1.
What is Personal Location & Tracking (PLT)?
2.
How accurate is GPS?
3.
Can I Track Devices anywhere?
4.
What is a GROUP?
5.
What Phone# do I use for this map?
6.
What is that 'Box' on the right side of the Map?
7.
The Icon data and the List data do not match?
8.
What is the Maximum number of Tracking records
allowed in the database?
9.
What data is sent out? How big is it?
10.
How many Zoom levels are there?
11.
Why does the map NOT recenter itself?
12.
What is a ZONE?
13.
What are the capabilities of a Zone?
14.
Who can create or delete Zones?
15.
What are the START and STOP BUTTONS?
16.
What is a KEY?
17.
Why does some of the data seem to be spread far apart?
1. What is Personal
Location & Tracking (PLT)?
PerDiemCo is a PDA/Phone application for providing Personel Tracking
using your GPS receiver data. With the PerDiemCo software on your PDA or
Phone you can do the following: · Show a PDA or Phone's current location
on a Map. · Show geographic Zones with entry & exit notification. ·
Selectively provide your current location as a Map to others. · Provide
'coded' web access to this Maps. · View location and tracking ranges
using start and how many records to display.
2. How accurate
is GPS?
Today's GPS receivers are extremely accurate, thanks to their
parallel multi-channel design. Certain atmospheric factors and other
sources of error can affect the accuracy of GPS receivers. Most GPS
receivers are accurate to within 15 meters (49 feet) 95% of the time.
Generally, users will see accuracy within 5 to 10 meters (16 to 33 feet)
under normal conditions. However, it won't be able to get positions
while indoors, underground or in tunnels.
3. Can I Track
Devices anywhere?
Factors that can degrade the GPS signal, and thus affect
accuracy, include the following: Ionosphere and troposphere delays — The
GPS signal slows as it passes through the atmosphere. Signal multipath —
The GPS signal is reflected off objects such as tall buildings or large
rock surfaces before it reaches the receiver. Orbital errors — Also
known as ephemeris errors, these are inaccuracies of the satellite's
reported location. Poor satellite visibility — The more satellites a GPS
receiver can "see", the better the accuracy. GPS units typically will
not work indoors, underwater, or underground. At the same time, PLT's
effective area is limited to cell phone data service coverage
since it uses your data network to connect to our server.
4. What is a
GROUP?
The GROUP is a number or name assigned to the PDa or Phone.
These identifiers are used to group devices for tracking on a single
map. This GROUP name is set and managed on the device. Only one user
phone number and the GROUP name is needed to view all members on a
single map. Only devices with the GROUP name will be displayed. The
GROUP name is shared/agreed upon by the device users. There is no
referee for this feature. Users agree to a name enter it in their
individual devices and a group is formed. If changes in the name are
made all users need to change to stay visible of the new GROUP map.
5. What Phone#
do I use for this map?
The number for the PDA or Phone being tracked. Thisn provides a
unique ID for all devices in the DB.
6. What is that
'Box' on the right side of the Map?
The 'Box' is for a list the names of the device Icons on the
map. Each device has a numbered Icon associated with it's location. The
Icon number matches the number in the list.
7. The Icon
data and the List data do not match
The data displayed when the name in the list is 'clicked' only
shows the device name. The list data is not updated as is the Icon data.
Each new location plot contains a fresh time stamp. Hovering the mouse
over an Icon will open a data window showing this information.
8. What is the
Maximum number of Tracking records allowed in the database?
The current limit is 500 records. At 10 seconds per packet that
is about 80 minutes. If the Polling rate is 5 minutes then this is about
40 hours. When the limit is reached older records will be overwritten to
keep the total at 500 records. Choose the Polling rate with these limits
in mind. The MAPS/DATA screen has a utility to GET CODES that shows
codes used and also the number of records in the database. Records can
be deleted by code ID from this page.
9. What data is
sent out? How big is it?
The Location data packet includes coordinates
(latitude/longitude), speed,max speed, heading, altitude and GMT time.
Each sending is about 100 bytes.
10. How many
Zoom levels are there?
The ZOOM levels are the Google Map Zoom settings. The range is
15 WORLD WIDE to 1 STREET LEVEL (real close).
11. Why does
the map NOT recenter itself?
If the Map START BUTTON has been clicked, the Map is updated
every 10 seconds with the latest location. Multiple devices are being
tracked and to recenter the map all new (moving) locations is not
useful. The map can be Zoomed out to provide viewing as many devices as
desired.
12. What is a
ZONE?
(A Zone is a bounded geographic space. There are currently two
Zones defined in PLT. Zone1 is drawn in Red and Zone2 is drawn in Blue.
Both Zones can be created on the Web Page (members only) and Zone1 can
be created on the PDA. No Zones can be created on a SmartPhone at this
time. Zones created on the PC or the PDA are updated in the database
when saved and are immediately(sp) operational.
13. What are the
capabilities of a Zone?
Zones respond to the entry and exit of the defined space. If
notification is enabled with an e-mail, SMS, or phone response, then the
entry and exit of the space is reported to these addresses with time and
movement information.
14. Who can create
or delete Zones?
Zone creation is available on the web site www.perDiemCo.com/PDC.htm and
from PDA devices (Zone1 only). You must 'Login' on this site to be able
to access the Zone creation page. Zone information is viewable on all
devices using the MAP/DATA screen. Each device can 'see' their own
Zones. Zones can be created and shared using your deviceID and your
current 'Code' setting (see your config screen). Using the deviceID and
the code information other devices can load this Zone and 'Track'
entry/exit of the area. This is useful for group activities.
15. What are the
START and STOP BUTTONS?
The START and STOP BUTTONS start a 30 second timer that updates the map
data with the latest location information. NOTE:If the PDA or Phone is
off or out of coverage the data will be the last reported location.
16. What is a KEY?
Your KEY is provided to you when you become a registered MEMBER. This
identifies you as having setup and editing rights to your data, such as
Zone management, Group membership, Photo management, etc. DO NOT SHARE
THIS KEY, it is your secure way to manage your data!
17. Why does some of
the data seem to be spread far apart?
Device features provide control on the amount(rate) of data (location
packets) sent to the server. POLLING sets how often data is sent,
MARKERS sets a limit on how much is stored on the server, and TRIP
toggles between multiple records saved or a single location record being
updated at the POLLING rate. These choices will change the PC tracking
display. POLLING will change the spread between data points, depending
on rate of travel. MARKERS will display only ten (moving) Icons and ALL
will display a long trail of all location packets. TRIP OFF will display
only one Icon showing the current location, it will change at the
Polling rate. TRIP ON will display all data Icons.
