Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

GPS tracking devices receive information from satellites and transmit that information to receivers owned by individuals, businesses, or departments.  Most GPS’s consist of two main parts-the tracking device and the computer software that receives and organizes the data.  While GPS tracking systems play an important role in many different people’s lives, they play a surprisingly important role in an athlete’s life.  Whether you are an avid runner or just a casual hiker, a GPS tracking device can help keep you safe.  If you prefer to run, hike, or ski all on your own-meaning you like to “fly solo”-a GPS tracking device is a great thing for you to wear.  You can wear a GPS watch or carry a small navigational tool.  Simply give your friends or family the receiver, and this will allow them to know exactly where you are at all times.  This way, if they ever need to come after you, they can follow the signals right to wear you are.  GPS tracking devices are also important to an athlete’s training.  Training inside an arena is relatively easy because the conditions never change.  But what happens when your sport is outside and the weather and surfaces change frequently?

Athletes and GPS Tracking

GPS tracking systems were used in conjunction with the very recent 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.  It was reported on February 27 of this year that the Canadian Skiing Team used a GPS tracking system called STEALTH (Sensor for the Training of Elite Athletes) to help in their skiers’ training.  In the practice runs, STEALTH was worn in a pack at the skier’s waist, and the information was sent to their coaches by means of an antenna.  The information that was received helped the coaches and skiers review practice runs and make improvements to help them find the fastest route possible.   Also, the GPS tracking device gave the coaches, trainers, and skiers valuable information about skiing in various snow and ice conditions.  The device is incredibly accurate; it gives the athlete’s location within a foot.  The information is easily retrievable in a very short amount of time.  This GPS tracking device was very helpful to the Canadian ski team, and other countries, like the US, are also experimenting with STEALTH for the training of their athletes.

Whether you are a casual or professional athlete, a GPS tracking device can be helpful to you-for both your training and safety.

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

There’s a lot of talk about distracted drivers on our streets and roadways and, for good reason because the amount of distractions has increased.  Consider that not too many years ago, the vehicle controls and the radio used to be the only major distractions to the driver.  Now, add cell phones, GPS Navigation units, entertainment systems and the myriad of other electronic aids built into vehicles and you have a recipe for disaster.

Distracted Drivers & GPS Tracking

Distracted driving is quick becoming a major cause of accidents that not only produce damage to a vehicle, but can cause injury and even death.  It is important, then to discuss the ways that distractions can be eliminated.

Reduce the Possibility

Getting rid of distractions by turning off devices that demand attention is the number one way to eliminate distractions.  Or do not take things along that can distract a person while they are driving.

Alter Behavior

Teaching to better handle distractions is important, too.  Face it, distractions will come, but it is more important to learn how to handle them than to just ignore them.  For example, it is better to pull off to the side of the road when taking a cell phone call in a vehicle.  That way, there is no way that you can be the cause of a moving violation or accident.  That goes for text messaging, too.  Helping drivers learn to prioritize tasks can be helpful, also.  Texting and talking on the cell phone can wait until you are at your destination.

Add GPS Tracking

Here’s why this makes sense.  When people know that they are being watched, the fact that it is occurring changes their actions.  Consider that when you drive down the street and encounter a police vehicle, you immediately check your speed and put on the brakes.  And, if you are being followed by a police car, you suddenly become the best driver in the world.

GPS Tracking devices can have that effect, too.  When a driver realizes that every move they make with a vehicle is being ‘watched’ then it will have a positive impact on their actions.  They begin to pay closer attention to their driving.

Distracted driving is at serious levels in our society and anything that we can do to reduce or eliminate it is worthwhile.  GPS Tracking can be a catalyst for good driving behaviors.

Rocking Mountain Tracking has the best line-up of GPS Tracking Device to meet any need.  Take a look at their products and options for the best fit for your business.  You will find knowledgeable sales persons in helping you get the best unit to meet your requirements.

By Greg Bartlett

Are you the parents of a thirteen or fourteen year old?  Are you starting to think about how your life is going to change once your teenager starts learning how to drive?  What about after school jobs, activities, and friends?  Sometimes it is difficult to know how to balance between protecting your child and helping them grow into responsible adulthood.

Teen Driver Safety

The best way to keep your child / teenager / young adult safe is to maintain open lines of communication and set reasonable expectations for behavior and activities.  Even homes with wonderful relationships between parents and teenagers are subject to accidents and tragedy, however, and parents should not overlook dangers even to “good” teenagers.  Even responsible teenagers can quickly find themselves in dangerous circumstances.

