directions and city and street find functions.
The following is an example of the Daily Travel Report. By default, the location name will appear as an address range. The user can mark locations on the map and give the locations a corresponding name. If the vehicle stops within a user-defined range of this location, then the report will list the marked location name in lieu of the address range. Thursday January 25, 2001 Smith, B. Begin End Duration Mileage Action Type Speed Location Name 7:05AM 7:05AM Begin Begin: CUMBERLAND BLVD 7:05AM 7:27AM 00:22 10.81 In Transit 63 In-Transit 7:27AM 11:52AM 04:25 Stop L-ATTI OFFICE 11:52AM 11:57AM 00:05 1.94 In-Transit 47 In-Transit 11:57AM 12:35PM 00:38 Stop 6700 6899 HARBOR TOWN 12:35PM 12:42PM 00:07 3.13 In-Transit 53 In-Transit 12:42PM 5:54PM 05:12 Stop L-ATTI OFFICE 5:54PM 6:22PM 00:28 9.86 In-Transit 68 In-Transit 6:22PM 7:53PM 01:31 Stop L-COFFEE SHOP 7:53PM 7:59PM 00:06 2.51 In-Transit 52 In-Transit 7:59PM 8:14PM 00:15 Stop 3400 3499 S MAIN ST 8:14PM 8:16PM 00:02 0.73 In-Transit 39 In-Transit 8:16PM 9:27PM 01:11 Stop EAGLE DRIVE 9:27PM 9:31PM 00:04 1.97 In-Transit 47 In-Transit 9:31PM 9:31PM End End: Home In the sample report shown above, ATTI OFFICE and COFFEE SHOP are examples of marked locations.