Rocky Mountain Tracking

Daily GPS News

A New City

March 14th, 2009

By Harriette Halepis

Every day people move from one city to another. This often means exploring a new town, finding new schools and banks, and searching for new favourite spots. While all of these things are quite common, what happens when a new city suddenly becomes a dangerous place?

No matter what new city you may be moving to, you always have to be on guard in case of an emergency. This means staying away from unknown areas, crime areas, and dark streets. Of course, this can be difficult when you want to explore your new town.

Even if you heed this advice and explore your new town with caution, you still may encounter a situation that you don’t know how to handle. For example, what happens when you have been mugged in a city where you don’t know the local law enforcement number?

Or, what happens when you wind up injured in some manner, but you don’t know where the closest hospital is located? If you carry a GPS tracking system, then you can rest assured that you will always be able to locate help when you need it.

Not only will you be able to find help using your GPS system, help will also be able to find you thanks to this type of device. How? Consider this scenario: you are driving in a new city, and you are suddenly involved in a car crash that leaves you unconscious.

With the help of your GPS tracking device, police and emergency crews will be able to find your exact location, dispatch help, and get you to an emergency room without any trouble at all. Without this kind of tracking system on your side, you may have to rely upon strangers to call for help for you.

Clearly, having a GPS tracking system in a new city is a lot like have a personal guard. Whether you wander down the wrong alley, step onto a crowded street too quickly, or wind up in a car accident, your GPS tracking system will be there to help you when you need it.

While there are lots of industrial uses for a GPS tracking system, these trackers are also great for personal use. Carry a GPS tracking system with you wherever you go in order to ensure that you are always safe. Exploring a new city can be a lot of fun…just make sure that you can be found no matter where you may roam!

Why Every Outdoorsman Needs a PLB

March 14th, 2009

By Greg Bartlett

If you are a hunter, hiker or a backpacker chances are that you have found yourself out on a wilderness trail miles from anywhere. The feeling of the solitude and being at one with nature provides you with feelings of calm and serenity. That calm and serenity can be shattered at a moment’s notice however. What happens when you are miles from nowhere and you slip and fall, breaking a bone in your leg? What happens when the weather changes and you suddenly find yourself stranded? Who’s going to help you and how are you going to get out of the mess you’ve found yourself in? If you have a PLB, help is just a short time away.

PLBs are Personal Locator Beacons. They function in the same manner as the EPIRB’s that are on boats and the ELT’s that are on aircraft. PLBs operate with a 406 MHz signal that is manually activated. Once the PLB is activated the signal is transmitted to a satellite, orbiting the earth, and help is dispatched to your location.

Prior to July 01, 2003, the only PLB’s that were available were to Alaskan residents. The success that was seen with PLB’s in Alaska opened the program to any United States resident. Since 2003, the abilities of PLB’s have been enhanced with the addition of global positioning system data in the emergency signal. This GPS data narrows the search area down to as little as 100 yards from the location of the PLB. Most PLB’s also feature a secondary transmission system on 121.5MHz, which allows the use of radio direction finders to pinpoint the location of the emergency beacon.

When a person ventures into the wilderness areas of the United States, they recognize that their sheer survival rests in what they have packed into their backpack. Extra clothing, food and water are always included. Some form of shelter is there along with some emergency medical supplies. Friends or family have been notified as to where the person is going in the wilderness and what their expected arrival time should be when they get back to civilization. What happens if a person says that they are going out into the backcountry for a week and that people find themselves hurt on the second day out? They have five days of being alone and hurt before anyone thinks to look for them.

If the outdoorsman is injured or finds himself stranded and they have a PLB, help is almost immediately on the way. It typically takes less than 15 minutes for a search & rescue team to be dispatched after the PLB is activated. A PLB is the best way for an outdoorsman to insure that they won’t be stranded in the wilderness if everything doesn’t go as planned.

GPS Tracking Devices Can Help You Remember Where Your Photographs Were Taken

March 8th, 2009

By Greg Bartlett

Have you taken your holiday pictures? Can you remember exactly where you were when that photo was taken? You can? What about the next one? Looks quite similar doesn’t it? The headache of trying to remember the exact location of a holiday snap is amplified many times if you have to take photos for a living. Travel photography can be a stop-start affair because extensive notes need to be taken about where the pictures have been taken. GPS tracking can simplify the issues.

GPS tracking systems are very good at providing accurate information about location. They receive satellite data and as long as they can see the open sky, they can work out where they are on the planet. Orbiting satellites accurately transmit time-stamped packets of data every few seconds. The receiving devices can compute their own location using the information from four of these satellites. The satellite data consists of information in relation to the exact time and the position of the satellite in its orbit relative to the Earth.