For example, statistics show that approximately 100 children each year are abducted and murdered.  Another report claims that between February 2005 to July 2006, 403 kidnappings were attempted by “strangers” or “slight acquaintances” (these numbers reflect only ATTEMPTED kidnappings), and over 3,600 are kidnapped each year by a non-family member.  You may be thinking, “I don’t let my teenager roam the town by himself-this would never happen to us.”

What about after-school jobs?  Does your teenager have an early morning paper route?  Anything could happen.  Does your teenager close up the restaurant after closing each night?  This can be a particularly dangerous situation if there is money on the premises or if the parking lot is not lighted adequately.  Obviously, the answer is not seclusion and isolation.

One thing that may help to keep your teenager safe and to ensure your peace of mind is a GPS tracking system.  A GPS tracking device can keep an active or passive record of the location of the person wearing the receiver.  Satellites in outer space determine the latitude and longitude of the receiver and download the information to the internet or to a mobile device.  Active systems have 24 hour information that you can download at any time.

When your teenager is on his or her paper route and you want to check, you can simply download the information and make sure they are on their route.  If they are closing the store at midnight, you can log in and keep track of where they are until they drive up in your driveway.

If you are the parent of a teenager and are concerned about their safety, then investing in a GPS tracking device may be just the thing to help you find the right balance between “worried parent” and “successful parent.”

By Greg Bartlett

Are you worried about your child possibly being harassed or kidnapped? Almost every day you hear of another child that was kidnapped while walking home from school or playing in his backyard. In 1999, there were about 58,200 children abducted. Over 800,000 children are reported missing each year, according to the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice. This means that 2,000 children are reported missing every day. Even more frightening is the information from the Department of Justice that 40% of child kidnapping victims are killed. Perhaps you as a parent are overcome by the fear that someday one of those children will be yours. It is impossible to be with your child every second of the day, but there is a way to know exactly where your child is at all times.

GPS & Child Safety

Many parents are using a GPS tracking device to monitor their children’s whereabouts. These tracking devices are part of a global positioning system that consists of satellites, computers, and receivers. These amazing technological devices can pinpoint the exact location of an object or person on the earth in exact time. Some of these devices have an accuracy range of as little as 1 meter. Some GPS tracking devices are small enough to be carried in a pocket or worn on a band around the wrist. Another option parents have is to build the GPS tracking device into a watch for their child. Parents can see their children’s location via a web portal, or send them text messages through a cell phone.

In the recent case of 8-month-old Gabriel Johnson, who has yet to be found, GPS tracking is playing an important role. Private investigator Jay Armes is currently working on the case. Armes is one of El Paso’s best investigators, and has solved several difficult cases, many of which have received national attention. Armes has a self-designed system including GPS tracking that he uses in some of his cases. But the case of missing baby Gabriel, and many other cases, could have been avoided if the child had been wearing a GPS tracking device.

GPS tracking systems are becoming increasingly popular in our world today, whether they are used to track criminals or keep track of gas mileage. Use of tracking devices for children and the elderly is also becoming more widespread. If you are worried about your child’s safety, consider getting them a GPS tracking device. It could save your child’s life.

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

It is unfortunate when parents find it out of their reach to instruct their own children on how to be responsible when they are behind the wheel of a vehicle.  But, equally as sad is when a ‘good’ teen driver has an accident that claims their life or the life of another person.

Teen Drivers

Sometimes it seems as though nothing that you say or do sinks in with your kids.  Should you be held accountable for that?  That is another discussion for another day.  Concentrating on steps you can take to help keep them safe is more productive.  Here are some tips that you can use:

Set boundaries. Discipline is a lost necessity in many families but that does not mean that it should be discarded completely.  Make sure that you establish boundaries that are not negotiable.  Sitting down and talking about what is right and wrong is a requirement for setting boundaries.

Encourage safe driving habits. How long has it been since you rode with your teen driver?  You should do it on a regular basis and let them know why you are there:  to help them with their driving.  Bad habits need to be broken, and good ones need to be cultivated.

Some bad habits:  not using turn signals, making lane changes without looking beforehand, not looking both ways and/or stopping at stop signs.

Some good habits: Checking mirrors often, watch speeds and speed limits, slow down way in advance of a stop sign or light, put on seat belt before starting the car.

Watch Your Drivers. When they know that they are being watched, they are more likely to make responsible decisions.  This applies to driving on the roadways as well.  You can show them that speeding not only places them in jeopardy of getting a moving violation ticket, but also does little to decrease the time it takes to reach their destination.

This is like any other task in that it takes time and effort to make it happen.  It is also important to set a good example.  If you have bad driving habits of your own then get rid of them.  Talk about them with your teen driver to help make an impact on them as to why you need to change.  You might be surprised at the outcome.

Finally, don’t be afraid to talk about the consequences of irresponsible driving.  Incidents are happening in your area all the time.  A little fear can be healthy as long as it is based on reality.  That type of fear can help alter actions.  In this case, not wanting to get into an accident can help them focus on being a good driver.

