FAQ | Mtrack

Yes. This is possible if you have the MtrackPro Wired unit. Because this unit draws its power from the vehicle’s battery and uses this to charge it’s own internal back-up battery, it is able to report live minute-by-minute GPS positions of your vehicle. This is captured on our web based database and you are able to pull trip-log reports from our Mtrack Web System.

The MtrackFleet solution should be considered an effective business tool which focuses on the three important aspects of a company’s vehicle management process. We offer:
1. A complete vehicle security solution, including a 24 hour GPS motion monitoring system, full stolen vehicle recovery, user interface parameter control, comprehensive warning alarms, and in-vehicle camera access.
2. a comprehensive fleet management solution, including 24 access to vehicle movement, physical access control functions, route based access control via Geo-fencing, user defined Point of Interest (POI) identification and route planning through tracking and diagnostics using vehicle telemetry. A range of crucial reports may be set up to report directly to any predefined location (SMS, E-mail or PDF printable), the definitions of which can be set up by the authorised user.
3. As an integrated business solution, the reduction of costs, increasing customer satisfaction and improved communication which ultimately leads to more productive process flow.

With the non-rechargeable Lithium Thionyl Chloride (LiSOCl2) “D” cell batteries used in the Mtrack, the life-cycle is influenced by numerous factors such as unit sleep cycle, reporting rates, temperature, unit in alarm mode, GSM coverage, etc. All these issues will affect the level of energy drawn from the battery and therefore its life span.

In order to understand the expected lifetime of the battery, it is necessary to have a basic understanding of some of the factors which have an influence on the life of a battery:
Sleep Cycle
The main reason behind this sleep cycle is twofold: to preserve the battery life of the unit (the shorter the sleep-cycle of the unit, the shorter the battery life), and to increase the difficulty of detecting the unit.
The sleep cycle is remotely configurable and can be changed at any time.
Reporting position
Mtrack can be programmed to send a position via SMS through the GSM network each time it wakes up. This enables the units sleep cycle to be configured for the shortest response time in an emergency situation, as well as limit the number of SMS’s (should regular position reports be required). The unit can also be programmed to send a position only every x times it wakes up.
Operating temperature
Long term operation above ambient temperature may lead to reduced capacity and lower voltage readings at the beginning of pulses.
Unit in alarm mode
The number of times the unit has been in alarm has the greatest impact of all. In fact, if a unit has been in alarm mode for more than a couple of hours it is recommended to have the battery exchanged.
Variations in GSM coverage:
The longer the device has to search for a GSM base station to report to, the more power is required. Mtrack is defaulted to only search for 1 minute. This prevents unnecessary power consumption in poor GSM reception areas.

It uses a combination of mobile phone signals (GSM) and radio frequencies (RF) to give at first a macro location to a 3 kilometer radius from the unit. By using ‘time in advance’ function through the GSM and RF signals the operator can eliminate 2 thirds of the search area. RF signals are then used by a national search and recovery team using specialist detectors to pinpoint your unit accurate to 1 meter.

Approximately 1 year, based upon normal usage (set to wake up every 60 minutes / 24 times per day). Battery life is dependant upon how many times you wake the unit, the more you wish to wake the unit to verify its location the quicker the battery will need replacing. The patented power source has been specially developed by Mtrack to give incredible battery life for such a compact unit by using a wake/sleep pattern shown below and can be remotely configured by a monitoring station using SMS text messaging. Typically we would recommend a 1 hour sleep cycle, with a battery life expectancy of 10 to 12 months.