Rosco is a well known photographer who is slowly building a name for himself as a travel photographer. His eye for detail and the superb images he produces are very highly valued. So he was thrilled when he landed a lucrative contract which involved a lot of travelling and taking shots at different locations. His work involved travelling to several European capitals and taking candid shots of the tourists in these different cities. But to his horror, Rosco came back with nothing! Well he came back with three cameras full of images but the airline lost the bag which had his notes!

Some well known firms are now producing cameras which incorporate a camera with a GPS tracking unit. The two do not need to be connected to each other in order to work. As long as the device can see the sky, then it records location data every few seconds. There is no need to stop and jot things down. Back at home, the images and the information can be downloaded directly to the computer.

Rosco survived his contract and went back to take more photos with the new camera. Now there was no more trouble with taking notes or with trying to decipher his own handwriting. And he got the most exciting photos when he did not have to worry and could take all sorts of shots at any time. Whew! Thanks to GPS tracking devices!

GPS Vehicle Tracking for Recreational Protection

March 8th, 2009

By James Neely

In the world of outdoor recreation, businesses need a method of managing their assets and monitoring usage. There is no better way of accomplishing this than to use a GPS Tracking system.

The types of businesses that can benefit from GPS are endless:

Golf Courses and Country Clubs. Management of golf carts can be made easy but in addition so too can the equipment that is used in the operations of a course: tractors, mowers, and anything else that has a motor.

Boat Rentals. Want to know where your rental boat is located? Look it up on your GPS Tracking system. Want to know where it has been and when it is returning? Look it up on your GPS Tracking system.

Ski Resorts. These businesses have the responsibility to keep track of their valued motorized equipment as well as snowmobiles. Not only can you locate them in the worst of weather, you can alert authorities to their whereabouts should there be a need.

Theme Parks. Crowded theme parks make for easy misplacement of motorized equipment. A GPS vehicle tracking system not only finds them, but helps insure that employees are performing their rounds in a timely fashion.

Public Parks. Local and national parks cover many acres of land. Keeping track of assets in this setting is a chore because of the amount of space involved. Imagine being able to track a conservation vehicle as to its whereabouts in real time.

Zoos. Many vehicles are used in the operations of a zoo. Managing fleets of vehicles is made easier with a GPS Tracking system. Find an asset quickly and track its use around the facilities.

Motorcycle and Scooters. When renting out vehicles for use outside of a business, a system is mandatory for maintaining speed enforcement. Also, mileage can be verified as well.

Flight Instructors. Losing an aircraft due to theft is not a usual occurrence, but a GPS Tracking system can help report on flight sessions and in-flight whereabouts as well.

RVs and Campers. Rental companies that offer RVs and campers have a difficult time maintaining location and mileage details. This system provides that in a report that can be used at time of return to help insure that the vehicle was used in a proper manner.

Finding out about all of the benefits of a system like this must include a discussion of theft recovery. Not only can assets be tracked for location, but insurance premiums can be lowered on these vehicles to help keep operating overhead low.

Law Enforcement Use GPS Tracking Device

March 7th, 2009

By James Neely

In law enforcement, knowledge is king. Think about the amount of information that is gathered by our police and court systems that aide and assist in enforcing laws and ruling that are issued every day. Seem a little overwhelming? Yet, these organizations would not be able to function properly without the information that they gather which is used to support and enforce laws and judgments.

Police That is why it is becoming more and more important to consider adding a GPS Tracking system to police and other public law enforcement agencies. Not only can assets such as police, fire, rescue and other official vehicles be tracked, but in the case of severe law-breaking, these units can be ordered by the court system to be attached to vehicles that are under the ownership of those who have judgments against them. These systems can help monitor usage and verify compliance.

For police and safety vehicles, the monitoring of where and when can help verify police activity in a given situation. The ability to track vehicles in real time presents an opportunity to report and verify in data format to substantiate a testimony in a court case on the part of a district attorney.

In addition, the assets of a police department other than patrolling vehicles can be monitored as well. Included in this list could be boats, RV units, motorcycles and anything else that needs to be located and managed from a single console.

In terms of Fire and Rescue vehicles, the ability to track calls and runs helps generate reports that show vehicle usage. This can be used to justify purchase requests for additional equipment based on demand.

Publically owned, official vehicles can be tracked as well and reported on for speed, distance and time verification. The philosophy that everyone needs to be held accountable is good for the public but also applies to these agencies as well.

Finally, while law enforcement by court adjudication is more difficult, the fact remains that there is not enough being done in this realm. Court-ordered compliance of judgments that require adherence to time and location restrictions can be enforced with the use of a GPS tracking device.