If you fear that the above is not enough, maybe it is time to add a GPS Tracking device to the vehicle that your teen drives.  Whether you tell them or not is up to you, but it might be the catalyst necessary to help you make a statement about how good driving is important.

By Greg Bartlett

Is there a driver in your life that causes you to worry?  Maybe it’s a new teenage driver, a suspicious spouse, or an employee that frequently travels.  No matter what the case may be, a tracking key can put all your worries to rest by giving you accurate information regarding the whereabouts and traveling habits of the person in question.

The Tracking Key

The tracking key is a small GPS tracking device that can be placed in or on the vehicle belonging to the person in question.  It is magnetic, so it can easily be hidden on the bottom of a car.  The tracking key receives information from satellites and records it for later retrieval by means of the USB port located at one end of the key. The information you receive can be shown graphically as a route over a city map or over a satellite image of the earth; or it can be received textually as a written report for you to read.  The tracking key is foolproof; it is a discreet and easy way to track the people you love or employ.  It keeps them accountable, and it keeps you in charge and in the know.

The tracking key can also be used in criminal investigations such as the one involving George Ford.  Here a man was accused of killing a young girl with his car.  His story is that around midnight one night in April 2007, he drove a young girl home after babysitting.  On the way, he stopped to show her some horses, at which time she got out to look at them.  He claimed that he accidentally ran her over as he was performing a reckless U turn.  He also claimed that, out of shock, he waited three hours before taking her to the hospital around 3 a.m.  However, he was unaware that there was a tracking key already on his car that told a different story.  The tracking key showed that his first stop was actually an abandoned house at which the car stayed for three hours.  It also showed that there was a collision around 3 a.m.  Investigators believe that the young girl ran away from Ford at the house, and he chased her and intentionally ran her down.  In the end, it was the tracking key that convicted him of murder and brought justice to the girl’s family.  Tracking keys truly are extremely useful.

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

GPS Tracking is used as a proactive tool to help others keep watch over their vehicles and other valuable assets that are out-of-doors and constantly on the move.  It makes sense.

Personal Safety & GPS Tracking

But, consider this also:  GPS Tracking devices can be used as a way to keep track on your own movements.  It’s a kind of reverse tracking method that is very effective.

If you have ever been the object of a stalker or relationship that has broken down and now contains the elements of relationship abuse, then you might consider one of these devices.  It seems that everyone knows of situations in a relationship that could have benefitted from a GPS Tracking device.  Certainly we hear of them all of the time in the news.

By installing and using one in your vehicle, you can track your own movements and report on them as needed.  This is also good for supplying evidentiary support in court room settings.

In addition, if an unfortunate situation occurs where you are forced to drive your vehicle to a remote area, it can be tracked and found instantly with the proper model installed.  Also, with geo-fencing, you can set boundaries which can send out alerts if they have been broken.

Another area in which GPS Tracking devices can be used is in placing them on vehicles of suspects of violent crimes or stalking.  Their movements can be monitored constantly with data provided that can give a history of the location, direction and speed of the vehicle.

Finally, GPS Tracking devices are invaluable in tracking the vehicles of those who are suspected in marital infidelity cases.  Being able to place a car at a specific location and time helps validate the actions of the suspects.

These applications for GPS Tracking devices are the unseemly side of tracking, yet they are valuable in helping maintain law and order.  Peace of mind is also afforded because it is better knowing than not knowing in these cases.  Formulating actions based on facts rather than hunches is a better way to live.

While cost is often not as great of an issue when used in this case, it is nice to know that for just a few hundred dollars, these GPS Tracking devices can be employed with great results for the user.  In fact, the cost is far outweighed by the benefits.

Keep yourself and your loved ones safe with the use of a GPS Tracking device.  It has the potential to not only keep you safe, but maybe save a life, too.  You never know.

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

Even though auto theft incidents have been dramatically cut in recent months, that is no reason to stop being vigilant about the possibility of it happening to you.  Consider that the most commonly stolen vehicle is the Toyota Camry.  That is not a luxury model by any stretch, and drives home the purpose for which Vehicle Tracking devices have been developed.

GPS & Auto Theft

Here are the best reasons to get a Vehicle Tracking device installed in your car or truck.

Safety

When you are driving and encounter a police vehicle, what is your automatic reaction?  Slow down and look at your speedometer.  This is because being in the presence of one who can enforce the laws makes you drive in a less conspicuous way.  The same is true of a GPS Tracking device.  It constantly monitors vehicle speed, direction, and location and delivers these in a report that can be used to enforced rules and laws on the part of parents to teens and parents to their parents.