The public safety systems that have and use these systems are in a much better position of managing their fleets, and providing official data to support their efforts. That alone is worth the price of installation and usage.

Airport Asset Tracking

March 6th, 2009

By James Neely

When visiting an international airport one marvels over the expanse of the facilities and the amount of equipment used in the servicing of airplanes and moving of luggage in and around the terminal. How is it kept under control? What systems can be put into place that will allow motorized vehicle tracking? A GPS Tracking system is the answer.

Whether you are attempting to locate a small luggage carrier, a fuel truck or a food service delivery vehicle, this system will deliver for you in real time.

With this system you can verify location and provide a time lapse review of activities for asset usage and compliance. This affords you the control you need in making sure that tasks relative to on-time delivery are being met. Airport schedules are very important and remaining on-time is not an option.

What can paralyze an operation more than equipment break-downs? Airport vehicle preventive maintenance needs to be scheduled on a per-mile or per-hour basis. This system can deliver that data for you to help make sure your fleet is in the best possible condition. You have the tool that you need to help keep them running great which can reduce break-downs.

The cost of these systems is only a few hundred dollars per unit. The savings in break-down costs alone over the course of a year would more than pay for these units.

Asset tracking and recovery. Now more than ever, maintaining a tight control on your assets is not an option. Finding a dependable and affordable way to keep watch on equipment will help ward off the negative effects of thieves who steal and then attempt to sell on the open market. Asset location information can be delivered to authorities as to the whereabouts of equipment so that recovery efforts can move forward.

When it comes time for a review of your equipment by accounting personnel you will be able to deliver reliable and accurate reports. They will be simply amazed at your organization efforts.

All of this wrapped up into one word would be ‘control.’ You control your assets, reporting needs, compliance requirements, locations and maintenance needs. The truth is that this kind of control is no longer an option. With equipment costs rising every year and budgets being scrutinized more and more, a system like this will certainly become invaluable overnight. You will wonder what you ever did without it.

Tracking Scattered Workers with GPS

March 5th, 2009

By Greg Bartlett

Keeping Track of Employees Some companies are involved in different types of work including seismology, pipeline laying, and running cables for electricity or telephone. Some work above the ground and others must dig below ground to perform their functions. Often, employees are scattered to the four winds performing various functions from start to finish without ever setting foot in a central office during the work day. How can employers keep track of their employees and measure their progress on such jobs? The answer is with GPS tracking.

If employees are paid an hourly wage and the amount of time spent on the job is needed, a GPS log can provide employers with the amount of time spent away from a job site, the time in transit, the time spent on the job. Progress during the day can be measured to verify that this crew is working and making progress according to the planned work schedule. It is even possible to know when and how long the crew spends on their lunch break because progress will cease to be in single direction for a time. This makes it possible for one supervisor to oversee more than one crew, because any work stoppages that occur in his absence will be noted by a lack of progress with the job.

GPS tracking of employees in this fashion can also help employers in the event that a service call comes in or an emergency comes up. The central office is able to take such calls and make a determination of who is closest that can handle the situation. This can save a great deal of money for the company by avoiding dispatching a crew that would have to travel farther to do the job than the one shown to be closer by the GPS system.

There are a variety of reasons for companies to make use of GPS technology. Tracking the locations of equipment and employees on jobs that require them to work in rural areas away from any sort of central office are two very good reasons. Ground crews working in scattered areas having materials transported to them by helicopter can be found quickly and the most direct route taken by the pilot to minimize time and fuel on each run. Supervisors can have two or three different crews working for them and be able to locate them easily using realtime GPS tracking technology. Companies can measure the progress made on pipeline and cable jobs by checking where the crew finished the day against where they started.

GPS Tracking Systems Help Protect People with Mental Deficiencies

March 4th, 2009

By Greg Bartlett

Many people, who are somewhat less than mentally competent, live in our cities and have freedom to roam at will. Autism affects many children in this country who do not relate to the outside world in the same way that most people do. These individuals tend to live in their own world and only react to the real world on a very limited scale that involves doing things in the same way every day with little or no variation. If their routine is thrown off, these individuals can become completely lost within just a few blocks of their home.

Alzheimer’s is another disease that affects many elderly people. This disease causes the individual afflicted to live in the past. This results in the individual not knowing where they are even if they are in their own home. The further along Alzheimer’s progresses the more disoriented the individual becomes in their surroundings. Because of the nature of Alzheimer’s disease, the majority of Alzheimer’s patients are put into a nursing home or other facility where the staff is more equipped to handle them. Despite this Alzheimer’s patients still often get lost close to their residences.

For the parents, children, or unrelated caregivers of these mentally deficient individuals, there is now a technology that is proven to be helpful in locating lost individuals quickly and efficiently so that someone can recover them and get back to their home unharmed. GPS tracking can be used with a bracelet or similar jewelry item that is worn by the individual and sends out a signal that can be picked up and read by a computer with an internet connection so that the whereabouts of the person can be ascertained quickly when it is noticed that they are missing.

This particular use of GPS tracking systems has saved the lives of many Alzheimer’s patients who have wandered away from nursing homes and skill nursing facilities. These are often located in a semi rural area where the patient can become lost within a quarter mile of the facility and not be able to find his/her way back, even if he/she realizes he/she is lost. In the past, many patients have been searched for in a manhunt that lasted for several days before being found, dead from exposure, usually less than a mile from where they went missing from. The same technology can be applied to Autistic individuals and others with an altered mental capacity. For more information about GPS technology call Rocky Mountain Tracking, Inc. at 1-888-242-0500.

Tracking the Possibilities

March 1st, 2009

By Harriette Halepis

GPS tracking has come under a lot of fire lately. Some people view this type of tracking device as an invasion of privacy. Others see GPS tracking as a way to control events and situations that are usually out of control. No matter how you view this topic, there’s no debating the fact that GPS opens up a world of possibilities that would otherwise never be plausible.

What are some of those possibilities? Let’s begin with the truant and troublesome teenager. If you are a parent, then you know what it feels like to worry about your teen all day long. This worrisome feeling only extends as your teen grows, and sometimes you wish that you could follow your teen everywhere in order to make sure that they are safe.

With the help of a GPS auto tracker, you can easily keep tabs on your teenager wherever they wander. If your teen decides to go out one night, simply slip a GPS into their bag. This way, you can be sure that your teen will be safe no matter where they go. In addition, you can add a tracker to your teen’s backpack…just to make sure that they actually attend school on a daily basis. Aside from tracking your teen, there are other useful ways to use that device.

If you run any kind of business, you may wonder whether or not your employees are actually working as much as they claim to be. Well, many other companies wonder the same thing, which is why some companies have begun to use GPS to track and trace each employee during work hours. Companies have found that employees are less likely to leave work, stop working, or come in late to work when they know that they are being tracked.

Not only does this type of employee tracking cut down on company costs, it also alerts employers as to the type of employees that are working for them. If you want to keep tabs on your company money, think about using a tracking device. Clearly, tracking devices are quite handy no matter what the situation might be.

Whether you want to track your teen; keep your child safe; or keep a watchful eye on your employees, there is no better way to do all of these things than with a GPS auto tracker. These small, undetectable, trackers may be the subject of many debates, but those that use them know their true worth.

GPS Wildlife Tracking

February 28th, 2009

By Harriette Halepis

When most of us think about GPS tracking uses, we tend to think of personal ways to use this technology. Uses such as teen tracking, shipment tracking, elderly tracking, and domestic animal tracking may come to mind. Aside from these very practical uses, GPS tracking can be used to record, track, and understand the wildlife that surrounds us.

Biologists, researchers, and scientists use GPS tracking devices in order to follow certain animals in their natural habitats. Thanks to GPS technology, it is now possible to understand and observe various animal habits and patterns. Studying wild animals in this manner helps mankind to understand the world as it moves, but it also serves another very important purpose.

Through GPS wildlife tracking, scientists can determine (and potentially prevent) animal-borne diseases. Diseases such as avian influenza (bird flu) and other transferrable diseases can be kept away from the larger population through Global Positioning System technology. How? If scientists can understand where infected animals have come from, where they are going, and how they are contracting a certain disease, then they may be able to prevent this disease from infecting humans far in advance.

There are various types of GPS tracking devices that can be used to track wild animals. Some larger animals can be tracked using collar devices, while smaller animals can be tracked using devices that are directly attached to their bodies. While this technology is important, it is also crucial that GPS devices do not interfere with natural animal habits.

Animal Tracking Device Thus, scientists have managed to craft specific GPS tracking devices for various animals – including GPS trackers that can be attached to a bird without affecting its flight capabilities. Every day, scientists and biologists are following the animals that live amongst us. Through these studies, we can learn more about those animals that seem so far away from our daily reality.

While it’s true that GPS tracking devices are important when it comes to our own lives, they also play an important part in understanding our world. Most people never come in contact with a wild animal, but these animals are still a large part of our environment. Learning about our entire environment is the best possible way to understand the world in which we live. Thanks to GPS tracking, we can now begin to look into the animal kingdom with understanding and certainty – two things that will lead us closer to comprehending the way that the world truly works.