Security

You should never travel in your vehicle to an unsafe location.  But, you never know where trouble might originate.  GPS Tracking devices provide a sense of security in that vehicle movements can be monitored in real-time with the proper device.  And, with geo-fencing, alerts can be generated if a vehicle breaks through established boundaries.

Sanity

Parents are constantly worried about their teens when they drive.  And for good reason.  Accidents for teen drivers are higher than any other driver group.  Parents need a GPS Tracking device that can give them some peace of mind about their teen drivers.

Savings

You can realize a savings on your insurance premiums by installing a GPS Tracking device.  Insurance companies embrace these devices as they help lower their risk.  These savings are shared with their clients.

Stability

Adding GPS Tracking devices to your vehicles gives stability to your family and the expectations that parents set forth.  It is one area in which monitoring can be a positive thing because adding them to all of your vehicles puts everyone under the same rules and guidelines.

GPS Tracking devices are more affordable than ever and you can find a model that fits your needs.  The cost can easily be made up in the insurance premium savings in just a few months.

So, what is keeping you from implementing one of these devices?  The sooner you do the better protected and prepared you will be.

By Greg Bartlett

Alzheimer’s disease is a serious threat, with approximately 5.3 million Alzheimer’s patients in the US.  As the 7^th leading cause of death in the US, family members are no doubt concerned any time they discover that a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

GPS Tracking & Alzheimer's

Besides memory loss, impaired judgment, and personality changes, one of the most serious threats for Alzheimer’s patients is wandering.  The Alzheimer’s patient may get lost in his or her own neighborhood, becoming confused and disoriented no matter how many times he or she has been there before.  For every 10 people with Alzheimer’s, 6 will wander and 7 will wander repeatedly.  If the patient is not found within 24 hours, he or she will likely be injured or even die.

In Canada, two people have died within the past few months because of Alzheimer’s.  In the more recent instance, an 80-year-old woman went outside at night, apparently thinking she would get groceries, and ended up dying of hyperthermia.

GPS tracking devices can help save the life of your loved ones.  Many of these devices are small and can be put around the Alzheimer’s patient’s wrist or neck, or even in pieces of their clothing, such as their shoes.  The GPS tracking device will then monitor the individual, alerting you, a caregiver, or even a hospital and the police if the Alzheimer’s patient leaves predetermined boundaries or travels during certain hours.  If your grandmother, for instance, leaves your house during the middle of the night, you’ll find out immediately and can retrieve her before she, too, dies of hyperthermia.

With the ability to monitor the Alzheimer’s patient’s location in real time, a GPS tracking device can increase your loved one’s safety and your peace of mind.  Furthermore, it can even save money.  Search and rescue efforts by individuals and by the government can cost billions of dollars each year.  With GPS devices, the search time can be drastically reduced while the effectiveness is increased - after all, it’s hard to get much faster or more accurate than locating the individual in real time.

Family members whose loved one is suffering from Alzheimer’s are already going through enough while watching their family member slowly die.  They don’t need the added worry of the Alzheimer’s patient wandering off and possibly dying.  With a GPS tracking device, that concern can be removed, leaving the family free to enjoy the time left with their loved one.

By Greg Bartlett

Do you remember how you kept teasing your kids when they were little that you needed to keep them on a leash? Well, GPS technology has created personal tracking that will keep you up-to-date with their movements at any moment. There are a variety of options available for personal tracking and it can be used for a number of reasons.

GPS & Children

Trackmykids.com has created miniature GPS devices that can be attached to backpacks, belts, or coats to monitor your child’s whereabouts. If you want to know the path that they traveled to school, where they are at the current moment, or even whether they stayed within the boundaries that you gave them, this technology might work for you. This site is one of many that offers child tracking, allowing you to have a logon and password so that you are the only one who has access to that information.

GPS tracking is a technology that has been developed recently in science. Although there are many types of GPS tracking, the basics behind it are the same. There must be some sort of device that is connected the object in question. When the device is activated, it begins recording data or transmitting signals to satellites that are strategically located. These satellites reflect the signals to a central computer that records and analyzes the information. Technicians can then make this information available to the public as needed.

A recent event in news has caused a public outcry in regards to the extent that personal tracking has gone. Several schools across the USA have given their students new computers to assist them with schoolwork. The downside, as many have found out, is that the webcam on those computers has been taking pictures and videos of the students working at the computers, or even of other people that are in the room. While this may not sound bad, these cameras have caught some very compromising situations on tape and several school board officials have been questioned regarding the integrity of such a project.

Personal tracking may be the answer to maintaining the security and privacy of your children, but make sure that you consider all the side effects. These items are easily attained and you can even carry one on yourself so that others know your location in case of an emergency. Check out what GPS tracking can do for you.